The Gunk Hole, Elfin Cove
About 30 miles north of Pelican, just off Cross Sound on the north end of Chichagof Island, lies aptly named Elfin Cove. Approach is via Icy Strait and South Inian Pass, rounding Point Lavinia and turning south just east of the red marker on the rocks at the north end of George Island. Tides of up to 5 knots run through the passes.
Two narrow passages lead into the outer cove. Most vessels intending to go to the outer boat harbor or fuel dock take the passage to the east (left side facing in), keeping the red and white diamond marker to starboard, and charter boats and vessels destined for the back harbor usually take the even narrower channel to the west of the island that lies seaward of the village, keeping the red marker on the starboard. Two conspicuous dolphins are aligned in the outer harbor so that it is safe for a small vessel to pass between them, to the north, west, or south, but not to the shore side due to reefs. Floats extend from shore on the village side and a large fishing lodge lies on the opposite side of the channel to the back bay, known locally as the Gunk Hole.
Trolling gear on dock in Elfin Cove
Fuel dock and fish buying station, Elfin Cove
On the east side of the outer cove is a public float, and next to it is the floating fuel supplier. The main grocery and supply store is on the boardwalk behind the fuel float. Just to the west is the narrow passage into the inner cove, and a red triangle marks the approach to the narrowest point of entry. Inside is a large inner basin—the Gunk Hole—lined with float houses and summer homes of the affluent, and featuring a two-fingered dock that constitutes possibly the only free boat harbor moorage in Alaska. Minimum depth is about a fathom all the way in and pilings mark the safe entrance to the floats.
Former Elfin Cove School, now a museum
A crabber delivers to buyers at Elfin Cove
Elfin Cove (population 32) is traversed via a brief network of boardwalks with stairs and ramps. At the top if the ramp from the Gunk Hole floats is a museum, housed in the former school building that closed when the population of children in the village dropped below the minimum of ten. The network of boardwalks leads to the outer harbor, passing a small gear store and repair shop, some lodgings, a building that houses showers and laundry, and a combination general store and liquor store. Nearby is a small building with Internet service provided by the Cross Sound Seafood Marketing Association; a sign requests a donation of $8 per hour from users. The fuel dock is owned by the community and tends to charge less than the prices at neighboring ports. During commercial salmon trolling season a fish buyer sets up shop. A Dungeness crabber and an oyster farmer also deliver to customers at the dock and at the floats in the outer bay.
Cell phone service is spotty. Weather is available on WX4, though the report from that channel covers all of Southeast Alaska so it takes time to listen through it.
Vessels departing Elfin Cove for Cape Spencer normally pass south of the George Island group, keeping clear of Gaff Rock and several other offshore obstacles.
Notes
The name Elfin Cove derives not from the hobbit-hole appearance of the place but, like Pelican, from the name of a boat owned by one of the original residents.