Dutch Harbor, USA

After Japan, the Insignia travelled Northeast for five days. Destination: the Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

The weather turned colder and wetter. We experienced fog, rougher seas, light much of the night and multiple time changes that were challenging.

On June 30 (Day 168), we reached Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Back in the United States.

Dutch Harbor is a port in the Aleutian Islands that extends far westward from the coast of Alaska. We were in the United States, but it felt more like an outpost, still part of the adventure.

It was a cold, rainy, foggy day when we anchored off Dutch Harbor.

The Insignia anchored out a good distance. When we anchor (instead of pulling right up to the dock), it is harder to get ashore. The ship lowers its covered lifeboats. These lifeboats become the tender boats to get us to a dock. In Dutch Harbor, it was a half hour tender boat ride to get to the dock.

There were no tours scheduled for Dutch Harbor and no one could identify much to do there. I was, however, determined to set foot on USA soil after six months away. I was also determined to see if I could connect with the only thing I knew about Dutch Harbor– it was the Alaskan base for the crab fishing boats featured in the Deadliest Catch Discovery show.

I am happy to report that I accomplished both objectives.

A friend and I boarded the tender all bundled up for the weather. She took a picture of me on US soil.

It also turned out that our tender docked at the fishing dock where the Deadliest Catch boats would tie up.

Having accomplished both of my objectives, and, noticing that my companion had not brought quite the warm rain gear we would have needed for further exploration, we decided to go back to the ship. We returned to the Insignia on the very same tender boat that brought us to land. Later, I learned that those who found a taxi to take them to the town found a bar and some stores. I did not miss much.