Back to the Bay
A Project to Celebrate the Fishing History of Bristol Bay
For 66 years, the salmon of Bristol Bay were harvested from sailboats- double-ended wooden gillnetters manned by two rugged fisherman. That all changed in 1951 when the Territory of Alaska allowed powered boats to fish the waters of Bristol Bay.
To commemorate this transition- in addition to our bounty of wild salmon and the longevity of the Bristol bay commercial fishery- the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust will sail one of the last remaining sea worthy Bristol Bay double-ended sailboats from Homer back to Bristol Bay.
Originally, this voyage was scheduled to start in July of 2020 but had to be pushed to 2021 due to unforeseen circumstances. It's no little trip but a great adventure as you can see from the map. The wooden gillnetter will start its journey in Homer, sailing the Cook Inlet to Williamsport. From there, it will be trailered and trucked across a dirt road, passing over a mountain and a few rivers, to be launched again in Illiamna Lake. The double-ender will sail the lake to the Kvichak where down river it will end its journey in the fishing community of Naknek. With luck, it will arrive during the commercial fishing season and be part of the celebration honoring Alaska's clean waters and healthy salmon.
Once there were thousands, now there is one.
Back to the Bay Crewneck Red Sweatshirt
$39.00
When the idea to sail the last remaining seaworthy Bristol Bay wooden double-ender sailboat from Homer to Naknek became more than just a dream, NOMAR signed on to help float...
Back to the Bay Crewneck Tee Shirt
$28.00
When the idea to sail the last remaining seaworthy Bristol Bay wooden double-ender sailboat from Homer to Naknek became more than just a dream, NOMAR signed on to help float...
Back to the Bay Hoodie
$55.00
When the idea to sail the last remaining seaworthy Bristol Bay wooden double-ender sailboat from Homer to Naknek became more than just a dream, NOMAR signed on to help float...
Back to the Bay Stickers
$5.50
When the idea to sail the last remaining seaworthy Bristol Bay wooden double-ender sailboat from Homer to Naknek became more than just a dream, NOMAR signed on to help float...
Back to the Bay Salmon Forever Sew-On Patch
$5.50
When the idea to sail the last remaining seaworthy Bristol Bay wooden double-ender sailboat from Homer to Naknek became more than just a dream, NOMAR signed on to help float...
Sailing for Salmon: The Early Years of Commercial Fishing in Alaska's Bristol Bay Paperback Book
$26.00
Bristol Bay in Southwest Alaska is one of the great commercial fisheries on earth. More than half of the world's sockeye salmon return to "The Bay" every year. Sailing for...
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