Captain’s Log: Fun, Rain, Shopping in Kodiak Alaska

July 21-25

Hi All,

We left Three Saints Cove on Saturday, July 21 at 0630…..another early morning…..still pretty gray, low clouds/fog and misty. The passage was 83nm and we arrived around 5pm….trawler conditions again….we timed Sitkalidak Strait right at slack and the winds remained <10 kts until we rounded Cape Chiniak when they strengthened to 15-20kts but from astern so no big deal!! And the sun did come out as the low clouds lifted to give us a beautiful view of the mountains surrounding Kodiak!! And, we did see a pod of six Humpbacks as we passed Narrow Cape feeding on the top….pretty cool to watch…..Cape Narrow is where the Coast Guard has a missile launch system. “The system is designed to shoot down short, medium and intermediate ballistic missiles. Some analysts liken THAAD to shooting down a bullet with another bullet.” We could see the launch buildings from a distance….looked pretty impressive.

Well….shades of Shelter Bay in Panama…..as we came into the marina we had winds up to 20kts with a 1-2 kt current….I could not control Mystic as we tried to back into our slip….cross current and wind….wow….eventually the thrusters went out on thermal so Captain John said out of here….we went back out to collect ourselves and change undies….when you almost crash into other boats you tend to need a change….Kathy called the Harbormaster who said yep, saw you struggle….that happens….how about our nice straight transient dock about 1/4 mile away….ODG thank you!!!!

Well one unpleasant welcome to USA…..shorepower issues. Evidently the USA is changing the shorepower pedestals to include GFI circuits to provide safety from a boat that is unknowingly discharging current into the water….Mark had warned us about this issue and it is causing many “older” boats big problems. Hmmmm….well, we plugged in successfully in Dutch Harbor and Sand Point so we thought we were ok….plus we have ISO transformers and the AC-12…well, maybe not…..for 4 days I tired to plug into shorepower only to have the circuit breaker trip immediately everytime. Many emails to friends and techs back in Seattle et al had me doing many tests to try to find a neutral line inadvertently tied to ground….well, Mystic passed every test given to us, and left many “experts” scratching their heads. Kathy is convinced it is the marina’s issue as no one on this dock is plugged in. Well, who knows….the next marina we will plug into is in Homer so we will find out. So, for the 5 days we were here we ran the GEN….ugh!!

We could have gone back to the marina where they have “older” pedestals w/o the GFI’s, but I guess it was inertia….we liked where we were…good views, convenient to places we wanted to go and I was still a bit paranoid about trying the very tight slip and fairway again…plus it was windy and rainy most of the time we were in Kodiak…yep, we had many reasons/excuses not to move:)))

And, then the 2nd unpleasant welcome to USA….propane gas. Hmmm….turns out our fiberglass cans have been recalled…..we actually knew that but we were in the South Pacific at the time and the cans had been good for 6+ years so we thought we were ok….well, 2 have been good and the other one started to leak in the Philippines. Anyway, I went to fill one of the “good” cans and the serviceman told me, oh…..these have been recalled, we can’t fill them….well, why not….they have served us just fine for the last 12 years and they have 3 more years life left….every other country we have been in….like maybe 10-15, have filled it….well, sir, those other countries probably do not have liability claims/lawyers….you see, if I fill it and it causes you issues, you can sue me and I will lose…but, I’m the owner and I’m the one accountable….hmmm, how long have you been gone…12 years…yep, welcome to litigious USA where the people get screwed and the lawyers get rich….oweee…and that was from a 20-something!!!!!

So, what should have taken me 1 hour was a 5 hour ordeal….all in the wind and rain….had to go buy a new can, take it back to Mystic to make sure it fits and the threads are still the same, then go back to have the can filled, then walk 2 miles RT to the station that will take old cans….well, yep, needed a dram or two after that experience!!!

And….always in 3’s…..Internet….we were excited to get cell and internet on our phones via Verizon….only to learn that it sucks….super, super slow….at times nonexistent….ugh!!! We were at Henry’s one night and we asked the bartender….why do you have Verizon she asks….well, it works good in the lower 48…well, not here and the rest of Alaska….you need to switch to AT&T…ok then, under happy wife, happy life I was at the AT&T store at 9am the next day….$50 later had a sim card and 6 GB for 30 days…..only to find out I have a glitch with AT&T on my iPhone 7….I could use the hotspot for the laptops but no internet/messaging on the phone….WTH…spent another hour at the AT&T store only for them to tell me “can’t solve it, one in a million case”….ugh….so we put the AT&T sim in Kathy’s iphone 7 and it works just fine….go figure….arghhhhhhh!!!!

OK….that was the bad stuff….now the good stuff in Kodiak….which we loved btw!!!!

“The city of Kodiak sits on Kodiak Island, which at 3,670 square miles and more than 100 miles long is Alaska’s largest island and the second-largest island in the United States. Known as the Emerald Isle, Kodiak’s verdant landscape and abundant outdoor opportunities make it a popular choice for nature enthusiasts.

Once a struggling fishing port, World War II turned the island of Kodiak into a major staging area for North Pacific operations. At one point Kodiak’s population topped 25,000, with Fort Abercrombie built as a defense post to protect the naval base that was constructed in 1939. Today the old naval base is the site of the largest Coast Guard base in the country.

Kodiak’s famed cloudy weather spared it from a Japanese attack during WWII but the city wasn’t so lucky during the Good Friday Earthquake of 1964, which leveled its downtown area and wiped out its fishing fleet. Today Kodiak is among the top three fishing ports in the country and home to 650 boats, including the state’s largest trawl, long-line and crab vessels, and 12 shore-based processors.

Native Alutiiq people have inhabited the Kodiak area for more than 7,000 years. In the mid 1700s, the island was discovered by a Russian explorer, ushering in the island’s Russian period. Kodiak was the first capital of Russian-controlled Alaska, and was an important location in the lucrative fur trade. A former storehouse of fur pelts owned by the Russian American Company in downtown Kodiak now houses the Baranov Museum, which is a great place to learn more about the area’s history. The building, constructed in 1808, is the oldest standing building in the state of Alaska.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodiak,_Alaska

Joel on mv Jade is here…..he owns a Selene 66…we first saw the boat in Vanuatu and have been emailing with Joel ever since. He did the Japan to Alaska run last year and we watched and studied his route and then used his wise counsel on several key decisions….very helpful. They live in New Caledonia and this is his 2nd trip to Alaska…the first was on a sailboat in 1994…wow!! We enjoyed getting to know Joel and Dominique better and shared a few stories over HH!! Phil and Leslie on sv Sagata who we met in Dutch Harbor were also here and we enjoyed a nice dinner and HH with them as well…yep, quite social here in Kodiak!!

We also went to several museums….the Baranof, the Alutiiq (the native people here 7000 years ago) and the National Wildlife museum where they have the skeleton of a Gray whale that washed up on a local beach….they buried the whale for 4 years to let it decompose, then took another year to clean and reconstruct and now it is hanging in the museum….wow, is that impressive!!!

Weather: Well….it sucked….starting the day after we got here….Sunday….it has rained solid for 3+ days…yikes….cold, rain, misty, fog, low clouds…..yep, this is the Alaska we remember and makes the past month of sun et al a rare treat!!!

Shopping: Some very good stores here….the best chandlery yet, excellent hardware store, good fishing store, a large Safeway that was just ok, Walmart, and Kathy got a nice haircut!!

We also ate out a lot….mainly at Henry’s…the local pub with pretty good food/beer/wine….had Kodiak scallops one night….yummers…..supposedly some of the best in Alaska….and I can see why…..will have to keep sampling other places to make a judgment!!!

And…..Mystic Moon, Mystic Moon, Mystic Moon, this is Spruce, Spruce, Spruce on Ch 16…..wow….they came in the last night we were in Kodiak so we got together for opening/closing ceremonies…..great fun and they have had a fantastic time going along the Peninsula seeing great scenery and critters…..it was just a brief rendezvous and we hope to rendezvous again somewhere in Prince William Sound or even somewhere close to Sitka!!!!

Whale count on passage: 6 total: 6 Hummpy
Total Whale Count since Japan: 84; 35 Humpbacks, 33 Orcas; 3 Sperms, 2 Blue, 8 Fin, 3 Unknown
Total Bear Count: 35; 22 Alaska Brown; 13 Kodiak Brown
Total Dungeness Crab Count: 35

The Plan: We are leaving on Thursday July 26 for a 30nm run to Kitoi on Afognak Island….more bears and hopefully a tour of a salmon hatchery. We will eventually cross the Shelikof Strait to Geographic Harbor on the Alaska Peninsula….one of the premier spots in Alaska for beauty, salmon streams and hopefully many bears if the salmon are there….we hear reports that the season is still a bust but maybe picking up….we shall see!!! While it was nice to be in a town….we are really anxious to get back out there and see the sites!!!

Hope all is well!!

John
Mystic Moon
GO MYSTIC GO!!!

PS: Finally got some more pictures on the website….yes, I’m way behind but this “slower than molasses” internet is not helping…..these pictures are of Sweepers Cove on Adak Island in the Aleutians: http://mysticmoonvoyages.com/photo-gallery/nggallery/main-album/Sweeper-Cove-Adak-Aleutians

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