Greetings from Southeast Alaska!
Spring has finally found us here in Petersburg, and Alaska is putting on quite a show after a long, cold winter! The sun is shining, the days are stretching out beautifully, and there is an unmistakable energy in the air that comes only this time of year. It’s that sweet spot before the summer crowds arrive when Southeast Alaska feels like it belongs entirely to those lucky enough to be here. We are thrilled to share our May update with you, and we have a lot of exciting news to pass along!
🚢 Dauntless Update: Restoration in Progress
We are happy to report that the Dauntless renovation work for this season is complete, and she is looking better than ever! After last season’s water intrusion, we tackled two significant projects over the winter: all-new carpeting throughout the vessel and a fully replaced salon and galley ceiling.
Dauntless was thoughtfully designed from the beginning, and rather than reinvent the wheel, we chose to honor those original roots. New materials, same beautiful bones. Our goal was always to start with a high-quality blank slate — to get everything right from the foundation up — and we’re proud of the result.
This is just the beginning. Future renovations are already in the planning stages, and we expect those changes to be even more dramatic! But we believe in doing things properly, and there is real satisfaction in knowing that every detail beneath the surface is sound first. Stay tuned!
The beautifully renovated salon aboard M/Y Dauntless — new carpet and ceiling, same classic design that has always made her feel like home.
⚓ The Season Begins!
As we write this, we are buzzing with excitement. Our very first charter of the 2026 season departed on May 2, as we welcomed back a wonderful repeat family! There is something so special about greeting returning guests. This family chose to spend their precious time with us once before, and their return means the world to both Jim and me.
This trip takes us from our home port of Petersburg all the way to Sitka, giving our guests a chance to discover a new stretch of Southeast Alaska they haven’t experienced with us before. We love any excuse to get out on the water in spring — the solitude is magnified and the experience is magical. The humpbacks are feeding intensively, and with bears just emerging from hibernation, wildlife viewing doesn’t get much better than this. We can’t wait.
M/Y Dauntless heads out from her home port of Petersburg, Alaska — the 2026 season is officially underway on the Inside Passage.
🎤 “Tide and Table” in the News
What a year “Tide and Table” is having! Filmmaker Brian Bill of Two Doors Down is continuing to share this beautiful film featuring Petersburg and Dauntless. In April, I made the trip to New Jersey for a screening at a theater in Brian’s home state. It turned into quite the reunion — past Dauntless guests showed up to support the film, along with a past co-worker and fellow Alaska charter boat owner, and so did some of my grade school friends. Seeing “Tide and Table” on the big screen surrounded by familiar faces from so many chapters of my life was a moment I won’t forget.
And the good news keeps coming: “Tide and Table” has been selected to screen at the Atlanta Shorts Fest! Even better — the film will be available for online viewing from May 17th through May 31st.
🎬 Watch “Tide and Table” Online
How fitting that the online premiere falls on Syttende Mai — Norwegian Constitution Day — right during our own Little Norway Festival week! Mark your calendars and share the link with friends and family who want a taste of life aboard Dauntless.
Brian Bill’s “Tide and Table” screens online May 17–31 at https://festflix.vhx.tv/ — a beautiful portrait of life aboard Dauntless and the flavors of Southeast Alaska.
🇳🇴 Little Norway Festival — Mayfest in Petersburg!
If you have ever wanted an excuse to visit Petersburg, May 15–17, 2026 is your moment. The Little Norway Festival has been an annual tradition since 1958, honoring Norway’s Constitution Day (Syttende Mai, May 17th), and it has grown to also celebrate Armed Forces Day, the coming of spring, and the start of the fishing season.
The town’s main drag is barricaded off, draped in Norwegian flags, as the community parades a dragon-bowed Viking ship down Nordic Avenue with marchers in horned helmets and furs leading the way. The parade kicks off with a helicopter flyover (because, Alaska), followed by kids waving Norwegian flags and townsfolk dressed to the nines in embroidered Norwegian garb.
Events include a fish filleting demonstration, a sled pull contest, grocery cart races down Main Street, and the beloved sild (herring) toss — a slippery tradition you have to see to believe. (You’re welcome to join in the fun and toss a Norwegian sardine over an ever-increasing distance to a partner.) Food ranges from traditional Norwegian delicacies to Petersburg’s world-class seafood, and great music plays throughout the weekend.
First-time visitors often describe it the same way: You’ll feel like you walked into someone else’s family reunion — and were immediately adopted. That is about as perfect a description as we’ve ever heard. This is small-town Alaska at its most joyful, and we are so proud to call this community home.
Mayfest magic in Petersburg, Alaska — the Little Norway Festival brings Vikings, Norwegian dancers, and pure small-town joy to the Inside Passage every May.
👩✈️ Meet the 2026 Crew!
Jim and I are so excited about the team we have assembled for this season. Ines is back as our deckhand — returning after getting more deck time in Florida in the off season, and we truly could not imagine Dauntless without her.
This year, we are thrilled to welcome our newest crew member: Ali, who grew up right here in Petersburg. Ali comes to us with real fishing experience — she has worked alongside her dad on his vessel — and she brings an incredible work ethic, a positive attitude, and the kind of deep local knowledge that you simply cannot teach. As it happens, Ali and Ines grew up in the same neighborhood and have been friends since before they could walk. Watching these two work together is something special, and we are so proud to welcome Ali to the Dauntless family!
Friends since before they could walk — Ines and Ali grew up together in Petersburg and now bring their local knowledge and lifelong friendship aboard M/Y Dauntless.
📅 2026 Availability — Don’t Miss Out!
We have a few remaining openings for the 2026 season, including a truly rare opportunity:
✨ Two Back-to-Back Weeks in Peak Season — July 14–29
Weeks of July 14–21 and July 22–29 are both available. Combining these two weeks into a single immersive journey is the kind of Alaska experience most people only dream about. You will get to truly settle in — exploring the nooks and crannies of Southeast Alaska at a pace that allows this extraordinary place to unfold before your eyes. This is peak season, peak wildlife, peak Alaska. It’s a rare opportunity, and one we don’t expect to remain open for long.
August 12–19 is also available for those whose schedules open up later in the summer.
This is peak Alaska — M/Y Dauntless among glacial icebergs beneath a cascading waterfall in Southeast Alaska. This is what your July adventure could look like.
🗓️ Already Thinking About 2027?
Believe it or not, 2027 bookings are already underway — and filling fast. If you have been dreaming about a return trip to Alaska, now is the time to secure your dates before they are gone. Get in touch with us directly, and we will find the perfect week for you.
With warmth from Petersburg,
Captain Jim & Chef Alisa
M/Y Dauntless | Alaska Bound Charters
