Inside Alaska

Novels of Life, Love & Danger in The Great Land

Boats & Bits

The Galley

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The galley only fits one person. Starting from the left: the steep steps going from the cabin floor to the deck. The cupboard doors open to reveal the engine. Above, on the countertop, is a propane camp stove. When the boat is working, the stove is plumbed to a 7 gallon propane tank. Next is the sink, which barely holds 2 coffee cups. The cupboards above hold food used daily, like bread and coffee, and plates. Opposite, in the corner, is a drip-oil stove that is used for heating the cabin. Under the counter at the bottom, center, is a small refrigerator. When the boat is working there is a small chest freezer on the flying bridge. Both fridge and freezer run off the inverter, which charges batteries via solar panel and the main engine.

Pumping Pinks

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Delivering to a tender, the fish hold is first flooded with cold salt water, then the fish are pumped aboard the tender. The large grey hose is from the tender’s pump. The photo is taken from the door of the cabin looking at the stern where the net is piled and the skiff floats behind it. The leadline is on the left, web is in the center, and the corkpile is on the right. The catch in the hold is pink salmon (aka humpies). When enough sets are made to fill the fish hold, it has to be pumped out before the boat can continue fishing.

This is a common action throughout the books in the Thunder Bay Seiner Series because it’s a regular part of commercial salmon fishing in southcentral Alaska. #pinksalmon #thunderbayseiners #commercialfishing #alaskansalmon

Jitney

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A jitney is a foot shallow-water seiner with an open deck (no cabin). It has its own net. It’s used for making smaller sets near beaches. When traveling between bays, the jitney is towed on a 2″ thick rope. The skiff (hidden in this photo) is being towed by the jitney.

Net Coming Off

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The net is being lifted by the power block then stacked on a flatbed trailer. Notice the black tarp on the wooden railing, which is to prevent the net from being caught and ripped.

Seiner Controls

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View from the deck (looking forward) on this seiner, from left to right:

  • alongside the cabin is a narrow walkway to get to the bow
  • the three rung ladder going from the main deck to the flying bridge
  • the orange hose is a wash-down hose that forces pumped seawater through, for washing the deck or fish hold.
  • (not shown on this boat) there is often a rain gear locker with hooks inside for hanging bibs, jackets, and gloves
  • the rusty-looking circle with the teal rope is part of the deck winch, used to bring the net in
  • the levers next to the cabin door are the controls for the power block, boom winches, wash-down pump and other gear
  • the cabin door: may be one solid door or may have two separate parts, upper and lower
  • the side roller is on the far-right and it’s used to bring in the net
  • hanging from the main boom is a rope-hauler. The winches attached to the boom are used to move the boom, using hydraulics
  • the aluminum hatches in the bottom, with a slider opening, cover the fish hold, below it