SHE FLOATS!
We launched the boat on Monday the 14th, a few days behind schedule, but everything went great and she's just about ready to make the journey from Homer to the fishing grounds in Naknek.
If you've followed us for awhile, you know that things in the fishing world rarely go as planned. As a serious over-planner, this is something I struggle with. We planned to launch on the 10th, but as Mike got deeper into the boat, more projects popped up. It's vital to get everything in great shape before launching, because getting pulled out of the water is a major hassle, not to mention expense. Our friend, Brad, did some welding before lunching. Mike spent long days in the engine room rewiring and also installed a new prop and shaft.
I was directed to write "Homer" on the back of the boat (our home port) minutes before launching. The previous owner was from Petersburg, Alaska. We planned to have fancy lettering done this year, but for now, a big fat Sharpie written "Homer" will have to do. (It actually looks better than this- Mike took this photo before I jazzed it up a bit). It's a good thing Mike remembered this before launching, as it would be a difficult task to do once in the water.
This is the first year Mike has done boat work in Homer. In years past, the boat has stayed in Naknek during the winter, but last year we decided to bring it back. The trip from Bristol Bay to Homer is not an easy one, which is why many people choose to leave their boat in Naknek instead. More on that journey in our next update. It's been wonderful doing boat work here because we get to work with people we know very well, and we get to spend more time with Mike and the crew before the season. It's fun for the kids to be a part of a little boat work, and I truly think it's a highlight of the year for Owen to spend time with the crew.
So here's what happens when we launch the boat. The boat is stored on blocks, then a travel lift, operated by a boat yard mechanic, is wheeled over to the boat. The mechanic walks beside the lift and controls it with a remote control. The lift is two giant slings in a U-shape that wrap underneath the boat. Once secure, the slings lift the boat up, carry it across the road, and lower it into the water.
After the boat launched, Mike and the crew made their way to Homer harbor to tie up for a few days. Bhajan spent the night on the boat to make sure everything was okay, and Mike came home relieved the boat was looking good.
Mike worked on the boat the next day and had an RSW check scheduled for Wednesday. This is the refrigerated seawater system we use to keep the fish cold and it's vital to our season. He flipped the switch for the RSW and nothing happened. The RSW has never given us any problems before, so he didn't know what the problem was. He called me in a bit of a panic. He had been over everything and all the RSW techs were booked. This is obviously an incredibly busy time.
I asked if maybe a wire was disconnected, since they had done a lot of rewiring last week. That wasn't it. He worried that if it didn't get fixed before leaving Homer on the 19th, he would have to have it fixed in Naknek, and the fish are on the way. There's really no time to deal with issues in Naknek, and there's no telling if anyone will be available.
I asked if he had eaten all day. He said he had eaten a can of sardines, and right after I told him that wasn't enough, a fellow fisherman in his radio group came over with a big slice of pizza.
Shortly after that, he got a phone call back from one of the RSW tech's wives. She said he was booked solid but would "try" to get him in. Mike realized while he was on the phone with her, that he had sold her husband a truck like 20 years ago, and told her he had "given him a great deal!" Gotta love a small town!
Within a couple hours, the tech called Mike back and they talked through what the issue could be. They figured out it was a bad clutch, an easy fix if they could find the part.
The next morning the tech called to tell Mike he was having the last clutch in stock overnighted from Seattle. PHEW. We got lucky on this one. It should be here later today (Friday).
Here's a photo of all the Bristol Bay gillnetters rafted up in the Homer harbor. There's not room to fit them all along the docks, so they tie up to each other, sometimes as many as 6 boats deep.
As of last night, the plan was to leave on the 19th at 12:01am, since it's bad luck to leave on a Friday. Rumor has it, there's bad weather coming though, so they may postpone a day or two.
Photo by Homer photographer Don Pitcher
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