Dutch Harbor, Alaska

We got our passports back and brought them to U.S. Immigration!!!

Dutch Harbor on Amaknak Island, Unalaska, Alaska. The Aleutian Islands- the top fishing port in the Bering Sea!

YES, this was our first port in the United States of America.
- DAY #167
- YES, 5.5 months out of the Country (the longest we have ever been out of the Country)
- Its Windy, Cold and Rainy - A Nice Welcome.
- We traveled in just 5 days 6 time zones to get here
- We crossed the International Date Line. 

- We went through US Customs, They wanted to know “where do you live”! Good Question

Many of the 90+ ports and 40 Countries we have visited, welcomed us with Bands, Drummers Singers, Dancers, Twirlers, Representatives, Political Leaders and even Fireworks. We arrive to our home, the U.S. of A, we take a tender in from 3 miles out in the Ocean and get to the dock and ….. and the Welcome? NOTHING!

No local fanfare, not even a cab when we got there. It was raining and there was not even a tent or place with cover but there was a normal (not really a compliment) rest room for us to go in and stay dry.

This specific harbor is one of many within the greater Unalaska Bay and is said to have been given its name because a Dutch vessel was the first to anchor there. The name dates from the late 18th century. In the 1890's a dock was built at Dutch Harbor and people sailing to Unalaska booked passage to Dutch Harbor.

In November 2013 in a report by NOAA, Dutch Harbor ranked the # 1 United States fishing port with 752 million pounds of fish valued at $214 million crossing those docks during 2012. The Dutch Harbor crabbing fleet is featured in the Deadliest Catch, the reality television series produced for the Discovery. In it’s13th season, the series portrays real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea.  

What did we do here, not much. Took in the views, visited with people that got off the ship. Some went to the only local bar and market. We took some photos and took the tender back as we took in the scenery.

We did see a few Bald Eagles and since we all know that to be the national emblem of the United States (since 1782), we felt we were home!
[Note: Thanks Marianne for the exceptional eagle photos on our mast ... all I got was a dot at the top of the mast]Meer informatie