The Bella leaves her slip for a trip to Nordlund Ship Yard for a freshen up haul out... with an escort!

The Bella's crew on a cruse to our new Home Port, Gig Harbor. The view from the property with Colvos Passage on the left and Point Defiance and the Narrows to the right.

             The Bella in the Nordlund Yachts boat shed getting some much needed gel coat and paint repairs

 in preparation for this years honeymoon cruise to Sitka.

May 7th 2011

Spot Shrimp season opener at Hood Canal!

1 minute 42 seconds to launch...

Anticipation ...the first pull.

Here comes dinner !!!

A personal best -331 shrimp in one pot!

After a long hard day time to relax on the hook at Port Ludlow!

Maria mixes up a Red Velvet birthday cake for Griff

and some fresh fruit... Bella style for Mothers Day!

July 9th 2011

Wedding Day for April and Grady!

Our newlyweds!

Mom & Dad & crew!

WOW

The crab on ice!   The chocolate in fountains & Grady's new 38 footer!

The Bella ready to go, with Capt. PJ's blessing

Carillon Point prepares for the wedding - A Bella goodbye next stop Sitka!

July 16th 2011

Hakai Pass BC

Hakai Pass BONANZA!!! 19 keepers in one pot!

22 Lb King for Grady! And a Silver for April, just in time for dinner !

April and Grady 's heart shaped Inukshuk! - Grady found the only intact sand dollar on the Canadian coast! And a beach that only pictures can describe.

July 20,21st 2011

Lowe and Klewnuggit inlet BC

Black bears fishing Verney Falls

The pots are stuffed with Snow Crab -a two man job just to lift it over the rail!

On the hook preparing for dinner and Grady's Birthday party!

Dolphins on the bow an our way to Bishop Bay.

August 2011

Some of the sights in Wrangell's petroglyph beach and Petersburg Harbor.

We anchored up in Fools Bay to tender to Anan Bear reserve and discovered the owner of a small Island 200 yards away. We were told he didn't care for Yachters but loved sail boaters!

    x 

Anan Bear Reserve was PACKED with black bears all looking for fresh salmon. The first picture is a black bear that meet us on the trail

The river was loaded with fish and bears some 60 bears we were told by the rangers.

Some of the sights on the way to Petersburg and our anchorage for the night Cosmos Cove.

Yes we passed the Time Bandit and talk with Jonathan! He was tendering a huge load of salmon back to Wrangell with his unmistakable laugh!

A Killer Whale pod on the way to Cosmos Cove -at least 20 whales and a flat calm day.

A day trip up the Stikine River to Chief Shakes Lake and glacial ice.

A very rare sight -a black timber wolf on the shore of the Stikine river.

Sitka Harbor- finally!

The Longhouse and Greek Orthodox Church in downtown.

The evening of the August 12th in Sitka gave us a spectacular sunset and moon rise taken seconds apart. A rare clear view of Mount Edgecumbe and Sitka Sound.

A humpback surprises us on the way to Port McArthur

The humpback spy hop's and winks at us -note we are not in Kona that's Sitka's Mount Edgecumbe off in the distance! Lori's favorite Alaskan bird the Puffin.

We finally found 'em the KING CRAB!

53°58.063'N 166°31.423'W

What a shame......no one to share all this CRAB with!!!!! I think there are a couple of tenderloins in the freezer that will accompany nicely.

A brief break in the rain produces some amazing scenes...

an eagle waits at a stream for the hordes of salmon.

Exceptional rains have brought out waterfalls literally everywhere. These two are at Butedale 53°09.716'N 128°41.752'W