Log Entry: Thursday, June 24th, 1999

Haines to Skagway: 13.5 nm

Jane's log:

"Sailed!! part way up to Skagway in a nice SE wind.  Got 5-6 knots out of 10-12 apparent on a broad reach.  When we needed to have the wind behind us and decided to run, the wind died down just after we took in the main for a jib-only run up the Canal.  We decided to take in the jib as well, and motored the last 7 miles.

"There wasn't much room left in Skagway harbour, but we were given a slip next to (behind) the Fairweather Express water taxi.   The wind was quite strong and gusty inside the harbour, and there was a bit of a swell, but we decided it would be OK for at least the night.  But! when the the Fairweather Express came in she took no account of us and caused our rudder to go crazy and nearly ran over our dinghy.  The harbourmaster apologized and noted that the taxi did not have to come back that far, or continue to run his engines so hard.  He gave us an alternative: a slip right alongside the main dock, which belonged to someone else, but they were willing to use another (smaller) slip for now ...  We were delighted at the chance to move, and despite strong wind, we decided to move before the taxi left.   It took a lot of bow thruster to get the bow around in the wind, but we eventually docked with the help of some of the spectators.

"We were invited aboard 'Shaitan of Corsica', where Gérard gave us a tour.  Wow! An 80' steel schooner, very well finished above and below."

We were very impressed indeed with everything aboard Shaitan.  Gérard, originally from Corsica, had spent 30 years in Asia, as a commercial diver working on oil rigs, and previously had worked in the French merchant marine.  The boat was incredibly well-equipped, with hydraulic everything, a ballroom-sized saloon, 26 tons of beeswax-polished mahogany, twin screws each powered by 110-horsepower engines in a spotless engine room, etc., etc.

Jane was very generous in her description of what I consider to be the unseamanlike behaviour of the captain of the Fairweather Express.  He completely ignored our presence, and could have caused us rudder damage (for all we know, we may have sustained damage that we are not yet aware of).  He made no effort to find out if we were OK; he never acknowledged what had happened; his crew was unfriendly and unpleasant as she dragged our dinghy out of the water without asking if we agreed (Jane was in the process of moving it alongside Ilari).  We were in a space which (as far as we understand) was not rented to Fairweather Express.  They could have come in bow-first, and avoided the whole problem.  If I ever need a water taxi between Skagway and Haines, I will certainly seek out the competition.

Jane sailing in shirtsleeves