Alaska Summer 2015

Alaska, like the rest of the West, has been experiencing a drought in recent years.  One does not normally put Alaska and drought in the same sentence.  With this in mind, the cruise this summer focused on the effects of current changes in weather patterns.

One of the obvious signs this season was the decrease in snow pack.  Normally by mid-May the snow level is fairly close to the shoreline and in some cases still very heavy.  Last year, and even more so this year, the snow level mid-May was more like what one would expect in August.  The town of Valdez, not far from Cordova, recorded six feet less snowfall than the previous record low.  The city of Anchorage, Alaska's largest, experienced the least snowfall since records have been kept. By the time Mark arrived in Cordova in March to begin his late winter solo cruise, the snow line was 800 to 1,000 feet above sea level.


Most towns in Alaska, like many in Washington State, depend on steady melt of snow pack and lakes for their water supply, not enormous dams.  Last year the seafood processing plant in King Cove on the Alaska Peninsula, the largest such facility in the world as measured by product output, was forced to curtail production due to insufficient water.  The town of Cordova relies on snow melt to drive the hydro-electric power plant, and this year’s insufficient water flow would force consumption of expensive diesel fuel throughout the summer fish processing season, the largest such production in history.


Alaska forest fires have been occurring earlier and over a longer season the last couple of years.  Fires in the interior of Alaska are especially destructive in that they burn the protective tundra layer over the permafrost, causing melting and the release of methane gases into the atmosphere. By early August, more acres had been consumed by fire than any previous season but one.  It was expected that the previous record would be broken by the end of summer.


Sea water temperature is critical to salmon spawning and a rise of only a few degrees can bring havoc  to the  fisheries.  Another effect of warmer temperatures can be an unusually high rate of growth of toxic phytoplankton. The death of an unusual number of sea birds in the Aleutians, as well as ten fin whales found dead off Kodiak Island, was provisionally attributed to this phenomenon.


We were fortunate, however, to note an extraordinary abundance of Humpbacks this season, particularly near the Kodiak and Shumagin Islands.  On several occasions one or more whales breached completely clear of the water very close to TAMARA.  Unfortunately, none ever gave adequate warning for Nancy to be able to aim and focus her camera.  She's still hoping for that great whale shot!


Having made the cruise to the west several times before, we would be breaking little new ground.  Instead we planned to revisit several of our favorite anchorages in the southwest part of Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula, the Kodiak archipelago, the rugged Alaskan Peninsula, the Shumagin and Konuij Islands.  However, this season we ventured a bit off the track on this route to visit the small but important fishing of Chignik on the Alaskan Peninsula.


Chignik, the Aleutik word for “Big Wind” is sited at the approaches to a large, but very shallow, lagoon that produces a important Red Salmon run.  The village’s name was exceptionally well chosen, and during much of our time in the brand new, well constructed harbor the place lived up to its windy reputation.

The salmon seine fishing boats that work the Chignik red salmon fishery are generally of very shallow draft, permitting them to work in the lagoon when necessary.


On our return to Cordova, TAMARA’s home-port, we were pleased to see secured to the transient dock a boat and crew we’d come to know in Patagonia and Antarctica.  SAUVAGE, with Sophie and Didier aboard, was soon to depart for Mexico.  But we were able to spend a few days together, and extensive discussions involving their decision whether to rebuild or replace their main engine hopefully allowed Sophie and Didier to come to a good resolution!  Their latest phone call, from Ketchikan, had them planning to make their best time to Bellingham, WA to take possession of a new engine, which given the extraordinary distances they cover each season will see extensive use.


Nancy departed in mid-August to continue her hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.  She would hike from Tuolumne Meadows to Donner Pass, making her total completed miles more than half way.   The main concern on this hike was the fire danger but the only sign of fire was a day or two of very light smoke which she felt was very fortunate.  Mark made yet another drive home, having now completed the spectacular 2,250 mile drive from Alaska through the Yukon and British Columbia more than two dozen times.  For him, it's the best way to make the transition back to the bustle of life in the Puget Sound region.

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.