There are Six Saints and Sixty Seiners attributed to Sitka, but only three distinct ways to travel there by boat:

1. Via the Peril Strait, the timed rapids at Sergius Narrows, and on through easy passages to the port.
2. Via the massive machicolate west coast of Baranof Island from the Chatham Strait.
3. Via Lisianski Strait and the perplexing west coast of Chichagof Island to Salisbury Sound.

During past summers Jupiter completes routes 1 and 2, and now 3. Offshore sea conditions are poor with large ground seas from Japan and squalls. Wicked weather combined with opposing tides indicate following protected routes as much as possible after leaving the Lisianski Strait, and these are vaguely described and faintly found.

Prior to departure from Pelican, a seasoned fisherman asks about Juiter’s proposed route to Sitka, and this abstract follows:

• Crew: Lisianski Strait to the Imperial Passage then the Surveyor Passage.
• Fisherman: That’s good.
• Crew: Then the Ogden Passage to Smooth Channel.
• Fisherman: Uhmmm.
• Crew: Then Slocom Arm and the Piehle Passage.
• Fisherman: Tricky…. (and he retreats into his pilot house).
  
  End of discussion.

Jupiter has an extensive library of piloting guides aboard including the United States Coast Pilot and Exploring Southeast Alaska. If you interpret with imagination, a route may be teased from those texts.

Piehle Passage Sailing Directions

Just past a 25-foot islet off the peninsula to port identified by two light colored knobs, turn southeast and remain close to the peninsula, east of the rocks and kelp patches. Stay about 60 feet from the bluff and 30 feet from the kelp to starboard. When you are able to see the faded white paint on the peninsula to port do not overshoot into the 2-fathom kelp patch north of the islet ahead; turn southeast working your way in clear channels between the kelp patches and covered rocks. Once you have cleared the kelp and rocks turn southeast, passing to port the islet which is about 0.35 miles south of the white spot on the bluff; the islet has a white triangle on its south side. Avoid the bare, jagged and breaking rocks…

Exploring Southeast Alaska—Don Douglas and Reneé Hemingway-Douglas

Carefully following these directions in fog, rain, broken swells and swollen breaks, we sight no knobs, no white marks nor triangles. Ultimately, Jupiter’s crew is pleased to be offshore rolling around honestly in deep water and high winds.

Sheet’Ká ~ New Archangel ~ Sitka

Jupiter proceeds to Sitka’s busy Eliason Harbor where moorage is assigned by the harbormaster amongst the immense number of commercial craft returning from or preparing for an “opening” to fish an allocation of a specified species during a prescribed time within a defined boundary. Fisheries in Alaska are strictly regulated, and violators are heavily fined or fired.

Formerly known by indigenous Tlingits as Sheet’Ká, then by the Russians as New Archangel, Sitka is a large town with rich history embroidered into the fabrics of time and temple. Home to the Tlingit people for many hundreds of years, thence beginning in the early 18th Century, Russian explorers, conquerors, colonizers, baptizers and traders made Sitka their capital. It is the location of the formal transfer of Russian America—Alaska—to the United States in 1867.

Sitka is an excellent stopover to stretch sea legs, eat crab legs, reprovision a barren boat, and feed a crew at pleasant restaurants, cafes and food trucks.

It is also a good place to thank one’s lucky saints for surviving perilous passages.

Saint Michael the Archangel Cathedral

The original wooden cathedral, built in the 1840s then razed in 1966, was promptly and precisely rebuilt. The new rector, Father Herman, opens the church daily to visitors, and is raising awareness of the building’s importance and soliciting funds to repair the leaky dome.

Eleven of the twelve roof leaks observed during a previous visit to Sitka have been staunched.

We attend Sunday services at the cathedral situated at the crux of the city. Prayers and worship are sung or chanted, and all are warmly welcomed to the synaxis. Entering the historical cathedral at the urging of the steeple bells, we feel like children who have been magically transubstantiated into the pages of an illustrious children’s book.

The church is softly illuminated by large windows, many lighted candles, vivid paintings, icons of innumerable apostles, saints, and biblical artworks. Every wall and door reflects the splendors and miracles of the Orthodox tradition. Worshippers who have not already been in early attendance for Terce enter the nave. Each stands throughout the lengthy service, relieved only by bowing and kneeling at opportune moments.

Our Lady of Sitka is one of the most revered icons in North America. Miracles have been attributed to the gentle gaze of the Mother of God. Written by Russian Iconographer Vladimir Borovikovsky in the late 1700’s it holds a special place at the heart of the cathedral.

Sitka’s windows to heaven include the Synaxis of Saints: St. Seraphim of Uglich, St. Sebastian Dabovich, St. Innocent, St. Tikhon the Patriarch. St. Jacob Netsvetov and St. Anatoly Kamensky. All lived and worked in Sitka.

St. Innocent Apostle to the Americas and Enlightener of the Aleuts (1797 – 1879) proclaimed the gospel “even to the ends of the earth”. A great linguist, he translated bible stories into at least six tribal languages, winning many converts in the process.

Sixty percent of Orthodox parishioners and many clergy in Alaska are of native origin, and services are typically rendered in a mixture of English and indigenous languages.

The church service is kinematic as congregants address favored icons while young robed acolites scamper about opening and closing the Royal Doors, moving and removing furnishings larger than themselves. Silence is scarce with readers and a small choir singing prayers and responses. Father Herman sonorously chants scriptures and lessons from within a space unseen, but he soon appears with his thurible shaking tiny bells and smoking incense to circulate blessings throughout the sacred space.

The burning incense has an aroma like that of clean linen stored inside a cedar sea chest. The bells tinkle like sleigh bells from a romantic Christmas movie, here declaring that prayers of the faithful have reached the ear of God.

Take a Bow

One Sixth of the Sixty-strong Saintly Sitka Seiner Squadron

Sitka is a sublime location for many things: for fishing commercially and for sport, for community and for history, for mariners to restock and repair, for cruise tourists to find and buy local, for the rain to fall and the trees to grow tall, and it is where all the saints and all the seiners get all the glory.

Iconic Fish Cakes

A friend gifted us some fresh caught halibut – more than enough for one meal. Spruce tips are a well-loved seasoning in these parts. Used by indigenous people, and later by hard-scrabble loggers and miners to prevent scurvy. Our present-day halibut wears a spruce-tip seasoning which fetches a forest essence that flavors these savory cakes.

Toast some bread, pulverize into breadcrumbs and place in a bowl. Remove some to a plate, and mix with a heaping spoonful of grated hard cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Flake plenty of cooked fresh halibut into the bowl with the unseasoned crumbs. Toss in another heaping spoon of grated cheese, a whisked egg, finely diced onion, a splash of Worcestershire, juice of at least half a lemon, mustard, and mayonnaise sufficient to bind. Season generously and mix with hands, forming into patties. Coat each patty handsomely in the seasoned crumb and cheese mix.

Meanwhile dice any root vegetables you have on hand, and strip a couple of ears of corn of their kernels. Sauté veggies in ghee over medium heat until beginning to caramelize, and season with nutritional yeast.

In a separate non-stick skillet heat olive oil and cook fishcakes on both sides until golden. Serve with lemon wedges over the vegetables with tiny tomatoes roasted on the vine and a simple arugula salad.

Old seasons are washed
In tides of forgotten moons
When all fish are martyred