Dutch Harbour 19.8.2022
19/08/22 17:03
Before I go today ( 18.8. ) to bed just a quick update: weather forecast for tomorrow is not very good.
Typical Alaskan actually: rainy with a temperature around 14 C and a bit of wind.
What to know something about Dutch Harbour ?
First of all: the name of the town is not Dutch Harbour, thats the name of the harbour, but Unalaska. The area was also the first place where the first areal attack on continental USA took place. But click here for more information.
It was a very "moving ", a bit a heavy sea it was. Nevertheless I slept well and was ready for breakfast. The Restaurant where breakfast is been served was in comparison to the previous days not very busy. Looks as if many people didn't feel very much like having breakfast.
In about two hours, at 10:00, we are reaching Unalaska, mooring quayside at Dutch Harbour.
The preparations for our disembarkation had been completed overnight.
Onshore coaches will be waiting us for a tour through Unalaska. Let's hope it is not raining !
And it didn't rain ! Overcast but at times the sun came through which made the landscape around the Dutch Harbour with its mountains appear in an interesting light.
As the the towns on the Aleutians Unalaska and its Harbour ( Dutch Harbour ) are very small and so it sounded somehow funny when our bus driver told us that our first stop will be in "downtown" at the Russian-Orthodox Church. Downtown….
The church itself is closed and the pope recently left and so far no new occupant has been found. But somebody has mown the lawn in the cemetery so that one could explore some of the graves surrounding the church.
This was followed by a leisurely stroll along the shore to the War memorial which commemorates the losses at sea and during the Japanese attack way back in 1942.
As the school busses which brought us into downtown worked for us on an hop-on hop-off basis it was easy to catch the next one and to the next point of interest: The Museum of the Aleutians.
Here you get a very good introduction into the life and history of the local people, about the "Russian" time and what they left behind. One of the Orthodox priest for example was the first one how travelled between the various islands and translated the only vocal tribe languages into written ones.
A section of the museum is also dedicated to the Alaska Purchase and why that happened. But still the biggest and most interesting pat of the museum is about the indigenous people.
Back to the ship we drove past the airport where the strip goes almost across the road and traffic lights have to stop the traffic when planes are landing or starting.
Back on board is 18:00 and time of departure 19:00
Today was my day as far as dinner is concerned: Seafood Buffet !!
Scallops, giant shrimps, halibut, salmon, sushi with salmon, you name it. When the chef came out of his empire I asked: everything was brought on board today. Local !! Fresh!!
During dinner the announcement about our next stop ( Chuginadak Island ) came. About 160 nautical miles away.
They warned about very rough sea during the night and recommended sea sick pills.
The planned landing at the island tomorrow will be evaluated tomorrow as winds of about 50-60 kn ( knot ) are expected ( 90-100 km/h ).
Maybe I should take one as well ? !
When we are leaving Unalaska / Dutch Harbour we will be entering the Bering Sea, named after Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in Russian service, who in 1728 was the first European sailor exploring these waters.
BTW: Unalaska ( Dutch Harbour ) is almost on the very same latitude ( Längengrad ) as Hamburg: 54 Grad or Berlin with 52 Grad
Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here
Typical Alaskan actually: rainy with a temperature around 14 C and a bit of wind.
What to know something about Dutch Harbour ?
First of all: the name of the town is not Dutch Harbour, thats the name of the harbour, but Unalaska. The area was also the first place where the first areal attack on continental USA took place. But click here for more information.
It was a very "moving ", a bit a heavy sea it was. Nevertheless I slept well and was ready for breakfast. The Restaurant where breakfast is been served was in comparison to the previous days not very busy. Looks as if many people didn't feel very much like having breakfast.
In about two hours, at 10:00, we are reaching Unalaska, mooring quayside at Dutch Harbour.
The preparations for our disembarkation had been completed overnight.Onshore coaches will be waiting us for a tour through Unalaska. Let's hope it is not raining !
And it didn't rain ! Overcast but at times the sun came through which made the landscape around the Dutch Harbour with its mountains appear in an interesting light.
As the the towns on the Aleutians Unalaska and its Harbour ( Dutch Harbour ) are very small and so it sounded somehow funny when our bus driver told us that our first stop will be in "downtown" at the Russian-Orthodox Church. Downtown….
The church itself is closed and the pope recently left and so far no new occupant has been found. But somebody has mown the lawn in the cemetery so that one could explore some of the graves surrounding the church.
This was followed by a leisurely stroll along the shore to the War memorial which commemorates the losses at sea and during the Japanese attack way back in 1942.
As the school busses which brought us into downtown worked for us on an hop-on hop-off basis it was easy to catch the next one and to the next point of interest: The Museum of the Aleutians.
Here you get a very good introduction into the life and history of the local people, about the "Russian" time and what they left behind. One of the Orthodox priest for example was the first one how travelled between the various islands and translated the only vocal tribe languages into written ones.
A section of the museum is also dedicated to the Alaska Purchase and why that happened. But still the biggest and most interesting pat of the museum is about the indigenous people.
Back to the ship we drove past the airport where the strip goes almost across the road and traffic lights have to stop the traffic when planes are landing or starting.
Back on board is 18:00 and time of departure 19:00
Today was my day as far as dinner is concerned: Seafood Buffet !!
Scallops, giant shrimps, halibut, salmon, sushi with salmon, you name it. When the chef came out of his empire I asked: everything was brought on board today. Local !! Fresh!!
During dinner the announcement about our next stop ( Chuginadak Island ) came. About 160 nautical miles away.
They warned about very rough sea during the night and recommended sea sick pills.
The planned landing at the island tomorrow will be evaluated tomorrow as winds of about 50-60 kn ( knot ) are expected ( 90-100 km/h ).
Maybe I should take one as well ? !
When we are leaving Unalaska / Dutch Harbour we will be entering the Bering Sea, named after Vitus Bering, a Danish navigator in Russian service, who in 1728 was the first European sailor exploring these waters.
BTW: Unalaska ( Dutch Harbour ) is almost on the very same latitude ( Längengrad ) as Hamburg: 54 Grad or Berlin with 52 Grad
Some pictures of todays endeavors your can find here and to track my tour click here
