twenty glaciers, 200-foot-high Margerie edge as we dare, while remaining by two over-sized cruise ships and
Glacier. Its 50-some-odd passengers are outside the recommended quarter-mile another powerboat. The cruise ships
off-loaded and the boat left to wait for limit. Meanwhile, a small powerboat and powerboats leave before dusk and
nine hours so the tide can change and carelessly zips by us to hijack a closer once more we are isolated.
they can prod it free later in the day. look at the enormous slab of frozen We’ve heard from an Alaskan old-
So, in addition to icebergs, we are told waterfall. Crack! Sharp as a lightening timer you can anchor overnight a few
that Southeast Alaska has thousands bolt, thundering like Zeus - a shoulder miles off to the side and still have a
of uncharted rocks and shoals. To wit: of the ice calves - a massive black and good view of the Margerie. But, we are
even professional, licensed captains grey ice-slide clapping down like a warned to post a round-the-clock watch
run aground here! noisy house of cards, plunging into the to fend off and deflect any wandering
The next morning we glide into the murky, chilled stew. A slow-motion, 15- icebergs with a boat hook. Somehow, I
same inlet that proved disastrous for foot wave swells menacingly toward wind up on 4:00 a.m. berg-watch. I try
the Spirit of Alaska, fortunately, without the powerboat. He skips out of there to amuse myself below in the warmth
the same result. We zig-zag through ice just in time. During the course of the of the cabin. I play solitaire. I go out
flows to sidestep as close to the glacier’s day, we are joined in the ‘cheap seats’ on deck for a look. A ring of irregular
ice chunks of varying sizes forms an
orderly, docile perimeter around us. I
return below and play more solitaire
SAIL AdvISoRy
as I hum, “Dum-dum-dum, dee-dee,
dum-dum.” I look out the starboard
and port windows. The ice-water ring
around us looks like a benign, watery
halo in the moonlight, I muse.
Call now to check discounts and find out why
Suddenly, it’s 6:00 a.m. I wake up
this is the best time to buy a UK Halsey sail!
with a start. Can’t believe I drifted off
to sleep. I race up the companionway,
CRUISING SAILS… UK’s full line of cruising sails is crafted to
fearing an extra-aggressive berg may
make sailing easier and more enjoyable. You’ll get the best quality
have already locked onto us. Fervently,
I whip open the hatch and step out
sails designed and built for your boat whether you choose long life
into the 52° F. chill that poses as a July
dacron sails or high tech sails made with the patented Tape-Drive
®
morning in these parts. Sure enough,
construction system or radial panels. The staff of UK Sails will work a floating boulder the size of a semi is
with you to determine how you use your boat so that we match up
lumbering toward our bow, apace! Well,
the right sails for your boat.
it’s not speeding, exactly. It’s more, like,
moseying at about one mile per hour.
Summer
But clearly, I’m going to need help.
It’s our guest Stephen’s turn on watch
Doldrums
anyway, I reason before rousting him.
Discount
He stumbles up the steps, boathook
in hand. A true gentleman; a giant of
a man, I think. And these are my last
thoughts before floating off to sleep as
gently as a lazy chunk of ice.
The next day we drop our hook
in a much less threatening, nearly ice-
free, inlet facing the land-locked Reid
Glacier. Novice kayakers, Dick and I
naively drop into our brand new kayaks,
intent on paddling over to the shore.
The UK Batmain The Passagemaker Genoas The Flasher
The force of williwaws - fierce winds
that accelerate as they race downhill
from the heights of the snowy glacier -
UK Halsey Northwest: 1-800-563-7245
coupled with current from the glacier’s
UK Halsey Anacortes 360-293-8223
run-off is so ruthless, we’re hard-
pressed to even hold station. I curse
UK Halsey Sidney: 250-656-8843 like a sailor hoping to conjure up some
Klondike-sized, super-strength to get
back to safety. Dick and I labor to hoist
our kayaks back onboard. Contentedly,
www.ukhalsey.com -
northwest@ukhalsey.ca
we settle for onboard sightseeing in the
48° No r t h , Au g u s t 2009 PA g e 42
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