Update on the 2020 Season

There’s a lot of “we don’t know” going around whether you’re talking to your money manager, your employer, your elected officials, or the management of AU. Here’s a bit of what we do know:

Update from the State of Alaska:

Extended Until May 19:
Mandate 10: All people arriving in Alaska, whether resident, worker or visitor, are required to self-quarantine for 14 days and monitor for illness. Arriving residents and workers in self-quarantine, should work from home, unless you support critical infrastructure.

Extended Until Further Notice:
Mandate 11: All persons in Alaska, except for those engaged in essential health care services, public government services, and essential business activities, are mandated to remain at their place of residence and practice social distancing. For the purpose of this mandate, social distancing is defined as maintaining a distance of six feet or greater from any individuals with whom you do not currently reside.

Conclusion:
AU cannot operate with Mandate 10 in place, therefore we have cancelled all bookings prior to June 2. Although there is no guarantee that Mandate 10 will be rescinded on May 19, we hang on to hope that declining rates of infection in the lower 48 might allow for that to happen.

May date options:

Look for new dates in 2020 that are open
Move money to 2021
Full refund

The Hook It and Cook It (mid-May) and Reel Meal (early June) specials are cancelled due to the mandates and ongoing concerns regarding social distancing. We are still fishing during Reel Meal dates until further update (but no Reel Meal event).

We encourage people with reservations after June 2 to consider your own comfort levels with travel, including any risk factors regarding COVID-19. Those of you booked in early to mid-June can move your dates later into the season when, hopefully, these mandates will be rescinded and travel will be safe.

AU Cancellation Policy:

Our normal 90-day cancellation policy protects us from late cancellations that don’t give us time to fill the dates. This is an economic necessity, but these are extraordinary times. The well-being of our guests, our employees, our families, and the communities in which we live and work take priority.

If you choose to cancel your current 2020 dates, we have three options:

Move your dates to later in the 2020 season with hopes we are operating by then.
Move your payment to 2021.
Full refund.

AU Measures to Ensure Your Safety:

When we get the green light to operate, AU will take every precaution in cleaning rooms, cars, boats, and food preparation to prevent any spread of COVID-19. The charter industry is currently researching and constructing a complete list of “best practices” to ensure as best as possible that you don’t get sick and that our guests don’t compromise the legitimate concerns of the people living in the small, isolated communities of Alaska. As of now, Sitka has no documented cases of COVID-19. The goal is to keep it that way.

On the Sunny Side:

The charter industry will operate on a diminished scale in 2020, which could lead to relaxed regulations, especially for king salmon and, perhaps, for halibut. Nothing guaranteed here and this is a distant second in consideration to your health. Still, if we can safely operate, you may get a few bonus regulations.

Updates:

We will update this information on a bi-weekly basis unless something newsworthy comes in sooner. In the meantime, feel free to contact Chuck, Kim, or Tom to discuss your plans, concerns, and thoughts. Our number one goal is to ensure everyone’s comfort and good health. If we can accomplish that goal and still go fishing – all the better.

Hook It and Cook It 2021

For all of you who have come to love and look forward to Hook It and Cook It, for all who have always wanted to do it, we have 2021 dates set.
Arrive: May 16
Fish: May 17, 18, 19, 20
Depart: May 21
Dinner and cooking instruction will take place on the evenings of May 16, 17, 18, 19.