(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Josh Johnson and his wife Sophia made an 18 day journey to begin a permanent return to where he was born and raised.

Raised in Ketchikan and growing up just north of Ketchikan in Meyers Chuck, Johnson said, "Like many others, I went away to college and left the island, and eventually started a family and business in Phoenix Arizona as a pool contractor.  My wife Sophia and I have always wanted to come home, and now that 3 out of 4 of our kids are out of the house, and in college, Air Force, etc., the time came to head back to Alaska."

Josh and Sophia Johnson Photo Courtesy Josh Johnson

Johnson shared the story of their homecoming on the “La Costa”, their custom steel Motor Sailor, a 48’ Diesel Duck.  He said,  "We left Kewalo Basin, Honolulu May 28th to sail 2,500 miles across the Pacific Ocean to make landfall in Southeast Alaska with a crew of four. myself, my wife Sophia, and our cousins Dwayne and Kim Glemser as crew. 

Johnson said, "Our goal is to live aboard La Costa and slowly renovate an old home, formally owned by Ketchikan long time judge, Honorable Judge Gucker in Meyers Chuck in the summers, and eventually to move back full time in the next few years." 

Johnson said the journey took them 18 days, and had its share of tribulations as most long ocean passages do – from 40+ knots gales with 30’ seas, to picking up a net in their prop 900 miles from any shore requiring him to dive and cut it loose, to steering pump repairs, to the worst... a complete engine shut down in mid ocean.  "Luckily as a background I’ve been a builder, and of course grew up on boats in Alaska, eventually captaining my own vessel as a teenager, so extensive repairs were all successful with careful planning and plenty of spare parts," said Johnson. 

Johnson said their entire homecoming voyage was planned as a homage to the passing of his Uncle Mike Lindgren Captain of the Seven Seas and a long-time Ketchikan resident, who passed away from cancer last year.   

 "We are so glad to be back in Ketchikan, my original home!"

 

 

Representations of fact and opinions in comments posted are solely those of the individual posters and do not represent the opinions of Sitnews.

SitNews ©2022
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews are considered protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper freelance writers and subscription services. E-mail your news & photos to editor@sitnews.us Photographers choosing to submit photographs for publication to SitNews are in doing so granting their permission for publication and for archiving. SitNews does not sell photographs. All requests for purchasing a photograph will be emailed to the photographer.