The Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program Web site is a treasure trove of articles on vessel and business management, outfitting, electrical systems and maintenance. There, fishermen can find an online version of Pacific Fishing’s Boatkeeper series by Homer resident Terry Johnson.
The articles can help fishermen winterize their boat, choose a life raft, file an insurance claim, repair a hydraulic steering system and assemble a flooding control kit. There is information on autopilots, water makers, heads, inverters, anchors and much more.
The impetus for the informational series came when Johnson was working for Pacific Fishing magazine, and an editor suggested an article on winterizing boats, followed by another suggestion, which eventually turned into a series of maintenance and safety articles.
“Originally, I was just kind of writing things that I knew,” Johnson said. “But (the editor), having the journalistic orientation, kept suggesting other stories for me on subjects that I didn’t know, so they became basically works of journalism, rather than works of experience.”
The articles’ author has 17 years experience commercial fishing for salmon, herring and halibut, and 35 years as an author, editor and reporter. He currently mans the Homer office of the University of Alaska’s Marine Advisory Program, and has multiple projects in the works. The series is at http://seagrant. uaf.edu/bookstore/boatkeeper/index.html. Terry Johnson can be reached at rftlj@uaf.edu, or (907) 235-5643.
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association is holding a one-day, 10-hour Emergency Procedures and Onboard Drills Course in Homer Dec. 9, with an optional pool session Dec. 10. The course is U.S. Coast Guard approved, and graduates will be qualified drill instructors. It is open to all mariners and is recommended for captains and crew serving on any commercial vessel. It meets the training requirements for commercial fishermen operating on documented vessels beyond the Boundary Line. This course is free to Alaska licensed commercial fishermen thanks to funding provided by CDC/NIOSH (Center for Disease Control and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health), and the USCG. Bring either a crew license or state card for verification. Non-fishermen pay $175, or $125 if they are AMSEA members.
Registration for this class closes Dec. 2. Register by calling Chris Lopez at 399-7245. For a complete calendar of AMSEA classes and events, check the Web site at www.amsea.org, or call (907) 747-3287.
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist. She can be reached at cristy-fry@excite.com.
Vessel maintenance is vital to vessel and crew safety, and the correct planning and carrying out of winter projects can boost survival odds.
We encourage you to add your comments. To prevent spam, comments with links are manually approved during the normal business day. Please be respectful of others with your comments, bear in mind anyone in the community may be reading your comments.
