VALDEZ, AK

July 30, 2011
At the harbor we talked to a young skipper from Cordova, AK.  He said he owns his boat and loves to fish.  He fishes for salmon from June until September with a crew of 4.  He said he transferred his fish to a larger boat (probably the Northwestern) before coming into port this morning.  It costs $35 a night to rent a slip at the harbor.  The fishing is closed for a week now as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game will determine when more salmon are coming in.  He said he will repair his equipment during this time and head home to Cordova until the season opens again.


There is a Derby held each summer for the largest halibut and salmon caught.  You must buy your ticket before you go fishing in order for your trophy size fish to be entered in the contest.  The ticket costs $5.  Many people have caught large fish that could have taken a prize in the derby but no one told them to buy a derby ticket.  This is the first harbor where I saw the sizes posted.



We visited Old Valdez, about 2 miles northeast of the current city location.  In 1964 it endured the 9.2 earthquake but it shook the area for 4 1/2 minutes.  It wasn't the tsunami that destroyed the city but the earthquake.  There were 31 people who died here in that earthquake.  Residents continued to live in their homes until they were all condemned as the ground in that area is unstable.  Those buildings that met code were moved to the new Valdez city.  Now homes are constructed on bedrock and behind a natural sea wall.  Residents admit it had a double bonus as the mountains don't block as much of the sunlight as they used to in Old Town. 

Tonight the Wagon Masters and Tail Gunners prepared us a Christmas dinner in July.  The Mountie's wife is a hula dancer so she provided the welcome to the dinner.

There was turkey, stuffing, gravy, potatoes, cranberries, yams, lots of salads and desserts, and even caviar brought by the caravaners. 
You won't believe who was asked to be Santa Claus before we each claimed a gift from another caravaner.







 

Forgot to mention that Valdez is monitored by the Coast Guardfor terrorist activity due to all the oil that is stored here and shipped outofhere. Note the machine gun on the CG's "Silver Bullet" boat.