South to Vancouver : Day 1

Seward, Alaska : Turnaround Day (Day 1 Southbound)

We arrived in Seward to sunny skies and a friendly welcome. We made our way to the dock at Small Boat Harbour and the Kenai Fjord Tours vessel Explorer for our 10-hour trip. The day was chilly and I was thankful for the waterproof, insulated jacket I had purchased in Ketchikan the week before. We set out with our young Captain and his crew to observe the local wildlife of Alaska. The ocean swells were large and plentiful, so much so that I began feeling very 'green' and had to sit out a lunch of Caesar wrap and baby carrots. Luckily I had brought some anti-nausea medication and was fine as soon as it 'kicked in'.

Although the whale-watching was a bust, as it had been on a previous trip this week, we were thrilled to see bald eagles, sea lions. puffins, and sea otters, and the weather was sunny and fairly warm. On the long trip back to Seward we were delighted to learn that we were to be delivered to the lodge on Fox Island for a buffet lunch of salmon, prime rib, rice and dessert. For a fee, you could also purchase a pound of Alaskan King Crab, shelled and ready to eat, and we did.


We sadly had to say goodbye to Barry and Dorothy, Pirate friends from Florida. They accompanied us on our Kenai Fjords cruise and amid much hugging , bid us farewell until next time. Back on board the Radiance, we checked in and completed some first-day business, including meeting our new neighbours Bob and Vita from Arkansas, and re-connecting with two Mariner Repo friends, Bill and Mariana from California.We invited them to join us and our other Pirate sailors for champagne on the balcony as we sailed away from Seward. We were delighted to discover that Bob is an amateur magician, and he treated us to an impromptu magic show in our cabin.

Another great day and a great start to Cruise number 2, Alaska Southbound.

Tomorrow: Cruising by the Hubbard Glacier