Which has really been more of just an ass kicker, than ass kickin. This past
week especially, when not one but two storm systems swept through Alaska.
They gave the seas out west of the Aleutian
chain 70-knot winds and 17’ seas.
They
ripped through the Anchorage bowl earlier this week with 100+ MPH winds tearing
out trees, flipping small planes and left 30,000 people without
electricity.
Three days later, some 4000 homes are still
without power (
http://www.adn.com/2012/09/06/2613732/thousands-still-without-power.html).
 |
| NOAA's weather graph for 9/4/12 |
By the time these storms got to us on the Central Gulf
Coast, Prince William Sound and the Copper River Flats, it was merely blowing a
steady but relentless 40 knots or so. Of
course, this was Monday and there was a silver opener so guys and gals were out
fishing. Most fishing boats faired
without too much harm, just tales of close calls of sailing down the channel
while picking up the net, catching trees, snagging down and ripping up. Most guys stayed inside the protection of the
barrier islands instead of fishing out in the open ocean where seas were
probably over 10 or 15 feet, at least.
The tenders, on the other hand, don’t have the luxury of
staying inside. Their deep drafts prevent
them from running all the way to the east end of the fishing grounds inside so
they are forced out into the open ocean.
Also, once they have fish on board, they are pretty much committed to
getting those fish back to town. So,
come hell or high water, or both at the same time, they usually go.
 |
| Tender Alaskan Pacific |
One tender, the Alaskan Pacific can attest to that. Coming
out of the Bering River, the east end of the fishing grounds, they took a “30
year wave” one that ages you 30 years in an instant. That wave that broke out both front windows
and knocked both guys out of their helm seats.
Their windows must be about 12 feet or so above the water line and they
said two-thirds of this wave completely washed over them. It probably would have flipped a bowpicker
like a toy in the tub. I don’t know what
electronics it knocked out, but I know they were lucky enough that it didn’t
drown the mains so they were able to come in under their own power. A 65 nautical mile run in big seas and 40
knot winds with no front windows. No
thank you! They made it to town all right
patched themselves up with plywood and Plexiglas and went back out, in still
shitty weather, to buy more fish for Thursday’s opener.
Usually, it’s the little bowpickers that get their asses
kicked, this week it was the bigger boats.
 |
| bowpicker |
The Sound Pacer, an 80 foot tender with a green skipper was following
fellow tender Tamar into Soft Tuk on the east end of the Flats this last opener,
a place where this skipper had never been, with this boat anyhow. The boat hadn’t been there either this year
so the GPS didn’t have any current track lines.
These channels change on an annual basis, so there are no current
nautical charts and track lines need to be changed every season.
 |
| tender Sound Pacer (picture by Chris Salmon) |
After a snotty crossing on the Flats they finally duck into
Soft Tuk, missed the channel and promptly ran aground. They dented in their keel coolers and over
heated an engine while getting pummeled by breakers. Breakers that ripped off their rudder and
caused them to start taking on water.
Hopefully, this all happened to the same engine so at least they would
still have one engine and could limp
off the sand bar when the tide came in.
 |
| View from Sound Pacer (picture by Chris Salmon) |
Last I heard, which was last night, everyone was OK and the pumps
were able to keep up with the incoming water. They were able to limp in under one engine and were up on the grid last night!
But fishing boats weren’t the only ones getting their asses
handed to them this week. The Chenega,
our 220’ ferry on the Alaska Marine Highway took a pounding last Sunday
crossing Prince William Sound from Whittier to Cordova, with 50 Girl Scouts on
board. Evidently, everyone was seasick
and they didn’t slow down while getting hit with wave after wave. They took such a pounding that structural
damage was caused! As of yesterday,
September 6th, inspections reveals that further welding to the
framing will be required to meet regulatory standards. The vessel has been out of commission all
week and the soonest estimated date of service is Monday, September 10th. We rely on the ferry for transportation of
not only people, but also cargo (such as salmon) in and out of town, produce
and groceries.
Lets just hope next week will bring better luck. And weather.
