June 12, 2019
BOATWORK, BOATWORK, AND MORE BOATWORK
We sent Mike off to Bristol Bay on June 2nd. The buildup of leaving for two of the busiest months of the year is always tough, but we're settling into our new normal at home without him. While a trip to visit isn't entirely out of the question, living on a 32-foot boat with a toddler at 8 months pregnant might be a bit more of a challenge than we're up for. Time will tell! We may head out at the end of the season, when things settle down.
The crew is busy at work preparing the F/V Sofia for the upcoming season. She's a (nearly) new boat, built in Anchorage, Alaska in 2017. With powerful twin jets, we'll be able to go into shallow water, where many other boats cannot fish. At 16-feet wide, she's one of the larger boats in Bristol Bay, which means more deck space for storing fish, and more room for the crew to move around.
This year, we have three experienced crew members, and will add one more during the peak of the season, when fish are plentiful and sleep is not. Johnny is a career fisherman and like Mike, he's fished all over Alaska for everything you can think of. He's seen it all- a major asset as a crew member. Our other crew member is Bajan- he's a 20-year-old college student who comes to Alaska during the summer to help pay his way through school in Florida. He's traveled all over the world, and he's an absolute gem. We met him in Homer last year before he headed out to Bristol Bay. Mike scooped him up, and added him to his own crew this year! Silvia is the third crewmember. She's another seasoned fisherman, and she's also an outstanding cook. Mike says he's never eaten so well during fishing season! Finally, Mike's cousin, Matt, from Bellingham, Washington, will join him for the peak of the fishing season, around July 4th. Matt has never fished commercially before, but he brings a wealth of mechanical knowledge, and enthusiasm. Fishing with him will be a dream come true for Mike.
With four outstanding crew members on board, we're confident the season will be spectacular, and we will be bringing you some of the best sockeye salmon you've ever tasted. Each crew member is committed to handling the fish with care, and icing it immediately. Each year, catching and processing becomes more efficient and this results in an even better product. We're excited to send so many of you our preordered sockeye salmon after the season. A huge thank you to everyone that preordered before the season began- it helps us out so much!
Mike sent the photo below and said "first fish of the season." They caught it in a net, during a break in boat work in the remote village of Naknek. They plan to launch the boat and head to Egegik, where they'll likely remain the rest of the season, on June 16th.
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