We are planning a winter showing of the 1930s classic film "Spawn of the North." A date and location have not yet been finalized.

   We had a both at WhaleFest (November 11-13) with t-shirts and hats for sale as well as information about our organization and our work. 

   The Russian Tall Ship Pallada visied Sitka July 27-29 as part of a good will visit to the West Coast of the United States. The vessel is 80 meters long with three 49 meter masts and 26 sails.  It is in the Guiness Book of World Records for the fastest tall ship using wind speed, reaching a speed of 18.7 knots. More information is available on our home page, and there are more pictures in our galleries.

    More than a dozen kayakers, one rower, and two stand-up paddle boarders participated in the fifth annual Sitka Sound Ocean Adventure Race on July 16.  The Sitka Maritime Heritage Society helped organize the event, which featured 6- and 14- mile divisions.  SMHS also hosted the post-race picnic at the Japonski Island Boathouse with salmon donated by NSRAA and root beer donated by the Baranof Island Brewing Company.  Pictures from the race are available in our galleries page.  More information about the race is available at the official race website: http://sitkaadventureracing.org/.

   A donated Allen Marine catamaran was sold out with a capacity of 100 people for the July 10th World War II boat trip. SMHS board member Matt Hunter, who maintains the website www.sitkaww2.com, was the featured speaker on the tour along with stories from Walt Dangel, Herb Didrickson, Herman Davis and Frank Hope, who all lived in Sitka during the war. (see pictures on our galleries page)
   The first stop was in front of the Japonski Island Boathouse, which serviced military vessels in World War II and is now being restored by the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society.  From there, the boat passed through the Channel in front of the former site of the Naval Air Station, which is now home to Mt. Edgecumbe High School and the University of Alaska Southeast and proceeded around the airport to the World War II Causeway.
   After a discussion of the military build up on the islands of the Causeway, the tour headed across Sitka Sound to Shoals Point on Kruzof Island, where visible structures built during the War can still be seen.  Although the main focus of the tour was World War II, the trip to Kruzof provided opportunities to observe marine life.  There also was some fabulous bird watching at St. Lazaria Island on the return from Shoals Point. 
   The final stop on the return to town was at Kayak Island.  The tour will end in Crescent Harbor at about 4:30 p.m.

    More than 100 kids and adults alike tested their caulking and planing skills on May 22 at the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society booth at the Sitka Seafood Festival.
    Caulking is the process of filing the seems between wooden planks on a boat with cotton to keep out water.  SMHS board member Joe D'Arienzo (pictured) built a minature boat hull for the demonstration and brought his caulking mallets and irons.
    Joe also brought a couple of jack planes for kids to use to smooth out planks of yellow cedar.  To the surprise of many watching parents, most of the kids loved planing and the curly yellow shavings that resulted.

     As usual, the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society packed the Maksoutoff Room at Centennial Hall for its annual March meeting.  The topic for this year's meeting was "On the Waterfront" and Eric Jordan led the panel of Larry Calvin, Bob Allen, and Jay Steltzenmuller (pictured) as they shared some of their favorite memories of Sitka's waterfront and its history.     After intermission, audience members were invited to come to the microphone to share stories, many dating back to the 1930s and 1940s.  The meeting was recorded as part of the Sitka Maritime Heritage Society's efforts to preserve oral histories.