Kodiak 1
21 July 2016 | Boat position at Kodiak Harbor: 57 47.244'N; 152 24.571'W
Pam Lau and Ted Berry
Picture: One of the many stunning views of Kodiak. It is a pleasure to see trees again. The other islands we at stopped are treeless, only tundra and/or shrubs.
It was a day sail from Old Harbor to the city of Kodiak. We motored most of the day, unfurling the genoa only once for a slight breeze that didn't last long. It was more of an exercise than anything else. Again, watching out for seaweed was still our biggest concern.
We arrived in the late afternoon and saw S/V "Lady Jane" docked at the end pontoon. George and James came over and visited for a while in the evening. "Lady Jane" left the following morning. That would be the last time we encounter them because they are sailing to Homer, Alaska, and leaving their boat there for the winter and the crew will disband.
Kodiak was the first city in Alaska; it was established by Russian-American fur trading company. Now, it is the main city and has about 6,000 people and the same number in the surrounding communities. Another 1,000 people are scattered throughout the archipelago. Considering it is the second largest island in the United States, (Oahu, Hawaii, being the largest), is not very populated. Most of the island consists of rugged mountains, glaciers and swamps, unsuitable for human habitation.
We have been looking forward to visiting Kodiak since we arrived in the USA. Our first priority was to purchase a sim card for our cell phone so we can connect with family and friends. We stopped at the GCI, the predominant communications provider in Alaska, and signed up for unlimited phone and text and 6 gigabytes of data for $40 per month. Besides, the phone/Internet, there are many shopping and marine repair opportunities in Kodiak. We got the impression that the people feel that they are remote and less privileged than those living on the "mainland". For us, Kodiak is the "big" city that we needed to reap the benefits of "civilization". There is a canvas repair shop near the harbor so we got two dodger windows fixed that were damaged during a storm on the way to Adak. Kerosene is half the price it was at Dutch Harbor but still expensive at almost $9 a gallon. Our propane ran out as soon we arrived in Kodiak, perfect timing, so we had the aluminum tank filled. We could not fill the Japanese tank so we had to dispose of it. We love the wilderness but at the same time, we enjoy the convenience of modern world.