My day in Ketchikan was very nice. We were a bit late arriving because we’d been late departing from Haines yesterday. But I disembarked, learned no single kayaks could be used, and followed the guide down the main drag to the little marina. I didn’t bother mimicking the stroke the guide demonstrated, and once somebody volunteered to be my partner, I hopped in the back cockpit of a Wilderness Systems Northstar. Early on I noticed the guy in front of me was trying to help steer by doing multiple strokes on one side. I counseled him on it; not only does the person in the back seat steer, but I had control of the rudder! The guide overheard and agreed with me 100%. We paddled across the channel as seaplanes landed over our heads - it was a fairly noisy paddle the whole time. After spotting some bald eagles (which I didn’t know are no longer endangered), we paddled around an island and into Whiskey Cove itself. It was at this point that I started wanting to chop off my partner’s head with my paddle.

The current was not strong, but if one stopped paddling, one would drift a little bit. I had already endured the guy freaking out anytime we got near another kayak (even though the guide said early on not to worry about it), so what he said next almost made me want to see if he could do a wet exit. The guide was paddling lazily, so he drifted a bit, and we bumped him lightly. The guy actually turned around and said “Nice steering” to me, sarcastically, implying that I couldn’t do the job. I was so annoyed that I didn’t say anything for a few moments, and then I finally said “do consider that it wasn’t my fault.” Which he ignored, of course.

So after looking at an abandoned research boat and some starfish, we headed back to port. The whole way I had to steer not only to follow our route, but to avoid hitting anybody else, which meant I was doing more steering than sightseeing. At the final channel crossing, we were to aim for a tower on the opposite shore. I got us across the main shipping lanes (which I guess would actually be called the runway there) with the bow dead-on for the tower, and then I let us go a bit in the direction we’d end up going anyway. Also, once we were mostly across, the guide told us to aim for the rocks (that is, get as close to the shoreline as possible). So we pulled up at about a 45° angle to the tower, and quite a few yards away (but toward where we’d eventually have to go). What does my lovely partner do? He points to the tower and says I should “steer us over there.” I said something about being okay where we were, and I left it at that. We were almost back and then I could leave him behind. Which I did.

Once back on the streets of Ketchikan, I was accosted by a passenger who’d seen my RSVP name tag and apparently thought I was able to give some bonus prize to him. (I later found out this had to do with the RSViP frequent traveler program.) I shook him off and went to do the last of my Alaska shopping. I’d heard Ketchikan described as the Disneyland of Alaska, but I think Skagway fits that better. I rather liked Ketchikan, actually, even if I only saw it briefly. Before going back on board I bought a bit of rum which J helped me smuggle in with no problems.

After a late lunch, I interpreted for the “dating game” and the final round of bingo. The last prize was over $8400, and it all went to one very lucky guy! In the evening, M and I interpreted for the very funny Paul J. Williams. He’s a professional comedian and I liked him much better than Leslie Jordan. After his performance was the much-ballyhooed leather party. I hadn’t brought any leather so with my blue jeans and silver pumps I wore my ABW shirt. When asked where my leather was, I pointed out that ABW is the largest gay leather organization (might have made that up…) and so my shirt counted. After that I had the previously-described encounter with misogyny, and then I went to bed. (If I’ve used the word misogyny a lot this week, there’s a reason for that. Paul Williams was great though - he encouraged gay men to be friends with lesbians, and to support us and breast cancer the way we supported them and AIDS so many years ago.)