Winter 2013

After many years of cruising, often in locations well off the usual course of most, we have been privileged to have achieved some recognition among the sailing community. As we noted in these pages about a year ago, we were honored to be awarded the Charles H. Villas Literary Prize by the Cruising Club of America at it’s annual award dinner at the New York Yacht Club in New York City.

An outcome of last years Charles H. Vilas Prize was that some of Nancy’s photographs were noticed by the Mystic Seaport Museum, perhaps the foremost maritime museum in the country. Permission was requested my Mystic to use one of Nancy’s photographs, blown up to enormous scale, as part of the introductory panel to an exhibit entitled “Adventurous Use of the Sea” in the Olin J. Stevens collection. In addition we have been asked to present our slide lecture at Mystic next fall.

Perhaps because success breeds success, or more likely once noticed one garners further scrutiny, at this year’s New York meeting Mark was awarded the Royal Cruising Club Trophy, endowed by the famous British institution of that name. Presented on behalf of the RCC by the CCA, the award was made in recognition of Mark’s late winter solo Alaskan cruise and ski adventure. See "Winter Cruise in Prince William Sound", blog post dated June 5, 2012.

Winter cruising in Prince William Sound is just not normal!! So to do so alone, during a winter that set records for the unusual amount of snowfall, in an area known throughout the world for its generally heavy snow cover, gained some notoriety. We will not include a photograph of the award presentation here, as it looks exactly the same as that from last year - we are both wearing the same dinner wear, the room is the same fantastic banquet hall at the NYYC, and Nancy’s hair is sticking out in its usually unruly fashion.

Intending to make another late winter cruise, as well as to have something to occupy himself while Nancy embarked on another portion of her hike, Mark left for Cordova shortly after we returned from New York City. Though there had not been as much snowfall as last winter, the winter was a late one, with considerable snow and colder temperatures at a later date than usual. So it was another incredible late winter, with a persistent high pressure system yielding clear shies and bright sunshine.

However, Mark’s long serious back problems had impeded much of his mobility for the winter. So he elected to remain in Cordova, slowly prepare Tamara for this season’s cruise, and walk and do other exercises every day in an effort to regain--or preserve--better mobility.

Since 2000 our vocation has been pursuing adventure. Primarily cruising, but now in addition Nancy’s hiking, adventure, or photographing and writing and lecturing about our adventures has been our occupation. We will continue to do so as long as, and to the extent we’re able. Mark may not be able to hike like Nancy, but the boat remains his magic carpet to adventure. He is still plenty mobile for that.


Nancy continued her pursuit of the Pacific Crest Trail in April, hiking from Cajon Pass to Mt. San Jacinto Mtns, 163 miles. Her main goal was to finish the section of trail that was blocked by snow last year along Fuller Ridge, and have the first 342 miles of trail complete. All of her section hikes can now be read at Nancy's PCT Journey.

As Nancy’s hike concluded plenty early, and Mark was in Cordova throughout the spring, we’ve been able to prepare Tamara for an early departure this season. We remain in Cordova, however, awaiting the arrival of two of our headsails that we’d taken home for repairs. With luck we will soon be able to bend on those sails, load the inflatable dinghy aboard, and begin to cruise to the west. We both very much enjoy the Alaska Peninsula, the Shumigin Islands and the Aleutians.

This region is very seldom cruised by yachts, although more and more make there way eastward along this route each year as they sail to North America from Japan. In the last few seasons we have been privileged to be visited by crews that we met in South America and Antarctica that have sailed this route and been able to spend a little time in Alaska.

We have no specific goal as this region can prove very challenging cruising. We will go as far west as weather, time and our inclination permits. In recent years we’ve been along this route and in to the Bering Sea, but we enjoy the challenges presented by these grounds, and the changes in scenery, topography and meteorology that emerge with each mile one sails west. The Shumagins and Aleutians are generally not forested, but are covered with a verdant heather that affords easy walking, are much drier than Prince William Sound, and offer spectacular seascapes. They are, for the most part, very remote, but the welcome granted by fishermen and villagers of the are is always very warm.

We will have updates as the summer progresses.

Chenega Island, Prince William Sound

The clue should have been late last night when a salmon seine boat anchored right next to us, because at 6 am this morning a salmon opening began and by 7 am there were five seiner in our anchorage. We had planned on leaving with the tide at about 11 am but when we found ourselves being hemmed by seine net we made a quick departure. Welcome to Prince William Sound.

Since our arrival in Alaska six weeks ago, we had spent most of our time on the western half of the wild, isolated Alaskan Peninsula. Until we reached Kodiak Island we had encountered only one other yacht, having anchorages all to ourselves. And we've been amazed at the amount and variety of wildlife for viewing - brown bears, bald eagles, sea otters, whales (humpback, orcas), seals, red fox, and a variety of sea birds. And we've been feasting on Red salmon and halibut. Crossing Shelikof Straits to Kodiak Island brought us back to civilization.

The month of July, normally with good weather, was tempestuous on the Peninsula. The weather forecast kept changing daily making passage planning difficult. We had been on Nagai Island south of Sand Point when we got a forecast for 45 k westerly winds, so we headed back into Sand Point to wait for it to pass. But each time we'd see a window coming up the weather would change and we'd continue to wait. After a week in Sand Point we finally got a break and headed to an anchorage 30 nm east where we'd anticipated being able to continue on in 2 days. But once again the weather forecast changed - in one day we picked up anchor and moved 3 times with each 12 hour change in the forecast! With a strong westerly we were finally able to advance 150 nm to Port Wrangel, a fantastic small anchorage totally surrounded by high mountains and waterfalls. And the following day a light SW wind took us another 100 nm to Geographic Harbor, another incredible inlet in Katmai National Park.

Fortunately the day we arrived we had time to put the dinghy in the water and explore the large inner bay because after that the weather took a turn for the worst. A NE gale was forecast and we spent 2 days and a night hanging by our toenails in 35 k winds and williwaws up to 45 k! Every time we'd get hit by a williwaw, we'd heal over and start sailing on the anchor, and thought surely we'd break out the anchor and drag. Very stressful. But Tamara held tight!

The plan was not to spend time on Kodiak Island this year but save it for next year. But we did make a 24 hours stop and go to get fuel, fresh provisions and check internet at the Library. Good weather was forecast for crossing the Gulf of Alaska to Prince William Sound (200 nm) and we made a fast departure. Six hours out of Kodiak we got our first sighting of Orcas - one large male, five females and a baby!!

We're now back in Mark's old stomping grounds and will enjoy the next couple of weeks before making for Cordova. We intend to base Tamara in Cordova as it is the north country we wish to cruise, and from our point of view, journey's end on our 44,000 nm odyssey that began in 2000 in Fort Lauderdale.

Ciao, Nancy and Mark

Sanborn Harbor, Nagai Island in the Shumigan Island Group

12 July 2009

55 07 N
159 58.7 W

The reader will note, with the help of a general map or nautical chart, that we have not been logging a great many miles since out first landfall in Captain Harbor. The reason for this is that we deliberately left ample time for the Alaska portion of this season's cruise to poke around and explore, as well as to spend time in areas that Mark has known for many years, but due to the time constraints of the fishing industry was unable to spend the amount of time required to really come to know a place or people.

After some time anchored in Dolgoi Harbor, a fine natural harbor formed by the caldera of an extinct volcano, and not far from the massive and impressive occasionally active Mount Pavlov, we made our way to the small fishing port of Sand Point in the Shumagin Islands. Sand Point, while very modest in terms of the size and style of the homes and other amenities, once boasted the highest per capita income in the country. It may still, though with the severe price compression in the salmon industry, it has probably passed this mantle to somewhere like one of the walled in, gated and armored communities in Silicone Valley. In any event, Sand Point remains a small fishing port perched on a barren island just east of the Aleutian chain, within sight of the spectacular Alaska Peninsula and the volcanic cones common to the region.

These islands were first "discovered" by Europeans on Vitus Bering's voyage that terminated on Kayak Island near Cape Saint Elias in the Gulf of Alaska near Cordova. Cordova, where Mark based fishing boats for fifteen years, is where we will end our own odyssey this season. The unfortunate Shumagin was the first of Bering's crew to die, necessitating a brief stop for burial and water collection before the party continued to the east.

For many years there was a strong Russian influence here, driven by the hunting for sea otters by the resident Aleut peoples. At times, particularly in the very early years, this activity was encouraged by severe brutality, but the Russian influence remains today and is evident in ecleastical archetecture as well as numerous place names. Many of the Aleut descendants living in Sand Point today have Russian family names.

By 1850, even before the purchase of Alaska, American and British Canadian ships came to this area to trade for what few sea otter pelts remained, as well as to hunt northern fur seals and to fish the abundant cod resources. Sand Point's harbor provided a haven for these ships, and early photographs show large fleets of sealing and fishing schooners anchored just outside of what today is a fine small boat harbor.

Early in American administration, Sand Point became an important port for revenue cutters and other means of extending our political jurisdiction. It remains an important, though small, port today, serving the fishing industry. Large refrigerated freighters can safely anchor where the sealers once did, while the salmon fleet enjoys the inner harbor facilities.

Our purpose here, in addition to taking on fuel, water and provisions, was to get re acquainted with an area and community where Mark had spent considerable time more than 25 years ago performing a fisheries research and development project. Incidentally, although provisions purchased at the local supermarket were very expensive and somewhat limited, fuel and boat related bits such as fuel filters, rope, twine, insulated rubber gloves and so on were very reasonably priced at the local fish processing plant. Their notion is to provide a service for their fleet, not maximize profit on these items----an enlightened company store!!

While in the harbor, TAMARA of course was something of a curiosity, though not quite as much as one might expect. Each season a few yacht pass thru, some on attempts at the North West Passage, all taking advantage of the goods and services available here, as well as the harbor facilities. This past winter a French yacht was stored ashore, as Sand Point boasts a marine Travelift and a skilled operator, as well as frequent air service to Anchorage and the world.

But with Mark's background in fisheries, our time in Sand Point was rather more like old home week. He knew or knew of some of the fisherman, and several recalled his 91' QUIN DELTA from the fishing grounds. Before we knew it we had been presented with fine Alaska Red Salmon, our favorite, and we left with our small freezer plugged full.