Bristol Bay 2023- Our preseason begins

May 10, 2023

IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF PRESEASON FOR US...

Remember how our engine died before the end of last season? Yeah, that was a real bummer. The good news is, we got a shiny new one, and it's on it's way up to Naknek on the barge as I type. It left Seattle on May 6th and is in one of these shipping containers...

A ride for a boat on top of the barge is around $12,000, for anyone curious.

This presason is different, since the F/V Courageous isn't in Homer. Mike had to leave it in Naknek in the boatyard, since it couldn't run. That means he'll have to do all his boat work there, which means less time with him here. He'll head to Naknek on May 22nd, a couple days after the engine arrives, and will likely stay there until the first season opener on June 15th.

While we'll have less time with him, I will not miss the two weeks leading up to the boat leaving for Bristol Bay. The crew is always eager to get out of here, anxious for the season and for the long journey to Naknek from Homer. If you've been with us for awhile, you've heard me talk about crossing Cook Inlet, and getting hauled out, trailered, and launched into Lake Iliamna. After crossing that huge lake, they have to navigate very shallow water to get to Naknek (known as the "braids.") There are so many things that could go wrong on this journey. Boats fall off the trailer on the haul road, or break props on the braids. SO, taking this part out of our preseason journey is pretty nice.

We optimistic that this Bristol Bay season will be the best one yet! Below is a photo of Dyno testing the new engine. The mechanics run it at full RPM and test the horsepower.