National Fisherman — Spring 2022 by National Fisherman

Our House / Spotlight on Boston / Fishing Then & Now Spring / 2022

Incorporating

I N F O R M E D F I S H E R M E N • P R O F I TA B L E F I S H E R I E S • S U S TA I N A B L E F I S H

HERE’S TO YOU

Crew Shots, p. 10, now in every issue!

Industry insights with • An Oregon Dungeness crew • A Louisiana oysterman • An Alaska salmon fisherman • A New England groundfish captain

Now you can take National Fisherman with you wherever you go! Introducing the brand-new National Fisherman Mobile Appdesigned to keep up with our hard-working readers, no matter where you are! Browse news and read the latest from voices in the industry Download full issues of National Fisherman Magazine for offline reading Access our commercial marine marketplace for job postings, parts for sale and so much more PLUS navigate Pacific Marine Expo with our interactive exhibitor list, expo map, and show schedule

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SPRING 2022

Featured Market MAINE LOBSTER

Boats & Gear LATE LAUNCHES

A 75 percent increase in value can’t ease all the fleet’s woes

New hulls are splashing despite delays for materials

This is just the beginning for the National Fisherman Mobile App! Download today, create your free membership, join our community, and grow along with us!

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National Fisherman / Spring 2022 / Vol. 103, No. 01

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

In this issue

Maine lobster: Trapped

Boatbuilding: Bayou to the Bering Sea

Built for Bristol Bay

Ocean Peace converts a 131-foot Gulf of Mexico offshore supply vessel to an Alaska pollock catcher boat.

The self-described ‘Arkansas redneck’ behind those fast salmon boats.

Features / Boats & Gear

On Deck

Top News Alaskan Leader comes to Boston; West Coast offshore wind.

ASMI’s latest report shows how covid-19 effects are lingering for the Alaska seafood industry.

Photos: Among the Giants The Alaska trawl fleet undergoes its annual maintenance in Seattle.

Book Excerpt Patrick Dixon delivers an ode to building a fishing life in Alaska.

Boatbuilding: Finlander II A New England dragger gets a makeover for jig and scalloping.

More Power Below Azimuth thrusters bring new levels of efficiency, maneuverability.

Northern Lights

Our House The Old Man of the Sea gets a new fishing partner, a new boat assignment, and some retail experience at the dock.

Editor’s Log

Fishing Then & Now

Snapshot: Who We Are

Crew Shots & Profile

Last Set / Seattle

Reader Services 54

Classifieds

Advertiser Index

What’s New in Sonar The iXblue Seapix system aims for the high end of the market.

National Fisherman (ISSN 0027-9250), SPRING 2022, Qty 1, is published quarterly by Diversified Communications. 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112-7438. Subscription prices: 1 year – U.S. $12.95; 2 years U.S. $22.95. These rates apply for U.S. subscriptions only. Add $10 for Canada addresses. Outside U.S./Canada add $25 (airmail delivery). All orders must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All other countries, including Canada and Mexico, please add $10 postage per year. For subscription information only, call: 1 (800) 959-5073. Periodicals postage paid at Portland, Maine, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes only to Subscription Service Department, PO Box 176 Lincolnshire, IL 60069. Canada Post International Publications Mail product (Canadian Distribution) Sales Agreement No. 40028984, National Fisherman. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation Dept. or DPGM, 4960-2 Walker Rd., Windsor, ON N9A 6J3. READERS: All editorial correspondence should be mailed to: National Fisherman, Portland, ME 04112-7438.

Paul Molyneaux

Ocean Peace

Record landing values are a bright spot amid deep concerns about policies.

ON DECK

Editor’s Log

Welcome back! Jessica Hathaway Editor in Chief jhathaway@divcom.com

fter a brief print break since our last monthly issue in December, I am happy to introduce the first edition of what is now the print quarterly of National Fisherman. Though this version of NF may hit your mailbox and wheelhouse less often, the stories, news and industry updates you rely on are being punched out with even more frequency and regularity than ever before. We have always worked to find a balance between publishing the news you need to run your businesses and making room for profiles of the industry that tell the truths behind the policies — from at-sea stories to boat launches to fisheries leaders. An expanded online presence allows us to focus on daily news there — where it can be

accessed without the delays of printing — and in-depth features here, where they can be enjoyed to the fullest and at your leisure. National Fisherman is still the only publication that covers every commercial fishery in the United States, and we are proud to serve in that role. This industry consists of thousands of individual and independent fishermen on every coast. But increasingly we can all see how one small ripple in a West Coast fishery is felt on the East and Gulf coasts, and right up to the Bering Sea. Those ripple effects may create a wake in other communities, but commercial fishing families respond by coming together, building teams and alliances, and forming a stronger front in the face of never-waning

On the cover Alena Lunda offloads blackcod from the family longliner, the F/V Competition, fishing in Southeast Alaska out of Juneau. See this and more Crew Shots starting on page 10.

regulatory pressures, threats to critical working waterfront infrastructure, and changes to the landscape of the fishing grounds themselves. This print edition as well as our daily online updates at NationalFisherman. com celebrate the nation’s commercial fishermen, your families, thriving waterfront communities, new boats and gear, healthy and productive fisheries, and supportive stakeholders behind all of these key components of our mainstay domestic industry. I hope you enjoy this new format and take some time to explore the site, download the app (use the QR code on this page — it’s free!), and join our growing online membership for even more perks behind the digital curtain online. We sure are glad to have you here, there, and anywhere that works for you.

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PUBLISHER: Bob Callahan EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Jeremiah Karpowicz EDITOR IN CHIEF: Jessica Hathaway ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Kirk Moore BOATS & GEAR EDITOR: Paul Molyneaux PRODUCTS EDITOR: Brian Hagenbuch ART DIRECTOR: Doug Stewart NORTH PACIFIC BUREAU CHIEF: Charlie Ess FIELD EDITORS: Larry Chowning, Michael Crowley CORRESPONDENTS: Samuel Hill, John DeSantis, Maureen Donald, Dayna Harpster, Sierra Golden, John Lee, Caroline Losneck, Nick Rahaim ADVERTISING COORDINATOR: Wendy Jalbert / wjalbert@divcom.com / Tel. (207) 842-5616 GROUP SALES DIRECTOR: Christine Salmon / csalmon@divcom.com / Tel. (207) 842-5530 CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING: (800) 842-5603 classifieds@divcom.com SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION 847-504-8874 or nationalfisherman@omeda.com Producer of Pacific Marine Expo and the International WorkBoat Show Theodore Wirth, President & CEO | Mary Larkin, President, Diversified Communications USA Diversified Communications | 121 Free St., Portland, ME 04112 (207) 842-5500 • Fax (207) 842-5503 • www.divcom.com

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Fishing Then & Now

addressing the full scope of ocean uses and effects from land-based By Jessica Hathaway industries and a global pollution problem. “If you look at what the threats to the oceans are, Ray Hilborn, University they’re ocean acid- of Washington Professor ification, climate of Aquatic and Fishery change, invasive Sciences species, various kinds of pollution, land runoff, and none of those are impacted by MPAs,” Hilborn said. MPAs, he noted, are protecting only from a limited scope of uses. Lumping groundfish at the Portland (Maine) Fish Exchange (Cover: NF March 1992) “Fundamentally, all MPAs are doing is regulating fishing, and maybe oil exhirty years ago, NF’s then-editor and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. ploration and mining,” he said. “It’s just Jim Fullilove made a prophetic Despite the fact that the council the wrong tool. The illusion that you’re statement on no-take marine spent the better part of two decades de- protecting the ocean by putting in MPAs, reserves. signing and establishing these areas, there it’s a big lie.” “The perceived simplicity of the is no conclusive evidence — more than The best response is a solution taino-harvest zone idea makes it danger- a decade after their implelored for the problem, rathous,” Fullilove wrote on page 6 of the mentation — that they are er than broad strokes of March 1992 edition. “Fencing off re- working. ocean closures. serves is a fishery management tool that “There was either no “What I would like to could become the darling of politicians change or a decrease in see is very explicit targets and special-interest groups with an- managed reef fish abunin what are we trying to ti-fishing agendas and little regard for the dance in each MPA relaachieve in biodiversity, and complexity of fish population dynamics.” tive to adjacent fished arfor each one of those tarAt the time, the South Atlantic Fish- eas,” according to a study gets, what’s the best tool ery Management Council was consid- published in the journal to achieve it,” Hilborn said. ering roping Science Direct in May 2021 “In almost every case, you’re off 20 percent (“No effect of marine progoing to be modifying fishof the coastal tected areas on managed ing gear, and how fishing waters off of reef fish species in the takes place, rather than closeach state in southeastern United States Large reef fish, like this ing areas to all fishing gears.” the region to Atlantic Ocean,” Chris Warsaw grouper caught Investment in technology, the mid-1970s, are a be designated Pickens, et al). “Based on in research and development is rarity these days, but it’s as reserves. these metrics, it does not the big fish that produce considered the pinnacle for As of Feb. appear that the SEUS the greatest number of every other industry because offspring. By creating no12, 2009, the MPAs have yet been effecthat is what sets us apart harvest zones off the South council had es- tive at protecting managed Atlantic coast, managers from the animals we hunt. hope to improve the brood tablished eight reef fish species.” With our ingenuity comes deep-water University of Wash- stock in surrounding areas. the responsibility of proper (NF March 1992) marine pro- ington Professor of Aquatstewardship of our finite The South Atlantic Fishery tected areas off ic and Fishery Sciences Ray Hilborn resources. Management Council proposes the four states confirmed in June last year that marine a series of marine protected in its jurisdicprotected areas are essentially regulat- Jessica Hathaway is the editor of National areas across the region. (NF tion — North ing a few activities in an area without Fisherman. March 1992) Nance Trueworthy

A look at marine protected areas

4 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

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Snapshot WHO WE ARE

Jacob David Hulse HOUMA, LA. / OYSTERS By Ed Lallo

s Hurricane Ida started to subside on Aug. 29, 2021, fifth-generation Louisiana oysterman Jacob David Hulse thought he had been through the worst of it. For more than six hours, Hulse, his girlfriend, Lindsey Willis, and his dog, Change, huddled with their friend Kenneth (Keno) Templet in Templet’s oyster shop, struggling to keep the walls and roof from caving in as the storm battered away at the structure with winds clocking in at more than 140 mph. “You hear everyone say it sounds like a freight train. Well it does, a freight train that keeps coming and coming and coming, never sure when it ends,” said Hulse, 33. His 73-year-old mother, Gail Hedrick Hulse, with whom he shares his house, had evacuated with his older brother, Jason. The young oysterman had stayed behind to finish boarding his home, and to secure his boat and truck.

Jacob Hulse sits on bags of oysters as his brother Jason steers the boat.

Jacob Hulse photos

“By the time I had finished, it was too late,” he said. “I didn’t want to get stuck in traffic trying to evacuate, so my friend Keno told me to come on over to the oyster shop. He was staying to try and save $20,000 worth of oysters he had in the cooler.” As the winds continued their relentless pounding, Jacob Hulse watched as doors ripped away,

Jacob Hulse works oysters on his brother Jason’s boat.

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exposing his brother’s oyster boat to the storm and damaging his own truck parked nearby. About three hours into the storm, a wall of the shop started to collapse. “Wind and water was everywhere,” Hulse said. “We managed to brace it with a couple of cables and get some tarp to cover the opening.” At 9 that night, he opened a door to venture into the unknown and inspect the damage. “Although the door of the shed was gone, my brother’s boat was OK, and my pickup only had a crack in the front windshield.” The following day, the two brothers first inspected Jason’s home, finding it completely roofless. Driving up to Jacob and his mom’s house, feelings went from hope to despair. “We’re coming down the street, and I’m looking up, and it don’t look that bad,” he said. “When we got close, you could see it was bad.” The house was severely damaged and had the majority of the roof ripped away. “Everything inside was destroyed,” Hulse said. “It was horrible. Mom didn’t see it till the next day. I told her that night, ‘It ain’t good.’” “It ain’t good” became a refrain for the young oysterman and his mom’s prospects over the next few months. FEMA funds for damages to the house have been complicated by their unique rental agreement toward ownership of the home. Jason Hulse purchased a used trailer for his younger brother, while the state provided a small trailer for their mom. The American Red Cross provided a $500 debit card. Other than that, the two have been living hand to mouth. “I have been working as much as I can on my brother’s boat, dredging oysters almost every day,” he said. “It has been tough. I have to decide whether I can afford food or buy gas. Gas was always more important.” The one bright spot has been the oysters. Unlike leases farther east, which have been covered with mud and debris from the storm, the Hulse brothers have had a good harvest. “I use tongs to harvest, but Jason’s is equipped with a dredge. It is kind of a nice change of pace working on his boat. We have been coming in with some great looking oysters,”said Hulse, who doesn’t eat the catch but still loves the work. Ed Lallo is the editor of Gulf Seafood News, which is funded by the nonprofit Gulf Seafood Foundation, based in Louisiana and covering the Gulf of Mexico, from Texas to Florida.

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 5

ON DECK

Northern Lights VIEWS FROM ALASKA

Moving beyond 2020 By Sam Friedman

Seafood provides more jobs in Alaska than any other private sector, with more than 60,000 workers employed in the industry.

n the first weeks of 2022, it is not yet clear how big of an asterisk to put on the year 2020. This question complicated the preparation of the most recent edition of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute’s long-running economic analysis series on the economic value of Alaska’s seafood industry. As usual, the “Economic Value of Alaska’s Seafood Industry” report presents data detailing the economic footprint of America’s largest seafood-producing state. For example, seafood remains the top employer of any private sector industry in Alaska — directly employing 62,200 workers. But the January 2022 report differed from past ASMI economic impact reports because of the covid-19 pandemic, which began halfway through what would have been the regular two-year study period of 2019 and 2020. For this reason, 2020 was treated as an outlier and not included in the economic impact analysis in the report. The complete report — which was prepared for ASMI by McKinley Research Group — is available at

6 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

www.alaskaseafood.org/industr y/ economic-impact. Key Findings The Alaska seafood industry’s 62,600 direct workers (equivalent to 37,400 full-time equivalent jobs because many seafood jobs are seasonal) earned wages totaling $1.75 billion in 2019. About half of these workers were fishermen, with another 44 percent in the seafood processing sector; and the remainder

Measuring Covid Impacts and Other Challenges The economic value of Alaska’s seafood harvest dropped in 2020 across both the harvesting and processing sectors, as well as across all major species types. Both ex-vessel and first wholesale values dropped to their lowest levels since 2009, with more than 20 percent declines from 2019. It can be difficult to untangle covid disruptions from other challenges the Alaska seafood industry faced in 2020. For example, the total value of the salmon

ASMI

employed in fishery management, hatcheries, or other fisheries-related jobs. Nationally, the Alaska seafood industry created thousands of additional jobs in distribution, grocery, and restaurant sectors. The work of catching and processing Alaska’s harvest in 2019 took place aboard 8,900 fishing vessels, 160 shore-based processors, 52 catcher-processor vessels, and 30 floating processors. For the report’s 2019 base year, the top-line national economic impact number was $15 billion. This total economic impact figure includes $6.4 billion in direct output from catching, processing, distributing, and selling Alaska’s seafood harvest. An additional $8.6 billion is from multiplier effects, the secondary economic activity produced by the direct output money moving through the U.S. economy.

Ex-vessel and wholesale values for Alaska’s top species.

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harvest fell sharply largely because of low salmon runs in nearly every region of Alaska except for Bristol Bay. Value was also down because global foodservice closures depressed prices. Future Effects A key question going into 2022 is whether the pandemic fundamentally changed the Alaska seafood industry that existed in 2019. In other words, was 2020 an anomaly or the start of a “new normal”? 2021 provides some evidence to support both theories. On one hand, preliminary data points to a partial recovery for the Alaska seafood industry in 2021. Higher prices and robust retail sales for key Alaska seafood products will likely buoy the total value of the 2021 harvest to well above 2020 levels (but still below long-term averages). Preliminary data also suggest that the number of seafood harvesting and processing jobs increased substantially from the lows experienced in 2020. However, the pandemic by no means ended in 2021, and new variants threaten to prolong its effects. While consumer markets for Alaska seafood products were strong in 2021, new pandemic-related disruptions to the markets for labor and shipping worsened in 2021, increasing the costs of catching, processing, and moving Alaska seafood products. No matter

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the noise, however, this latest snapshot of the Alaska seafood industry is clear on the big picture: seafood remains an essential economic engine for Alaska’s coastal communities, the state, and the nation. Sam Friedman is a research analyst at McKinley Research group. He specializes in studying Alaska fisheries and seafood markets, and was previously an Alaska newspaper reporter and a supermarket fishmonger.

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 7

ON DECK

On the Homefront

Our House: The Old Man and the Cowboy By Lori French

oy I didn’t see that one coming. It’s been a pretty wild ride since 2019, in everyone’s lives, I’m sure. In Our House, 2020 and 2021 seemed to have taken the “Here, Hold My Beer Challenge” to an entirely new level, and not in a good way. Sometime while the Old Man of

decided he was done and moved to Hawaii. I can’t blame him with all the ^%$#@!*&^%$#@! fishing politics in the state of California. Crab Brother-in-Law’s new lifestyle has meant big changes in Our House. The Old Man of the Sea wasn’t planning on fishing this crab season

“In Our House, 2020 and 2021 seemed to have taken the ‘Here, Hold My Beer Challenge’ to an entirely new level, and not in a good way.” while I was busily worrying about how I was going to keep the Old Man of the Sea entertained. Perhaps another 2,000 laying hens for my/our small egg business? Perhaps I could rent him out as a Honey Do man? Plant another 500 avocado trees? These were all on the table. Of course, he had no idea as to my plans for him, so he made his own plans. It all started a couple of summers ago when the Young Cowboy across the road

Lori French photos

the Sea and his brother were out salmon fishing, Crab Brother-in-Law told the Old Man of the Sea that he was retiring. Now the Old Man of the Sea and his brother have been partners since 1987. Over the years, they fine-tuned their fishing to the point where I don’t even think they talk ever while on the boats. They just knew what each other was doing automatically. It worked well. And then Crab Brother-in-Law

Daniel Thoreson and Jeff French teamed up on the 29-footer Fishy Business out of Half Moon Bay, Calif.

8 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

bought a small salmon boat and sold it while looking for a slightly bigger boat. This kid has always been a go-getter with more energy than me at that age. That’s saying something. His parents have been our only neighbors for many years until the town started moving closer.Yeah, we knew him before he was born. He has his own herd of cattle, he rides, he ropes, he welds, he surfs, he mountain bikes. In 2014, he won the National Skills USA Gold Medal for welding. The kid is never still. And now that he’s 25, I probably shouldn’t call him a kid. Back in the olden days before the Old Man of the Sea fixed the road fences, I’d call the Young Cowboy to help me get the cows back in when they were up on the road. (Trust me, it was a thing. First week that the Old Man of the Sea would leave for salmon season, I’d be finding the Mamas up on the road. I once called him on the boat and threatened divorce unless he fixed the fences.) Anyways, the kid loves fishing and he found a bigger small boat than the salmon boat — a boat with a Dungeness permit. And he needed crab pots. The Old Man of the Sea had crab pots — an entire barn full. And so the new partnership was born. All of a sudden, the Old Man of the Sea was in his full-blown Getting Ready for Crab Season mode. It’s a fun time of year if you like a stressed out fisherman who is trying to finish up harvesting the avocados and has a wife with a growing egg business that he takes care of while she is at work. Fun Times. We were already past the Nov. 15 supposed-toopen-crab-season date (insert a very sarcastic “Thanks, Center for Biological Diversity”) and into the whale waiting period. And then Christmas started inching closer. They needed to be outfitted. The Old Man of the Sea needed a new sleeping bag. Do you know how hard it is to find a sleeping bag in December in the middle of a pandemic? I needed to make sure they had snacks for the opening week. And they needed coffee. Apparently, the boat came with a Keurig www.nationalfisherman.com

ON DECK

Celebrating the season, Jeff French hauls pots on his 65th birthday.

Daniel Thoreson owns the Fishy Business, a 29-foot stretched Radon.

and the Old Man of the Sea was getting particular about those little pod things. Do you know how hard it was to find the right kind of pods in the middle of a pandemic when the shelves of the store are sorta empty? I was also trying to keep “small boat” in my head as I shopped. I know the food-carrying capacity of our boats. I know the line between “Thank you” and “Where the Hell do you think all this is going to fit?” Here with a small boat, I was in uncharted waters. And then the Old Man of the Sea told me they were going to use the backseat of the truck as a pantry. Alrighty then. A few days before Christmas, when F&G finally gave the opening date for our zone, the Old Man of the Sea told me they were leaving early Christmas Day. We did our Christmas on Christmas Eve. I had to take the Young Cowboy aside and give him a few Old Man of the Sea Handling Tips before they left. “Look, he needs coffee right off the bat. Don’t really talk to him until he inserts at least one cup.Then make sure he eats. He gets really grouchy if he doesn’t eat. I’ve packed plenty of Clif bars, just toss him one. If he starts snoring, you’re on your own.” Then I felt I needed to talk to the Old Man of the Sea:“He isn’t your brother, and he’s not either of your sons.You have to be nice.You can’t be grouchy at him.You also cannot backseat drive him in his truck.” The Old Man of the Sea assured me that he and the Young Cowboy had talked about the boat spats and agreed on a plan to handle them. And so they took off on Christmas morning. I have to say that one ranked right up there with the other Best NonChristmas Days Ever. However, I did manage to get a nice long nap in and then went to bed at 6:30 p.m. Since it was the opening of crab season, you just know the weather had to go to hell. That’s when the newest stress-out topic came to light:

“OMG it’s such a freaking small boat and the weather is crap!” This stress item persisted for days. It’s not my normal personality to worry that much about safety. The Old Man of the Sea had stripped our boat of good survival suits and work vests and stocked the small boat, and he knows the ocean. I knew he wouldn’t take chances. It was a feeling of unease like I’d never felt before, and there wasn’t anyone I could really talk about it with. I sure as heck wasn’t going to talk to the Young Cowboy’s mom or girlfriend about it. They are new to this business. But I did decide to give lessons on Fish Wifeness to them. That first week it rained. Like real rain. Like inches of rain. Like a real drought buster. Like we’ve been so dry, the Old Man of the Sea’s rain jacket had dried up. Hey listen up Grundéns: Those snaps catch on crab pots and rip. The Old Man of the Sea Was. Not. Pleased. Every sweatshirt he had up there was soaked and the call came to find him a new rain jacket NOW!! Do you know how hard it is to find the perfect rain jacket in the middle of a pandemic? Let me tell you there was none of this instant gratification shopping going on, especially since the Old Man of the Sea is a 2XL. I spent a day looking around for one, and finally our little marine store was able to come through with an order for one. The thing still hasn’t come in yet, but at least it stopped raining. Things I’ve discovered since: The Young Cowboy sleeps closer to my husband than I do. The galley consists of a Rubbermaid box that they set up on a tool chest. They open the box and take out the little propane burner and cook. The ice chest on the very stern of the boat is the refrigerator.There is no sink and no water other than the deck hose. I have not asked how they brush their teeth. I have a very strong feeling I don’t want to know. The Dragon lives. Apparently there is a little diesel heater

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Continued on page 13 Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 9

ON DECK

CREW SHOTS Catching up with the Oregon-based Dungeness crab crew on the F/V Carter Jon Story by Jessica Hathaway Photos by F/V Carter Jon

hen we caught up with Nick Edwards, owner of the F/V Carter Jon, in Coos Bay, Ore., his crew was in its second week of the West Coast Dungeness season. The fishery and fleet were looking strong with opening prices hovering in the $5 per pound range. “We started the season last year at about $3 a pound, so this year we started right out of the gate at $4.75. And the great thing is that everything started on time,” said Nick Edwards, owner and operator of the 73-foot F/V Carter Jon out of Coos Bay, Ore. “And so that means that every small boat, every large boat, everybody got to dump their gear on time.” Edwards is on the boat for Oregon pink shrimp

Captain Eric Perez, Michael Cowan (unloader and helps stack the boat) Sam Walton, Chris Fiester, and Adam Keeler. Not pictured are Jordan Murphy and John Barnson (pictured at right).

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and has a dedicated crew for Dungeness, led by skipper Eric Perez. While crewing has been a problem for a lot of the fleet, the other seasonal hazards all seemed to fall away this year, including whale migration, domoic acid, meat fill and price strikes. “This year everybody will have a Christmas,” Edwards said. “There was no strike this year. We all just went to work. It was so nice to see for a change. I wish we could pull this playbook every year.” Edwards attributes some of the fleet’s good fortune to Alaska’s Bering Sea crab quota cuts. “In all honesty with the quotas being cut in Alaska on snow crab and king crab, and the lack of crab through the supply chain. Dungeness crab is being put back up on that pedestal,” Edwards said.

Carter Jon owner Nick Edwards says he’s lucky to have such a fantastic crew, including Jordan Murphy, who runs the block and serves as alternate captain, and John Barnson, who also runs the block.

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Keep ’em coming!

Send your Crew Shots to jhathaway@divcom.com or www.nationalfisherman.com/ submit-crew-shots. Don’t forget to include IDs from left to right, the home port, fishing location, gear type and fishery.

Chatham, Alaska

Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Bristol Bay, Alaska

Pacific City, Ore.

Church Creek, Md.

Alena Lunda offloads blackcod from the F/V Competition, a 48foot Delta longliner. The family fishes Southeast Alaska for halibut and blackcod, and is based out of Juneau.

The crew of the F/V Aleutian Beauty out of Dutch Harbor: (back) Blind Dog, Art Stepetin, Tim Stepetin, Chris Widing, (front) Aki Zaima, Sam Corpin and Captain Bill Widing. Deborah Rhoades photo

Logan and Bethany Branstiter, husband and wife captains of the F/V B-Team, with their daughters, Melany and Kay, show love for the sockeye salmon of the Nushagak District in Bristol Bay, Alaska.

Leif Ericson Farstad, age 2 — the fifth generation is officially in training with his grandpa, building Farstad Custom Dorys in Pacific City, Ore.

Crew member for the day, Karson Abbott, 4, helps dad TJ Abbott catch his oyster limit at Middle Ground Rock at the mouth of the Nanticoke River on the Full Throttle out of Church Creek, Md.

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 11

On the Homefront Continued from page 9

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that roars, and it has been dubbed the Dragon. The Old Man of the Sea is in serious love with it. Now keep in mind, the Old Man of the Sea and his brother have used electric blankets on the boat for years. The Young Cowboy hears every word of our phone calls and often gives his input — 99 percent of the time his input makes me laugh. Of course they had to sell the crab. You know the saying “When in Rome?” Well when in Half Moon Bay, one sells crab off the boat. So enter the Old Man of the Sea and the Young Cowboy’s marketing: a nice Glad trash bag written on with black Sharpie — CRAB FOR SALE. As the season progressed, they did get a tad bit more fancy. The Old Man of the Sea ordered a crab flag from Amazon. When I got the package email I was like, “Wait I didn’t order this!” Although I did buy the exact same banner in Newport, Ore., a few years ago. Being the smart Fish Wife that I am, I put two and two together. Side note:You can bet your bottom dollar that I will be swiping this crab banner for our front gate out on the road. But I digress (again). Selling crab off the boat led to great customer stories. Take in mind that neither the Old Man of the Sea nor the Young Cowboy has really worked with the public, and let’s just say it’s not high on either of their list of things they like. There was a group of drunk housewives that came down to talk to the crabbers. One picked up a crab, and that didn’t end well. She made a few off-color comments about “Big Ones.” And then there was the nice middle-aged lady who came down when the Young Cowboy was out doing errands and it was only the Old Man of the Sea on the boat. “Where’s the young, good-looking one?” she asked. “The young John Wayne?” “He’s up running an errand and will be back,” the Old Man of the Sea said. “I’ll wait.” And so she did. One day, the Young Cowboy was so fed up with customers that he went to do his laundry and he took the Old Man of the Sea’s also and considered it a great trade-off for not having to deal with people for an hour. I consider this a total win for me, and we all know this is always about me. As this short season is winding down, I’m very happy to say the Old Man of the Sea and the Young Cowboy are still friends. That is, unless the Old Man totally backseat drives the Young Cowboy on the way home. I’m kinda looking forward to salmon season stories now. Lori French is the wife of a Dungeness crabber and director of the Morro Bay-based Faces of California Fishing.

www.nationalfisherman.com

YOUR PRIDE IS OUR PRIDE. Together, We Make Alaska Seafood Stronger. From ocean to table, the heavy lifting doesn’t stop here. Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute works to put your product into a variety of markets, from restaurants and grocery stores to university dining halls to hospitals and school lunch programs. This is just one example of how Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute puts all hands on deck to tell the story of wild, sustainable Alaska seafood so you and your family can focus on fishing today and for generations to come.

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FEATURE

TOP NEWS

South Atlantic

Sweeten the pot Ropeless gear puts South Atlantic black sea bass fishermen back on the water By Nick Rahaim

or fi rst time in nearly a decade, South Atlantic pot fishermen will be able to harvest black sea bass in winter months, bringing life back to an artisanal, yet economically important, fishery for Southern ports. NMFS recently granted an Exempted Fishing Permit — the fi rst of its kind — that allows fishermen to deploy ropeless gear to catch the species. The threat of entanglement with endangered North Atlantic right whales caused fisheries managers to close the fishery inside 90 feet of water

during winter months, effectively closing 15,000 square miles of prime habitat to fishermen. North Atlantic right whales calve off the Florida and Georgia coasts in winter months. Now fishermen from four states — North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida — will be able to harvest black sea bass with ropeless gear when whales are present under the EFT issued to Sustainable Seas Technology, a nonprofit that works with commercial fishermen to test and deploy whale-safe fishing gear in North America and Europe. Ropeless fishing technology is not

“What we learn here could benefit other pot fisheries facing entanglement issues. But every fishery is different. What works for one may not work for another.” — Kim Sawicki, Sustainable Seas Technology

without contention and controversy, with some stakeholders questioning its effectiveness, cost, and risks like ghost fishing on lost traps. There’s also concern that success with ropeless technology will lead to mandates in state and federally managed fisheries

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without consideration of the effects on fishing businesses, families and communities. “From my standpoint, the fishery is either open or closed — open is a lot better,” says Scott Buff, owner of Sea Peddler Seafood in Supply, N.C. Buff has tested ropeless gear on his 34-foot vessel the F/V Reel-M-N. “The gear is so simple to use, it’s stupid,” Buff says. “There’s a little bit of a learning curve, but the gear is easy to use and does what it’s supposed to.” The fishery began in the early 1960s, when crab and shrimp fishermen found black sea bass could be caught with the same traps. Black sea bass are federally managed under the South Atlantic Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan. For those who participate in the fishery, vermillion snapper, grouper, and trigger fish have the highest value, but those fisheries are normally closed in winter months, Buff says. Until 2013, black sea bass was the fishery that kept many boats working through the winter. Fishermen self-funded a study in 2020 on the effectiveness of ropeless gear with Sustainable Seas Technology, which was awarded the EFP on Feb. 3. The exempt permit is effective through August 2024. During that time, fishermen and Kim Sawicki, founder and president of Sustainable Seas Technology, will continue to test and refi ne ropeless gear as well as conduct an economic effectiveness study. An extension can be requested at the end of the two-and-a-half-year permit. “What we learn from our work here could benefit other pot fisheries facing entanglement issues,” Sawicki says, who also tests ropeless gear with Dungeness crab and spiny lobster fishermen in California, and Maine lobster fishermen in the Northeast. “But every fishery is different. What works for one might not work for another.” Nick Rahaim is a writer and commercial fi sherman based in Monterey, Calif. Check out his website, outside-in.org, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @nrahaim. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

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MARKET REPORT

MAINE LOBSTER

THE LIVE MARKET Maine’s lobster industry is at turning point for value — and changes By Caroline Losneck

aine’s Department of Marine Resources would not release fi nal landings and values for Maine’s lobster industry until after press time. But by all accounts, 2021 was a solid year. On Feb. 14 the DMR issued preliminary numbers showing 2021 total landings value were just shy of $725 million, a 75 percent jump over 2020 and by far the single largest year-over-year increase. Final landings totals were expected in a few weeks, but state officials expected an increase in pounds of 10 percent going over 108 million pounds. “While I don’t like to speculate on data that hasn’t been released yet, I think it’s safe to say that we’re expecting to see a higher value for the fishery in 2021 than in 2020. Demand was very strong throughout the year,” says Marianne LaCroix, executive director of the Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative. Fishermen like Steve Train, who works out of Portland, say they expect 2021 landings to be down, but value to be significantly higher than last year. 18 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

Portland lobsterman Steve Train expected 2021 landings to be down and value to be significantly higher.

“We saw record high prices — the boat price was $6.50-$7, on average,” says Bret Taylor, of Taylor Lobster Co., a distributor in Kittery, of 2021 numbers. In 2020, despite challenging market conditions, Maine fishermen hauled

96 million pounds and earned more than $500 million — the ninth-highest ex-vessel value on record. It’s unclear how significantly the 2022 Chinese New Year, which typically coincides with an export boost, impacted the industry. “The weather has been brutal this winter so I’m not sure we got any boost from China,” says Train. Bill Bruns, operations manager at The Lobster Co. in Arundel, Maine, says there were ongoing disruptions in exporting to Asia for the New Year because of supply chain challenges related to the pandemic, as well as the Winter Olympics in China. “I ramped up and prepared for the worst. There was a bit of a boost, but not a lot, and certainly not the volume we’re used to seeing in years past — and not the volume the industry itself is used to seeing.” Difficulties with fl ights, freight handling, and labor and materials shortages all contributed to New Year exports being tricky. www.nationalfisherman.com

MARKET REPORT

“The whale regulations pose the most immediate and dire threat to the historic lobster fishery.” —Marianne LaCroix, Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

high prices now. Prices to the boat will hit $10 this week,” Taylor says. “We’re hitting these prices higher than normal, and there is still a long way to go before May,” the unofficial start to the summer season. Maine has more than 4,000 working

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

Overall, however, Bruns says, “2021 was still robust by comparison to 2020. 2020 was off by about 60 percent for exports to Asia, for us.” But this year, says Bruns, he saw an increase of about 10 percent more exports to Asia. Bruns reports that his company also has a strong base of customers in Hong Kong, but that export volumes have dropped as a result of supply chain disruptions and difficulty sourcing shipping materials. There were significantly higher costs for high-density styrofoam packaging needed for exporting live lobster. “All that packaging went up 40 percent at the end of 2021. I’d never seen anything like that,” says Bruns. “We got told two weeks before Christmas, which was not enough time to stock up, or buy ahead.” Statewide, by early February 2022, the market price for lobster in Maine was very high. “The supply is very low, [because] not many boats in Maine are fishing this winter — due to weather and a good season last year,” says Taylor. Buyers were seeing fewer boats overall, since some fishermen who saw their best November and December months in recent years took a much needed break over the cold winter. “So we are seeing some extremely

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

MAINE LOBSTER

F/V Hard Runnin’ Tide in Portland is one of a fleet operated by some 4,000 Maine lobstermen. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

lobstermen, and they haul in 82 percent of all U.S. lobster landings. About a decade ago, things were booming, but landings have dropped in more recent years. Recent research shows that the number of juvenile lobsters floating in the water column or settling to the bottom is declining for a third year in a row. In addition to shifts caused by a changing climate and waters, Maine fishermen also face new regulations that will have a transformative impact on the fishery now, and in the future. A slate of industry challenges include: New right whale regulations, offshore wind development and large-scale aquaculture farms that compete with fishing grounds. In 2021, NMFS released a plan aimed at protecting right whales. The fi rst phase of the decade-long plan includes gear marking, adding weak points in rope, and a new seasonal closure. “The whale regulations pose the most immediate and dire threat to the historic lobster fishery. Although data show that right whales largely shifted out of the Gulf of Maine starting in 2010, and that Maine gear has not been associated with a right whale entanglement in almost 20 years (and never a serious injury or death), the fishery is being asked to further reduce their risk to right whales by 98 percent in the next 10 years,” says Marianne LaCroix of the marketing collaborative. The government “coming after Maine lobstermen because of the situation the right whales are in when we aren’t causing their deaths shows the flaw in the endangered species act,” adds Train. For Yvonne Rosen, who hauls out of Vinalhaven, there’s a lot to manage. “This upcoming season with bait shortages looming again, covid, and everything that’s going on with this whale bull has us all on edge. These closures and this new weak link requirement is not going to save one single whale. And all it is going to do is cost us money, time and lost gear.” Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 19

MARKET REPORT

“This upcoming season with bait shortages looming again, covid, and everything that’s going on with this whale bull has us all on edge.” —Yvonne Rosen, Vinalhaven

Companies tasked with producing and supplying new lobster gear to meet those regulations are facing challenges of their own.

Maine Lobster Marketing Collaborative

NOAA estimates that there are fewer than 350 North Atlantic right whales remaining. The number of new calves born in recent years has been below average, and the species has been considered critically endangered since 1970. In early February, Maine Gov. Janet Mills and lawmakers asked for a delay on new regulations originally slated to begin May 1, 2022. The Maine delegation challenged the NMFS plan and timeline, and asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to allow the industry more time to shift to whale-friendly fishing gear. Lawmakers say a longer lead-up to the new regulations is needed to avert major fi nancial hardships, since gear is costly and can be hard for lobstermen to fi nd. The regulation is just one of many announced in 2021, including a measure that enforces a seasonal ban on fishing in a section of the Gulf of Maine, which took effect this winter. “There will defi nitely be some heartburn and costs associated with complying with new regs,” says Kristan Porter, a lobsterman from Cutler and president of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. “I will be adding more weak links and gear marks. I also have to add more traps to my trawls. From 15 to 20.”

Ruby Hopkins

MAINE LOBSTER

In February 2022, Maine state officials reported that 2021 lobster landings value was close to $725 million — a 75 percent jump from 2020.

20 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

“Labor, material shortages, and whale rules have added stress to the industry,” says Stephen Brooks, an owner of the third-generation Brooks Trap Mill in Maine, which manufactures lobster traps and gear. “A lot of companies have not had the labor to manufacture the product. It’s a trickle down effect. We can’t get material because the manufacturer can’t get it. For some material used in traps, we’ve been out of those materials for weeks upon weeks,” says Brooks. “You can’t work on special orders or supply the fishermen building their own traps, unless the customer makes a change to what material is available.” Brooks Trap Mill and the Maine Mold & Machine Co. combined forces to increase production of new gear, which is all dependent on federal approval. Another Maine company that makes new plastic links, Seaside Inc. in Warren, Maine, has already had their link approved for use. Seaside had been limited in how many links they could produce per week, but now expects to ramp up production. There are also concerns about timing and supplying such a large statewide need. “Potentially, if the majority of fishermen want to use the breakaway link, the market for the link could be 200,000 or more links,” says Brooks. Some say 800,000 vertical lines are in use at the peak of the lobster season. Because companies have to send the new products to NOAA to be pull-tested and approved, things can take time. “If it passes the pull test, then hopefully we can start getting those links.” A sense of uncertainty around trusting new gear is another factor. “It’s very stressful for the fishermen, it’s an unknown — you don’t know how well this break-away will work,” adds Brooks. “How will this link hold up to added stress? Is it going to break when they’re hauling? That unknown is scary. Nobody truly knows until a lot of people start using this.” For links, adds Brooks, “you www.nationalfisherman.com

MARKET REPORT

MAINE LOBSTER

“There will definitely be some heartburn and costs associated with complying with new regs.”

Doug Stewart / NF

—Kristan Porter, Maine Lobstermen’s Association

probably won’t see a good supply of links until sometime in March. So, literally, it may be where guys have 30 days or less to get their gear up to regulations, so it’s stressful.”

“For us, all of our employees are getting calls every day, people asking, ‘What’s available, and what do we need to do?’ You feel for the fisherman because you like to have better answers for them, it’s tough. Between the whale stuff and supply, I haven’t seen anything like this.” It is anticipated that once the gear becomes more available, the initial demand will likely be high. “But once everybody gets into compliance,” says Brooks, “the demand will drop off dramatically.” Despite the challenges, the lobster industry still fi nds space for optimism. “The boat price in 2021 was

thankfully, really good,” adds Brooks. “The market seems strong, and that’s promising for the future.” For Taylor, perspective is important. “I think some of the regulations are concerning. They could drastically impact [the] volume of catch,” he says. “And there are always other factors: Covid, labor and geopolitical forces popping up. But I’m optimistic. In the seafood industry, we’re always working through some challenge.” Caroline Losneck is an independent radio producer, filmmaker and documentarian living in Portland, Maine.

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FEATURE

LOOK-SEA

A Walk Among the Giants In the off-season, the Alaska trawl fleet returns to Seattle for the annual maintenance that keeps the fleet sturdy at sea Story and photos by Paul Molyneaux

isiting the big boats at Pier 91 might be as close as most people will get to the action on the Bering Sea. The waves rolling invisible through the endless Arctic night, unseen until they reach the lights of the boat; the icecovered decks; the huge cod ends hauled aboard with thousands of pounds of fish in the mix — all of it can only be imagined when walking among the giant vessels at Seattle’s Pier 91. The youngest of these boats is the Arctic Storm. Built in 1988, she is a virtual child next to the 53-year-old Northern Jaeger. The grind of fishing for weeks and months at a time in a remote and sometimes brutal environment takes its toll on these boats that, together with a few dozen others, prosecute the largest fishery in the United States, the Alaska pollock fishery. In volume alone, it dwarfs

22 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

One of the largest catcher-processor vessels in the world, the 376-foot Alaska Ocean was built at Blount Marine in Warren, R.I., in 1981, and rebuilt in 1990 specifically for the pollock fishery. After more than 40 years of fishing, many millions of pounds of fish have been hauled up the vessel’s stern ramp.

www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE

LOOK-SEA

The venerable Alaska trawl fleet and processing vessels undergo maintenance and upgrades in Seattle in late November. By January most of them were back in Alaska waters fishing long nights and short days.

Morris “Goodman” Marsh leans on the engine box of his crab scraping boat Darlene in Tangier Sound, Md. At 81, Morris is the oldest working waterman on Smith Island.

Six catcher boats supply fish to the processing vessel Golden Alaska. Built in 1972, the vessel produces a variety of pollock products and turns its fish waste into meal and oil, sending little of the catch back to the sea. Astern of the Golden Alaska are the 255-foot Ocean Rover and the 285-foot American Triumph, both catcher-processors.

the rest. In 2020, the fleet of 30-plus vessels, not including catcher boats, landed 3.23 billion pounds of To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Built in 1988 at Todd Pacific Shipyard in Tacoma, Wash., the 334-foot factory trawler Arctic Storm is owned by Arctic Storm Management Group, which was one of the original companies that established the Pollock Conservation Cooperative under the American Fisheries Act in 1998.

Alaska pollock from the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska, with a value of approximately $420 million, according to NMFS statistics. It

sounds like a pile of money — and it is. But new boats cost in the millions to build. So the fleet returns to Pier 91 and other docks around the Seattle Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 23

FEATURE

LOOK-SEA

Owned by North Star Fishing Co., the 185foot Unimak is among the smaller boats at Pier 91. Built in 1981, the vessel fishes for cod, rockfish and flatfish.

Built in 1975, the 272-foot Arctic Fjord is owned by Arctic Storm Management Group, which has recently launched a new 328-foot, state-of-the-art factory trawler, also named the Arctic Fjord.

When accessing areas deep in the bowels of a large factory trawler like the 273-foot American Dynasty, sometimes it’s easier to take a shortcut.

24 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

area, where workers swarm over them, keeping them fit for service. It’s a big job. And even on a Sunday morning, the flash of welders can be seen, accompanied

by the sound of power tools and engines. A team of Caterpillar mechanics works on the gensets of the Ocean Rover. A crew in greasy overalls readies the deck

www.nationalfisherman.com

Thousands of haulbacks have seen bulging cod ends spill tons of pollock across the deck of the Alaska Victory since she began fishing in the early 1990s.

gear on the American Triumph. Everywhere people are walking up and down steep gangplanks, carrying tools and pieces of equipment. On the dock stands a row of propeller blades. Farther along, a new net reel sits ready to go aboard, while

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FEATURE

LOOK-SEA

old winches and processing equipment await removal. Near the boats, voluminous containers get fi lled with refuse. There are new boats coming to the fleet: Arctic Storm Management Group’s new Arctic Fjord, and Glacier Fish Company’s North Star. But decades-old veterans remain the backbone of the fleet. From Seattle, they return north to catch the fi sh that feed hungry customers around the globe. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Refl ection.”

Owned by Phoenix Processor Limited, the F/V Excellence, built in 1973, is a 367-foot mothership. Carrying a crew of 148, the Excellence receives fish from catcher vessels and produces surimi, fillet blocks, fishmeal, fish oil, and roe. The 276-foot mothership Phoenix carries a crew of 117 and produces fillet and mince blocks, along with surimi and roe.

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COVER STORY

BOOK EXCERPT

Alone on the Fish Alaska fisherman and Fisherpoet Pat Dixon’s memoir is the story of a young greenhorn from Indiana, who ventures into the fishing life and makes it his life Story and photos by Patrick Dixon

Deckhands Rob Ernst and Craig Phillips celebrate a good set on the Veronika K, Pat Dixon’s second boat, 1992. 28 National Fisherman \ November 2021

www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE

BOOK EXCERPT

uthor’s note: The first part of this chapter describes being off by myself at the end of a good fi shing day, and getting into them again. I call my friend Don Pugh over to get in line with me, and he gets in on the action, too, right at the end of the period. We are running home as it starts to get dark. Loaded and slow, we are the last boats to leave the grounds. I’m asleep in the bunk when the drone of the engine goes quiet. “Hey, Pat,” Danny calls, but I’m already wide-awake and getting up. It’s almost 9:00 pm under gray skies, and the light is dim outside. “What happened?” I ask as I look out the windows. I think Danny shut her down for some reason. “I don’t know,” he replies. “Everything was running fi ne when she just quit.” He slides out of the skipper’s seat and I climb in. I turn the key. The engine cranks but doesn’t start. We click on the cabin lights over the table and the sink. “Let’s unbutton her and take a look.” I have no idea what I’m looking for, but I’m hoping something will be obvious. While Danny rolls back the carpet and lifts the floorboards in the cabin to allow access to the engine, I call Don. “Hey Marauder, Skookum Too. I have a problem here, Don.” Steph, Don’s girlfriend and deckhand, comes back: “Hang on Skookum Too, I’ll wake him up.” While we wait, Danny drops into the engine room and starts poking around with a flashlight. “Check the fuel fi lter and lines,” I tell him. “And the solenoid.” This engine has a temperamental fuel system anyway, and when the device called the solenoid quits, the entire system becomes paralyzed. It has an indicator switch like a circuit breaker that lets us know when it has tripped, but it looks fi ne. There are no leaks, no loose wires, nothing that would indicate a problem. I turn the ignition

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Waiting to Deliver: From greenhorn to skipper, an Alaska commercial fishing memoir $15.99 www.patrickdixon.net/store to “On,” so the gauges come to life, but I don’t turn the engine over, not with Danny so near the fan belts. The needles all snap into place. Water

temperature, amperes, everything looks normal. “Skookum Too, what’s going on back there?” Don’s voice comes over the radio. “Not sure. She just quit running. We’re looking at the engine now. As far as we can tell, everything looks fi ne, but she won’t start.” “I’ll come back and give you a tow to the river,” he says. “Be there in about ten.” We check battery cables, wires, circuit breakers, in-line fuses to the ignition, fuel lines. Everything checks out. But she won’t start. When Don arrives, we rig up a tow line from our bow to his stern, and he stretches the line slowly so it doesn’t part. We are under way again, and I sit in the skipper’s seat steering so we don’t veer off to one side or the other with the swell behind us. The wind has backed off, but the seas are now six-to-eight-foot swells chasing us north. A big one lifts us, and when we ride down its back, the towline dips into it, slicing it like a knife. When the wave catches and lifts the Marauder, the line parts with a

The Skookum Too, a wooden 32-foot Skookum Marine “plug” turned gillnetter, Pat Dixon’s first boat, in the Kenai River, circa 1985.

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 29

FEATURE

BOOK EXCERPT

Boats lined up in the Kenai River waiting to deliver their catches to the tenders at Columbia Wards’ cannery in the early 1980s.

thwaannngggg. Danny and I are on our feet in an instant. I steer the boat with the waves while he goes forward and brings the line back on board. The Marauder does the same and swings back around. This time Don ties one of the old tires he uses for boat bumpers between the lines connecting our boats. The tire will hopefully act as a cushion and absorb some of the shock when the line gets pulled suddenly by the wave action. He ties the end to the line on his reel so the tow will be from the center of his stern, allowing him to steer better. Steph eases the boat forward as Don stands on deck directly behind the reel and watches. Satisfied, he walks in the cabin and closes the door. Ten seconds later, the line parts between the tire and my bow, and the tire shoots forward like a loosed arrow. Danny and I both watch in the fading light as it rockets over the reel where Don was just standing, 30 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

rope trailing behind it like the tail of a kite. It slams into the Marauder’s cabin door with enough force to bounce back over the reel to the picking deck. “Jesus Christ!” I shout. If the line splits twenty seconds earlier, Don is dead or knocked overboard.

Steph goes out on deck and pulls in the line hanging behind the Marauder again, while Danny does the same on the bow of the Skookum. Meanwhile, Don and I discuss what to do on the radio. “The boats are just too heavy in this swell,” he says. “I’ll try tying alongside.” Danny taps on the windshield and points to the bow cleat. As I look, he goes over to it and lifts the back end of it up. The bolts holding it are almost pulled completely through the wooden deck. The Marauder approaches from our starboard side, the direction the swell is coming from. We get lines ready, and Don comes out of the cabin and goes up to his bridge for better visibility. Steph readies lines on the Marauder’s deck. The Skookum is full in the trough now, rolling sideways up and down the swells. We’re in no danger of capsizing, but the motion has the sides of the boat rising and falling several feet with each wave. When the Marauder comes alongside, Danny tosses a stern line onto the Marauder, then hops over to the Marauder to tie off the stern. Steph, holding a line already tied to her midship cleat, straddles both the boats and loops the line around our cleat, then back to the Marauder’s. The Marauder is fiberglass, the Skookum

A Cook Inlet gillnetter runs north on a fish call, with Mt. Redoubt volcano off to the west. www.nationalfisherman.com

FEATURE

BOOK EXCERPT

wood. Just as she finishes tying the line to the cleat, the Marauder is lifted by a swell, and the four-inch-long bolts holding the cleat to the deck of the Skookum slide upward through the plank like it was butter. Surprised at the force, I look at Steph, one leg on her boat, one leg on ours. I don’t even stop to think. I grab her by the front of her jacket, growl, “You’re with me!” and pull her on board as the wave rolls under us and boats surge apart. Don guns the engine so we don’t crash together on the next swell, and just like that, we’ve switched deckhands. I make sure Steph is well on board before releasing her. “You okay?” I ask. She nods. We’re both shaken by the unexpected display of violence. If she had fallen between the two heavy boats, she’d be crushed or drowned. We watch as Don turns the Marauder around to come alongside again, this time to trade people. The boat pulls within a foot of us, and when he guns the engine in reverse, it stops dead. In an instant Steph and Danny switch positions. Don pulls away again, and he and Steph disappear into the cabin. Danny and I do the same. “Well that was fun,” I say into the microphone. “What now?” I’m out of ideas and getting low on cleats. “I don’t know,” Don says. “We can’t tow you, that’s obvious. There’s nothing left to tow with.” “Let me call Ray,” I say. “Maybe he’ll have a suggestion.” Ray Landry is the cannery superintendent and an ex-engineer. He’s seen all sorts of predicaments during his years in the industry, and if anyone can puzzle out what our next move is, it’s him. I call him on the VHF and we discuss the possibility of rigging a cradle of rope under the boat and around the cabin to tow with, but that sounds iffy to me. “All the tenders are filled with fish and boats in line to deliver more, Pat,” he answers when I ask if one of them To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Waiting to Deliver On the good day when boats return home low in the water, holds full, nets wrapped around salmon rolled on the reel, after picking half the net, and laying it back out while the fish keep hitting, then running to the other end and doing it again, all day long–

You’ll wash it down with a cold beer from the cooler, watch the sunset and think how this is the best, most complete life you can imagine. Salt air cools as shadows lengthen and the water changes from blue to black. You trade bunk time with your deckhand and fall asleep before your head

no time for breaks, a sandwich or even water, your face, beard and glasses streaked black by gurry, dotted white with scales, back aching, fingers and wrists sore,

hits the pillow. The smack of a boathook on the bow wakes you both as the next boat in line cuts you all loose to go deliver and those of you still tethered together like a serpent in the glare of arc lights

you find energy reserves – threads of adrenaline buried deep sustain you ’til you’ve made the run home and toss a line to the boat you tie behind, the last of a dozen hanging off the port stern

work to move up – fighting the river’s flow, pulled and yanked off-course by boats fore and aft, bumping throttles forward, neutral, reverse, trying not to ram the one ahead of you, hoping the one behind you

next to a matching group tied to the starboard side of the tender taking fish anchored in the middle of the river. This day of donkeywork, this day of absolution isn’t over,

does the same. Your deckhand fends off as you swing too close to the vessels sleeping to starboard, until the lead boat tosses a line around the tender’s cleat again and you all slide back in the current like a sigh.

won’t be for hours. At the back of the queue, you know you’ll be here past dinner, past dark, maybe past dawn. You’ll eat a baked potato and a red salmon garnished with lemon, onion and butter less than two hours from the time you plucked it alive from the sea.

could assist. “Besides, I don’t know what they can do, anyway. I could send the power skiff out, but we need to wait until the seas calm down.” The prospect of trying to set an anchor while loaded, adrift and without power doesn’t seem like a good plan at all. It’s completely dark now, and the wind and tide are pushing us toward Salamatof beach north of the river mouth, where the shoreline is riddled with rocks. “Let me see if we can figure out what’s wrong with the engine one

Engine after engine goes silent. Lines creak around the cleats as they stretch taut. Your crew slips into the bunk while you settle back in the skipper’s chair, light a smoke and sip a cold cup of coffee. You’re still waiting. Waiting to deliver.

more time, Ray. I’ll get back to you.” Don comes on the other radio. “I’ll stand by here until you figure out what’s going on, Pat.” I know that’s a sacrifice. It’s late, and we’re the only ones out here. We’re going to be the last boats in the river, and even if we do arrive at a solution, it’s going to be hours before we get any sleep. I shake my head at my good fortune to have two brothers like Don and Dean as friends. “Thanks Don. You’ll be the first to know if I find anything.” Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 31

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

HOOK, LINE AND STOP SIGN Overhauling a New England groundfish boat amid new regs By Paul Molyneaux

hen Tim Rider, owner of New England Fishmongers, bought a 47-foot dragger and decided to turn it into a jig boat for groundfish and a winter/spring scalloper, he had a permit to get to groundfish in otherwise restricted areas. Built by LeBlanc Brothers in Wedgeport, Nova Scotia, and launched as the Richard J., the Finlander II has now been through a massive overhaul that increased the vessel’s efficiency. Only the exempted fishing permit program Rider was relying on has since been scrapped. He says he needs a regulatory environment supportive of a business model he believes is in the vanguard of sustainability. “We bought the boat in 2017 and went fish dragging

with it,” says Rider. “Then we took all the dragging gear off and put the jigging machines on and started scalloping. The boat needed a lot, and we did really well on the groundfish last fall and on the scallops this winter, so we said, ‘OK, this is the year.’” That was back in 2021. On May 18 that year, the dragger arrived in Southwest Harbor, Maine, battered from years of fishing and full of remnants and problems from incomplete gear shifts. For Rider and his crew, it was time to turn the boat into an efficient machine for their needs. Starting from the keel, the plan included hull repair, propeller repair, engine rebuild, hydraulics overhaul, and a new electronics system. In addition, Rider wanted to clean up the deck layout and replace the fiberglass over plywood

New England Fishmongers photos

With mast and rigging off, the New England Fishmongers crew started tearing apart the plywood and fiberglass wheelhouse.

National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

wheelhouse that had extensive rot, as well as re-rig the mast and boom. “We’re shooting for an August 1st relaunch,” he said that day in May. But a rainy summer and pandemic supply chain issues would wreak havoc on Rider’s timeline. Rider’s business model is heavy on the retail side, and he left his scalloping captain, Asher Molyneaux (this writer’s son, in full disclosure) to oversee the project while he went back to Kittery, Maine, to put together a fish market and restaurant that would hopefully keep the money coming in. Juggling many balls, Rider would get back to Southwest Harbor for a few days every few weeks. At age 19, it was a big bite for Molyneaux, but the first part was relatively easy: the tear down.With the 20-year-old Novi-built boat, a LeBlanc 47, blocked up in the Hinckley yard, Molyneaux and various helpers started with taking off the rudder and propeller, which they shipped off to AccuTech Marine Propeller in Dover, N.H. “They cleaned it up and cut it down,” says Molyneaux. “They cut an inch off, so it went from 51 inches, now it’s a 50 x 36.” That was one of the simpler operations in rehabbing an old boat that had been tinkered with for years. Moving forward, the team left the 4-inch stainless shaft in place, as well the Twin Disc 3.5:1 gear. “We sent the engine, a Cat 3406E, to Dennis Welding and Marine on Beals Island [Maine],” says Molyneaux. “They totally rebuilt it, new sleeves and all that.” “I made a couple trips down there,” says Scott Smorch, a mechanic at Dennis Welding. “Got her all unhooked and slid her back from under the bulkhead, then it just took a morning to get her out.” With the engine in the shop, Smorch started the rebuild. “It was a full rebuild. We put a remanufactured head on it, pistons, piston packs, liners, bearings, oil coolers. Everything. The block was completely torn down and Magnafluxed, looking for cracks along with the crank and everything,” says Smorch. As a Cat dealer, Dennis Welding was To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

After cleaning out a 20-year-old nest of old wires, Robert Kramp of Kramp Electronics rewired the Finlander II from the batteries to the masthead light.

The Furuno Navnet TZ Touch 3 is the centerpiece of the Finlander’s electronics package, which also includes an older Koden radar and Garmin plotter. Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 33

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

The Cat comes back; the 3406E had its first complete rebuild — torn down to the block — after more than 27,000 hours of service.

able to get all the parts needed, and the project should have been finished quickly. “The rebuild only took two or three weeks,” says Smorch. “The problem we ran into was the machine shop. Their

34 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

crank grinding machine was down, and they were waiting for parts.” The supply chain issues stemming from the global pandemic led to a lengthy delay in getting the crank back in the engine, just one

of the problems that lengthened the Finlander II’s stay in the yard. With the engine in the shop, Molyneaux and Rider started to take apart rigging and the hydraulics. “It was a direct-drive system that was supposed to pumping all the time,” says Molyneaux of the hydraulics. “But somewhere along the way, some hoses got changed so the hydraulic fluid wasn’t able to get to the keel coolers.” Molyneaux took five Pullmaster winches off the boom and wheelhouse, along with several control blocks. “It was a great system, but over-engineered for what we’re doing.” “We had to reverse engineer it,” says Chris Baldwin of PCR Industrial in Bangor, Maine. Baldwin made numerous trips to the boat as well as phone consultations to help Molyneaux understand what the boat had, and how to reconfigure it into a system that worked for scalloping and jig fishing.

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BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

The Finlander II had extensive rot in the wheelhouse, a haphazard electronics system and layout, and a rat’s nest of wiring. Rider decided to tear the entire thing off and create a smoother-functioning wheelhouse. In between rainy days, Molyneaux worked with Larry Young, a fiberglass mechanic out of Jonesport, Maine. Together with other helpers, they cut away the old cabin top and used the pieces for patterns for a Coosa board replacement, a lightweight synthetic that would not rot. “We coated that with fiberglass inside and out,” says Molyneaux. “Then put in all new windows, except for one.” In spite of delays, the pieces came together. First, the Cat came back. “We got the engine back in on September 1st,” says Molyneaux. “We’ve got all new wiring, and switches. Looks great, everything labeled, so you know what it

The Finlander II’s new simplified hydraulic system drives the old Eaton-powered winch, as well as two Pullmaster PL5 winches.

is. Robert Kramp of Kramp Electronics rewired the entire boat from the batteries up, and set up all the electronics,” says Molyneaux. “What’s new is the multifunction

Furuno display, the Navnet TZT12F, that gives current, tide, water temp, and can show as a plotter, bottom machine, and radar. We’ve had a TimeZero program on an Acer computer connected to a GPS,”

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 35

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

Tim Rider gets ready for jigging groundfish with the Finlander II, the only problem is getting access to productive fishing grounds.

says the 19-year-old skipper. “I just didn’t know how to use it. I learned how to look at the options menu and found the 3D mode, and also depth shading.” Other new items include a Furuno 911 series autopilot and Furuno radar. “Besides that, we have the old stuff, a Garmin 1040XS plotter that has a lot of Tim’s marks in it, a Furuno GP32 GPS, and an older Koden radar. We’ve got two VHFs, an Icom and a Standard Horizon.” By late October, Molyneaux was going flat out with whatever help he could find to finish the boat and get back fishing. “We put on white oak sheathing to protect the hull from the towing wire,” he

says.“We filled in all the gouges and holes with hull and deck putty and then painted her with this stuff,” he says, holding up a quart of Epifanes mono-urethane, high gloss yacht paint. “Eighty dollars a quart.” After clearing away modifications the previous owner had made to the deck layout — stations and various apparatus for fish handling — the New England Fishmongers team put down a new deck of Tuff Coat, a rubber-like material that gets painted on. They hooked up the old winch, 1000 Series Eaton that gets the job done, and lifted the mast and rigging back on. On Nov. 9, with the boat looking better

The Finlander II at the Hinckley yard in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Over budget and behind schedule, like many boats these days, she is finally ready for the water. 36 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

than ever, Molyneaux took his mother and girlfriend aboard the Finlander II for the ride back to Portsmouth, N.H. “The engine runs more efficiently,” he says. “It was pretty gunked up in there. We’re definitely going to save fuel, and it runs a lot smoother.” Unfortunately, the dense concentrations of pollock in the relatively shallow water of Fippennies Ledge are no longer accessible. “We were fishing out there on an EFP [exempted fishing permit],” says Rider. “But they cut that program, and it hurt. We really needed those groundfish after spending money on the boat and the new shop.” There were several hook boats in the program, and according to Allison Ferreira, public affairs officer at NOAA’s office in Gloucester, Mass., the EFP granted to Rider was part of a research project to develop electronic monitoring as a tool to meet sector monitoring requirements. “The EFP ended when electronic monitoring was approved for broader use in the fishery,” says Ferreira. “Permanent access to the groundfish closed areas, would require regulatory action from the New England Fishery Management Council.” After spending most of November and early December searching for fish, Rider went back to running the larger New England Fishmongers enterprise and sent Molyneaux back after scallops. “Right now, the boat’s supplying all the scallops we need,” says Rider. “So that’s pretty nice. We’re about to start selling a scallop roll.” Small-scale operations like Rider’s have gotten a boost during the pandemic, which strains longer supply chains. And that boost has generated investment in vessel upgrades and shoreside infrastructure. Whether the regulatory environment will be conducive to the long-term viability of sustainable business models like Rider’s and others remains to be seen. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman. www.nationalfisherman.com

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PROPULSION

The unlikely

ENGINEER

Bay Welding photo

How Len Hill became the creator of a favorite Bristol Bay water jet

The F/V Highlander hits the water with twin Hi500 water jets ready to get the vessel to the grounds in reasonable time, and get up on plane when returning with fish.

By Paul Molyneaux

self-described “Arkansas redneck” with a high school diploma has designed some of the most sought-after water jets in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Americans seem to have a soft spot in their hearts for underdogs, the unlikely success stories like that of Len Hill, who, with his son Jason, owns Hill Innovations, manufacturer of some of the most popular high-thrust water jets in

38 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

the Bristol Bay gillnet fleet. “I don’t have any formal education that says I can do what I’ve been doing for the last 30 years,” says Hill. But somehow, he figured out how to design top-performing water jets like the company’s 20-inch Hi502, the 24-inch powerhouse Hi600, and the new 17-inch, Hi400 for twin applications. “Right now, we can sell a lot more than we can build,” he says, speaking from the company’s new facility in Alexander, Ark. “My son Jason has got 12 Hi400s sold, and four www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

PROPULSION

Product Spotlight MJP’s UltraJets help power Alaska’s gillnet fleet, seine skiffs

hen Elliott Bay Design Group and Silverback

Marine spec’d the UltraJet

Len Hill

340 HTs for their new triplejet Bristol Bay boat, it took Jim Campbell back.

Hi502s. And we’re trying to get them built and delivered on time.” At age 79, Hill is constructing a new building and buying the machinery he needs to grow his business. “Right now we have some new markets we’re looking at, but we can’t pull the trigger on that,” he says. “We’re just trying to keep the fishermen in Alaska happy.” Hill got into water jets after working for the Jacuzzi family, and he met them because he learned how to fly in the Marine Corps. “I grew up on a 360-acre farm not far from here,” he says. “I wanted to be a

farmer, but I ended up going to Arkansas Tech on football and track scholarship. The math came easily to me, so I was taking analytical geometry and calculus and all that, then one day in 1966, I went to the Union, and a Marine recruiter was there. The picture of the F4 fighter jet caught my eye and he said, ‘You want to fly one of those? Sign right here.’” Hill went on to learn to fly the Douglas A4 Skyhawk, but stayed on the ground in Vietnam, coordinating airstrikes and medevacs. Out of the military, he started flying for a charter company, mostly hauling class A and B

Most commercial fishing boats in the Bristol Bay market run twin jets, but Campbell, the president of

MJP

For Len Hill, math and engineering came easy. Learning to fly singleseat jets in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War opened doors for him that led to the marine water jet business.

the Americas for UltraJet maker Marine Jet Power, said

F/V Smoky Point blasting with UltraJet.

his company’s entrance into the bay was in 1997, when MJP outfitted the F/V Eternity with a triple jet system. “The Eternity originally had three of our 303 Waterjets. They upgraded to our 305 HT jets three or four years ago,” Campbell recalled. Since that first incursion nearly a quarter a century ago, MJP has gained strong traction among gillnetters in both the Bristol Bay and Copper River fisheries. Campbell said the HT series was developed specifically with commercial fishing in mind and allows for boats to get up on plane with a heavy load of fish onboard. “We developed the high-thrust version of our jets, the 305 HT and the 340 HT, specifically for the commercial fishing industry. What we’ve done is we’ve given up a little bit of the top end speed for more low- and mid-range thrust, and that thrust peaks where the boats are getting up on plane. They allow the guys to plane with more weight. It’s really been the requirement for these kinds of fishing vessels to get 8,000 to 10,000 pounds up on plane, get to the tender, and then get back fishing, and that’s been the result they’re getting,” Campbell said. Campbell estimates that MJP now has somewhere between 40 to 50 boats in Bristol Bay running the UltraJets, and the recent recordbreaking seasons have prompted more installations, with more than a dozen bay boats being outfitted with the jets this offseason. He added that the jets are compatible with most engines, but have proven especially effective with Cummins and Fiat Powertrain (FPT) motors. “While we’ve had great success with the Cummins engines, we’ve

Paul Molyneaux

also had very good applications with FPT engines and even with Caterpillar engines,” Campbell said. Campbell added that the UltraJet HT series has also found a market with Alaska seiners for their skiffs. The UltraJet series is just one line from Swedish maker MJP, which has been outfitting diverse sectors of Len Hill sacrificed some speed on the high end in favor of more thrust, the Hi500 with its lower speed impeller and big nozzle is designed to get Bristol Bay boat up on plane when loaded with salmon. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

the marine market for more than 30 years. — Brian Hagenbuch

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 39

BOATS & GEAR

PROPULSION

explosives from one military base to another. But on one fateful day, he began piloting the members of the Jacuzzi Company. “I ended up selling them a Navajo aircraft and becoming their corporate pilot,”

When another company bought Jacuzzi, they wanted to shed the marine jet division. “I took out an SBA loan and bought it for pennies on the dollar,” says Hill. “I ran it out of my garage.” Hill built pleasure-craft

“We took a design Herman had from the Navy, a mixed-flow pump, but kept the big nozzle, so we could still get the thrust but give more than 25 knots.” says Hill. “They wanted me to have something to do when I wasn’t flying, so I got into their marine jet division and eventually started doing R&D for them.”

jets, and eventually sold one to a fisherman in Ketchikan, Alaska. “He was very unhappy with it, so I went up there to see what was going on,” Hill says.

Product Spotlight Brian Hagenbuch

Jet-Tech, Oxe, Diesel Outboards make waves in shallow-water operations with new waterjets

new single-stage waterjet from Jet-Tech in collaboration with Diesel Outboards and Oxe Marine AB promises higher efficien-

cy and better cavitation margins than traditional systems. The waterjet — a simple bolt-on replacement to the lower unit of any of the Oxe diesel outboards — made a big splash when it was introduced

More efficient jets for diesel outboards.

recently at the International WorkBoat Show in New Orleans. “We were beyond overwhelmed with the response and the follow-up from WorkBoat. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I was absolutely shocked,” said Douglas Notace, the president of Diesel Outboards. Notace said the key to the new waterjet is that it eliminates the shaft in front of the impeller, making for more efficient, uniform water flow than the standard centrifugal jets. “On a standard waterjet, when the water comes in the intake to go to the impeller face, the water is disrupted by the shaft. You already lose efficiency on your pump because of that shaft. We’ve eliminated that,” Notace said. With this system, the impeller is driven from behind with no disruption of the water before it hits the jet pump. According to Jet-Tech, the “performance is equal to or better than propeller versions and is matched 1:1 to the unit horsepower-driven prop outboard,” a first for any waterjet product to date. “It was a significant investment in time and money, in R&D, in patent researching. We spent just under three years from start to finish to get to where we’re at, but with the orders the way they are, it was worth it,” Notace said. Diesel Outboards started officially taking orders in January, but Notace said had he had jets in hand at the WorkBoat show, he could have sold 16 of them on the floor. A list of nearly two dozen buyers stacked up in less than three days. Strong initial interest is coming in from the commercial fishing market in the Pacific Northwest through the Diesel Outboards Northwest store in Anacortes, Wash. Notace added that there have been early orders from ultrashallow workboats in the Gulf of Mexico that run in the Mississippi Delta, where boats tend run aground on the muck.

“It was the wrong application for that jet, so I came back and started talking to a designer, Herman Schlappi, the only guy I knew who knew jets inside and out. And I started picking his brain. He showed me a design for an axial flow pump, and we started making the high-thrust, low-speed for the seine skiffs.” Looking at other markets, Hill designed a mixedflow pump that became the Hi500. “We took a design Herman had from the Navy, a mixed-flow pump, but kept the big nozzle, so we could still get the thrust but give more than 25 knots. That turned out to be a big hit. We built two, but we ran out of money to produce more, so I went to work for Thrustmaster.” Hill later parted ways with Thrustmaster and now makes a redesigned version of the Hi500, the Hi502, along with the Hi600 and Hi400. The Hill Jets are popular in Bristol Bay, but Hill is not resting on his laurels. “I think there is still performance to be gained,” he says. “What excites me is figuring out how to do what hasn’t been done yet.” While it’s unlikely that an Arkansas farm boy with little formal education would be leading a design revolution in water jets, Hill hasn’t let that stop him. “Most of this is common sense,” he says.

And while these units are specifically for the diesel outboards, Notace sees the patented system as a scalable product that has a chance to be a game-changer for both outboard and inboard engines. “Now that we have diesel high-torque, we were able to develop a product that is not just for the outboard world, but also for the inboard world. The potential here for revolutionizing waterjets is huge,” Notace said. — Brian Hagenbuch 40 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.” www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

PROPULSION

Running with the jet set New Bristol Bay gillnetters are opening the door to competition in the jet propulsion industry

Hamilton Jet

By Paul Molyneaux

Hamilton Jet pits its new conical impeller, mixed-flow HTX30 against the competition in the Bristol Bay gillnetter market.

hen a typical Bristol Bay gillnetter goes screaming out to an opening and sets its gear in water where a seagull can almost stand, chances are about 50-50 that it’s being propelled by a Hamilton jet. Hamilton has dominated the industry for years, and for many good reasons, but as Hamilton’s sales rep Matt Gordy, says: “There’s a lot of good competition out there.” For Bristol Bay boats, Hamilton is meeting the competition with the HTX30. “That’s our new tapered impeller, mixed-flow jet.” The HTX30 features a conical wear ring so that the impeller tip tolerance can be reset as it wears down. “We just put a pair on a Beaver Valley boat,” says Gordy, who notes that it may be the last from the builder. “It’s got our new AVX electronic control system, with all the bells and whistles. It’s got the Mouseboat/3-axis controller, it’s got the handheld remote for the aft deck, so it’s going to be a very advanced bay boat.” The handheld control comes with a 9-meter umbilical that can plug into a bulkhead fitting and give the skipper complete control including lateral movement.

“It does the math for you, so those complex maneuvers where you would be dropping a bucket and raising a bucket and then steering to counter to create that lateral movement — our Mouseboat or joystick does that for you.” When it comes to service, Gordy believes Hamilton has the best. “We have the largest spare parts inventory in the world,” he says. “And we have our own foundries and are making our own parts from raw materials, which is pretty unique.”

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Hamilton Jet

Hamilton Jet offers new AVX electronic controls that include the Mouseboat, above, and handheld remote control for on deck.

One of Hamilton’s service managers, Colin Davis, recalls being in Bristol Bay just prior to the opening of salmon season, when a customer came to him with a serious problem. “I was walking through the boatyard, meeting people, and this guy came and his thrust bearing was failing. I went to see the boat, and the bearing was growling. I arranged for all the parts to get GoldStreaked to Anchorage. I picked them up and flew out to King Salmon and was able to rebuild his front end there in time for him to go fishing, all in all it was three days.” The Finnish marine jet builder Alamarin has been around for decades but is a relative newcomer to the Bristol Bay fishery, having made an entry with its Omega 42 and Omega 37 jets. “We put an Omega 42 on a boat built in Homer, the Evo,” says John Miele, Alamarin sales manager for Asia and the Pacific. “The owner wanted a jet with the power to get up on step with 20,000 pounds, to get those fish to the tender faster.” The Omega 42 can handle up to 2,040 horsepower, and the Omega 37 can take up to 1,200 horsepower, and both feature Alamarin’s dual-angle shaft, as well as a conical impeller housing that can be shimmed as the impeller wears. When it comes to competition, Alamarin is betting on service to attract new customers. “We are setting up a service center in Naknek,” says Miele. “It will be fully stocked with parts and technicians, and there won’t be any delays waiting for parts or service. No one wants to hear that a mechanic is flying up from Seattle.” In a fishery where some captains say they’re losing $50,000 for every day they can’t fish, Alamarin could make waves. Marine Jet Propulsion’s UltraJet is also growing its reputation in the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. Fisherman and boatbuilder Tom Allioti prides himself in choosing only the best components for his boats. His company, NTG Fabrication, equipped their 2021 vessels, including Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 41

BOATS & GEAR

PROPULSION

Product Spotlight Bayou to Bristol Bay: NamJet goes niche

ike many of the big jet makers,

NamJet

has

spent much of the last few Alamarin

years cashing in on the shift from propellers to jets in Bristol Bay. Phil Organ, NamJet’s director of business mates

development, his

company

The Finnish company Alamarin entered the Bristol Bay jet market in 2019 with its high-thrust Omega 42 and Omega 37 water jets.

estihas MJP

around 130 bay boats with his company’s jets. “That’s been our go-to for a while now. Over the last

NamJet expands on Alaska markets with niche fisheries.

eight or 10 years, waterjets have almost become standard up there. Most of them that I’ve done are 730- or 750-horse, but they go all the way up to 800-horsepower,” Organ said. Organ added that a large part of NamJet’s bay projects have been 24-inch, single inline jets paired with Scania or Man engines. Another staple for NamJet in the past years has been seine skiffs for Alaska’s salmon fleet. “We have so many seine skiffs in Alaska with our jets that I’ve lost count,” Organ said. But while NamJet continues to supply Alaska, they have branched out into other niche fisheries, most notably the menhaden fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico and Chesapeake Bay. The menhaden fishery uses two seiners, typically 44 feet long, that ride on the back of large steamer, then roll out to scoop up schools of fish that are then pumped onto the steamer. The seiners have traditionally been fitted with caged propellers, but fishermen suspected the props were spooking the fish.

the graphics wrapped Killer, with UltraJets. “For 35 years, Marine Jet Power has been redefining the waterjet market with innovation and unsurpassed quality,” says MJP marketing manager, Kelsey Nemeth. “Engineered and built in Sweden, MJP’s proven stainless steel, mixed-flow and aluminum, axial-flow waterjets are used in many diverse applications, including commercial fishing.” According to Nemeth, the UltraJet is designed with low operating costs and ease of maintenance in mind. “The team at MJP believes in a full-service approach,”

says Nemeth. “From performance and efficiency to aftermarket support and service, MJP is a true marine propulsion partner.” As Hamilton Jet’s Matt Gordy says, “there’s a lot of good competition out there,” and the primary beneficiaries will be the Bristol Bay fishermen. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.” For more boats & gear content, download our new mobile app available for Android and iOS devices.

“There was some thought that the jets would be quieter and not disturb the pods of menhaden, and it has proved a fact. The waterjets just don’t give off a noise signature that bothers the fish,” Organ said. The jets also allow the seiners to get up to speed quicker, which allows them to get from the steamer to the fish more quickly, and then shortens their circling time when the boats circumnavigate a pod of menhaden. NamJet is also trying to crack the market for Alaska combination seiners. Organ added that company is also having conversations with Dungeness crab fishermen who fish California’s kelp-laden waters. “They have a trouble with the kelp, and the waterjets do well in Alamarin

kelp. The reason they’re exploring it with us is because our jets operate at a lower RPM. Plus we have a device that protects kelp from wrapping itself around the shaft of the jet,” Organ said. — Brian Hagenbuch

42 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

The Royal Pain, built by Reutov Boat in Canby, Ore., sports twin Hamilton HJ364 jets powered by Cummins QSC 8.3 engines. www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

THRUSTERS

POWER PODS: THRUSTERS

MAXIMIZE FUEL EFFICIENCY Azimuth thrusters are a different stroke for new boats, but offer remarkable fuel efficiency and maneuverability By Paul Molyneaux

he Washington-based seafood company Alaskan Leader Seafoods launched the 184-foot longliner Northern Leader in 2013, winning innovation awards for designer, Jensen Maritime. The Northern Leader was the fi rst diesel-electric fishing vessel launched, using four Caterpillar C32s, two C18s and a C9 to power two Schottel rudder propellers type SRP1012FP at 1,000 kW each. “They saved $500,000 in fuel the fi rst year. So their payback for going

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diesel electric was 4 to 5 years,” says Jonathan Parrott, senior naval architect at Jensen. Three years later, in 2016, another Northwest fishing company, Blue North, launched the 191-foot longliner Blue North. Designed by Norwegian naval architects and engineers, Skipteknisk, the Blue North is also powered by Cat gensets driving electric motors and Schottel Z-drive rudder propellers. The company reported impressive fuel savings, around 30 percent. Surprisingly few vessels

Schottel rudder propeller type SRP1012FP Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 43

Schottel photos

Schottel just celebrated its 100th birthday. Located in Germany’s Rhine Valley, where the company began in 1921, Schottel continues to build its propellers to exacting standards.

BOATS & GEAR

THRUSTERS

— newbuilds or major conversions — have picked up on the technology since then. “There are definitely applications for the Z-drive and L-drive on longline vessels, even factory trawlers,” says Schottel’s West Coast Account Manager Ingi Huswick. “There are a lot of advantages. When you get to these larger vessels, one of the more complex things can be the long, complex shaft line that’s a maintenance headache, and it’s also going through your tankage and taking up space. With the Z-drive or L-drive, you have options for installation where you don’t have to build around the

“Our equipment maximizes efficiency.” — Ingi Huswick, Schottel

shaft line.” Huswick explains that both Z-drive and L-drive are azimuth thrusters — able to rotate 360 degrees — the Z-drive requires two gearboxes, one up at the motor and one down in the propeller, while the L-drive the motor is mounted on top of the propeller

Product Spotlight Solid and powerful, Wesmar thrusters work

ashington state-based Wesmar has been turning out solid, reliable, and powerful bow and stern

thrusters for the commercial fishing industry for more than 55 years. Bryan Thiemann, Wesmar’s account sales manager for the United States, said the company’s longevity and reliability have made their products ubiquitous across the nation’s fisheries. Wesmar

“If it’s a commercial fishing boat, it potentially has our stuff on it,” Thiemann said. Part of Wesmar’s success comes from their unique design, Thiemann added. Each Wesmar thruster has two counter-rotating four-

Dual props increase thrust and efficiency.

blade Kaplan propellers. The dual-prop system raises efficiency by splitting power between two different gear sets, and the wash from the forward propeller is picked up by the aft, creating greater thrust. Wesmar bow and stern thrusters run from 5- to 500-horsepower, and the efficient dual propellers add up to more thrust per horsepower unit. This means space savings on smaller boats. “For instance, with the Bristol Bay gillnetters, which is a big market for us, they’re often very shallow-draft vessels, so they don’t have a ton of space for a bow thruster. The Wesmar allows them more thrust in a smaller profile tunnel,” Thiemann said. Gillnetters, Thiemann said, typically use thrusters with 8-inch propellers, but Wesmar offers 12 sizes running all the way up to 48-inch propellers, covering a wide range of boats across many fisheries. Solid stainless construction has been another key to Wesmar’s presence in the fishing industry. “All of our thrusters, bow and stern, are full stainless steel construction. It’s 305 cast. We have stainless housings, gears, bearings, props. Everything we do is commercial duty… and manufactured in the USA. We’ve been doing it since 1965, and we make quality products that are built to last,” Thiemann said. Thiemann noted that thrusters that are 25 or 30 years old often come into Wesmar’s shop in Arlington, Wash., and need just a simple seal and O-ring service to get back on the water. According to Wesmar, they use “the highest quality seals to the input and output shafts to prevent water ingress and oil leakage.” Service on the seals is simple because the thrusters do not have to be taken apart to swap out seals. Wesmar’s two-bolt drop-in design makes retrofits simple for metric tunnels, with a couple models that can easily replace Max Power, Side Power, and Vetus thrusters. All Wesmar thrusters can be run on hydraulic power or a choice of DC 12-, 24-, or 48-volt power or AC variable speed.

44 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

— Brian Hagenbuch

and eliminates the need for the upper gear box. “Our equipment maximizes efficiency,” says Huswick. “Eliminating the rudders, for example. Even when the rudder is turned a little, you start losing propulsion because you’re pushing against it. You can lose up to 30 percent efficiency when it’s turned hard.” The system also gains efficiency in the way it manages power. “There’s also a lot of redundancy in the system,” Huswick says. “With all those generator sets, you can run both drives with one or two, and the failure rate on an electric motor is much lower than on your typical diesel engine.” According to Huswick, the system utilizes a load share module to shift loads between engines, enabling each engine to run at maximum efficiency. “I may shut down some engines, or shift power where it’s needed,” he says. Maintenance on the rudder propellers used on the Northern Leader is vital. Failure of the seals would wreak havoc on the units. “We did our five-year ABS overall on it after six years of service,” says Huswick. “We replaced all the seals and bearings. It only took a day or two, but those technicians don’t www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

THRUSTERS

come cheap, and it can be an expensive process.” In spite of all the check marks in the

Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.”

Alaskan Leader Seafoods

The Northern Leader was the first big U.S. fishing vessel to be equipped with azimuth thrusters, leading to fuel savings of $500,000 in the first year.

stick with what they know, especially if they’re going to be out in the Bering Sea. We’re also not building a lot of new boats, and so we’re not seeing people move to the Z-drive.” Keith Singleton, president of the value-added division of Alaskan Leader Seafoods, reports that the captain of the Northern Leader appreciates the maneuverability the Z-drive propellers give him. “I know they like it mainly because they can stay on the gear when they’re hauling,” says Singleton. When asked if Alaskan Leader would use Z-drives on any future boats the company might build, Singleton is unequivocal. “Absolutely!” he says.

plus column, Z-drives and L-drives remain rare in commercial fishing fleets. “I think fishermen would rather

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 45

BOATS & GEAR

SONAR

The Sonar Challenge

SEAPIX DRILLS DOWN About 10 years ago, iXblue set its sights on building a sonar that fishermen want By Paul Molyneaux

bout 10 years ago, iXblue — a French tech company headquartered on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea — identified fisheries as a potential market and began asking fishermen what they wanted in a sonar. “We found that fishermen want two things,” says Christophe Corbières, Fishery sales developer at iXblue. “They want to know the volume of the target shoal, and they want to be able to discriminate species.” To that end, iXblue designed the Seapix sonar system, a pricey but top of the line tool for fishermen who want to have a good idea what they’re setting their nets on. The system begins with a Mills Cross transducer with 256 beams on each axis.

Christophe Corbières photos

Seapix can display the boat, the bottom and the targeted catch in real time, providing skippers with much of the information they need to make quick decisions.

46 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

A full bag aboard the Alaska Victory. Seapix helps skippers know what’s going to be in the net before they set it.

Bay Welding photo

“It looks ahead and the side 120 degrees,” says Corbières. “We are using the same transducer geometry that astronomers use to listen to deep space, adapted for the sea.” iXblue made the transducer 48 centimeters in diameter, so it could

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

SONAR

Product Spotlight Furuno’s dual-function pocket transducers

couple of new transducers from Furuno have

found traction with fishermen looking for more precise target species identification and 3-D sounder mapping.

fit the housing size of comparable transducers. “We made it very compact,” says Corbières. “We also shortened the distance between transducer elements and the analog to digital converter.” According to Corbières, shortening that distance is what helps reduce noise and create a clearer image. “There are a total of 512 beams,” he says. “If you can imagine a pyramid of signal, at a depth of 100 meters, each side of the base of that pyramid would be 370 meters. That is a tremendous quantity of data that we recover every 5 seconds.” In addition to quantity, Corbières notes that the quality of the data is also a priority. And when it comes to discriminating the size and species of flatfish, that’s a problem Seapix is hoping to solve. “Right now, there is huge demand for this. Flatfish is complicated. We have vertical resolution of 7 centimeters,” he says, noting that skippers tune the system to their particular fisheries, learn to read the information Seapix provides, and fi ll in To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

the gaps based on experience. “In the future, we will divide that resolution in half. We will have 3.5 centimeters of vertical resolution. That will help with flatfish, and our customers are asking for that. In 160 fathoms, Seapix is transmitting at 150 kilohertz.” In order to attain high resolution at depth, Corbières notes, requires 20 times the equivalent energy of a low-frequency sonar. “We are concentrating that energy into very narrow beams that are 1.5 degrees.” In 2016 and 2018, Corbières spent weeks in the Bering Sea aboard a number of different trawlers, most of which were fishing for Pacific ocean perch, Atka mackerel and cod. These are fisheries that can utilize Seapix capacity to be steered to within 30 degrees of the surface, and where Seapix appears to be paying off, for now. “I spent three weeks on the Alaska Victory,” he says. “I spent a week on the Evie Grace, out of Kodiak, a week on the Northern Patriot, and four days on the Golden Alaska.” The point to the

Matt

Wood,

Furuno’s

national sales manager, said while his company’s recent Furuno

Seapix display shows vessel track in relation to observed fish concentrations, in yellow. The graph alongside shows the predicted composition of the targeted fish concentration.

progress has been held up by the pandemic, Furuno has managed to add to the number of transducers they are producing, with the most

Furuno transducers cover 3-D sounders and CHIRP fish finders from a single unit.

growth coming from 3-D transducers. In particular, he pointed to two new high-performance, pocket mount combination transducers in the 3-D market, the 165T/265LH-PM488 and the 165T/275LHW. “By combination, we mean these transducers feed the multibeam sounder for the DFF-3-D but then it also provide the low/high CHIRP frequencies for our CHIRP Fishfinder. That’s the CHIRP Fishfinder that’s built into our TZT3 multifunction display and is available in our network sounder for the earlier models as well,” Wood said. Wood said boats in the 30- to 60-foot range are taking an interest in the 165T/265LH-PM488 transducer. “We have definitely seen some of the Delta-style boats up in Alaska start gravitating in this direction. CHIRP fishfinding has kind of taken the world by storm pretty much everywhere, and we’re seeing it in just about any kind of commercial fishing,” Wood said. The CHIRP fishfinders are especially popular in fisheries where precise target discrimination is important. The other transducer, the 165T/275LHW, is a larger pocket mount unit with a wider beam angle, allowing for even better species target identification. The wider beam makes the fish targets distinguishable, while the transducer’s low-end frequency allows for users to see deep, and the high frequency shows the top of the water column. Wood said that the pocket transducer model has been especially appealing for the fiberglass boat market because the transducer is installed in a pocket that sits inside glass hulls. “They really become integral to the hull. They have proven very popular in go-fast center-console boats, especially in stepped hulls where you really can’t have a transducer aft of the step. This is an opportunity for guys to have really good fishfinder coverage on the CHIRP side but also getting mapping performance in excess of 30 knots. So it’s both a multipurpose and a special purpose transducer,” Wood said.

— Brian Hagenbuch

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 47

BOATS & GEAR

SONAR

A comparison of how much Atka mackerel Seapix predicted would be caught (blue line) and what was actually caught on the 2018 Alaska Victory trip.

trips was to ground-truth what Seapix was seeing and what skippers were landing. “The results were good,” says Corbières.

“The true catch was 85 percent of what Seapix predicted for Atka mackerel, 90 percent for cod, and 95 percent for POP.” Corbières

Product Spotlight A smaller sonar with bigger features

imrad has expanded its array of fishing-finding omni-sonar devices with the Simrad SY50, a new, Simrad

smaller device that will bring traditional big-boat sonar features to smaller coastal fishing vessels. Much like its larger predecessors, the compact SY50 has 256 channels for receiving and transmitting, including single-ping and FM transmission and a sensor

Simrad brings big boat sonar to smaller vessels.

for pitch and roll compensation. A frequency range of 54 to 60 kHz, adjustable at 0.5kHz, allows for surveying as deep as 2,000 meters, while omnidirectional sonar beams sweep the water from plus-10 degrees to minus 60 degrees around the vessel. According to Mads Diedrik Dahl, the vice president of fishery sales for Kongsberg Maritime, which owns Simrad, all this comes at a price point that is viable for smaller operations. “It’s very satisfying for us to offer such high-end functionality on such a compact sonar, and at such an affordable price,” Dahl said. And it is not just the affordability that makes it an option for smaller vessels. The compact unit also fits on boats with limited space. Simrad shrunk the sonar down by packing all the transceiver electronics into the transducer, eliminating the need for a cabinet dedicated to transceivers. This is not just a space saver; it also cuts back on static from the sonar and makes for easier installation. Installation is further simplified with a single Ethernet cable that strings together the small operating panel on the bridge with the computer, hull unit, and power source. The unit can be run on DC power, another reason it is viable for smaller boats that often do not have three-phase power systems. No fan and no moving parts makes the computer uniquely suited to the marine environment, and the sonar runs Simrad’s proven, easy-to-process Winson software, which is available in nearly 20 languages. “We wanted to issue a product that would provide new possibilities for budget-conscious crew on fishing vessels who have traditionally tended to miss out on more sophisticated sonar features, and with the SY50, we think we’ve achieved that goal,” Dahl said. — Brian Hagenbuch

48 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

notes that they also connected to the Marport net sensors and trawl camera, and saw that some species were better at avoiding the net, which he believes might explain some of the discrepancy between what Seapix saw and what was landed. Corbières is also selling the system to purse seiners that can use a double or triple transducer installation mounted looking forward and sideways so as to scan from the surface to bottom and 120 degrees from the bow. Jeff Barnett is one of the skippers of the 225-foot freezer trawler Alaska Victory, owned by Ocean Peace, and he took Corbières out to the Aleutians in 2018. “There were about five days there where all we could do was jog. We were outside and had no protection.” When the wind died down, though, Barnett and Corbières got to tuning the Seapix system. “When it comes to round fish, the mackerel and POP, that’s when it really works,” says Barnett. “There’s a lot of times there’ll be a lot of plankton in the water, and it’ll show up like fish. My mate and I will be thinking we’ll have a full bag in an hour, then we bring it aboard and there’s nothing there. It’ll show up like that on the Furuno and the Seapix, but the Seapix has a graph along the side that will tell you if it’s all garbage.” That’s the key aspect of the Seapix system, according to Barnett. He has a boat to fi ll with fish, and Seapix helps him make the best use www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

SONAR

Seapix,” says Barnett. The French company is still the new kid on the block, 10 years in. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.”

BJ5000EX; ROLLERS MACKEREL/SQUID ACCESSORIES NET/TRAP HAULERS FAST - FRIENDLY SERVICE - SAME DAY SHIPPING

Atka mackerel and Pacific ocean perch tumble onto a conveyor below deck on the Alaska Victory.

of his time instead of wasting it chasing plankton. “It’s the same with pollock. We fish pollock sometimes, and the Seapix will tell you what size they are, at least keep you from setting on peewees. Those fish come aboard, you’ve got to take them.” On his last trip, Barnett found the system wasn’t working. “I called Chris [Corbières], and we did all the tests and found the system was running on demo mode because the whole transducer was gone.” Barnett points out that communications technology has changed the service environment. “I might not even need to go in,” he says. “Sometimes I can contact Chris by Whatsapp and solve the problem. I can show him what I’m seeing, and he can tell me what’s going on.” Ocean Peace appears to be sold on Seapix, having put it on other boats in its fleet. Barnett notes that the Alaska Victory will be getting the latest version, one that can spot flatfish. “It’s supposed to be good for flatfish, I’m hoping they’ll show up on it,” he says. At $100,000 for a single transducer system, plus installation, not everyone is jumping on the Seapix bandwagon. “As far as I know, we are the only factory trawlers using

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Alaska Victory Captain Jeff Barnett observes multiple Seapix screens and uses his growing familiarity with the technology to make a decision about whether to set his net or move on. To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 49

BOATS & GEAR

Ocean Peace photos

BOATBUILDING

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

BAYOU TO THE BERING SEA The team at Ocean Peace makes a fishing boat out of offshore supply vessel By Paul Molyneaux

hen a fishing company needs more catching capacity, there are generally two choices: build a new boat or sponson one of your old ones. But the number of decommissioned supply boats from the Gulf of Mexico oil industry has expanded a third option: convert an OSV into a fishing boat. Ocean Peace chose option three and sent the first Amendment 80 catcher boat to Alaska in August 2021. Steve Becker, port engineer and project manager for Ocean Peace, a Seattle based fishing company operating primarily in Alaska’s Bering Sea, went down to the Gulf Coast in the spring of 2019 looking for a vessel of around 250 feet to convert a big oil supply boat into another catcher-processor. “When I got down there, I noticed all these 150-footers, and I called our CEO, Mike Farris, and said, ‘Hey, there’s a lot of smaller boats down here that could make good catcher vessels,’” Becker says. Farris gave him the green light to find a smaller boat, and on May 25, 2019, Becker was making the passage through the Panama Canal aboard the Wes Bordelon, a

National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

The Bering Hope charges through northern seas with a new bow configuration and power package.

131-foot offshore supply vessel built at Bollinger Shipyard in Lockport, La., in 2001. “Of all the boats we looked at, she was the cleanest and best kept up,” says Becker. “So many times, they just haul them out and leave them. And they go to downhill pretty quick.” One of the mates from another Ocean Peace vessel came to help make the passage and was less than impressed with Becker’s choice. “He got looking around and started making comments. He said, ‘Steve, we got to do something about the bow.’ And he didn’t like the wheelhouse — it was quarter-inch steel with 36-inch framing and big windows. He said the first big sea would just sweep it away. I said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll make a boat out of her.’” The Wes Bordelon reached Seattle in early June 2019, and the work began. “We hauled her out at North Lake Shipyard,” says Becker. “We added about 10 feet to the stern. The propellers were close to the stern, and I thought it would

www.nationalfisherman.com

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

just be a matter of time before one of the trawl doors got in there. We also needed it so we could get a stern ramp in there.” At North Lake the Wes Bordelon also lost its unimpressive bow, as well as its name. Mark Siberg, a lofter, helped Becker create a higher bow that also included a Schottel thruster. “It’s all mathematical when it comes to predicting what a material will do as it travels through space,” says Siberg, owner of a Argonaut Marine, the company through which he has been providing lofting support to the boatbuilding industry “for a long time.” Siberg uses and has developed software to do lofting for various projects. “Usually, I listen to what the owner is trying to accomplish and try to help them get there. In this case they wanted to keep the pilothouse dry. So the question was, how we could extend the bow without making it really obvious that it was a bow extension?” Siberg said. He started by measuring the boat. “Then we worked out a hull form to carry those lines up without a visible knuckle or unfairness in order to give them the bow that they were hoping for.” As far as Becker is concerned, it worked. “It does exactly what we hoped it would,” he says. “Sends the water out away from the wheelhouse.” While hauled out, Becker also oversaw installation of new kort nozzles and deflector rudders.

One feature that concerned the Ocean Peace team was the Wes Bordelon’s low, short bow that left a lightly constructed wheelhouse vulnerable to big waves.

With lofting help from Mark Siberg and Redline Welding, the Bering Hope headed to Alaska with a bow that could keep the wheelhouse safe and dry.

Inside the Bering Hope Home port: Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Engine: Cummins KTA38-M1

Speed: top 13 knots; cruising 11 knots

Owner: Ocean Peace Inc.

Generator: 2 99-kW Cummins 6CTAs

Hold capacity: None

Builder: Bollinger Shipyard, Amelia, La.; Converted by Ocean Peace in Seattle

Bow thruster: Schottel STT1 10LK/ Cummins M1 4TA

Crew accommodations: 10

Hull material: Steel

Power train: Twin Disc MG5301DC 4.96/1; Shaft 6” x 310” AQ22HS; Prop 72” x 53” Kaplan-style, four-blade, stainless

Year built: 2001 Fishery: Amendment 80/Yellowfin Sole Length: 156’ 2” Beam: 36’

Hydraulics: 1,200 gallons, 4 pumps, 136 GPM, Cummins QSK19 for power

Draft: 11’6”

Fuel capacity: 79,700 gallons

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Electronics: Furuno radars, Seapix fish finder, Simrad sonar, Marport net monitors, Olex, Maverick satellite system Deck Gear: Rapp split winches, Rapp net reels, a range of Pullmaster winches, and SOW winches

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 51

BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

“We got the deflector rudders from Lowell Stambaugh,” says Becker. “And we had an electrolysis problem with the shafts so we had new ones made at Sound Propeller here in Seattle. They’re Aquamet-19, 307-inch, 6 inches in diameter.” At the yard they also put in a new stern shoe bearings and did the alignment on the shafts. “We kept the original engines,” says Becker. “Those are Cummins KTA 38s. They were 800 horsepower, but we had them rebuilt to 1,000.” The KTA 38s are turbocharged, 38 liter,V-12s. Built in England, they can be fitted with mechanical or electric fuel injectors. While rated as Tier I engines, because they were original, they escaped Tier IV requirements for engines over 815 horsepower. In addition, Ocean Peace installed a new Cummins QSK19 to run the hydraulics. “It’s got two 6 CTA Cummins generators,” says Becker. The inline 6-cylinder, 8.3 liter QSK19, can be set up to generate anywhere between 224 and 321 kilowatts. According to Becker, they put the boat back in the water and Sean Testa, of Jensen Maritime conducted a preliminary stability test on the boat. “We were planning on adding a lot of steel above the waterline,” says Becker. “We wanted to make sure she could take it.” Mark Siberg helped again with lofting a new shelterdeck and wheelhouse. “I got more involved in the concept phase than I normally do,” says Siberg. “But it worked out. Lofting a wheelhouse is different than when you have all those materials in motion. It’s simpler.” Ocean Peace had the topside work done at Western Towboat Co., and Northern Pioneer Dock, with most of the work done at the Northern Pioneer Dock, just across the canal from the Fishermen’s Terminal. One of the first challenges Becker faced in converting what he refers to as a Caribbean mud boat, into a commercial fishing boat is the vessels low freeboard. “Because she’s classed we had to pay attention to how much water could be on deck. So, one of the things we had to was put flappers on the scuppers, so

they would let water out, but not let water back in.” In addition, Becker notes, they added a fiberglass grate 18 inches above the main deck. “We wanted to dry it up for the crew,” says Becker. “We didn’t want them sloshing around in a lot of water.” Having taken off the wheelhouse and the old bulwarks along the extensive deck, the Ocean Peace crew started putting on steel. “Our crew averaged about eight to 10 guys,” says Becker. “This was a fill-in project, for when people didn’t have other things to do. If we need to we would bring crew over from other boats. Redline Welding, they did all the welding. They were our key guys.” The Redline team built up new bulwarks, a shelterdeck, and new wheelhouse according to the loftings provided by Argonaut Marine. And according to Becker, surveyor Jesus Larringa kept them on track as far as building everything according to class. “We classed the boat with RINA,” says Becker. “It’s an Italian classification society.” RINA, the Registro Italiano Navale, was founded in Genoa, Italy — home port of Christopher Columbus — in 1861. “For example, we have to have a certain amount of freeing ports for the volume of water that could come on deck for each section of the boat. That’s why you see those big scuppers around the bow on the shelter deck. Everything has to be approved. Sometimes it got to be a little bit of a hairdo. We had to build tunnels under the shelter deck to meet the standards.” The Bering Hope will usually carry a crew of five, with three staterooms on the shelterdeck below the wheelhouse, and two larger staterooms on the main deck. “We have accommodations for 12, in case we do any survey work. Right now, we turned one of them into a storeroom.” Below decks the Bering Hope has only the engine room with the main and auxiliary engines, and tankage for fuel, ballast and fresh water. “She’s a catcher vessel,” says Becker. “So there’s no fish hold, she just takes the bag to the processing vessel. We store extra web and gear under the shelter deck along the sides of the main deck.”

The Bering Hope at Northlake Shipyard in Seattle, the Redline Welding crew prepares to add another 10 feet to the stern.

One goal was to keep the doors out of the propellers and add a stern ramp. The boat also got new shafts, kort nozzles and deflector rudders.

52 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

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BOATS & GEAR

BOATBUILDING

Graced with a new bow, wheelhouse, and stern, along with higher sides and a shelterdeck, the Bering Hope nears completion at the Western Pioneer Dock in Seattle.

Deck gear consists of two Rapp MacGregor winches, each holding 2,400 meters (7,900 feet) of 26-millimeter (1-inch) wire. In addition to the Rapp winches the deck includes a range of Pullmaster winches for the gilson, cod end, and sweep; and an SOW 300, a third-wire winch for the net monitors. “There’s two net reels,” says Becker, so they can spool the net out to work on it, and there’s third transfer reel for changing the nets.” In addition to a 3-ton Rapp crane, two gantries fore and aft offer points of lift for the gear. They also house the stacks for the engines. “All the exhaust runs up through aft gantry, and then the thruster and the hydraulic engine come out the forward gantry,” says Becker. The electronics aboard the Bering Hope, mostly supplied by Lunde Marine Electronics, leave little to guess work. “They’ve got the full package,” says Becker. “Everything, including the Seapix-F sonar, which is the latest and greatest. It’s made in France.” The rest of the package includes two Furuno Radars, a Furuno FCV1900 sounder, a Simrad ES80 sonar, Simrad FS70 trawl sonar, Marport net monitoring system, Olex bottom builder, ECC To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

globe charts. “All the electronics are down below on the shelterdeck,” says Becker. The vessel may be the first in the United States to use the Avitech Marine multiview system, designed to give vessel operators a single adaptable display for all the data and imagery they’re using. “The only thing in the wheelhouse are the displays. And the captain can configure those the way they want them.” The electronics also include a Maverick satellite system. “They make trips of 21 to 28 days,” says Becker. “The crew can get on there to do backing, check email, things like that, but not a lot more, the data is still expensive.” The boat made its first trip to Alaska in August 2021 and spent 3 1/2 months in the Bering Sea. “The boat is big for a catcher, but OPI [Ocean Peace Inc.] wanted a large catcher boat for greater endurance and one that could withstand the rougher seas that the smaller vessels cannot,” says the boat’s captain, Arron Burbach. “One of the biggest benefits of this boat’s size is its ability to ride the swells. She’s not so small as to get thrown around, but not too big to slam between sets. The bow design perfectly breaks the swell. Not only can

this boat withstand rough waters, we can still tow through them with no problem. Because of this, the BH is absolutely a producer.” Burbach is also thrilled with the electronics package and the Avitech Multiview system. “The electronic system on the BH is state of the art,” says Burbach. “Lunde Marine did an excellent install of all the systems in the wheelhouse. Everything is run through the Avitech Marine Multiview system. I for one, love it! It allows me to focus more on the job of fishing, maneuvering and crew safety rather than fumbling through less advanced systems to get the information I need quickly. The multiview camera system allows me to see the guys on the deck and in the mechanical areas. The aesthetics rival the functionality; it’s a fun system!” While Burbach, Becker and Ocean Peace are pleased, there will always be refinements made as the boat spends more time fishing. But for now, Becker and Ocean Peace are pleased and proud to have made a state of the art fishing vessel out of a mud boat that might have rusted away on the coast of Louisiana. Paul Molyneaux is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman and author of “The Doryman’s Reflection.” Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 53

CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE 43’ CHESAPEAKE BAY - 1973 Build (1973) Wood Port Haywood, VA.“Margaret-Mary” documented.“Fishery” Draft 5” – Net tons 13-17 GRTPower Detroit, V8-71 235 HP, F.W.C., 2 ½ to Trans: 2” 5/5 shaft 4 blade brass, enclosed head. Tow-Bar 6’ 5.5. open stern aluminum Tower Hydraulic – steer Diesel fuel tanks-100 gal-each (200.) Windlass/Bow 12 knots – 8 GAL/HR. Strong. Multi-use – Year 1991-2015, on hard restoration, fish plates. New “oak” keel end cutlass skeg keel shoe. Rudder assembly rebuilt. R/E tow boat. Fishing Parties. Cruise. Mooring details. Recreational. Search and rescue. Needs Navigational electronics, Buzzards Bay, MA. Price: Priced to sell! Reasonable offers accepted! Contact: Earl 508-994-3575.

REDUCED! 31’ JC EAST COAST 1979 LOBSTER BOAT Split hull design, Wheelhouse raised about 16”, New B Series, Turbo Road 250h Cummins with 1500 hrs. Two bunks. 12” crab block and davit. Furuno radar model, a 1622 Furuno GPS navigator ICOM, ICOM 45 VHF, Garman GPS map 2006, ComNav auto pilot w/ exterior joystick, AM/FM CD player w/ interior & exterior speakers, Deck lights, new large electrical panel, 3 access points to engine room, two 8D batteries, Dripless shaft packing, Three blade bronze prop. Price: $44,000 Contact: Doug 805-218-0626

HELP WANTED **LOOKING FOR A USCG LICENSED CHIEF ENGINEER** For an uninspected fishing vessel, a Tuna Purse Seine operation with 4000HP and 1500 MT Cargo Capacity. Must hold a current USCG Engineer’s License, have a minimum 3 years experience with this type of operation. This Full Time position operating out of American Samoa and several other Western Pacific Ports and Requires experience and working knowledge of EMD and CAT engines, R717 Refrigeration / Freezing system, Hydraulic Systems, etc.Please submit Resume and license info to PPFisheries@gmail.com

54 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

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CLASSIFIEDS

BOATS FOR SALE

Public Notice of Auction F/V QUINBY ALLIE

March 22, 2022 2PM F/V QUINBY ALLIE a 90' Commerical Vessel will be sold AS iS and WHERE IS

Public Notice of Auction F/V BELLA SKY

March 22, 2022 10 AM F/V BELLA SKY a 72' Commerical Fishing Vessel will be sold AS iS and WHERE IS

NOTICE OF SALE OF VESSEL BY U.S. MARSHAL CIVIL ACTION NO. 21-CV-10835-ADB UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

NOTICE OF SALE OF VESSEL BY U.S. MARSHAL CIVIL ACTION NO. 21-CV-10841-ADB UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS

NOTICE is hereby given that on March 22, 2022 at 2:00 PM, the F/V QUINBY ALLIE (O.N. 507438), a 90’ Commercial Fishing Vessel constructed of steel, her engines, tackle, machinery, furniture, apparel, appurtenances, fishing permits, etc., will be sold AS IS and WHERE IS, free from all mortgages, liens, and other encumbrances at public auction sale to the highest and best bidder pursuant to the Order issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on November 8, 2021. The sale will take place at 24 North Front Street, New Bedford, MA 02740.

NOTICE is hereby given that on March 22, 2022 at 10:00 AM, the F/V BELLA SKY (O.N. 580932), a 72’ Commercial Fishing Vessel constructed of steel, her engines, tackle, machinery, furniture, apparel, appurtenances, fishing permits, etc., will be sold AS IS and WHERE IS, free from all mortgages, liens, and other encumbrances at public auction sale to the highest and best bidder pursuant to the Order issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on November 8, 2021. The sale will take place at 23 Pope’s Island, Rear, New Bedford, MA 02740. Interested buyers will be allowed to preview the vessel prior to the sale at 23 Pope’s Island, Rear, New Bedford, MA 02740. Please contact Michael Collyer at (508) 996-4110 to schedule an appointment. Immediately after the auction, the successful bidder must deposit the full purchase price, or a minimum deposit of 10% of the successful bid, with the U.S. Marshall by certified check or cashier’s check. The balance, if any, must be paid to the U.S. Marshall in full, by certified check or cashier’s check before the sale is confirmed, on or before March 25, 2022.

Thomas J. Muzyka John J. Bromley CLINTON & MUZYKA, P.C. Board of Trade Building One India Street, Suite 200 Boston, MA 02109 (617) 723-9165

Interested buyers will be allowed to preview the vessel prior to the sale at 24 North Front Street, New Bedford, MA 02740. Please contact Michael Collyer at (508) 996-4110 to schedule an appointment. Immediately after the auction, the successful bidder must deposit the full purchase price, or a minimum deposit of 10% of the successful bid, with the U.S. Marshall by certified check or cashier’s check. The balance, if any, must be paid to the U.S. Marshall in full, by certified check or cashier’s check before the sale is confirmed, on or before March 25, 2022.

To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 55

CLASSIFIEDS

HELP WANTED Seeking potential US Licensed Chief Engineers and Mates That have experience operating and maintaining large scale tuna purse seiners operating in the South Pacific. Carrying capacity of the vessel is 1600MT of Tuna and trip lengths vary from 30 to 60 days. Contract is on a trip by trip basis.

Please contact: schikami@westpacfish.com

BAIT

MARINE GEAR

LOBSTER BAIT FOR SALE $$$ BY THE TOTE, BARREL OR VAT $$$ CALL ERIC 774-217-0501 SOUTH SHORE, MASS

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1580 Chairbar Rd. • Silt, CO 81652 (800) 594-0011 • paratech@rof.net • www.seaanchor.com

MARITIME INJURIES

Place an Ad! Call Wendy (207) 842-5616 wjalbert@divcom

LATTI & ANDERSON LLP

Over 50 years experience recovering multimillion dollar settlements and verdicts representing Fishermen, Merchant Seamen, Recreational Boaters, Passengers and their Families nationwide.

CALL 1-800-392-6072 to talk with Carolyn Latti or David Anderson

www.lattianderson.com 56 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

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CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

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Since 1982 we are a leading provider in quality commercial fishing supply in the United States. We warehouse a huge selection of ready to ship products

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DEPENDABLE 12 VOLT ELECTRIC TRAP HAULERS

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W W W. E L E C T R A - D Y N E . C O M To subscribe, call 1-800-959-5073

Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 57

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

●

PARTS ● SALES ● SERVICE

432 Warren Ave Portland, ME 04103 Phone (207) 797-5188 Fax (207) 797-5953

 Manufacturers of Hydraulic Deck Equipment: Pot Launchers, Crab Blocks, Trawl Winches, Net Reels, Sorting Table, Anchor Winches  Dockside Vessel Conversions and Repairs  Machining, Hydraulics and Fabrications  Suppliers of KYB Motors, Rotzler Winches, Pumps, Cylinders,

Hydrocontrol Valves, Hoses

Phone: 541-336-5593 - Fax: 541-336-5156 - 1-800-923-3625 508 Butler Bridge Road, Toledo, OR 97391

58 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

(New) SpinClearView S-300 Commercial grade marine clear view 12V window. Used on yachts, fishing, police, military, commercial vessels. The SpinClearView S-300 keeps a glass disk free of rain, snow and sea water by a nearly silent and fast rotation of 1500 rpm. $1495.00 OBO view more on tinyurl.com/ycob7ruh Cell/Tx: 707-322-9720 or Contact: david@satinbiz.com

90 Bay State Road Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone (781) 246-1810 Fax (781) 246-5321

BEST BRONZE PROPELLER Sick of pitted and pink props after one session? Ours hold the pitch longer and recondition more times than the brand name props you have been buying and reconditioning every year for the few years they last. Built to your specs not taken off the shelf and repitched or cutdown.

TWIN DISC MARINE TRANSMISSIONS, CATERPILLAR & CUMMINS ENGINES & PARTS. New and rebuilt, Biggest selection of used ENG & Gear parts in the world. Worldwide shipping. Best pricing.

Call Steve Marine Engine & Gear (617) 448-0812 twindiscgears@verizon.net www.nationalfisherman.com

CLASSIFIEDS

MARINE GEAR

ADVERTISER INDEX Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute ...... 13

REDUCED!

Bekina Boots .......................................... 21

Volvo Engine for Sale

CTAMD 63L—236 HP @2500 RPM- 1450 Bobtail Marries up to #3 bell house. 7000 plus hours.

Cascade Engine Center LLC.................. 16 Stubbs Marine ........................................ 27

$7900.00 (was $12,500)

Fraser Marine Products.......................... 36

Divorcee—MUST GO!

Furuno USA ......................................... CV4

CALL Doug —805-218-0626

Gaski Marine Fishing Supplies Inc. ....... 49 Greysam Industrial Services .................. 49 Grundens/Stormy Seas ............................ 3 Highmark Marine Fabrication ................ 34

Keel Coolers

Laborde Products Inc............................. 16 Lignum-Vitae Bearings ........................... 17 Marine Hydraulic Engineering Co Inc .... 36

Trouble free marine engine cooling since 1927!

THE WALTER MACHINE CO, INC Tel: 201-656-5654 • Fax: 201-656-0318 www.waltergear.com

Mitsubishi Turbocharger and Engine America, Inc ............................................ 16 National Fisherman ................................ 37 Pacific Marine Expo ............................ CV3 Port Townsend Shipwrights Co-Op ......... 7 PYI Inc ..................................................... 25

PERMITS

Rugged Seas LLC................................... 25 R W Fernstrum & Company ..................... 7 Walker Engineering Enterprises............. 24 WESMAR ............................................. CV2 Yanmar America ..................................... 12

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Spring 2022 \ National Fisherman 59

Last

set

SEATTLE — PACIFIC MARINE EXPO Bristol Bay setnet captain Taylor Layland wrestles into his survival suit in just 30 seconds after winning the line-splicing heat to compete and claim the title of Fisherman of the Year. Photo by Doug Stewart

60 National Fisherman \ Spring 2022

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BRI DWYER PHOTO

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National Fisherman — Spring 2022

Articles inside

More Power Below

Editor’s Log

Our House

What’s New in Sonar

Northern Lights

Boatbuilding: Finlander II

Book Excerpt

Fishing Then & Now