Venture to the Aleutians. Complete Trip 2015

[Music] april 9th 2015 we leave vancouver island bound for you in Alaska in the Aleutian Islands ahead lies some 2600 nautical miles of open ocean and uninhabited islands despite our early season start the mountains are almost bare of snow less than we have seen in July in previous years in Juneau the dots are strangely empty [Music] the streets deserted and traffic-free the first cruise ship is not due for another three weeks more each is plentiful and the harbor silent was the absence of floatplanes the forecast is good for the Gulf of Alaska but we encounter strong local winners enroute to Cape Spencer which marks the entrance to the Gulf [Music] once outside in open water the weather is fair the skyline dominated by the coastal mountains the only traffic gargantuan barges towed by diminutive tugs kayak Island is a prominent landmark of historic significance our first real stopping point is called over in Prince William Sound we were last here in 2013 but have returned this time for the bird festival celebrating the annual northward migration of the millions of birds especially Western sandpipers whose main nesting area is the Yukon these tiny birds have flown around 200 miles per day to reach here from San Francisco or in some cases even as far as South America after a couple of weeks and a farewell from some friendly otters we continue west across Prince William Sound we pass the stellar sea lion Hall out on the needles we go next to the fjords on the Kenai Peninsula we anchor in aptly named ribbon fall Cove surrounded by magnificent waterfalls [Music] following morning in perfect weather we follow granite passage to the Northwest glacier at his head [Music] we nudge our way through the ice careful to steer clear of ice floes on which harbor seals are public our new drone provides a unique viewpoint here the two denied us [Music] cataract Cove is too deep and rocky to permit anchoring but allows us to move close to waterfalls with deep water beneath our keel [Music] taking advantage of a short weather window we make the crossing to Kodiak on the island of the same name unlike Canada fish farms are banned in Alaska commercial fishing is flourishing and the harbors are crammed with well-maintained fishing boats venture is one of just a handful of recreational vessels pila mountain overlooking Kodiak has six windmills and provides a good viewpoint over the city and the surrounding islands the best views over the city of Kodiak are from the top of pillar Mountain nestled at its foot the airport is vulnerable to bad weather there are several roads leading out of town although they ultimately all dead end they run further than most roads in this part of the world [Music] we take a drive and encounter a herd of buffalo [Music] and this rather beautiful fox who is reluctant to move off the road we passed the aerospace launch complex this sign means what it says we later learned at a few months earlier a rogue rocket had to be destroyed four seconds after takeoff leaving quite a mess we explore fossil beach we don't find any fossils but the tortured landscape with its jumble of fractured rocks his clear evidence of Kodiaks violent volcanic heritage few outside this area including ourselves are aware of the cataclysmic eruption which occurred on the Katmai Peninsula in 1912 novarupta was 10 times stronger than the eruption of Mount Helens seen here on the left of this diagram and injected twice as much matter as the 1883 explosion of Krakatoa the city of Kodiak was smothered in a cloud of ash so dense a lantern held at arm's length could not be seen in places the ash was head high following the eruption thousands of steaming fumaroles created what came to be known as the valley of ten thousand smokes even today as can clearly be seen on the mountain slopes and Katmai on Good Friday 1964 Alaska was struck by a monster earthquake generating huge tsunamis which caused widespread destruction in Kodiak everything below the orange line in this picture was devastated vital fish processing facilities were wiped out so a world war two liberty ship was brought out of retirement to act as a temporary processing plant it still serves that purpose today in 1989 exactly 25 years later also on Good Friday Kodiak suffered another calamity when the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound this disaster devastated the fishing industry upon which Kodiak depends for its survival [Music] we attend a balalaika recital by a local group in the Baranof museum an original Russian structure dating from 1810 [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] you Kodiak has a number of interesting museums including the National Wildlife Center which features a skeleton of this grey whale which washed up on a local beach you from Kodiak we cross Shelikof Strait to geographic harbor in Katmai National Park on the Alaskan Peninsula [Music] what at first glance appear to be patches of dirty snow on the flanks of the surrounding mountains is ash from the enormous eruption of novarupta on June the 6th 1912 [Music] bears here are protected from hunting so unlike most of Alaska they do not flee at the sight of humans taking the tender we observe 16 bears in one day including this mother with three cubs [Music] [Music] the light-colored bear in this twosome is a female who chased away a rival to flirt with a dark-colored male [Music] another pair along the beach appear ambivalent about our presence in this short video it is hard to convey the nature of this raw and untamed land much appears untouched and unvisited and most undoubtedly has never encountered a human footstep on almost every island where the coast meets the sea it is as if some cataclysmic force has sheared off the land creating fissure dand shattered cliffs in the atlantic these would be home to millions of shrieking birds but here there's hardly a one who gala shack Thailand is a rare exception [Music] no prizes for guessing why this headland is named Castle Kate we anchored in the northern arm of Castle Bay where jagged spires draped with mist right sheer 3,600 feet from the water [Music] [Music] our next Anchorage American Bay is almost as dramatic [Music] our next stop is Sand Point another town entirely dependent upon fishing and fish processing as usual the harbor is dominated by commercial fish boats George joins us here and we put him to work filling the salmon so generously provided by friendly locals checking the weather and following the advice of the coast pilot are vital for safe navigation the weather over the Bering Sea is generally bad and very changeable good weather is the exception and does not last for long wind shifts are frequent and rapid the summer season has much fog and considerable rain in early winter the gales increase the fogs lessen and snow is likely at any time after mid-september winter is the time of almost continuous storminess much of this area has only been partially surveyed and the charts must not be relied upon too closely especially near shore the currents are much influenced by the winds and are difficult to predict dead reckoning is uncertain and safety depends upon constant vigilance we delay our departure by one day but the siege volcanoes invisibly under night we spend one night in volcano Bay with katabatic winds gusting an excessive 14 comes up like thunder elliptic clouds loom [Music] we passed south of UNIVAC island under the shadow of its magnificent volcanoes we have reached the Aleutians we turn into Dora Harbor seeking shelter from the blustery conditions and are soon joined by 30 small fishing boats again we are presented with salmon so fresh they had been swimming one hour previously they provide a delicious meal we spend a peaceful evening in pastoral surroundings [Music] we leave the Gulf of Alaska at uni Mack pass and enter the Bering Sea we stopped for the night in beautiful English Bay on yunalesca Island the surrounding hills appear clothed with green velvet in the soft evening light in the far distance we can see snow-capped program ly volcano on unis mac island [Music] prease rock points the way to our ultimate destination [Music] in terms of pairings of seafood landed Dutch Harbor is the largest port in the whole of the United States actually it's correct name is Yoon Alaska with Dutch just been one of several harbors [Music] we visit forts watcher atop ballyhoo mountain the tour the remains of world war ii fortifications this photo was taken in 1942 the view from the top shows Dutch Harbor contained within the spit of land in the foreground with the town of youn Alaska in the distance venture proves too large to fit in the small marina near town so we relocate to Carl Moses boat harbour surrounded this time by even larger commercial vessels there are excellent facilities although only 100m shore power is available we are now two thousand six hundred and three nautical miles from our starting point you know Alaska is between fishing seasons everywhere on enormous stockpiles of refrigerated containers many like these brand-new awaiting their bounty of salmon elsewhere our stacks of crab pots like those featured in the TV series Deadliest Catch Yul Alaska bears absolutely no resemblance to the impression gained from this program Eagles are everywhere we are warned never to look up if dived on by an eagle would you want these talons to rake your face [Music] and you wouldn't want to tangle with this guy [Music] a strange cubic sculpture decorates the downtown waterfront close to the first-class Grand Aleutian Hotel here too is a Russian Orthodox Church with adjacent graveyard there are a number of roads to drive including this one which like so many owes its origin to the military from World War two fog is always lurking and liable to disrupt aircraft movements at the downtown airport [Music] the ever-present mist closes in as we prepare to leave you in Alaska and head east at one of the two fuel docks in town we take on 1,000 gallons of diesel they tell us they dispense 1 million gallons per week at this facility we head for the offshore baby islands to see whiskered auklets found only here or in the farthest reaches of the Aleutian Islands venture is buffeted by strong currents and visibility is limited bizarre shapes loom out of the gloom the vapors that hang in the air and not just mist but steam arising from the shore of Hot Springs Bay where we anchor for the night we take the small tender to the black volcanic shore from which steam arises [Music] Chris measures the temperature of the sand using an infrared thermometer it reads 138 degrees Fahrenheit unknown to us we're being watched from the dense vegetation lining the shore this fox exhibits more curiosity than fear which is a pleasant change [Music] the volcanic sand is strewn with flotsam and jetsam it is really quite surprising what fetches up on the beach while ventures swings at her anchor [Music] when we attempt to cross uni Mac pass the combination of the strong southerly wind and opposing current produces turbulent seas we are in no hurry and we turn back to await better conditions the following day the weather improves and we try again we pass along the northern bering sea shore of new noumic island whose magnificent volcanoes reach above our heads into the sky we await a rising tide before attempting to navigate through AI Sinofsky straight navigating the shallows at this northern end means paying close attention to the markers the channel narrows in the south at the location of the small town of false pass on UNIVAC island across the Strait a few mostly derelict structures cling to the green slopes forming the tip of the Alaskan Peninsula continuing east we meet the research vessel qualifier enroute to Nome the weather turns menacing and the wreck of a grounded fish boat is a reminder that this is no place for the unwary we visit King Cove another small town dependent entirely on fishing the harbor is almost deserted when we arrive as the fishing fleet takes advantage of a scheduled opening not required when @c fenders and lines remain on the docks overnight the fleet returns and once again the harbor is filled with boats we go next the captains Harbor where to our surprise we find two sailing yachts already at anchor we are unused to sharing an anchorage with another boat we more venture well away so as not to intrude but launch the tender to pay them a visit Orca has a crew from Germany and Sweden and Santana from Holland we learned that they have both reached here from northern Europe by way of the Straits of Magellan and the South Pacific along the shore we see a pair of eagles and this family of bears we invite the crews on the yachts for dinner aboard venture the wind is gusting to 40 knots and as we have the more powerful tender Chris runs the gold center to connect our guests the conditions make for a rough ride we enjoy a pleasant evening on board the plotter shows how much eventual swings to her anchor overnight at dawn the winds continue unabated keeping the bow aligned with a chain while retrieving the anchor is quite a challenge [Music] once underway we pass a large barge being towed by a tiny tug with supplies for you in Alaska our next Anchorage is dal-gu Harbor overlooked by Pavlov volcano and its associated Peaks [Music] from there we take a look at canoe Bay where at midnight and with no fanfare an overcast and rainy day blossoms into a rose pink and flaming sunset [Music] [Laughter] [Music] ventures electronic screens clearly show the narrow entrance which needs to be navigated at slack tide we continue east we are treated to views of pavlof volcano [Music] and wonderful cloud escapes [Music] the southern tip of Unger Island features towering cliffs this is a land forged in fire with shapes and colors that reflect its violent volcanic past [Music] we visit groups of offshore rocks sea lion rocks are a whole art for stellar sea lions whose numbers have dropped precipitously in recent years we see one trapped in a chokehold necklace of carelessly discarded garbage relator reporters finding to the authorities in Sandpoint the key noise basalt columns give rise to towering pinnacles and unique rock formations [Music] we are now in the Shu McGann Islands named after Nikita Shu Megan a Russian sailor who died on August 29th 1741 the devastating oil spill from the Exxon Valdez reached within just a few miles of here to approximately where the name Sheboygan appears on this map we anchor in pirates trace on negai Island flocks of seabirds dive in waters rich with fish the islands appear to float on glass we later meet a fisherman who tells us he's never seen such conditions in 40 years [Music] the calm continues as we visit haystacks a rugged group of rocks home to millions of birds [Music] tufted puffins are bound along this coast they duck dive as you approach scoot past with frantic wing beats and are almost impossible to photograph using the tender wheat or the rocks at the entrance to della Roth Harbor on Unger Island [Music] there has to be some special mud in this location that attracts these flocks of gulls which vanish abruptly whenever a hawk appears overhead we visit the abandoned town of Unga [Music] leaving venture anchored beyond the rocky headland we take the tender ashore [Music] and are greeted by a curious river otter we follow the remains of the wooden path and walk among the ruins it is sad to see the decay of a once prosperous town this is a photo of the Apollo gold mine which peaked in 1904 most inhabitants moved to Sand Point on nearby popov Island a few miles away the last family left in 1969 we anchor in barrel off Bay also on Unger Island where there is an abandoned cannery you find a sea star clinging to the chain when we haul in the anchor we now revisit Sand Point having previously spent time here on our outbound trip again the harbor is full of fishing boats understandably being the day before the fourth of July there is no fish opening we are surprised to see so many cruising boats there are orca and Santana we have already met a Nordhausen 46 called Four Seasons based in Seward let's go is a sailboat which has sailed up the Aleutian chain from Japan another sailboat Rose is on the last leg of a world circumnavigation before returning to our home port of Yun Alaska on the workboats side there is seymour built in 1913 and still fishing with her polish captain our next guest Steve is joining us here but the stunning whether we have enjoyed abruptly changes and for three days flights from Anchorage are delayed due to poor visibility driving rain and strong winds [Music] we have time to meet with our fellow cruisers and visit local restaurants with cute decor [Music] the 4th of July parade consists mostly of tastefully decorated kids bikes I visit the old Russian graveyard where colorful wildflowers and a sea of white daisies dance in the wind you clouds continue to hang low over the islands as we leave Sand Point and head east for a return visit to dramatic castle Cape and castle Bay [Music] we have little hope of seeing the peaks but much to our surprise and delight the veil is drawn aside and they are revealed to us in all their glory they're lower slopes clothes an emerald green [Music] leaving castle cape we pass towering Peaks and bizarre sea stacks we anchor off sattvic island and go ashore on to a beach littered with logs the nearest trees are hundreds of miles from here and they're bleached skeletons bear the scars of many months at sea [Music] some are riddled with the boroughs of Teredo worms piles of kelp clutter the beach along with some man-made debris a bright orange starfish lies stranded on the volcanic sand we are surprised to see bare footprints on this island which lies so distant from the mainland we keep a wary lookout being especially careful of entering caves like the one on the right but we see no bears while flowers sprout from crevices and the rocks [Music] the sailing yacht Santana has joined us here we say farewell to jaan and tres as they now plan to follow an alternative route sunrise floods the landscape and Santana in golden light [Music] hillsides are draped in a mantle of soft green velvet [Music] across the Shelikof Strait we can see the volcanoes and snow-capped mountains on the distant Alaska Peninsula the straight is an estate of rare car and we see many whales in the distance dal dolphins explode from the water but do not stay long [Music] the southern extremity of Kodiak Island appears on the horizon following a tip from another Cruiser we are heading towards the ocean Beauty cannery in lazy Bay as we approach we disturb a blizzard of god [Music] we hanker in the bay and go ashore to the AL Attack packet company established in 1917 and employing some 200 people most are seasonal workers from around the world this Hollywood sign on the hillside is an example of the whimsy that is a feature of this place we go to meet the manager woody Keeble his offices of virtual museum with shelves laden with photos fossils bones and artifacts accumulated from 20 years of local beachcombing [Music] you [Music] these include this beautiful and rare example of scrimshaw you woody officers a tour of the facility which is immaculate he takes us to his unofficial museum which houses items too large to fit into his office these include a hundred-year-old wooden fishing Dory and tools from years past many salvaged from abandoned calories a few steam ovens remain for limited canning although most of the processing these days is done by refrigeration we are photographed framed by the jawbone of a fin whale alle tag even has its own mini National Park populated by skinny bizarre characters this one is clearly a guy [Music] even the bike rack has its own whimsical style woody has created a small nondenominational chapel to meet the needs of transient people of many faiths and beliefs we are invited to enjoy a tasty lunch at the plant and we reciprocate by inviting woody for a meal of adventure [Music] the following morning finds us crammed among commercial fishing boats alongside battle-scarred pilings where woody has kindly agreed for us to take on some fuel [Music] having discharged her load the tender Nighthawk heads out once more to act as a link between el ataque and local fishermen the season lasts five months and we later learn that the total for 2015 is an astounding 20 million pounds of salmon an almost incredible figure for this one facility given that Alaska fisheries are rigorously monitored to ensure that the catch is sustainable [Music] we head through the Narrows into Olga Bay [Music] we drop anchor in front of some derelict buildings [Music] the bay is home to many set netters who live ashore in houses backed by hillsides so green they would dazzle a leprechaun one end of the net is attached to the land and the other to a float in the water trap salmon are collected and delivered to a tender which takes them to a l'attaque this is a seasonal occupation and we're not involved in fishing set netters maybe university professors or living as far away as Cape Town our plan had been to follow the west coast of kodiak island and make the acquaintance of some of these interesting folk before recrossing the Shelikof Strait for a second visit to Geographic but when we come to raise the anchor in front of this abandoned cannery the winch quits fortunately not until after the anchor clears the water Chris and Steve work on the problem under cover but the motor is shot [Music] without the winch we have no choice but to head directly up the East Coast to Kodiak 125 miles away we passed the spot where the shell platform kulluk broke free from its toe in waves exceeding 50 feet and ran aground in the early hours of 2013 we have no trouble identifying the exact location using this photograph and comparing it with the chart there is a fish opening and the harbor is almost empty when we arrived our misfortune with the windlass has put us ahead ocean determined not to allow our problem with the windlass to deprive us of another bear encounter we take a charter flight down to the southern end of the island at the Seahawk facility we are kitted out in thigh length waders before boarding our float plane our pilot takes us down the East Coast over three Saints Bay the view from the air emphasizes the ruggedness of the shoreline it is certainly not one you want to bump into on a dark night we fly over some of the same areas we had traversed by boat and onto dog salmon Creek and Fraser Lake where we land and wade ashore to reach the fish pass we need to hike about 3/4 of a mile along a muddy track which the judge from this footprint is also a bear Highway [Music] until the fish ladder was constructed in 1962 salmon were backpacked individually one at a time past the Falls and into the lake to mother bears each with two cubs are trying their best to snag salmon with limited success [Music] actually the mother is doing all the hard work while the Cubs prefer the salad bar [Music] [Music] [Music] the scruffy-looking male cause family groups to keep well clear of him but he will be chilly in the winter unless he acquires a better coat [Music] all fish coming up into the lake are monitored and counted close to 1/2 million salmon from Fraser Lake contribute to the overall harvest in this area [Music] we returned to Kodiak along the west coast of the island we passed deep fjords notorious for their fierce katabatic winds known as Willy Wars skirt high mountains and magnificent scenery flight provides a unique overview of this rugged island [Music] back in Kodiak the wind is blowing and the rain arrives just in time to interfere with the installation of the new motor which has been flown up from Vancouver Island the next morning we take on twelve hundred and eighty-five gallons of diesel at one of the fuel docks but our tanks full we bid farewell to Kodiak but being still ahead of schedule and with a favorable weather window coming up we take time to visit the islands just to the north of the main island we pull into suppose obey on afognak island much to the annoyance of this very vocal sea otter who objects to our presence [Music] [Applause] [Music] this rocky outcrop teams with wildlife including seals tufted puffins and kittiwakes [Music] you next take the big tender up a shallow River we go ashore and hike beneath trees draped with primordial moss along the trail we see wild roses and horse tail plows described as living fossils unchanged for millions of years we fortify ourselves with salmonberries we meet Jen at the where where she and her partner count returning sockeye salmon even removing individual scales which like tree rings can be used to determine the age of the fish from which they came fireweed is just starting to bloom heralding the end of summer [Music] from here our route takes us across the very heart of the Gulf of Alaska for such an exposed ocean crossing a suitable weather window is imperative we arise early and secure the galley for sea making good use of our multi-purpose potholders at 5:00 a.m. under a beautiful dawn we forsake the land and strike out directly across the Gulf to Sitka five hundred and sixty nautical miles distance [Music] the day closes with a glorious sunset [Music] we are a hundred and fifty miles from the nearest land of consisting entirely of remote and rugged islands not the sort of land to which you would want to get too close we run watches of two hours on and six hours off following seas make for a comfortable ride aboard venture with her heart shines and long keel [Music] we make landfall and Salisbury Sound on the mainland an anchor in sukhoi inlet at noon on the second day having covered 560 nautical miles after 55 hours 34 minutes underway we decide not to head directly to Sitka but passed down neva Strait and through white stone narrows into de Graaf Bay for our second night overnight the rain departs and we make our way to the offshore santol as areia islands home to over half a million breeding seabirds [Music] [Music] prominent man Edgecomb is totally devoid of snow as are all the mountains this year [Music] we anchor in an unnamed Bay on the south side of Magoon Island and used the tender to explore nooks and crannies [Music] finally it is time for us to make our way to Sitka although the area had been settled by the string gate for thousands of years the present town was founded by the Russians in 1804 with the name of new Archangel when purchased by the US in 1867 it was renamed and until 1906 was a state capital ventia looks quite at home between two working boats it will take another ten days to cover the remaining 600 miles to our starting point on Vancouver Island when we finally arrive we will have covered 5,000 nautical miles over a period of four months [Music] you

Channel: FlemingYachts

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Keywords: Aleutians, Venture, Fleming, Adventure, Cruising

Id: EouzzYmXyhA

Length: 64min 21sec (3861 seconds)

Published: Sun Apr 07 2019