Sitka: As we've said in blogs, Sitka has it going on. Sitka is the home of much of Alaska's history (Tlingit and Russian), a great part of its cultural life, and an enormous and important fishing fleet.

Wings tied up behind world-cruising trimaran, Juniper. This is Dutch sailor's, Heinrich, sixth circumnavigation.

Conni fills our water tanks during a brief lull in the gale.

Half of Sitka, including the University of Alaska Southeast (the brown roof across the channel), the airport, and the Coast Guard station, are on Japonski Island. Sitka's Russian-American past colors many place names.

Gulls and cormorants ride out the weather on the wharf behind us. The enormous sea lions seem to take the weather in stride.

Sitka's Pioneer Home at night, as seen from Castle Hill. Castle Hill is the location of the transfer of Alaskan territory from Russia to America. The Prospector statue is illuminated at left center.

The north end of town, showing the typical complex navigational issues of rocks and islands.

The O'Connell Bridge was built in 1971 and links the town of Sitka on Baranof Island to the airport and Coast Guard Station on Japonski Island. The 1,255-foot John O'Connell Bridge was the Western Hemisphere's first vehicular cable-stayed girder spanned bridge. It has four 100-foot-high steel pylons from which stretch a set of tight cables, each holding a section of the bridge deck in place.

Lovely Conni enjoys a walk in Sitka's old harbor area. This is the site of the mooring for the USS Jamestown from 1879-1881. While moored here, the Jamestown was the seat of government for the entire territory.

Conni stands before the beautiful totem pole in Sitka green.

Totem and Mariner's Memorial, city green.

O'Connell Bridge from the city green.

One of my favorite sculptures, the Prospector sits in front of the Pioneer Home. Sculpted by Alonzo Lewis, it was finally placed in 1949.

Wings, tied up behind the giant trimaran, Juniper.

A sea of boats: Sitka boasts the largest harbor system in Alaska. We were in Thomsen Harbor, one of the oldest. Still, there was inexpensive power, water, and free wifi, and transient moorage was reasonable.

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