A LITTLE FISH, A LOT OF BOAT WORK
What a week it's been. As planned, we launched the F/V Sofia last week and the crew headed to Egegik to fish their first openers. The first couple fishing periods were very slow- about 200 fish in an 8-hour period. For perspective, on big days, you can catch about 3-4,000 fish in an 8 hour period (sometimes more!)
The new boat continues to have some mechanical problems, and on Monday, after about six hours of fishing, the hydraulics stopped working. A pro at our processing plant in Egegik took a look and couldn't figure out the problem, so they had to head back to Naknek for more help. They just received word that they'll have to take the boat out of the water to do about two days worth of repairs. While it's a bummer to miss openers in Egegik, we're thankful to be getting all these kinks worked out before the fish really start to show up. Historically, the season peaks around July 4th, and we should definitely be ready for it. This is a good lesson that boats, even newer ones, are always full of surprises.
THIS IS WHY WE LOVE YOUR PREORDERS!
Boat maintenance and repair (especially in a remote place) is super expensive. Your preorders help tremendously, as we incur all kinds of expenses before catching any fish. This year has been especially heavy on the boat work, so A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who's already preordered. If you're thinking about preordering and haven't already, now's the time to do it. Seeing your preorders come in makes us really happy and excited. Sending you a portion of our catch is a highlight of every season, and a fisherman's dream come true.
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The time has come when sleep comes in two hour chunks and the deck of the Courageous is filled with fish. The crew is working around the clock, harvesting the world's best wild Alaska sockeye salmon to fill your freezers.
The F/V Courageous is currently in the Nushagak fishing district with about 650 other boats, waiting for the sockeye salmon to strike.
We've been super busy with preseason tasks the past few weeks, and now the F/V Courageous and its crew are on their way to Bristol Bay.