Wrangell Narrows

Itinerary: Petersburg to Wrangell
Weather: Low overcast, fog, calm

Wrangell Narrows is one of our favorite routes in southeast Alaska. With 60 navigation aids in a 22 mile stretch, the narrows is probably the most well-marked stretch of water in Alaska. Although we approach this passage with caution and careful planning, we have never had any trouble navigating it.

We departed Wrangell at 0700 hours on the last of the flood tide, under a low ceiling with 4-5 miles visibility and a forecast calling for patchy fog and light winds. Barb tracked our position on the paper chart, watching ranges and calling out buoy numbers, and the computer displayed the moving map that confirmed our position. By 1030 hours we were motoring into an easterly breeze in Sumner Strait, arriving in Wrangell at 1440 hours.

Wrangell has always been a crowded harbor, with boats rafted side by side against the transient dock, but that is no longer the case. With a new harbor, Wrangell now has more than adequate moorage space and the transient dock was nearly deserted.

Wrangell’s main street and boat yard are presently under repair, and the boatyard will not be available until September. Even walking downtown was difficult, requiring the pedestrian to cross private property to keep away from excavations and fresh concrete.

We met our friend, Janet Strom, who invited us to dinner with other visiting friends on Saturday evening.