The Crane From…well it rhymes with swell…

June 20, 2012 | Captains bLOG | 0 comments | Author: Captain Rob

June 20, 2012

The Crane From…well it rhymes with swell…

If you’ll remember back a few months ago there was this small crane we hoisted gingerly off the Dream Catcher which fell onto our trailer pulverizing some deck beams.

Same crane but different issue!

Needed to store it out of the way at the North Star Terminal Port where we are working on our other vessel. The top of our 40’ Conex seemed an ideal out of the way nesting area.

They just don’t build the roofs like they use to. No, we didn’t put a hole it but it sure did bow, bend, dip down, creak, and groan! So we placed some 4X4 beams across the roof from edge to edge since the edges are steel beams. No groaning, well… at least not from the steel. Wood beams didn’t like it much and sort of splintered their opposition to the weight they must now bear, but they held!

Brother Scott has been busier than a beaver in a virgin forest. Star and I went to Oklahoma for a family reunion and to visit some good friends. Had a great time visiting, weather was a bit on the hot side. Even the breeze was hot! While he was working I was sweating bullets in the cool 90 degree weather. Did some skipping while I was there. Water sure is hard at high speeds, but it sure cleans off the dry skin cells!

Anyway Scott has the side of the Wayward Wind cut open and has been operating like a surgeon in an OR. Slicing the old insulation out of the 100,000 lb fish hold, removed 1/2 of the small shaft 24′, and has started jack hammering out some of the cement ballast. He has had two high school boys working, (one is his son) that are learning there maybe easier ways to make money during the summer vacation months!

Side had to come out so we can pull the engine. Now we will cut out the engine room bulkhead (the wall between the fish hold and engine room) so we can pull the engine and transmission. New 650 hp CAT is due to arrive here in late September.

In a nut shell we’ll fabricate some rails so we can lift the engine/transmission (size of a VW) and slide it back into the fish hold. Then we’ll reach in and grab it with a fork lift and take it out like a C-Section baby. Okay, it won’t quite be that easy but that is the general idea.

Discussions have been going on regarding how to proceed with the WayWard Wind. Plan has been to snub off 5’ of nose rounding it out and add 5’ to the stern so it stays 79’ long. Our federal and state Scallop Permits only allow us a vessel 79’ long. Anyway there could be a whole bunch of research jobs coming our way, maybe, hopefully, sounds like a possibility.

Yes, Dream Catcher is doing research but there could be enough work for both vessels and if not DC could go back to doing fun tourist charters. Where after a hard day ghosting around in kayaks there would be shrimp on the barbie in a quiet secluded cove!

So, we’ve been entertaining the idea of just, maybe, slicing, and dicing the boat to add 20’. It would just be a little tummy cut, right though the fish hold. Stick in 20’ and Abracadabra…a 100’ research vessel or maybe a bit longer if we add a bit to the stern.

Started explaining our idea to Star and, well…did you ever see the Exorcist?

Going to have a sit down round table discussion about doing the little addition and forgetting scallop fishing on Sunday when I return from Togiak. Small village on Bristol Bay where I am right now doing a marine safety class for the community.

Have a conference call on Monday with a research group out of Texas who work world wide. They have a team up here now on DC working for Apache, which how we meet the head honcho. The conversation will entail us and them doing a marriage thing to bid jobs together in Alaska. Which is one reason why we are thinking about the little addition to the WayWard Wind…..never new Star could twist her head as far as she did…good thing her brother is a chiropractor!

Things are going good on Dream Catcher other than the newest cook is an issue…big surprise there. Dick has been living on cereal for a few days. Guess I’m going to have to say something. He isn’t our employee so we have to go though the major contractor. Fun times!

enjoy your weekend,

Rob