[David Gerard]

Here is the same crab boat we worked on last year.  This year it was a complete over haul of the steering station and remaining portholes and misc. cabinetry.  The ship was in port for 1 month so it was fish or cut bait for us.  It sailed on 12/27 in minus 10 degrees headed for the bering sea.  The skipper said there was  frozen seas(sheet ice)  awaiting them 80 miles north of the Pribilof Islands.
Hell of a way to make a living!

[Andy Graves]

How long did it take to complete this project?

[Un-Authorized]

David:

I’ve done some work on boats and it’s a different game.

The guys at Toledo Beach Marina put an addition onto a customers boat several years ago. They cut the back off, added another ten feet or so and fiberglassed the end back on.

You know how you overhaul the Detroit Diesel in a yacht? You take a Sawzall, cut a hole in the side and lift it out with a forklift. Cheaper than moving all those electronics.

Joe

[Eli Polite]

i have done granite and solid surface in boat’s as well as onyx and it was always a ride

[David Gerard]

Andy,  we worked about 225 hrs (long ones too). There was alot of cutting and fitting and running back to the shop.    We did 8 more portholes than in the pics.  We treated the steel behind (hull) and  laminated vinyl to blue board to insulate them and made the sills out of solid surface.  These portals ice up realy bad during crab season so what we did helps to combat icing. Now only the bezel of the porthole ices and the solid surface resists  water damage.  Another boat owner saw this treatment and ordered his entire boat done.  We made both boats worth out of left overs $$  ching ching!  We installed all the electronics along with a 44″ HD tv in the dinet area.

 Joe , these certainly are a different type of animal than buildings for sure.  Many guys came in during the project and were baffled with simply,  “were do ya start”  and “what do you square off of”.  “thats my secret” i reply.  And yes the engine work!  Years ago I did a salmon boat and we arranged the longitudinal stringers at the keel to support the engine mounts, the engine room was just forward of the fish hold.  If the engine went bad they simply would cut the bulkhead out between, slid the engine back on the stringers into the hold and yank that baby up out of the hatch.

Both mains(Volvo 525 hp turbos) were rebuilt at the same time we were doing our thing.  I would say this skipper dropped around 85K in the month he was on shore, with the current price of fuel  his trip out to the grounds would be around 40.000.00 

I have been thinking of those guys since they left, I’ll bet thier baseball bats are gettin a work out smashing ice off the mother ship.  Realy nice guys on this boat , not like the guys on the  “Time Bandit”  These guys have all their teeth and are college educated   Fun Stuff!!!

[Wags]

I really enjoy watching Deadlist Catch on TV. I had a friend, Marine, Hugh Wisner, that owned a fishing boat in Kodiak. Don’t think it was a crab boat. Hell of a way to make a living. After watching the show, I never blink at the price of crab…just wish they got more of the $$ rather than the other links in the chain. Great Job..

[Lenny E]

David,

Excellent crab boat rehab. What would it take to arrange a visit with ya?. I just have to meet the esteemed David G. Plus my wife n(and I) has never seen Alaska, and she  thinks baby polar bears are cute (too much animal TV). Ive cautioned her that once momma polar bear  gets your scent she is the only animal in the world that will hunt you accross the ice for months relentlessly until she kills ya and eats ya. And with cubs multiply the fear factor by 10. But to no avail, she is convinced she must see this. I guess I will have to sacrifice myself to momma polar bear as a fat consultant dinner so wife can get some cute baby bear pix.

Its amazing what husbands must do now a days!

Lenny

[David Gerard]

Wags,  I agree with your point on the price to buy crab,  We are so lucky when we work for these guys cuz they usually give us a 25 # case of red king every job,  I’m afraid to see what my cholesterol level is.

Lenny,    if you are serious, a simple e-mail or phone call will get you some special time with Dave G.     I can’t arrange a polar bear stalk (you as the bait ) but blacks or brown bears can give you he same fear factor.     How about a moose charge?  At least they won’t eat ya.  You might get a cleft mark on the forehead though.    Love to show you my world!

[Lenny E]

Hi David,

I admire your work. Fabbing in Alaska appears to be truly different. Not meaning to disrail this thread, this site is great. I get to interact with you, Gene, Tom, Andy, Tom M, Jon, Wags, Joe C, Kelsey and too many to mention, the greats in our industry.

Thanks Andy, this site is too cool to be decribed.

[David Gerard]

Thanks Lenny,  and hey,  derail away,  my threads are so spread out they could make a train take a dirt road.    I also have to agree with the point on the brother hood.     I feel like I have my morn coffee with you guys, and hell it’s Sat night and what am I doing?      And hey,   don’t tease me about a trip up to AK,  Gene was going to come last summer,  me and Betty (my shop dog)  waited on the porch all summer like  Linus waitin for the great pumpkin, I even planted grass and got a haircut.     Toot toot!

[David Gerard]

Andy,  how do I not layout my pics side ways?  or do I need a wide screen laptop?

[Jon Olson]

Dave you are a master of your trade

[David Gerard]

Here is a bench seat in the wheel house of the State research vessel  “Pandallus” the state fish and game officer ordered it so he can sit up in the wheel house and pester the skipper.  Not a lot of room in the boat once the research equipment is set up and being manned, no room for bureaucrats playing    “Jacques Cousteau” 

[John Christensen]

David:
thats cool.
Johnny C

[John Christensen]

David:
thats cool.
Johnny C

[Author]

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