At Sea, Gulf Of Alaska - Friday July 9th

We are two days out into the Gulf of Alaska ploughing a bumpy furrow into headwinds, but it's great to be on our way at last. The paperwork over the last few months was something else, mostly in getting the 3 month Russian visas stamped into our passports. The all important permit to sail our boat in Russian waters has arrived in Dublin (in Russian naturally) We hope it says what we need.

On board now are Jarlath & Paddy with Brendan Minish, Tom Moran, Joan Burke and Eoin McAllister with us as far as Anadyr, 300 miles this side of the Bering Strait.

Prince Rupert people are fantastic - generous and helpful to an extraordinary degree. It was there that Northabout had been left for winter, happily snug and unchanged, except for the eagle s--- on her deck and a two inch accumulation of mussels on her bottom. Everything grows big here, trees and salmon especially. Getting the boat ready and loading up took a busy 13 days with occasional time off for tunes in Solly's pub, beer served in jugs makes it hard to keep a consumption tally!

All behind us now, Dutch Harbour in the Aleutian Islands is just under 1,000 Miles ahead. There we will top up our diesel tanks and hopefully (essentially) collect Jarlath's and Paddy's two passports, being couriered out with Russian Visas.

We will let you know how we get on there..

PB

End of progress report no. 2