Aurora Heads North!
Aurora, the first of two new boats for the AU fleet, left final production at North River and took the ride up I-5 north to the barge in Seattle. She’s scheduled to arrive in Sitka on May 9. From there, Captain Sarah will take over getting Aurora ready for action. The second new North River boat, owned by Captain Ryan Refshaw, will be a few weeks behind, subject to the usual last-minute rush that seemingly can’t be avoided with spring and boat deliveries. Supply chain issues associated with COVID along with labor shortages have made this year’s mad rush just a little madder. But, as the saying goes, all good things come to those that wait. By June we’ll have two shiny new boats complimenting our excellent fleet.
Preparation Underway
Our boats spent the long winter of snow and rain resting on blocks in our parking lot. Over the 8 months, they collected pine needles, leaves, as well mold and moss. With the arrival of the long days of May our crew descends on the fleet and in short order they’ll be ready to go for another season. With Captain Chuck in charge, the clean-up and launch are underway. The residue of the winter will soon disappear, all the safety and fishing equipment will go back on board, and the fun will begin. For Captain Chuck and Captain Tom, this marks our 30th season in Sitka. It’s not our first rodeo, but the anticipation and excitement never fade away. We’ll be ready to go long before the first official day of fishing on May 16.
Welcome, New Crew Members!
We have two new captains for 2022, but neither are new to us or our customers. Chuck’s son Jack, who has spent every summer of his life on the waters in Sitka, passed the captain exam. Tyler Floding, with five years as a stellar deckhand for AU, also passed. We’ll be seeing a new platoon of deckhands and hostesses coming in for 2022. You can expect the same bright spirits, customer service, and tireless work ethic from one and all.
Restaurants in Sitka
Check out the lineup of restaurants in Sitka this year.
AU Recipe Book
The new Angling Unlimited Recipe Book, completed by Grace McNamee in honor of her grandmother Sue who wrote the first one, is complete. Our guests come to Sitka for the fishing and look forward to going home with perfectly processed fish. Our recipe book provides lots of great ideas for making those vacuum-packed filets into delicious meals.
News In and Around Sitka
Mt. Edgecumbe Active? A cluster of small earthquakes west of and under Kruzof Island has people wondering if our resident volcano is primed to blow. The answer? Unlikely and we’d need to see a lot more activity to get concerned. Here are the details.
New Tourist Attraction: Built on 17 acres at the Sitka Cruise Terminal (right next door to AU’s dock), this 17-acre property will include zip lines, trails, a canoe launch, and a salmon bake. Read more here.