Tracy Arm and the Sawyer Glacier

After visiting the gas dock at busy Petersburg, we ventured out, in a squall, for the glaciers of Tracy Arm.

The voyage to Tracy Arm Cove was a relatively short trip, only 20 miles or so. We found a good place to “drop the hook” and the Captain took the pooch to shore. I was stationed on deck for bear watch.

Our friends on Sirena joined out anchorage later that evening.

Sirena left the moorage shortly before we did and we passed them as we headed out for Sawyer Glacier.

We saw several icebergs as we left the harbor. The most beautiful berg was the clear-ice dark blue one, just outside the harbor. I have named him “Big Blue”.( See the photo gallery for more pictures.) http://picasaweb.google.com/kiata.linda08

Soon we were weaving in and out of icebergs and being in awe of the sheer rock walls on each side of the channel. We didn’t miss all the icebergs. We could hear the rubbing and knocking the bottom of the hull as we motored onward.

As we approached the head of the arm we could noticeably feel the temperature dropping.

When we got in sight of the face of the glacier we stopped and debated whether to go on through the fiord. The icebergs were increasing in number and moving swiftly through cross currents. Just as be had made the decision to turn around and go back to the harbor, SV Sirena arrived on the scene. We hailed them and ask them how much further they were going. Mary yelled back, “Until we are tired of hearing icebergs hit our aluminum hull!”

That gave us enough courage to sally-forth to our possible demise.

I am so glad we did decide to go on to the full face of the glacier. It was absolutely beautiful….cold but beautiful. The temperature was now around 40 degrees. I was stationed on the bow on “berg watch”. We could hear the loud rumbling of icebergs being born-“calving”. See saw one particularly dramatic calving. We were probably a good mile away at the time. Calving can cause mini Tsunamis, but we did not witness any wave action.
After we had taken 400 pictures and were totally frozen, we turned and started back. Again we passed the slower Sirena. Later we saw her again as she entered the foot of a rainbow. See photos.