Volendam arrived at Sitka after an uneventful overnight crossing of the North Pacific at 5.45 am and the tenders began operation at about 7.10 am. Everyone was up for an early breakfast on a delightful sunny morning. The forecasrt was 13 c max, a pleasant change from Kodiak,so passengers were eager to get onshore.

We had picked a lightweight tour and found that nearly everyone else had also. However it was a good tour especially since driver Bonnie was a real wag. One of her best one-liners was "the difference between a tourist and a hitch hiker is about 30 seconds". We visited the Alaska Raptor Centre which mends and rehabilitates injured birds , the Sitka Sound Science Centre whose aim is to make salmon fishing in the Sitka Sound more sustainable and the Fortress of the Bears which rescues orphaned or injured bears. All are non profit centres and all do great work. All in all a very pleasant morning.

Volendam raised anchor at about 1.10pm and the forecast for the remainder of the voyage to Vancouver is overcast, 35 kt winds on the nose and 2-3 metre waves. So we are in for a bumpy ride.