We had a leisurely morning as we waited for the proper timing to go through Hole In The Wall and then Yuculta Rapids and Gillard Passage. We pulled up our anchors and unrafted so that we timed our run for slack tide. We had no problems at all. In fact, it was actually pretty calm considering how fast the current is known to flow.
We arrived at Dent Island for our next two night stay. What
a beautiful place. It is extremely pricey ($3.50 per foot moorage instead of
$1.50 or so) and the restaurant’s famous dinner runs $110 per person. We
decided it was a place to visit at least once. We will do most of our own
cooking other than breakfast tomorrow morning for a mere $18 per person. We do
love it here, though. Bob was especially happy to be docked right next to the
seaplane dock. It is a small, intimate
resort and feels like being a guest in someone’s home. No one was in the office
when we went to buy ice cream bars and another seasoned visitor told us to just
take them and let the staff know when we saw them! That’s what we did and the
staff member said it was no problem, he would add it to our tab. The resort
here is amazing. We wandered around the grounds and got a few pictures of the
grounds during low tide.
One thing we decided to do today (and Larry joined us) was to take the jet boat tour through the rapids when they were running fast and then to see the eagles feeding. What an incredible time! We had so much fun and Bob got some great video as we went through the rapids and I got some photos. One of the whirlpools that is in the Dent Rapids is known as Devil’s Hole. We saw it trying to build and watched it get about 10’ deep. It can get as large as 30’ feet across and 20’ deep so a boater definitely wants to heed the warnings about going through at slack tide.
The picture with all the signs in the trees are names of
various tugs who have holed up in the cove waiting with their loads of logs for
a certain kind of tide current, often waiting as long as two days. While
waiting, they started hanging signs with their tugboat names showing they had
been there.
Another highlight of the trip was at Jimmy Judd Island where
eagles gather to feed on the fish that float to the top. The pressure of the
rapids forces the fish deeper so their air bladders inflate to bring them closer
to the surface. The problem they have is that they inflate so much that they
float on the surface (and sometimes explode). The fish lie on the surface of
the water until eagles get them or they deflate enough to go back under water.
There were hundreds of eagles flying all around us, taking their fill of the
floating fish and then perching in the trees overhead. It was an amazing site
to see.
After leaving Jimmy Judd Island, we went by an area that was swarming with seals. Although they can be a nuisance, they are still pretty cute.
One thing we decided to do today (and Larry joined us) was to take the jet boat tour through the rapids when they were running fast and then to see the eagles feeding. What an incredible time! We had so much fun and Bob got some great video as we went through the rapids and I got some photos. One of the whirlpools that is in the Dent Rapids is known as Devil’s Hole. We saw it trying to build and watched it get about 10’ deep. It can get as large as 30’ feet across and 20’ deep so a boater definitely wants to heed the warnings about going through at slack tide.
After leaving Jimmy Judd Island, we went by an area that was swarming with seals. Although they can be a nuisance, they are still pretty cute.
We went by two beautiful estates that our guide pointed out
to us. The first is owned by the famous auctioneers, Ritchie Brothers. They
have a dining area converted from an upside boat hull. There was also a large
barge that they use for their guests and often take the barge wherever they
might need it.
The second estate was owned by the Washington Corporation, a
large mining company in Montana. They are Dennis Washington who Bob sold
several boats to over the years. He owns
two boats – one is 220’ and the other is 330’. The photo shows a tugboat
restoration project that was docked at the house.
The final part of our jet boat ride was through Arran
Rapids. These rapids are so strong that boaters are discouraged from traveling
through them at any time. Tidal streams can run as fast as 13+ knots. They have
a long history of killing the unsuspecting or foolish boater.
We had so much fun on this tour that when we came back and
told of our experience Cheryl, Jack & Moon, and Sue & Al promptly
headed to the office to sign-up for tomorrow’s trip. Sue and Al are celebrating
their 40th anniversary tomorrow so they enjoyed the $110 dinner out
on the deck this evening. They had a wonderful time and said the food was
excellent!
Our evening ended with a beautiful sunset and watching the
moon rise up over the hills.
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