S/V BOB is out of the office for the summer!

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Sail training ship BOB showing off in Sitka Sound.

For the fifth time, S/V BOB became a training vessel for Introduction to Sailing classes in Sitka. After a two-year hiatus, we partnered up with the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society to offer two beginning sailing classes for folks. We had eleven wonderful Alaskans join us for some perfect weather in Sitka Sound. Two of this year's students even went straight out and bought sailboats!!!

We just can't get enough of these crazy whales!

Blain was recently interviewed for a local story on the recent increase in grey whales seen around Sitka Sound. It appears they are enjoying the eggs left from the annual herring return and spawning event around Easter. If you're interested. the link to the story is here.

The current and former crew enjoyed a trip around the island to Warm Springs Bay. If you've been lucky enough to visit there, you know it is one of the best places on the planet. Rick and Jen (former owners of the BOB) are caretakers of the fishing lodge over the winter and kept so busy this year shoveling snow, that they never got around to a haircut!

Summer Sailstice is an national event and organization working to promote sailing and to give folks an opportunity to join a sailing event and learn about sailing. Our June 24th trip to Glacier Bay is our entry, and we are happy to help them promote this fun event. {It's also kind of exciting that we are the northernmost event right now.}

Speaking of folks doing good and worthwhile things - This year's recipient of our annual 1% for the Planet donation is the Sitka Sound Science Center to support beach cleanups in SE Alaska. We love our local beaches and are excited to help keep them beautiful and safe. Congratulations and thank you SSSC for taking this on!

Past recipients include Sitka Trail Works, Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Maritime Heritage Society, The University of Alaska Whale Lab, and HappyWhale.com. If you'd also like to donate to the cause - here's the link.

On a recent kayaking trip we got to visit an old friend in the forest. This sap-bearing tree is hundreds of years old, and was likely used by the native Tlingit as a source for pitch or sap. They would chop though the bark into the sapwood to produce the glues and other products for boat-building and waterproofing their wares. The shape of the axe cuts seems to be uneven and may even predate steel axes.

It stands as a poignant reminder that we are on the traditional and historic lands of the Tlingit.

We bid a sad but also happy "bon voyage" to sailors John and Ivy, with a nice get-together aboard the BOB. Their Ruby Slippers is a veteran of crossing the Pacific (and probably a few other oceans) an is headed to warmer latitudes. Ivy is from Hawaii, and they sailed here for the winter in 2019 - where they soon found themselves in the middle of a pandemic.

Sitka experienced over 3000 reported cases of COVID-19 - but only 10 deaths. John became our head emergency room nurse for the duration of the crisis.

We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their service to our community, and wish them fair winds and following seas to wherever they land next.

Our 2023 season is completely full! We hope you are coming to sail away with us! We are now booking 2024!

Two trips are spoken for, and we are getting a lot of inquiries. Contact us now to reserve a dream trip.

Been on a voyage with us? How about a review?