Good Old Boat Issue 142: Jan/Feb 2022
Short Voyages
Porter and Magnus tend a beach fire while hanging out on Coronation Island.
Little did we realize at the time, but this became our routine for the next couple weeks: Sail a short hop to a new place, find a secluded spot to set our hook and explore, and enjoy each other’s company and our remaining days in Alaska. Besides spotting a few commercial fishing vessels on the horizon during this stretch, we didn’t come across another boat for several days and were unsurprised to find empty and unspoiled anchorages at Gedney Harbor and breath- taking Coronation Island. Nor were we shocked when we entered the small bay on the east side of Warren Island and found it vacant. After making a couple tight circles to check our depth and swing room, I shifted into reverse and Jill paid out the anchor and chain into impos- sibly clear water. The boys were on the bow, too, assessing our newest anchorage and plotting their shoreside adventures on
what looked to be a stunning sand beach. The One that Got Away While I explain the feelings of pulling into what ended up being one of our family’s favorite anchorages in all of Alaska, 6-year-old Porter throws his hands in the air and says, “You had to bring it up!” Clearly, it’s his turn to spin a tale. By this point, we’d all heard this story several times,
but nobody stops him from regaling us with his fishing exploits. He had become quite a fisherman over the past year or so, and his confidence and skill in catching dinner for us was burgeoning. InWarren Cove, Porter set out in the dinghy, rowing towards the beach and several sizable schools of coho salmon. Once in place, he explains, “It was sunny, and I could see shadows on the bottom, so I
rowed towards them slowly. I casted near the shadows a few times and got nothing. Then I casted in front of the shadow and while reeling it in, I felt a hit!” Gathering excitement, standing now and waving his hands in the air, he continues, “I was reeling it in and while bringing it up to the side of the dinghy, which is rubber, I grabbed it and got it into the boat near the seat. Then it flopped, the hook came out of its mouth, and it bounced off the side and into the water! No!” Sitting back down, he laments the unfortunate outcome. “I will never forget that. It was huge!'' he says while spreading his arms wide. “Wow, that was so...so sad.” I remember him coming back to Yahtzee that day and his facial expression looked absolutely devastated. This was his first solo fishing excursion and he’d had one in the boat, only to lose it. I was crushed for him. Wanting to help, I jumped in the dinghy and we went back to his honey hole. I rowed
Anchored near Craig, Magnus and Andy enjoy some time in the cockpit before dinner.
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