frosty bay

On June 10th 2024, we traveled into Ernest Sound and through Seward Passage to anchor in Frosty Bay. We had wind almost all the way, contrary to what the book by Marilyn Johnson seemed to suggest. The SE wind blowing up Clarence Strait rolled over the hills and filled out sails until we reached Eaton Point. Once past it, the wind came intermittenly, we motor sailed through Seward Passage.

We dropped anchor in a total of 60 ft of water at high tide(highest tide), making sure to stay far from shore to avoid another Ratz Harbor incident.

This bay is east of Deer Island, tucked between large mountains. The view from the bay is very beautiful, especially on a clear day. We heard that the rock on the south west corner was supposed to host a seal colony, but it seems like they've moved on, or haven't yet arrived. "Seals are not quiet creatures..." a commenter on Navionics said, we were actually looking forward to the ruckus. We've shared anchorages with talkative seals before, but it's been too long.

The wind was in the SE when we arrived, but we didn't feel it in the bay much. The next morning it turned to the north, we did get a breeze coming from that direction for a while, nothing too strong though, then the wind shifted to the west, and then finally to the SE again, shooting down from the head of the bay (again, nothing too strong, but stronger than the wind from the north). The wind here appears to be a bit fickle, it changed direction and strength often during our 2-day stay.

The sun came out after lunch, so I went outside to cut up some more kindling. While at the dock in Port McNeill Devine split 5 logs into smaller lengths for our woodstove, but we always have to cut them down again so that they fit inside the firebox of our stove. The logs were all split, but we had a bag-full of uncut kindling. The days have been cold, so we've running the woodstove often. Our woodbox in the aft locker was half empty, so I went to work cutting the kindling in half with a hacksaw, while Devine went out for a row around the bay.

Where the bay narrows, is a mooring buoy, and past that, shallows, waters too shallow to anchor. The point where the bay narrows, ahead of the shallows, is home to a a lonesome cabin. Devine beached the dinghy and went ashore to explore. A sign on the cabin read:

Tongass National Forest
Frosty Bay Cabin

The cabin was well kept, ready for visitors.

Inside was a heater, bear repellant, beds, an outhouse, and other necessities. Devine signed the guestbook, only one other boat had signed it this year. Some of the entries were dated back to the late 90's.

It would be nice to find cabins like this in B.C., places where people can rest, warm up, or gather supplies if they need them.

Frosty Bay is a lovely, quiet place, we're glad we stopped here. Our next stop, is Berg Bay.