Inside Alaska

Novels of Life, Love & Danger in The Great Land

Boats & Bits

Pumping Pinks

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Delivering to a tender, the fish hold is first flooded with salt water, then the fish are pumped aboard the tender. The large grey hose is from the pump. This is taken from the door of the cabin looking at the stern where the net is piled. The catch is pink salmon. When enough sets are made to fill the fish hold, it has to be pumped out before the boat can continue fishing.

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