The crab industry boom of the 70’s gave way to a crash in the early 80’s. When I arrived in Kodiak in 1985, the crab fleet was struggling. In my 23 years of crabbing I had learned a lot about fishing, but also about life, and myself.
For example, during Norton Sound red crab fishery, I almost got pulled over the side by stepping in the bight on the very first day I crabbed. I tore up my ankle when the line wrapped itself around my foot and nearly drug me over the side of the Alaska Trader. My deck boss, Rocket, probably saved my life that day. Over the next decade I worked my way up from the bilge to the wheelhouse, earned a Captains license, and became the Captain of the F/V Wizard.
The F/V Dr. K was a sight for sore eyes
Seventeen years later, in 2002, the future of crab fishing in the Bering Sea was again at a crossroads. The derby style fishery was being replaced by a quota based fishery. Its implementation was in its final stages. It appeared at the time that vessel ownership would be the main criteria for individual fishing quota (IFQ) allocations. Late in 2002, I flew to Homer, Alaska to survey a 100” vessel that was for sale. Tied up for over 18 months, and maintained poorly during her last few years fishing crab, the F/V Dr. K was a sight for sore eyes: dark, dank, moldy, rusty, and reeking of Freon from a leaky refrigeration system. I climbed aboard with a flashlight late my first night in Homer, and between visions of horror film creatures jumping out of the shadows of dark compartments, I realized that this was probably the last real opportunity to buy into the crab fishery.
Images of the Dr. K taken upon arival in Homer, Alaska with Jake Jacobsen to perform a thorough inspection
Maybe there was hope
Looking beyond the rust and grime late that night, I pictured her without the red paint and masculine name. The next day, Jake Jacobsen, a marine surveyor joined me for a more thorough inspection of the ships systems, construction, and most importantly the integrity of her steel. She was sound and well built, and not your typical Gulf Boat. In Jakes words, “Somebody built her for a purpose and it shows in her construction. This is not a cookie cutter boat.” Former Gulf (of Mexico) boats in the crab fleet often had a bad rap.
The vessel had a miniscule catch history, but it had history, and was fully qualified. If the fishery went to IFQs, I would be allocated enough to remain in the Bering Sea. If the IFQ program fell through I would have a boat to fish. My wife and I leveraged our home and purchased the Dr. K, which we renamed. F/V Sirene (pronounced sea-wren), the French word for mermaid. You would think after 17 years in the Bering Sea and dreaming one day of owning a boat that I would already have had a name in mind for a vessel. I probably didn’t because the Wizard was the only boat I had ever envisioned owning. Her new name was a spur of the moment decision and it seemed to fit the vessel. Florence’s French heritage, a beautiful feminine name, and a mythical sea creature all rolled into one. The name seemed perfect.
The reclamation project
I brought my engineer from the Wizard, and began the reclamation project Sirene in November of 2002. After getting the vessel powered up, we set about testing the ships systems. After 10 days of elbow grease it was apparent that most of the ships systems were operable, and that with some additional work the vessel might be ready to fish the upcoming snow crab season. Florence started scrambling to get all of the documentation, permits, and licenses in order to get her into the fishery, which was fast approaching. We poured the little amount of money we had left in savings after the down payment into the boat. It wasn’t much, but enough to get her up and running.
The former F/V Dr. K, renamed and refurbished to become the new F/V Sirene
A Mythical sea creature that lures mariners to their doom
By December I was beginning to have some doubts about getting the Sirene into the snow crab fishery, and also about her name. Being extremely superstitious, I began to dwell more and more on what a mermaid represented. Not only a beautiful woman with a fish tail, but “ a mythical sea creature that lures mariners to their doom”.
My wife Florence came to Homer to help with the clean up in December. Within minutes of getting onboard she pulled me aside, and stated: “You will not be fishing on this boat!” The size and condition of the boat had her concerned. After years of watching the crab fleet depart, and nervously awaiting its return sometimes without some of the fleets boats, or crewmen, were justified. For years she had known the Wizards size, stability, maintenance, and crew. They were top notch. Here she was looking at something entirely different in terms of size and appearance, and though not questioning the purchase of the Sirene, Florence did not want to give up the comfort zone that she had built up with her husband on a larger vessel.
Naming the vessel Sirene was really beginning to haunt me
All along, the intent was to have another captain run the new boat. My brother Monte who had been running other boats for 5 years declined the offer, and continued operating the Norseman. I maintained my full time job on the Wizard. The January 15th 2003 Opilio (snow crab) fishery was her inaugural season, and insurance problems kept the Sirene tied to the dock. The Wizard and the rest of the fleet had a 40 hour head start on her, and with only a 10 day season ahead, disaster was imminent. As I left town onboard the Wizard, I was having serious reservations about my investment. The Sirene's Captain made a good decision and joined the Wizard 3 days into the season. But the late start had been costly, and the Sirene barely made expenses.
The Sirene owned by the Keith and Florence, and the Wizard with Keith as captain, fishing the 2003 Opilio season
The fall red king crab fishery, which lasted only 4 days, only added to the problems. With a season so short, one mistake could mean a horrible season. The mistake was made. Myself on the Wizard, Monte on the Norseman, and the Sirene all bombed on our first sets. When the season is measured in hours rather than days, you have time to set and haul the crab pots two times. Luckily for all 3 boats, we hit big numbers in the last couple of strings on the last day, and once again financial ruin was barely avoided.
Eight or nine months into ownership, naming the vessel Sirene was really beginning to haunt me.
Distaster at sea spells success for the Sirene
In 2003 the IFQ program passed, and in 2004 Keith and Florence sold the fishing rights to the Sirene in the federal Buy Back Program, a government sponsored loan to the fleet to eliminate some of the over capacity. The first year of ownership justifiably had them nervous, and the value of the fishing history with the newly passed Crab IFQ program made the buyback too attractive, especially with a number of uncertainties surrounding the new IFQ fishery. Montes vessel, the Norseman was sold into the same program, and left him stranded without a job.
In early December 2004 Monte and 2 of his crew from the Norseman flew to Dutch Harbor to retrieve the M/V (motor vessel) Sirene for Keith, who still owned a boat built for fishing that could never fish again ( this was the rule if a vessel was sold into the Buyback). The Sirene was to be brought to Seattle where she would either be scrapped or mothballed.
Monte fortuitously landed in Dutch Harbor the day after a soybean freighter, the Selandang Ayu had washed up on the island, split in two, and spilled over 350,000 gallons of heavy Bunker C oil.
Image: Seattle Post Intelligencer, December 2004 front page feature on the Sirene
Article title: For some, Alaska oil spill will be season's big haul
Photo: Joshua Trujillo
The gravity of the catastrophe was magnified by the tragic deaths of some of the freighters crew. While attempting a daring rescue with the Ayu [need full name here] reef bound in heavy seas, and high winds, a USCG helo took a huge wave into the rotors and crashed into the ocean in Skan Bay. The flight crew survived because of their phenomenal survival training, and being outfitted with special cold water immersion suits, but a few of the Selandang Ayu crew did not.
With the fleet laid up for the holidays, the Sirene was literally the only boat in town with a crew, and her engines running. Monte secured work for the emergency oil spill clean up response as the freight boat that would supply the rest of the incoming responders. Ten months later, the Sirene, one of the first boats hired for the spill, ended its charter as one of the last boats working for the clean up. The tragedy both in loss of life and environmental damage had been an unforeseen financial windfall for my business.
It seems after all, I could relax about having doubts about her name.
People in the industry were advising me not to purchase the Wizard
In 2005 many of the crab fleets owners had had enough, the buyback had reduced the fleets size a little, eliminating the fishing rights of 29 boats, but there were still too many boats for the size of the crab quotas. Many of the vessel owners who had barely hung on financially through the last decade, used the new IFQ program to reduce their risk by tying boats up. The fleet downsized in 2005, from 250 crabbers to less than 90. The Wizards owners were contemplating tying the Wizard up too, and leasing the IFQs. Instead, they offered us the opportunity to purchase the Wizard and lease us their quota.
The Wizard under ownership of Keith and Florence Colburn
People inside the industry were advising me not to purchase the Wizard. The investment would contradict what the rest of the fleet was doing. The value in the crab fleet now rested in the IFQs, not in the vessels themselves. My attachment to the old girl, and being reluctant to see her possibly tied up, weighed in my decision. Ultimately, I believe the purchase of the Wizard was a sound financial decision. Somebody in the fleet was going to continue catching the crab in the new IFQ fishery, and the Wizard was one the best boats to do it.
Monte and I reunite onboard the Wizard
In the first year of IFQs, I skippered the Wizard as her new owner, but the administrative demands of the complex new program, and Monte’s availability (now finished with the spill, and looking for work), set up the opportunity for Monte and I to reunite onboard the Wizard. Today I split the seasons operating the Wizard with Monte, and working together at times during the new fishery.
The first season 2005/06 was marginal financially. In our second year of ownership, with fishing in the IFQ fishery having just been completed in late March, all the numbers are not in yet, but it looks like…we’re going to make it.
Catch the Wizard and her crew on Discovery's Deadliest Catch Tuesdays at 9:00