54.42 N
139.19 W
113 NM - 208 to go!
Happy 4th of July to all our American friends! This morning we were able to make contact with Darlene, net control for the Great Northern Boater's Net, so all the cruisers on the coast who listen in will know we are approaching Sitka. She was pretty excited to hear from us as I don't think they get a lot of offshore sailors checking in. This Ham network connects boaters each morning from Alaska to Puget Sound, so we will be monitoring it as we move south. It was so wonderful to hear the Pacific Northwest chatter from familiar call signs and know we are close to home.
Our rough conditions moderated (giving new meaning to "Shiver me Timbers" for us) over the night and we are now sailing, close hauled, straight to Sitka on 040T. We still have about 20 knots over the deck, but the seas are calmer, so it is actually quite pleasant, in a relative sort of way. The weather prognosis is for these conditions to persist over the next couple of days which means we will likely be on the dock in Sitka sometime Friday morning. Walking on level land will be a real treat - if we don't fall over!
The grey skies persist, though the cloud cover is thin. We still have not seen the sun for almost 2 weeks. No traffic. No wildlife spotted. We will have to keep a closer watch the next couple of days as we will be in range of coastal fishing boats which may not have AIS. Both of us are finding it hard to believe this intense passage is about to draw to a close!
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