Another great week

At this time of year, the sun sets usually when I am driving Shelikof Straight. Every night is different. It is one of my favorite drives. This last trip we had Dahl Porpoises playing along the bow for 20 minutes or so.

The skiff is a great way to get around. There is only one other place to go. Makes it easy, not a lot of options.

Below we are tied up to the Homer Public Harbor.

I hope everyone can see the panoramic photo I took of Shelikof Straight. This is the route we have been taking and will continue for a while now. It is a great gig.  And occasionally. I can share some photos.

A panoramic of the wheelhouse

Rain

RAIN. RAIN. RAIN. And then more rain. 

There isn’t much else to report. We have had a few partly cloudy days. The afternoon, we pumped 10,000 gallons of fuel it wasn’t raining. Which was nice because the greenhorns (me and Matt) have to stay at each hose and monitor them for the duration. We have literally spent as few as 4-6 hours in Petersburg before heading back out. Enough time to off load our fish, while I race through the grocery store and back to the boat. Once on board, we  toss our lines and off we go.

Since my last post, we have put some serious miles in. We were lucky enough to go to Sitka and have a day to walk around town. Jeff and I made it to the Sitka Raptor Center. Where they rehabilitate injured eagles, owls and all types of birds of prey. Of course, we had to check out Jeff’s wingspan (see photo).

The harbor in Sitka is a maze, as I discovered while exploring. I found this ocean tug called the Thunderbird with a cat on board. When I approached, I expected the cat to duck inside, but she came right up to me and wanted some attention. I scratched her neck and she followed me from one scupper to another. Old cat on an old boat.

Cooking? Yes, still 2 hot meals a day. I found a nice potato and egg recipe that is easy to bake in the oven. Now we have access to some of the best fish in the world, so I have been experimenting with ways to cook salmon, rockfish and halibut. I think I accidentally made something that seemed like a buerre blanc. Not sure exactly, but everyone enjoyed it.

Wildlife? The guys saw a couple of bears feeding on salmon in waterfall cove. We watched a family of sea otters playing in the same area as well as bald eagles and other seabirds. Humpback whales have been everywhere.

The fishing is slow, and we don't know how much longer the season will last. The rain is flat out depressing. Other than that, there is not much more I can say.

Joanna

Salmon wrapping up... next season starting

It has been a dramatic 24 hours. We went from wrapping up and getting ready to head back to Hawaii as earlier as next week to starting a new contract in a few days that may take us into the first week of October.  This has taken some scrambling to figure out, but I am happy to report that we will continue working!

As soon as they release us from salmon tendering, we are going to drive the Silver Dolphin to Dutch Harbor and tender pollack.  This is essentially the same work, but with some key differences. We will be working out of Dutch and may encounter slightly larger seas and cooler weather. Don't worry, this is nothing like winter fishing out of Dutch, that is way out of this greenhorn's league. We will also be a 3 person crew, so my duties on deck will increase and I will still do the cooking and help with the distance driving. Looking forward to throwing heaving lines, tying up boats and getting dirty! I am sure I will want to eat those words on cold rainy days, but for now, its got me excited for this next adventure.

It's strange how things work, because I was getting excited to get back home, settle into our new place, and spend some quality time with our cat and friends. Looking forward to driving a car again, walking the beach and playing tennis.  But, that will need to wait a bit longer because we are blessed with work.  This is something I learned from my Yia Yia, my father and then the recession brought home in sharp relief - work is a blessing, when you have it, don't you dare take it for granted! Instead, work your ass off. If you are having a hard time, shut up and work harder. Alaska is no place for whiners, although I have encountered a few. I will do my best to live up to the standards set by my grandparents as my parents have, and do a good job for my Skipper.

More to come and thanks for checking out my blog. Hot Greasy Mess is a fun way to stay in touch and share little pieces of this amazing experience. Connectivity limits what I can post, but sometimes YouTube is a good place to check out my videos.

All our best to everyone!
Joanna