Six days in Ketchikan and every one has seen rain – long, drenching, steady, heavy, sometimes torrential rain. Occasional gale force winds. Even the locals are complaining. The inside of Kama Hele is fine, though the bridge of the boat, the top most deck from where I like to drive and where we keep the kayak … and, yes, my walking pad for exercising on long cruise days … is normally ‘almost’ waterproof. But the Ketchikan rains found every entry into the bridge’s weak spots. I was determined not to let the bridge become a soggy mess, so a pasta pot and plastic storage container became cisterns and every spare towel was laid out to act as a sponge. To keep ahead of the water I even made a few middle-of-the-night visits to empty the pots before they had a chance to overflow.

Rain did not stop us from exploring and getting out. Rain gear and beanies keep us warm and comfortable, the bright yellow dry bag keeps groceries and mementos safe, and we’ve gotten to know Ketchikan as we wait out the atmospheric river and prepare for Brian and JD to join us. Meanwhile, we’ve gotten to know others on the dock, more than a few from Anacortes, and we just saw Tony Fleming‘s Venture dock across from us. We watched many of his Alaska videos as we prepared for our trip. Should we knock on his hull to say hello?

Brian and JD, along with a break in the rain, arrive tomorrow and we’re looking forward to heading into Misty Fjords on Monday.