Day 48 Deep Bay to Sitka – June 29, 2018

Got up early this morning to transit the “narrows” at slack tide where the currents can run at 6 knots during max tide and the channel is very narrow. It was very foggy so the radar was spinning as we navigated through the green and red channel markers with passing traffic. Eventually the fog lifted enough for pretty clear visibility and we soon arrived in beautiful Sitka, a town of 13,000 and very picturesque. The harbor is bustling with activity as the fishing is opening July 1, so the crews are prepping nets and stocking supplies, and generally getting ready to roll. Anne and Paul went up to town to get the lay of the land and have lunch, while John got on the phone to solve today’s mechanical issues – still the leaky shaft seal and now the water maker bladder that does the filtering is starting to fail. The water maker is definitely a mission critical item. John called around Sitka to try and find a mechanic to help him but Sitka definitely seems to be on “island time” as nobody answered their phones so he ended up calling to Seattle to get his questions answered and parts ordered. As the afternoon wore on the rain increased and it just poured. We are having a quiet night on the boat tonight and tomorrow are renting a car to go see the Alaska Raptor Center, the Fortress of the Bear rescue center, and the native art museum. Maybe the totem park too. Dinner tonight is spaghetti with homemade bolognese sauce, green salad with fresh crab, and homemade sourdough bread that Anne and I made today (mostly Anne).