It was a beautiful day in Sitka yesterday, and we took advantage of the opportunity to go out for a pleasant daysail and to test the autopilot (which is finally working).

We motored out of the harbor, then sailed to windward in a very light breeze. After a while, we turned back.

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We set the spinnaker to sail back with, and to dry it out. By the time we had it set, though, the wind had lightened to almost nothing and we were making less than a knot thru the water. The current was in our favor, but carrying us too close to Old Sitka Rocks for comfort, so we dropped sails and motored back to harbor for sunset.

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Issuma's masts are just visible above the M in Masonic. Sitka harbor mostly has fishing boats in it. The boats closest to Issuma are all higher, so provide a nice windbreak.

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I'm not used to driftwood that's bigger around than I am tall. I got quite used to no driftwood at all this summer in the Arctic. I guess I'm going to get used to driftwood like this and larger as I go south.

Speaking of going south, I'm delaying that for a while. While the weather hasn't made sailing impossible, it has made it difficult enough that I'd rather delay for a while. It was getting to be a week or so of gales, storms or strong headwinds, followed by 1-2 days of reasonable traveling weather, which made for slow progress. Also, there are some things on the boat that I want fixed (like the cabin heater that works off the engine cooling system) before continuing in cold, windy conditions, and fixing stuff is much easier when one is not traveling.

Maggie had to go back to work, so she is back in New York now. She took this picture last week.

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We hadn't done a thorough enough job of tying the sheets (ropes that control the sails) up off the deck before the last snowfall, so they were full of snow and ice, and quite difficult to move thru the blocks. The winch sockets (where the winch handles fit in) were also full of ice (I'll have to make some covers for these), so the winching was done without the winch handle and we didn't put up a lot of sails. Still, it was an enjoyable sail.

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To check some systems out (and for fun), we went for a daysail one pleasant afternoon just outside Sitka harbor.

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Coast Guard helicopter over Japonski Island (Sitka harbor). Coast Guard Air Station Sitka has three of these helicopters, used primarily for Search and Rescue.

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This totem pole, along with many others, commemorates native Tlingit and Haida cultures at the Sitka National Historic Park. The forest touches the beach at Sitka Sound, and trails take you wandering through to enjoy the natural beauty and native monuments.

Centuries ago, the Tlingit had located a fort on this site, which was attacked by the Russians in 1804. The fort, made of local spruce, was so strong that it withstood heavy bombardment from Russian ships. A bloody battle happened ashore, and the Tlingit repulsed the Russians under the leadership of War Chief K'alyaan, who fought hand to hand wielding a blacksmith's hammer. The Tlingit were never defeated in battle, but abandoned the fort after the siege wore on and their gunpowder ran low. You can see K'alyaan's Raven war helmet preserved at a local museum, and imagine his fierce defense of this beautiful homeland.

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Sometimes even the best sailor needs wheels, and Richard used a cart to haul a just-purchased battery back to the boat.

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