April fools certainly seemed redundant this year, eh?

As the salmonberry flowers begin to pop open in Sitka, and the days are now crazy long, energy levels go up and wishes for some normalcy spring up. We hope you, your family, and friends are safe and healthy, and happiness comes your way in frequent and large doses.

We really lucked out to be hunkering in a place we can still get out on the trails and the water. Granted we can't find a decent Italian restaurant within 500 miles, but we certainly cannot complain too much. As of today, Sitka has no coronavirus cases and some services and businesses have eased restrictions. We are proud of our little island community and how it has been ready to lend a hand and protect its residents.

And these starfish can't really complain, either. Some low tides have allowed some fun beachcombing and these little fellas were safely returned after taking our "shellfies".

By these pictures you'd never believe it rains in SE Alaska, But you got to enjoy the sun when you can. We enjoyed a nice "shakedown" trip on the BOB. We included a beach cleanup on Earth Day and a little fishing for rockfish. Caught a few shrimp, did some kayaking. Pretty good living.

Once a year we haul out the boat to inspect and paint the bottom, replace sacrificial zincs, and do any touch-ups before the season. It's always exciting seeing your home and office hovering over your head.

Spring is a wonderful but slightly schizophrenic time in SE Alaska. The snow is melting fast and the flowers are wasting no time. The crew tried a little cross country skiing, but found more road than powder. So the snowshoes came in handy for a day on the flanks of Mt. Edgecumbe - Sitka's signature volcano. This is a perfect hike any time of the year (certainly easier in summer), but we would love to climb to the top with you.

The Inside Passage is a major route for bird migration and it's always a delight to welcome back our feathered friends. This chestnut-backed chickadee stopped chasing the ladies just long enough to pose for a photo from the Mosquito Cove Trail just out of town.

The herring returned and filled the bay (and a few buckets) again. Monique dusted off her angling skills and provided some halibut bait for the summer. It's always fun to fish and even better when you catch...

Our beach cleanup earned us an award through the Sitka Sound Science Center Earth Day Cleanup Challenge! And we are eagerly awaiting it.

In the meantime we can only dream of how we'll display our major award....

The partial 2020 season is still on. Like many states, Alaska is in its second phase of economic recovery. Our July start is looking likely and we are looking forward to sailing with new and returning friends this summer with safeguards in place.

We have some trips open including a 31 July Glacier Bay National Park Expedition. Folks who book this season but can't make the trip up are automatically booked for next year, so it's pretty much risk-free. We will be following COVID-19 mandates this year including no mixed-group trips.

If you are tempted by a trip in 2020, or in 2021, best get a hold of us soon. We have already booked several trips in 2021 and can't think of a better vacation after this spring. One Glacier Bay trip is available as well as some September opportunities. Gather up your hunker-down kin and check out our Rates and Dates page.

We hope you are safe and healthy and are weathering these crazy days as well as you can. We would love to hear from you.

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