Dutch Harbor, Alaska

After thirty two days at sea the faint forms of islands in the Aleutian chain began to take form out of the fog and mist. Sea birds increased in number, we saw puffins for the first time, whales surfaced in the distance, the scent of the shore was intense with kelp and earth. The thrill of impending arrival, the sense of danger of an unknown shore, and the understanding that we were soon to enter society. That our adventures and isolation at sea would be traded for the comforts and entanglements of the civilized world.

Dutch Harbor’s small boat marina from above. Tumbleweed in the center, Nosy Be is the red sailboat just forward of Tumbleweed.

The sighting of land after a long passage was emotional. After weeks of sailing through fog, under overcast skies, to watch as islands in the Aleutians began to take form out on the edges of the horizon, was such a complicated mix of joy at arrival, with a thrilling sense of danger at closing on land, but also a small sense of loss, that as we made our way through the last leg of our passage we would be trading the isolation and adventure of life at sea for the comforts and familiarity of live on land, once again members of society.

Our final approach brought us through Umnak pass, between Umnak and Unalaska islands. We had timed our arrival for the brief slack tide, when the tidal shifts between the Bering sea and the Pacific Ocean take an ever so brief pause. The winds were light and though we had our staysail up for stability it was of little effect, we motored across calm waters, marveling at the beauty of the landscape, sighting puffins for the first time and many whales feeding in the area. After weeks of a many grey shaded world it was an explosion of life and landscape that in the moment I found deeply moving. We had a challenging passage and it felt so good to be making our way through the final miles under our own power.

Goodbye Japan! A few minutes later we departed from Wakayama and began our passage to Dutch Harbor. Photo by Bruno Calle of SV Nosy Be.

Leaving Japan our major concerns were weather related. In a passage longer than a few days it is difficult to build a weather forecast with much accuracy. July is when the typhoon season begins to shift gears, there is an historic low period during the first two weeks of July, when over the past 50 years there have only been 6 typhoons during that period, but as the days move along into late July and August, the frequency of typhoons that sweep through Japan and up into the northern pacific increases greatly. There is a massive spike in typhoon activity and storm force lows that sweep north along the east coast of Japan and into the gulf of Alaska. From a weather perspective we did well and avoided any serious low pressure systems and there were no typhoons that struck Japan during our passage. A couple threatened to spin up and one typhoon gained force and struck China shortly after our arrival, causing loss of life and massive damage. But we were fortunate and mostly had good weather, the times we had high winds they were manageable and we were able to sail through.

We departed Wakayama in beautiful weather, Catherine and Bruno of Nosy Be departed minutes ahead of us and we waved at each other at the dock and wished each other fair passages. In the weeks ahead we would check in with each other daily and look forward to updates on the other’s passage. Throughout the passage when we checked out email we would ask - is there a note from Momsie? Is there a note from Nosy Be? Over time our world would become reduced to such a small space on the water, the giant expanse of life in the south pacific would often become just the deck of Tumbleweed, a sea bird or two hunting the nearby waves, and a wall of fog a mile or two, but often less, away.

July 7th was a Sunday and as we left Wakayama we passed through a massive fleet of fishermen of all sorts out of the day. Mostly small boats out for a day trip and taking advantage of the calm weather. But there must have been a run of some species of fish as there were also areas of intense commercial fishing activity. We sailed past several groups of fishermen that were dragging nets, several boats alongside each other trailing nets as they combed the seas. These are the waters that lead into Osaka bay and there is an incredible amount of commercial shipping that runs through that area as well. Cargo ships, tankers, local freighters, massive car carriers, all passing each other and running alongside Tumbleweed and the hundreds of little local boats enjoying a Sunday summer day. At times nerve wracking as we were trying to sail through all this craziness, but also beautiful in a way, so much activity at sea and the boats were colorful and there was a sense of purpose and industry. A beautiful send off from Japan.

Salmonberries were abundant. A nice change from our diet of passage food.

For the first few days of the passage we had nice weather but light winds and tried to find a balance where we could just keep the sails happy but also make progress away from the coast. Our goal was to get as much easting in as we could to move out of the busy shipping channels and to get clear of the typical paths of typhoons. We looked at typhoons over the past 50 years, their paths and what weeks they appeared over the summer. Getting as much easting in as possible, early in the trip looks like a good plan. Something we realized as we prepared for departure was that departing from Wakayama and the Osaka Bay area, presents its own weather related challenges. The ideal conditions for sailing east and getting distance from Japan create conditions that make it very difficult to depart Osaka Bay. We were able to take advantage of a couple of days of light winds to leave but would have preferred to depart with stronger winds to reduce motoring and make higher miles in the first few days. But stronger winds created headwind conditions with choppy waves that would have made departing in those conditions slow and brutal. It would be worth considering to depart from a port with easier access to the sea, and a vote for departing from Hokkaido if time allows.

On previous passages our challenges have been weather related. We have had to deal with squalls, lighting storms, days of no wind leaving us adrift and of course days of heavy weather the have left us uncomfortable and wishing for more of those days adrift. On this passage our engine began to give us trouble and after starting slowly a few times, would not start at all. We spent days tracking down every possible cause of the problem. We had so much great help from friends, it was very uplifting to see their suggestions come in. Our friend Geoff on Enough was a real hero, offering advice and suggestions along with a good dose of humor to keep us going. Initially we had a sense we’d quickly find some loose or corroded wire. Douglas went over every connection with a multimeter and also cleaning every connection whether it needed it or not. There were a few “This is it!!” Moments when he found a little corrosion or a loose wire but for days the engine would not start.

Our generator, which had been running fine, but leaking a small amount of diesel, also decided to implode. One day we smelled diesel in the bilge and saw that the generator had somehow managed to leak 2 liters of diesel and some amount of coolant. We took it offline and plan to work on it over the winter.

With not engine driven system to create electricity we had to rely on solar and our wind generator to keep our batteries charged. But we had been in a fog bank or the sun obscured by clouds for weeks and that was to continue until we arrived in Dutch Harbor. The wind generator has a narrow window of wind that it will operate under - too little and it won’t turn, too much and it turns itself off, so as we went through days of high winds the generator produced no amps. The house batteries that run the chart plotter, radar, lights, etc would take on a small charge during the days and then plummet at night. These type of batteries need to be kept topped off, and not deeply discharged, they can be ruined if dropped too low. So each night we listened for wind as the battery dropped and we cringed.

As we approached the Aleutian Islands we realized that we might not be able to start the engine. We sent emails to people who had offered to help us in town and talked with a tugboat company about a possible tow and with a local man who offered to tow us as well. A commercial tow would have cost thousands of dollars if they had to come out to the pass to pull us through. We did not want to have to sail through a pass, the timing is critical with transiting passes such as these. To the north is the Bering Sea, to the south the entire Pacific Ocean. As the tides change there is a massive amount of water surging between the islands and the passes. Our experiences with tides and passes when we sailed to Sitka a few years ago taught us to be cautious and wait for ideal conditions. If we were able to sail through the pass we would have to have an engine available if something went wrong. We began to consider sailing on to Kodiak, another 500 miles, or to keep going to Port Townsend, another 1900 miles. With our battery situation becoming critical we were started to feel boxed in by our options.

A juvenile bald eagle. There is an incredible amount and diversity of wildlife in Alaska.

On many boats the starter battery and the bank of batteries that are used to power the rest of the devices are kept separate. In the end the culprit was a bad starter battery that was giving off what appeared to be healthy readings. Most boats, as Tumbleweed will have in the near future, have a switch that allows for combining the house and starter batteries. We don’t have that option. Instead, Douglas wired in a massive cable to connect the house and starter so we could draw from the house bank to start the engine. And it worked. I don’t think there were many people that were as happy as us in the northern hemisphere. 300 miles out of Dutch Harbor we were able to motor in light winds and power up our batteries.

Douglas picking salmonberries. We caught the last few days of summer, adding fresh picked blueberries and salmon berries to our breakfasts.

The last couple of days we had a mix of sailing and motor sailing to Dutch Harbor. We were welcomed to town by our friends on Nosy Be, who had arrived two days before us, and the family on Muktuk. The marina was full but Muktuk graciously invited us to tie alongside. It was around 10:30 at night but there was still plenty of light. After 32 days at sea the calm and security of being in the sheltered harbor, tied alongside Muktuk, we were finally able to let our guards down, we were happy, exhausted, overwhelmed by the sights of land and society. George, who handles customs and immigration, came aboard moments after we arrived and cleared us officially into the country. After three years traveling the pacific, Tumbleweed was again in US waters.

Dutch Harbor has areas with canneries and commercial buildings, but the islands and landscape around the community are still wonderfully raw and pristine. The imprint of the community is relatively small.

Dutch Harbor has been an ideal place to sort out our plans for the next leg of our journey. We were able to replace the starter battery and the engine is starting quickly again. Tumbleweed has been cleaned and organized. The delays caused by dealing with the engine have put us back a bit. It is late in the season to be heading south, there are already heavy weather systems hitting the coast in SE Alaska. Our plans have changed and instead of sailing for Port Townsend this season we will be staying in Alaska and sailing south next spring. Our top candidate at the moment is Kodiak, but we are also considering Cordova. Both have a lot of interesting attributes. Tomorrow morning we plan to set out from Dutch Harbor and make our way to Kodiak and see if that will work as a home for the winter, if we are not able to find a slip then we’ll continue on to Cordova.

Below are the notes we posted to Farkwar while on passage:

Wakayama to Dutch Harbor

July 8, 2019

At six yesterday morning we pulled away from our slip at Wakayama Marina City Yacht Harbor after watching Catherine and Bruno on Nosy Be depart a few minutes earlier for Dutch Harbor Alaska. We motored out under a sky coming alive with daybreak and light winds, flat waters. It was a Sunday and already the bay was filled with commercial and recreational fishermen along with the never ending convoy of commercial vessels running from Osaka bay out to ports all over Japan and the world. Our goal for the day was to get off shore and away from shipping traffic and all the seaweed and man made debris closer to shore to that end we took on extra diesel and planned for motoring when the winds proved too light for sailing. We motor sailed part of the day until late morning winds let us sail most of the afternoon but as they died late in the day we motored all night to dodge ship traffic and move away from shore. The engine is handy but such a noisy beast it was nice to have winds again this morning and be able to sail today. It’s beautiful here, silver overcast skies, 13 knots of wind sailing close hauled. Tonight we will tack toward Tokyo bay a few hours before tacking back away from shore to head east. 4400 miles to Port Townsend, feels really good to be at the beginning of this long planned and awaited passage. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/08/2019 04:28 (utc) our position was 33º35.860'N - 137º09.321’E

July 9, 2019

This is actually our third day out, I should have listed yesterday as day two, time is already flying by. Although the forecast called for light winds we have seen winds hovering around 20 knots since last night. We are crossing the Kuroshio current and have been experiencing short choppy waves while sailing closed hauled making for a bumpy ride, last night was boisterous and we were knocked around a bit. Last night we replaced a pin that holds one of the mainsail battens, it had rusted through, tonight we repaired a section of the Genoa furling line that chafed last night, a first, not sure what caused that, will monitor closely. Otherwise we are doing fine, just the usual issues with starting a passage after so many months of coddled sailing. We were visited by four what I took to be whales, three doing a synchronized surface and dive near where I watched from the cockpit. Maybe Minke whales? Still not clear of Japanese waters but making good progress and are well out of the shipping channel tonight. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/09/2019 10:28 (utc) our position was 33º25.203'N - 138º49.666’E

July 10, 2019

Coming on watch at 04:30 as the sun’s glow was beginning to light the sky, Hachijo Shima island stood out in silhouette off our port bow. It stood watch over us through the day and only began to recede in to the haze of clouds in late afternoon. We spent Last night and much of today wrestling our miles from the sea. With 20 knot headwinds much of the past 24 hours and choppy confused seas we have had many ungentlemanly hours of going to weather. It is a slog bashing into the seas hour after hour with water crashing over the deck and at times washing all the aft up and over the dodger and spraying inside the cockpit. Below it is like being hit by a wrecking ball during the worst of it but this afternoon the weather has eased and we are making a comfortable 5 knots on a heading of 120:degrees, not perfect but getting us away from the Japanese coast. We’ve made 330 miles VMG, or actual miles toward Port Townsend since departing Wakayama. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/10/2019 10:28 (utc) our position was 32º40.952'N - 140º40.115’E

July 11, 2019

We have had good conditions over the past 24 hours, mostly settle seas with winds around 10 knots from the NE, making 5-6 knots over ground with bursts to 7 knots that we guess we owe to the current in our favor. Mid afternoon saw a lull to 6ish knots bringing us down to only a few knots of speed but at the moment we are hustling along at 6.5 knots, with a heading of 36 degrees. Winds are forecast to veer and bring us closer to our desired course closer to 90 degrees, winds to stay in this range for a few days, very happy with these conditions. Along with giving us a little push the Kuroshio current is keeping the waters around us warm so we are enjoying warm conditions and long summer days, sun was casting a glow as early as 3:30 this morning. Another batten pin failed today, our 5th so far, but with calm seas it was an easy repair. I don’t. Know what Schaefer Spec’d for the part but must be low grade stainless. 4,177 nm to port Townsend. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/11/2019 09:42 (utc) our position was 33º22.590'N - 141º47.088’E

July 12, 2019

Our fair weather days of sailing have given way to a steady 25 knots with gusts to 38, the seas whipped up and the skies flat grey with passing showers. We are down to double reefed main and stays’l and yet making six knots. We’ve seen a couple mean spirited waves, including one that launched much of lunch from the sauce pot into the space behind the stove where plates are stored, a low point of the day - black beans with tofu worked into all sorts of corners and crevices. Forecast is for a spirited evening, the upside is we are making miles to our first destination point, getting us away from Japan and the summer typhoon alley, a point roughly 1000miles east that we plan to hit before heading north. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/12/2019 09:52 (utc) our position was 34º25.193'N - 143º26.808’E

July 13, 2019

Last night proved to be pretty wild with winds at a steady 30knots gusting to 50 knots with challenging seas. We headed downwind for several hours through the worst of it and other than a few crashing waves that sent water into the cockpit it as all pretty manageable. Two flyers go fish were washed aboard and died in the mayhem. At dawn the winds moved on and the waves stayed behind leaving us sloshing about for a couple hours until the winds filled in and we were able to get back underway. Today has been uneventful, with grey skies and moderate winds in the mid teens. Currently passing over an area of confused seas that we attribute to the Kuroshio current. This afternoon we were visited by three dolphins that put on a short post lunch performance before blasting off to whatever exotic destination these characters seem to always been hurrying to. This morning we woke to only 4005 miles remaining to Port Townsend but Douglas realized that number did not include the 85 miles from the mouth of the strait of Juan de Fuca to port Townsend. That has been corrected but I feel somehow conned by having a sub 4K distance yanked away from me. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/13/2019 08:19 (utc) our position was 35º34.912'N - 144º55.528’E

July 14, 2019

We had a restful night and easy day of light wind sailing under grey and of late rainy skies. In the late afternoon the winds nearly died but are now building as another low pressure system begins to pass over us. Winds currently in the low 20s with a forecast to build through the night. Much of the day we have been in the Kuroshio current and our speed overground has been as high as 8 knots even with light winds, we will see how that impacts our speeds tonight. Currently sailing under staysail and trys’l flying northward. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/14/2019 08:59 (utc) our position was 35º59.352'N - 147º05.253’E

July 15, 2019

As forecast we had a wild ride for much of last night, many hours at 35 knots gusting to 50 with large waves, making for some white knuckle moments but mostly Tumbleweed seems to revel in these sort of conditions and we made good progress while bashing along. The low blew through quickly and as the sun began to light up the sky the winds died and we were left with not enough wind to make way in the large seas that are the aftermath of these fronts. We rolled, drifted and tried to make the best of it for a few hours. We have had some issues with our engine starting, we continue to trouble shoot the source of the problem, so we’re happy when the engine started on the first attempt. We motored all afternoon, due east, as the grey skies broke apart and gave us blue skies for a change. For several hours we were surrounded by a large school of what looked like skip jack tuna, the same type w saw yesterday, also calls bonito and when fermented, dried and smoked then shaved into golden flakes, are the base for dashi. We admire them and recommended they keep well clear of Japan to avoid the soup pot.tonights forecasts for light winds a welcome break, we’ll motor a few more hours charging batteries, running the watermaker, and getting closer to the Kuroshio current. A near full moon is on the rise, 3825 miles to Port Townsend. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/15/2019 08:01 (utc) our position was 36º03.243'N - 148º17.194’E

July 16, 2019

Today we struggled against the Kuroshio current trying to gain more easting while being shoved 20 degrees to the north. The current is this area is strong but we are reaching its edge and are now starting to see our heading and course over ground closing with each other, with our course setting us more to the east. We had light winds at sunrise but since then we’ve been blasting along clear we hauled with winds in the mid teens over a variety of sea states, earlier in the day we were slamming over steep choppy seas but they have since mellowed and we are currently sailing in much more comfort over gentler waters. A 99 percent waxing moon is lighting up the clouds and will keep us company much of the night turning the sea silver in its path. We have been bedeviled by our engine, starter problems of some sort, and put out a request for thoughts on troubleshooting to friends and have been heartened by the in depth and generous responses. Think we have a few excellent possible solutions to check through tomorrow. Feeling grateful for our community of fellow sailors. Miles Smeeton’s memoir of the sailing life “The Sea Was Our Village” gets it right with the title. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/16/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 37º26.687'N - 148º35.582’E

July 17, 2019

Winds have veered and we have been getting in our easting today. Took advantage of a calm spell this morning to end for end the Genoa furling line, although new it somehow picked up a nasty bit of chafe that is now safely aft of the clutch when Genoa is reefed. Sorting through all the excellent advice regarding our starter troubles, think we have some good time d leads. Temperatures have dropped dramatically, for the first time in memory I’m on watch tonight wearing a wind breaker, rain pants, fleece and thick watch cap and boots. As we head north I’ll keep adding layers until I can’t move. Currently making 5.5 knots, 60 degrees COG, 17 knots of wind. 3620nm to Port Townsend. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/16/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 37º26.687'N - 148º35.582’E

July 18, 2019

Today’s excitement was a visit by the US Coast Guard. They appeared quickly with no warning, not transmitting on AIS, and hovered close by while asking us about our journey and vessel’s details. Comforting and intimidating. They would appear to be far from their home patrol grounds but I guess they roam the whole North Pacific. We had a mostly sunny day with fair winds and seas making good time sailing to weather in 15 to 20 knots of breeze. We have sailed more miles to weather since leaving japan than we have since leaving the US. The seas were mostly calm today so minimal bashing though it is pretty noisy below decks and we fell off by several degrees, settling Tumbleweed and easing our angle of heel, to make lunch. We appear to b on the edge of the shipping route that takes the great circle across the top of the pacific, several massive cargo ships passed in the distance today. Just passed the 3500 miles to Port Townsend mark, heading 70 degrees, 15 knots of breeze, 4.5 knots over ground.All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/18/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 40º07.248'N - 152º34.178’E

July 19, 2019

Sailing to weather over 2 meter seas we are riding the line between too much speed, which has us crashing into the waves each big impact a bone jarring thud, or not having enough speed up so that we lose way as we hit a wave and take a moment or two before we gather way and get moving again. Comfort is a factor, at higher speeds it is chaotic and loud below making it hard to sleep. But we need speed to keep ahead of a low pressure system building to the south...so that’s the game of the day, a bit more sail for a while then maybe ease the main sail a bit later, fine tuning and searching for the best angle and right amount of sail. This morning we had our best sunrise of the passage, full on brilliant colors that washed over the horizon. Tonight we had a break in the Grey for a glimpse of the sun going out in a glorious red fireball. At the moment making 5 knots, heading of 60 degrees, winds in the low 20s.All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/19/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 41º22.753'N - 154º08.904’E

July 20, 2019

Another day of slogging NNE, into the wind with large seas that slow our pace and force us to climb over wave after wave, each slowing us for a moment before we can move forward, caught in a jerky rhythm. Occasionally we are hit by an outsized wave that knocks us off course and sends a shudder through the whole boat. But overall we are managing fine, not as swiftly as we would like and with a little more north in our heading than would be ideal but all things considered we are making good progress with the weather at hand. Dutch Harbor is looking more and more likely as a stop over, still another 1500 miles ahead but we are thinking it will be a nice respite. We have another 4 or so days of this weather in the forecast and then the promise of downwind sailing after that, so the forecast is looking positive.All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/20/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 42º30.730'N - 155º11.929’E

July 21, 2019

Winds are just beginning to veer tonight, that is to move clockwise, giving us a chance to gain more easting, the past few days the winds have offered us the options of some variant of north or south so this is appreciated. Winds dropped this afternoon and the seas settled down a bit so we added a reefed genoa to the double reefed main and stays’l, Tumbleweed’ is responding. The sun has just set and it is an overcast, chilly night, we are adding layers each day, I’ll see if I can add a seal skin parka to my wardrobe once we hit Dutch Harbor. Currently sailing at 5 knots, 45 degrees course over ground, winds 14 knots coming from 115 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/21/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 43º47.260'N - 156º21.745’E

July 22, 2019

Winds have shifted in our favor today and we are now heading due east at 5 knots with 10 knots of wind, seas calm with gentle swell, under full main, full Genoa and stays’l. The most comfortable ride we’ve had in days. The sun came out for most of the day during a transition in the weather, for a while we had very light winds and first motored for a few hours to charge batteries and run the Watermaker, then spent most of the afternoon drifting. We were passed by two pods of whales today, a small group of maybe three passed heading the opposite direction this morning, moving very slowly, keeping mostly to the surface until they made a final tandem dive slipping under the surface with a gentle wave of their tail fins. The other group was made up of at least five whales, physically much larger than the morning’s visitors. The sighting of whales is always such an awe inspiring experience, such majestic and graceful creatures. Also several albatross in the area and I think I’ve identified the small birds that swoop like bats and visit us at night, chirping just of the stern, as storm petrels. Feels really good to be making speed east ward and going into the night with nice weather and a forecast for more of the same. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/22/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 44º23.455'N - 157º31.982’E

July 23, 2019

The past day has been a lesson in the difference between sailing to weather in light versus heavy seas. With winds shifting between as little as 8 knots up to an average closer to 11 we have been making good time the past 24 hours over gentle seas. Even with only 7 knots we still managed to make 3 or 4 knots ghosting along. Most of the day we’ve had around 11 knots and have managed 5.5 to 6 knots all afternoon with a comfortable motion. This is the sort of blue water sailing that would make converts to the pursuit I think. Cooking without the contents of the pot leaping out all over the counters - how civilized! We had a nice spell of blue skies this afternoon during lunch and enjoyed being in the cockpit. It is near sunset now and the temperature is starting to dive and I’m getting ready for the first night watch eyeing an extra couple of layers. We’ve started wrapping a tarp over our legs during the night that has made us much more comfortable. Currently making 5.7 knots over ground, heading 60 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/23/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 44º50.292'N - 160º15.145’E

July 24, 2019

Light air sailing through fog today. Winds between 6 and 10 knots with calm seas allowing us to ghost along much of the day. Fog with visibility ranging from about a mile to a few hundred feet. With the damp and diffused light it feels closed in and featureless. We still managed 130 miles in the last 24 hours and even with only 6 knots of wind managed to eek out a few knots. Heading is mostly due east, taking our northing miles when we can but the light airs are fussy about heading and we have kept a course that makes the sails happy.. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/24/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 45º16.467'N - 163º06.870’E

July 25, 2019

Sailing mostly east with lots of fog and light winds, on a broad reach since last night. Winds have been mostly in the 10-15 knot range and we are making steady miles. The fog closes in for a few hours then drifts back giving us a view up to nearly two miles but mostly the fog has kept the visibility much reduced. We check radar and AIS constantly but see few vessels and so far they are all cargo ships on the great circle route but we are on watch for fishing vessels, they have a habit of keeping AIS off until we are close and in this fog we want to avoid that. The seas are much settled and with the cool cabin temperatures we’ve been getting good sleep in our off watches. Birds continue to be our entertaining companions, at night several of them close in to our stern and carry on a some sort of chirping chatter that goes on all night, at first light they drift away and go back to swooping over the surface of the water. About 1300 miles to Dutch Harbor. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/25/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 45º17.175'N - 165º44.407’E

July 27, 2019

Continued work on trouble shooting our engine starter problems. Friends have sent some excellent recommendations and we’ve been trying to work through them as time and weather allow. No solution yet but getting a better sense of the problems. Another day of fog, although for a few hours this morning we could see a shining band of very light fog at the horizon that offered a promise of sun breaking through but did not deliver. Sailing dead downwind with 8 knots or less, with the swell there is too much movement to keep the genoa happy we are sort of drift/sailing with the stays’l. Winds are forecast to continue dropping this evening so we decided to forgo the whisker pole. Tomorrow winds are forecast to build to 20 knots at times, we’ll keep a watch for that and hopefully use that to gain more northing. Heading 50 degrees, at 2.5 knots speed over ground, winds 7.5 knots. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/27/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 45º43.938'N - 170º39.53711’E

July 28, 2019

We spent most of the past 24 hours drifting north under stays’l with light fog in the distance. More troubleshooting of the starting problem, thinking it might be a mix of a couple issues including corrosion on a few contacts. We are currently running under engine for a couple of hours to charge batteries and run the fridge. Winds are forecast to build this evening so we should be back under sail soon, this system is supposed to last several days, hopefully enough to get us close o Unalaska and Dutch Harbor. COG 50 degrees, SOG 6 knots. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/28/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 46º19.511'N - 171º33.726’E

July 29, 2019

Grey, overcast, fog that closes in for limited visibility then drifts out to near the horizon. Combined with light winds we are having a difficult time keeping our batteries charge, getting very little solar or wind generator power. Our engine has been troubling us with intermittent starting lately but tonight refused to start all together. We have done extensive trouble shooting and found several issues that had us at “ aha!” But alas, the condition is worse. Tomorrow is a new day, and hopefully in the light of day we’ll discover the root problem. We went through the process of setting up our whisker pole this afternoon to get the most out of the light winds from the stern and have been sailing pretty much downwind with the genoa poled out since. The whisker pole is something we haven’t had call to use for many months, maybe since Fiji, and so the process was a little slow as we reviewed our notes and put everything into place. The whisker pole keeps the genoa held out to the side of the boat so that in light winds with swell the sail does not collapse and the snap, and also allows us to sail much further downwind that without, also keeps the boat a little more steady against the roll of the seas. We are also enjoying an extra couple knots over sailing with just the reefed stays’l. 4.6 knots speed over ground, 50 degrees course over ground, 13 knots of breeze, wind angle 134 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/29/2019 09:47 (utc) our position was 47º21.120'N - 173º51.371’E

July 30, 2019

Another many shaded day of grey. Winds fluctuated up to 15 knots but mostly hovered closer to ten. The whisker pole kept the genoa happy and we bobbled along nearly dead down wind for the most of the day. There are two wave trains the main is aligned with the wind and is comfortable, there is another wave train that comes to us on the beam and has much more power, rolling us heavily every few minutes, occasionally throwing the contents and crew with a violent crash to one side then lifting up and pile driving everything down to the other side. We made progress on sorting out the starter troubles with the engine, focusing on the glow plugs and loss of current through the glow plug switch. Decided to give the project a rest when the sun set, will pick it up again in the morning. We are now under 800 miles to Dutch harbor and have just crossed over into latitude 48, the same as Port Townsend and Seattle. . All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/30/2019 08:17 (utc) our position was 48º05.462'N - 176º04.191’E

July 31, 2019

We sailed with the genoa poled out again today with winds from the SW, a bit of a rolly ride as we tipped side to side between the waves but the sail was happy and we made good mileage on our desired course. It is, of course, grey and chilly again. I think I’m obsessed with the weather mostly because it is so different than my expectation, and so different than any other passage we have been on. Since the first few days of nice weather as we departed Japan we’ve been sailing in grey upon grey. Preferable to the lightning and squalls of our passage to the Marquesas but I imagined a bit more variety and confused summer in the North Pacific with my notions of summer in general. Still no break through on solving our starter issues with the engine. We have had excellent advice from friends and from a mechanic and have run through almost all the suggested tests but still the engine refuses to start. We are narrowing down the problem to perhaps the starter itself and will conduct additional tests tomorrow. Heading 56 degrees, speed 5 knots, winds 14 knots, wind direction 198 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/31/2019 08:06 (utc) our position was 48º48.469'N - 178º30.846’E

July 31, 2019

At 07/31/2019 08:06 (utc) our position was 48º48.469'N - 178º30.846’E

July 31, 2019

Today we crossed back over the dateline and are on the same date as our destination. Winds and seas have been building this afternoon as we prepare for some weather coming from the south, the forecast is for a couple of days of winds in the 20 plus knot range which should keep us moving along. We stowed the whisker pole at first light and squared away the rest of the boat in preparation for the weather We also continued our pursuit of what is causing our engine to not start. We have had ongoing trouble with a small fuel leak from our generator that started leaking diesel heavily over the past couple of days and now wonder if there is a connection. We isolated the generator from the fuel tanks and did a couple of other small maintenance tasks. Will try to start again after further discussion with our consultants but it seems like there might be some sort of weird back flow or air gap problem caused by the generator malfunction We have run through all the other tests that we can conduct at sea. Weather was overcast again today but we had some bright moments where the sun was trying hard to break through, it felt good to have that sunlight bouncing around. Heading 52 degrees, speed 6 knots, winds 18 knots, wind direction 172 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 07/31/2019 08:06 (utc) our position was 49º37.266'N - 178º59.011’W

August 2, 2019

Weather has picked up this afternoon and tonight, there is a weather system passing over us making for a wild ride. We are 70 miles south of Adak island and heading east to keep clear of land. Once the weather diminishes we plan to transit Amukta pass, through the Aleutians from the North Pacific and into the Bering Sea. With the current conditions we are sailing to weather slowly under stays’l and trys’l, making 3 - 4 knots. Earlier in the day we were racing along at 7 knots and realized that at those speeds we would arrive at the pass before the weather has moved through and the seas had calmed. Where the pacific crosses the pass the sea floor rises from 10,000 feet to as little as 500 feet in the middle of the pass. Conditions in areas like that when the weather is up tend to be rough so we’ll hang back out here for a bit until things settle down then make our way into the Bering Sea and to Dutch Harbor. Making 3.5 knots, heading 90 degrees, winds 23 knots, wind direction 185 degrees . All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/03/2019 09:01 (utc) our position was 50º31.985'N - 176º02.808’W

August 3, 2019

Another day of challenging weather. Last night and for much of today we had winds in the lower to mid 20 knot range with gusts into the upper 30’s with well developed seas running 1-2 meters. Last night we were hit broadside by a large wave that tore the top edge of the dodger window free from the material connecting those panels to the hard top of the dodger. The dodger material and stitching have been suffering from UV exposure so the material was weak to begin with but it’s a loss as we use the dodger to stay out of the weather and now there is a gap that allows the driving rain and wind into the cockpit and robs us of a sheltered space out of the cabin. I think I’ll have to break out the sewing machine in Dutch Harbor, there is far too much to cover by hand. We have been hove to and continue to drift at an average of 1.5 knots on a course of around 60 degrees. The worst of the weather is forecast to pass over us in the next couple of hours and then dismiss to very light winds for the next few days. That usually means that we’ll have a day of rough seas left over from the high winds but no winds to counteract the motion. .This is the longest stretch of sunless weather I can recall since we left Port Townsend, I have forgotten what a blue sky looks like and the sun is just a slightly more bright circle of grey in the day’s sky. Alaska has only one time zone so by Alaska time the day lasts long into the evening though we are only at 50 degrees latitude. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/03/2019 08:09 (utc) our position was 50º39.258'N - 174º41.833'W

August 3, 2019

Early this morning the low pressure system that had been giving us high winds and seas passed by. With light winds and diminished seas we fell to mostly drifting today. Blue sky broke through in patches and we had a bout of sun, the first in what feels like weeks. Very welcome. The sun and lighter winds gave some much needed energy to our battery bank. Still not enough to get us back into good condition but tonight we are not in as desperate of a state as the past few nights. Still not enough to power the fridge or other “luxuries” but not dipping below 12 volts to the house batteries, so we’ll take our small victories where we can. With the fine weather I was able to piece most of the dodger back together by punching holes in the fabric and zip tying the top of the panels to the plastic channel that is screwed into the dodger. I have one small panel to finish tomorrow and also to tape up the places where the clear plastic window material has torn. It all looks sort of Frankenstein and rag tag with all the zip ties and packing tape holding it all together but as long as it keeps the wind and rain out we’ll be happy.. Douglas did more engine trouble shooting - the highlight of his investigations was being able to clean up and tighten the starter battery terminals to get a little more voltage to register. Tomorrow he continues with his list of potential trouble spots, maybe we’ll work up the nerve to try starting the engine. Otherwise, we’ll be drifting here a couple more days waiting for the winds to fill in so we can make our way east. We have been in communication with people in Dutch Harbor and are getting lots of good information and kind words from friends of friends, we are really looking forward to our arrival in Dutch Harbor, I think we’ll like it there. Currently drifting on a heading of 118 degrees at 1 knot, winds 8 knots, wind direction 222 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/03/2019 08:42 (utc) our position was 50º41.508'N - 174º10.644'W

August 5, 2019

We are now 29 days at sea, tied with our longest previous passage from Mexico to the Marquesas. So much has happened since that passage. This passage is so very different in many ways yet has so many things in common. On that passage to the Marquesas we were concerned with squalls and lighting strikes, and also dealing with long stretches with no wind, it was much warmer. We are dealing still with various engine gremlins on this passage but are working systematically through the potential causes. We are still becalmed and that helps with our ability to work on tasks, although the boat rolls quite a bit it is nothing like it was a few days ago at the height of the bad weather. The dodger is all zip tied back together so we’ll have protection when it rains again. Today we had fair weather, streaks of blue sky and the sun came out in full force several times brining us to the cockpit to bask in the warmth and sheer brightness off it all. The view of the sea and the distant clouds was spectacular, we had a sense of depth that we haven’t had for a few weeks as we’ve been socked in by grey for so long. Tonight we’ll be drifting again but we should start seeing some wind tomorrow night and begin making our way to Dutch Harbor. Speed over ground 1.4 knots, heading 140 degrees, wind 7 knots, wind direction 230 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/05/2019 08:42 (utc) our position was 50º40.463'N - 174º48.683'W

August 6, 2019

The big news of the day is that we have started the engine and are now underway, motoring toward Dutch harbor. This engine problem has been a real challenge on many fronts and we are incredibly happy it is running. Not sure of the core reason it would not start but by connecting the house and starter batteries we were able to start the engine with no trouble so perhaps a bad starter battery is issue. we hope to keep the engine running until we arrive in Dutch Harbor. Winds are forecast to start tonight with enough strength to sail by so we can sail and leave the engine running lightly. course over ground 60 degrees, speed 5 knots, winds 5 knots, seas calm with long period swell. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/06/2019 08:30 (utc) our position was 50º42.386'N - 173º12.057’W

August 7, 2019

we spent most of today charging along at 7 knots under full main and Genoa. the speed and angle of heel were thrilling, though the bouncy ride made sleep a challenge. this evening the winds have tapered off a bit and we are gliding along quite comfortably although we would prefer the speed. the engine has been running since we were able to restart it yesterday, we are worried that if we shut it down it might give us trouble restarting. another grey and overcast day, humidity remains high and the level of condensation in the cabin is verging on uncomfortable. the port lights are like water factories keeping a steady trickle of water grabbed from the air beading on the glass and stainless steel frames. but all these are minor issues, we are happy the engine is ticking over and that we have enough wind to sail by, tomorrow the forecast is for the winds to die and we will have to motor the last section through the pass and on to Dutch Harbor. heading 37 degrees, speed 5 knots, wind speed 12.5 knots, wind direction 143 degrees. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/07/2019 08:30 (utc) our position was 51º38.740'N - 170º25.077’W

August 8, 2019

Land ho! After 32 days at sea we are now just a few miles south of Umnak island and can see the silhouettes of the higher elevations in the distance. A heart warming sight. Many more sea birds attending us today and we have been watching for large kelp. Another silvery grey day but it feels brighter, maybe it's the proximity to land. On recommendation from our friend Geoff we shut down the engine for several hours today so that we could properly check oil and top it off, we were concerned that we might put in too much oil it is hard to get a reading with the engine going. Several hours later when the winds had died and we could no longer sail we said a list of prayers, held our breathes and gave the engine a crank, it started right up. Our plan is to transit Umnak pass tomorrow morning at slack tide and then motor to Dutch Harbor, it is just a bit too far for us to reach my nightfall so we will idle offshore and plan to make for the marina at first light on Friday morning. currently under motor, making 3 knots, course 30 degrees, wind 4 knots, seas calm. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/08/2019 08:30 (utc) our position was 52º51.501'N - 168º18.265’W

August 8, 2019

We have arrived in Dutch Harbor. We had a spectacular day of motoring along Unalaska Island in the company of thousands of birds, many puffins, breaching whales, and sea lions. Conditions were cloudy and overcast but that just made the island more mysterious. Feels strange to be on land again after so long at sea. The boat is still and quiet, we are tied alongside the sailboat Muktuk and our friends on Nosy Be are tied just ahead of us. Content to be back in Alaska, looking forward to exploring the island. All's well on Tumbleweed.

At 08/09/2019 11:40 (utc) our position was 53º52.605'N - 166º33.094'W