Welcome to the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society
We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Sitka, Alaska dedicated to preserving and sharing our region's rich maritime heritage.
Our main project is the rehabilitation of the Japonski Island Boathouse, a WWII Navy boat shop and marine railway, as a working maritime heritage center.
We produce a great newsletter full of historical and other articles on our maritime heritage, photographs and articles on Sitka's maritime history, a history blog, oral history programs and videos, activities, classes and other programs on maritime history, heritage and skills.
Join us! Become a member; contribute to our capital campaign; buy a t-shirt!
THANK YOU to our members, donors and sponsors!
Our main project is the rehabilitation of the Japonski Island Boathouse, a WWII Navy boat shop and marine railway, as a working maritime heritage center.
We produce a great newsletter full of historical and other articles on our maritime heritage, photographs and articles on Sitka's maritime history, a history blog, oral history programs and videos, activities, classes and other programs on maritime history, heritage and skills.
Join us! Become a member; contribute to our capital campaign; buy a t-shirt!
THANK YOU to our members, donors and sponsors!
Work Parties Ramping Up for Spring
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Left, the wall we are rebuilding.
We are holding our next volunteer work party to rebuild a wall on the Japonski Island Boatshop, Saturday May 15 from 9 am to noon. Volunteers should be moderately skilled for this project to carefully rebuild a historic wall. Masks required. Volunteers should bring gloves and tools if they have them. Volunteers are welcome to come for part or all the time. We will provide training in historic preservation principles and methods. Coffee and snacks provided. Call 738-7448 or email sitkamaritime@gmail.com or fill out form below for more information or to get on our mailing list. More Photos Here
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Left, our first public work party, taking off the old siding; above, May 8, first pieces of sheathing.
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We've been getting work done all winter, and this spring, with small, socially-distanced work parties, building door jambs, rebuilding doors, and doing the tear-out in preparation for rebuilding the northeast wall and siding the addition.
We are now in the process of sanding and painting siding, for a contractor to put siding on the new addition.
We will be be rebuilding the northeast wall of the building, pulling off the siding and adding sheathing, insulation and building paper, and installing our new jambs and doors, using volunteer work parties.
On our first two weekends we carefully removed siding and made repairs to the framing. On May 8 we started on adding sheathing (the original building had none), flash the window and door openings, put up tar paper infiltration barrier, breather strips and siding. We will put in our new door jambs and refurbished, original doors. We will use as much of the original siding as we can, but severely damaged pieces will be replaced with new custom milled siding.
Do you have basic skills, and interest in learning how to work on a historic building, in hearing some bad jokes, and in drinking coffee (or tea)?
Drop a line to sitkamaritime@gmail.com or use the form below!
We are now in the process of sanding and painting siding, for a contractor to put siding on the new addition.
We will be be rebuilding the northeast wall of the building, pulling off the siding and adding sheathing, insulation and building paper, and installing our new jambs and doors, using volunteer work parties.
On our first two weekends we carefully removed siding and made repairs to the framing. On May 8 we started on adding sheathing (the original building had none), flash the window and door openings, put up tar paper infiltration barrier, breather strips and siding. We will put in our new door jambs and refurbished, original doors. We will use as much of the original siding as we can, but severely damaged pieces will be replaced with new custom milled siding.
Do you have basic skills, and interest in learning how to work on a historic building, in hearing some bad jokes, and in drinking coffee (or tea)?
Drop a line to sitkamaritime@gmail.com or use the form below!
Share your ideas and comments on our new Survey
Join SMHS or Renew Your Membership now
(valid through 03/2022):
Apply for the Board!
If you’d like to be even more involved in shaping the direction moving forward, we are looking for new board members. Do you have an interest in creating world class maritime heritage programs in an authentic WWII boat shop? Drop us a line by email or fill out this form to apply.
Thank You Rotary!
Thank you Sitka Rotary Club! among all the great work this group does, they have given the SMHS a grant to help us build an accessibility ramp on the NE side of the Japonski Island Boatshop, where we will have our history exhibit and multi-use space.
These funds come from their annual Duck Race, contact them to find out how to get your tickets! Thank You Harry Race!
Sitka Maritime Heritage Society board member Joe D'Arienzo poses with Vanessa and Mia of Harry Race with a check representing January's tip jar! Thank You!!!!
Toy Boat Kits for Children Launched
Here are some pictures of the additions to the Sitka fleet and their young builders!
Thank you to everyone who ordered a boat kit, and especially for the generous donations and memberships.
We will definitely be doing this next year, in person! Here is a link to the Raven Radio interview from December 3, which has some other updates and info about the SMHS. Robert Modrell Photo Gallery and History
Dedication of the Shore Boat Arrrowhead, whose hull was repaired and superstructure built by students of Bob Modrell at Mt. Edgecumbe High School.
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2021 Annual Meeting 7-8:30 pm March 17th
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Winter 2020 Newsletter Features Fishing a Vintage Wooden Boat
Eadweard Muybridge Retakes - 1868 to 2017
In 2017, James Poulson went to the places where Eadweard Muybridge took photographs in 1868. Check out this and more on our Photos and Articles page.
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Check Out the Draft Sitka Maritime History Walking Tour!
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In the News: Spruce Siding Delivered!
CUSTOM DELIVERY – Laura Bennett, executive director of Sitka Maritime Heritage Society, right, watches as crew of the M/V Otter, Captain Thomas Sigmond, Adina Scott and Micheal Janicki, unload a shipment of wooden siding from the WWII-era boat Thursday at the sea wall on Katlian Street. The wood was custom milled last year at Tenakee Springs to match the shiplap siding on the WWII era Japonski Island Boathouse. It will be used to replace sections of worn out siding and to sheath a new addition. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
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Want to get involved?
Subscribe to our email list to be notified of upcoming events and new volunteer opportunities.
In 2020 . . .
We were fortunate to hold our Annual Meeting, on "Close Calls and Lessons Learned" at the historic ANB Founders Hall just before gatherings like this had to be postponed.
Since then, we've put that and other videos on line; check out the talk at the Mean Queen a couple years back with the late Richark K. Nelson and our own Josh Wisnewski, finding common inspiration and gratitude from hunting experts who shared their knowledge with them, 40 years apart, in Northwest Alaska.
We distributed toy boat kits to families to build at home; we created a History Blog, and filled it with the narratives of two, different fox-farming fishing families of the Goddard area in the 1920s and 1930s.
We now have a really great boating checklist, the first comprehensive yet handy list we've found, generated out of our annual meeting; we even published three newsletters, with some interesting local maritime content.
We downsized our work parties to provide ample social distance. We were awarded a Historic Preservation Fund grant by the Alaska Historical Commission, administered through the City and Borough of Sitka as a Certified Local Government. Those work parties have been going on most Saturdays; if you are interested, please contact us - we are using skilled volunteers right now, but maybe you have what we need!
Check out some photos from this year's work here, including images of our shipment of Sitka spruce siding!
Check out the new history narrative, to be a Walking Tour of Sitka, featuring the 1800s history that is hard to find.
In December we published a newsletter, and our toy boat making event was transformed into kits to do at home! Joe D'Arienzo led the way in making 87 kits! Stay tuned for pictures of the creative transformation of those kits into vessels by our kids!
In the new year, we'll be launching a survey for you to weigh in on ideas for next year.
A board member recently moved away, meaning we have an opening! If you are interested, drop us a line by email or call!
And thanks again, to our members, donors and sponsors. Your support is essential as we apply for grants and to do the work!
Since then, we've put that and other videos on line; check out the talk at the Mean Queen a couple years back with the late Richark K. Nelson and our own Josh Wisnewski, finding common inspiration and gratitude from hunting experts who shared their knowledge with them, 40 years apart, in Northwest Alaska.
We distributed toy boat kits to families to build at home; we created a History Blog, and filled it with the narratives of two, different fox-farming fishing families of the Goddard area in the 1920s and 1930s.
We now have a really great boating checklist, the first comprehensive yet handy list we've found, generated out of our annual meeting; we even published three newsletters, with some interesting local maritime content.
We downsized our work parties to provide ample social distance. We were awarded a Historic Preservation Fund grant by the Alaska Historical Commission, administered through the City and Borough of Sitka as a Certified Local Government. Those work parties have been going on most Saturdays; if you are interested, please contact us - we are using skilled volunteers right now, but maybe you have what we need!
Check out some photos from this year's work here, including images of our shipment of Sitka spruce siding!
Check out the new history narrative, to be a Walking Tour of Sitka, featuring the 1800s history that is hard to find.
In December we published a newsletter, and our toy boat making event was transformed into kits to do at home! Joe D'Arienzo led the way in making 87 kits! Stay tuned for pictures of the creative transformation of those kits into vessels by our kids!
In the new year, we'll be launching a survey for you to weigh in on ideas for next year.
A board member recently moved away, meaning we have an opening! If you are interested, drop us a line by email or call!
And thanks again, to our members, donors and sponsors. Your support is essential as we apply for grants and to do the work!
Boathouse 2020 Capital Campaign
This year we were excited to kickoff our Boathouse 2020 Capital Campaign, with the goal of raising funds to match larger foundation grants to complete and open to the public with regularly scheduled programming and events for the community. Boathouse 2020 will allow the Boathouse to be filled with life and activity on a full-time basis!
A Few Highlights from 2019 - to see pictures from 2020 and more go to Events and Boathouse pages!
Knots WorkshopIn April 2019, we were proud to present “The Knots You Need” a workshop on some of the most widely used and essential knots for any mariner (or everyday life!). Instructor and Board Member, Stan Barge did a fantastic job of guiding participants – many of whom were novices – through progressively more complicated knots. The group started with a square knot and worked up to a trucker’s hitch! All participants went home with an illustrated booklet of how to tie each knot learned (plus a few more advanced knots) and line to practice on. Look out for more hands-on workshops from SMHS!
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4th of July CruiseThe sun and wildlife were out for our 4th of July cruise this year! During the outbound trip, Rebecca Poulson took us on a fascinating journey through Sitka’s history with her talk on shipbuilding at Sitka, and once we reached St. Lazaria, naturalist Matt Goff made the journey even more special by sharing his wealth of wildlife knowledge with our passengers.
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2019 Boathouse Work Parties
The Japonski Island Boathouse is looking a bit different these days through the support of a Historic Preservation Fund grant. This Spring, a new addition shell was built, which will eventually serve as the main entrance to the Boathouse as well as house bathrooms and office space. Additionally, the main Southwest wall of the original building has received a facelift with the help of many, many volunteers. Each original piece of siding was carefully numbered and removed, then insulation, plywood sheathing and an infiltration barrier were installed. The original, repainted boards were then refastened to the building, with a few new replacement boards, milled to match the originals, taking the place of earlier repairs. This work makes the wall sturdier and weatherproof. So much effort has gone into doing this work on the wall and it’s great to know that it’s just as improved on the inside as it looks on the outside! Thank you so much to all of the dedicated community volunteers who have donated their time and skills to this project!
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Don Sineti at the BeakThis October we had a great time gathering at The Beak for an evening of sea chanteys by Don Sineti, organized together with Sitka Whalefest.
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Earthquake: RevisitedFor the Alaska Day 2019 theme of "Frontier First Responders" we invited the community to the library for a viewing of a video of stories told by Sitkans about their experiences during the 1964 earthquake, followed by discussion by Larry Calvin and stories from the audience. It was great to see how many folks came out for the event and were eager to participate and share.
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