The Ship, the Saint, and the Sailor

The Long Search for the Legendary Kad'yak

Bradley G. Stevens

• Publisher: Alaska Northwest Books
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781513261379
  9781513261386
• eBook ISBN:
  9781513261393
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: History

The true story about a shipwreck discovery, exciting explorations, broken alliances, and returning a lost piece of Alaskan history. Since its sinking in 1860 while transporting a valuable cargo of ice, the Kad'yak ship had remained submerged underwater and faded in Alaska's memory, covered by the legend of an experienced but perhaps rusty sailor and a broken promise to a saint. At the time the ship had been under command of the well-recognized Captain Illarion Arkhimandritov, who had sailed in Alaskan waters for years. It seemed a simple task when he was asked to placate superstitions and honor the late Father Herman, or Saint Herman, on his next visit to Kodiak Island. But Arkhimandritov failed to keep his promise, and shortly thereafter the Kad'yak met its demise in the very waters the captain should have been most familiar with—leaving just the mast above the water in the shape of the cross, right in front of the saint's grave. Presumed gone or else destroyed, it wasn't until 143 years later that the Kad'yak was found. In this riveting memoir, scientist Bradley Stevens tells all about the incredible discovery and recovery of the ship—deciphering the sea captain's muddled journal, digging through libraries and other scientists' notes, boating over and around the wreck site in circles. Through careful documentation, interviews, underwater photography, and historical research, Stevens recounts the process of finding the Kad'yak, as well as the tumultuous aftermath of bringing the legendary ship's story to the public—from the formed collaborations to torn partnerships to the legal battles. An important part of Alaska's history told from Stevens's modern-day sea expedition, The Ship, the Saint, and the Sailor reveals one of the oldest known shipwreck sites in Alaska discovered and its continuing story today.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Dedication
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The Ship and the Sailor
• Chapter 2: The Saint
• Chapter 3: The Sinking
• Chapter 4: Submarines and Crab Sex
• Chapter 5: First Looks
• Chapter 6: A Visit to Monk’s Lagoon
• Chapter 7: New Directions
• Chapter 8: Serendipity and Revelation
• Chapter 9: Hazards of the Deep
• Chapter 10: In Search of the Kad’yak
• Chapter 11: Anchors and Cannons
• Chapter 12: The Ship Hits the Fan
• Chapter 13: Phantoms of the Deep
• Chapter 14: Exile in the Beltway
• Chapter 15: Back in the Saddle
• Chapter 16: Ships and Subterfuge
• Chapter 17: Wetsuit/Drysuit
• Chapter 18: Shiver Me Timbers
• Chapter 19: A Hard Day’s Work Underwater
• Chapter 20: For What It’s Worth
• Chapter 21: The Loss of the Big Valley
• Epilogue
• Maps
• Appendices
• Endnotes
• Notes
• Sources