Our journey from Hawaii to Alaska was a whirlwind of calm days, turbulent seas, fierce storms, and countless repairs.

One particularly memorable night, day 15 just after midnight, the autopilot malfunctioned for the second time, affecting a different component than before. The initial issue involved a pin, which Alex had resolved in under an hour a few days prior, but this time it was the arm connected to the rudder.

Naturally, it happened during my watch as the wind picked up with both sails deployed, two reefs in the main and a full headsail.

It’s 12:30am, just 30 minutes into my watch and suddenly the bow veered sharply by 30 degrees, signaling that the autopilot had failed again. I woke Alex, and while he worked to lower the mainsail with three broken sheetlets and troubleshoot the autopilot, I took the helm. The wind picked up to 35 knots, with 6 meter seas, leading me to ask for help with reefing the headsail; however, as we tried to bring it down, the halyard jammed, leaving me fumbling in the pitch darkness of the pilot house with a failing headlamp. We soon discovered that the top yard of the headsail was damaged, accompanied by tears in the fabric and battens threatening to fall out. After successfully getting the headsail down, Alex returned to the autopilot while I held the helm.

With no sails and without having started the engine yet, we drifted maintaining a 5 knot average for over an hour, aided by the windage from the pilot house and favorable current, allowing me to maintain our course as we navigated the waves.

By 2:30 AM, Alex had managed a quick fix on the autopilot, but both sails were still compromised, leading us to alter our course significantly and head for Sitka (instead of Yakutat) to seek a machinist.

As dawn approached at 3:30 AM (many hours of daylight in the North this time of year), Alex began the painstaking task of sewing the mainsail.

By 4:30 AM, with the wind diminishing, we engaged the engine for both warmth and stability as rain began to fall. Still 600 miles offshore, we felt confident our remaining diesel would carry us through if sail repairs were unsuccessful. Our aim was to hoist at least the mainsail; this adventure had taken its toll on SV Inscrutable.

Alex was still laboring on the mainsail by 5:30 AM, in need of rest after only getting 1.5 hours of sleep before the chaos unfolded, while I had managed just 3 hours myself.

At 6:30 AM, after numerous attempts to repair the mainsail, we finally managed to raise it, only to find the wind was now a mere 5 knots. As Alex’s hands grew cold in the damp 7 degrees Celsius weather, I prepared a hot water bottle to warm him up between working on repairing the three sheetlets of the mainsail.

By 12:30 PM, a full 12 hours later, we successfully reattached the top yard of the headsail with screws and duct tape, and both sails were finally up again with the autopilot functioning. We were back on track to reach Sitka in about 4 to 5 days, cautiously optimistic that our temporary fixes would hold, but overall, we were managing well and even breaking records amid the chaos.

After two rejuvenating days at Goddard Hot Springs, we reluctantly set our course toward Sitka, having found our perfect retreat after a lengthy voyage. The springs offered a delightful escape in the warm embrace of hot tubs filled with natural spring water at 153 Fahrenheit, allowing us to adjust the temperature with a cold water tap to suit our preferences. Careful navigation is essential when entering the bay due to hidden rocks and shoals, making a chart a necessary companion. Our first day was blissfully spent in solitude in the upper tub, savoring the tranquility before sharing the space with other visitors. On our second day, coinciding with a busy long weekend, we took one last dip while an influx of boats filled the bay, as city dwellers sought refuge from the urban hustle. Each newcomer was respectful, patiently waiting for their turn and helping to maintain the serene atmosphere of this secluded treasure, nestled on the outer coast of Baranof Island, 16 miles south of Sitka, and accessible only by boat.

https://www.alaska.org/detail/goddard-hot-springs