Ice bergs, waterfalls, seabirds, but no fish

Some of the best pictures of the last few weeks - All taken by Captain Jeff Rhodes

Salmon berries everywhere and a few blue berries

Valdez on a rainy day

Columbia Glacier icebergs in Columbia Bay

Iceberg with seabirds at the bottom.

The Wall in Valdez Narrows

The Wall, Valdez Narrows

Silver Dolphin at Gold Creek, Port Valdez, July 2016
Photo by Jeff Rhodes

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day! Our 4th of July has been busy and we arrived in Port Valdez late afternoon.

Here is a selection from some of our latest adventures. My favorite is the USCG the Healy.

USCG the Healy in Seward

We are finished transporting salmon and equipment to and from Larsen Bay and Homer. This is another photo of the 100+ year old cannery. 

Now the fishing has begun. And we are hauling fish from Prince William Sound to Seward for the time being.

There are sea otters in Resurrection Bay of course, but one was in the harbor, very busy.

This time of year is always difficult because we lost Nick 14 years ago on July 3, 2002. Some of my readers may not know about this tragedy, or may not think of it every Independence Day. Losing my big brother hurts all the time. 14 years seems like a long time, but it isn't - the pain doesn't go away. I miss the sound of his voice, especially his laugh. I miss knowing I could count on him if I needed help with anything, especially anything having to do with math or engineering. I know that just like my other 2 brothers, he would be there for me and support me. Most of the story can still be found on the internet:

http://abqjournal.com/news/metro/461753metro05-20-06.htm
http://www.abqjournal.com/news/metro/484335metro08-16-06.htm

Another sunset. There is something infinite about sunrises and sunsets over the open ocean. I find it comforting.

May Nick's memory be eternal.

Happy Independence Day

Joanna

Another great week

At this time of year, the sun sets usually when I am driving Shelikof Straight. Every night is different. It is one of my favorite drives. This last trip we had Dahl Porpoises playing along the bow for 20 minutes or so.

The skiff is a great way to get around. There is only one other place to go. Makes it easy, not a lot of options.

Below we are tied up to the Homer Public Harbor.

I hope everyone can see the panoramic photo I took of Shelikof Straight. This is the route we have been taking and will continue for a while now. It is a great gig.  And occasionally. I can share some photos.

A panoramic of the wheelhouse

Mahalo!

We are finished for the season! I have lots of photos and fun facts to weave into my writing, but first there is a ton to do before we cross the Gulf of Alaska again. For now, I had a chance last week to spend some time on solid ground - hiking with Cindy on this a beautiful day.

Surrounded by Muskeg, we relax and laugh about the season.

Good times in Petersburg!

Aloha,

Joanna

Hello again...

We are headed out of Seward. Go, go, go!

I only have a few minutes. It's been raining. For about 24 hours or more. Beautiful clouds. 

All is well. Lots of sea birds, whales and dolphins. The fishing has picked up too. We are managing with the three of us: Jeff, Ty and me. The guys do most of the heavy lifting, but I'm on deck more, shoveled out the tanks with Ty one all-nighter, didn't hit our bunk til 07:00. Also spraying the tanks down and generally doing more work on deck. My back is holding up pretty well. I try not to overdo it. The guys handle things that are too heavy to lift. Very much appreciated. 

I've got to go. We were in town for 5 hours and it's time to secure the galley and our stateroom because there is a roll outside of Resurrection Bay. 

Quick shout out to my niece, Alex - I love you beautiful. And I'm always right behind you 100%, without question or hesitation. Will see you in the fall. 

Joanna 

Going through the locks

We are almost out of here... I'm on the bow watching the line as the boat descends...

Here it is from my point of view:

And then we are out:

No problem!

We are now in Puget Sound heading north. 

Food, fuel and a lot of cargo!

It's been a crazy few days, but then getting the boat out of shipyard usually is. This is my fourth season but only second time in shipyard. People who know tell me it's always busy and challenging to finish up the work, clean up, load up and tie down in order to get out of shipyard. 

Speaking of loads, the boat is loaded up with all manner of supplies that we are delivering along the way - lumber, tar paper, an inflatable skiff, various pallets of stuff, crab pots and our own tendering equipment. We had many requests to haul even more - a trailer, a seine net and so on. Jeff finally had to say no... We don't mind helping out, but it was getting a bit ridiculous. When I look at the deck, I hear the intro to the Beverly Hillbillies, anyone else?

See Ty on the top left? He's been working hard, covered in shipyard grime for over 2 weeks, so he blends in. He cleans up pretty good though. 

Next steps: chain and tie everything down. Clean up some more and organize! Then through the locks.  

Luckily, I have all the groceries I need for the next several weeks. Many thanks to Staale, Nic and Siri for their help with supplies. It was only part of what they do to help us get underway. Too much to list here, but much appreciation for everything! 

My personal favorite new thing on the boat: a mini fridge for veggies. Fresh vegetables are precious and we try and bring as much as possible. It used to get squashed and crammed in with all the items in the fridge, but no more! Thanks to Nic, we have this awesome fridge. It's the little things that make a big difference, as the saying goes. 

The mini fridge of 2015. Yum... Stir fry tonight!

I have to go. Lots to do. More later. Aloha 

Fish!

Now that things have settled down after the season, I have more photos to share. The guys caught some amazing fish when we had the chance.

On this particular day, Ty's first cast brought up a yellow eye rockfish that was being eaten by the huge prehistoric looking ling cod that Ty is holding now (on the left.) Seriously, the little one took the bait, the ling cod grabbed the little one and Ty hauled them both on board. Luckily the ling cod didn't let go of his catch until he was over the rail. There were more yellow eyes and maybe a halibut. Good stuff!

It was a good season. More to come.
Joanna

Sun shines, season ends and so it goes

Before I left the sun came out for a few days! It was glorious! We ended up in View Cove walking through some mining and logging ruins. It was amazing to be on land without rain, but then to find the area covered with my favorite flowers - shasta daisies - it was a special treat.

Jeff and the crew are headed out west, to tender pollack near Dutch Harbor. Here he is exploring the ruins on Dall Island:

We take the skiff to shore, the water was crystal clear and it was a beautiful day. The Silver Dolphin is in the background.

Aloha! I am back in Hawaii, visiting with my parents here for a few days before they head back to the mainland. Then it's back to work and school for me.

Of course, here is Bootsie, purring and happy while simultaneously pushing away, ears back. It's her way of saying - I hate it but don't stop. She is not much of a snuggler, but I think she is happy I am home.

As I come across cool photos, I will post them. It was a long season and it is bittersweet to be home - good to be here, but sad to be home without Jeff.
Thanks for all the best wishes, and I know we are wishing Jeff a safe journey across the Gulf of Alaska.
Joanna

Off we go again

Back in July, when things were sunny and fun, Jeff took this photo before we started scrubbing the starboard side of the boat:

Joanna on the Silver Dolphin, July 2014

That seems like forever ago. The season has been long and the rain just adds to the dreariness on the boat. I have a whole new understanding of the words "cabin fever."

However, the season is not over yet, so I have done the grocery shopping, the laundry, cleaned the galley and started to secure things for another long trip. We are headed south, to a place called Cordova Bay near Dall Island and Prince of Wales Island. Never been there before, but it will take about 10 or more hours to get there. More beautiful places to see in SE Alaska, hopefully with less rain.

We had a few breaks in the clouds and put the skiff in the water. This was our trip up a river on Prince of Wales Island. Turns out it's one of the largest islands in the US, coming in at #4 in terms of area. More little details here on Hot Greasy Mess. We were looking for bears, but only found a few deer and saw lots of salmon jumping.

As far as creativity in the galley, I have cooked a rib roast, several quiches, cheeseburger pie, breakfasts of varying types, fish tacos, thrown together salads, sandwiches and snacks. Whenever I run out of ideas, I cook up some ground beef for taco meat and that is always a hit. The guys make their own burritos and everybody is happy. I can always count on Jeff to cook up some good things on the BBQ. We had some juicy steaks last night and then steak and eggs with hash browns today. Of course, there was a lot going on since it is our only day in town, so I end up cooking in shifts. Not the easiest or most efficient way to do things, but every one gets fed and that is part of my job. Just doing my job. So, back to it. We are leaving in a little while. They are almost finished offloading our fish. Time to go.

Aloha,

Joanna

Rain

RAIN. RAIN. RAIN. And then more rain. 

There isn’t much else to report. We have had a few partly cloudy days. The afternoon, we pumped 10,000 gallons of fuel it wasn’t raining. Which was nice because the greenhorns (me and Matt) have to stay at each hose and monitor them for the duration. We have literally spent as few as 4-6 hours in Petersburg before heading back out. Enough time to off load our fish, while I race through the grocery store and back to the boat. Once on board, we  toss our lines and off we go.

Since my last post, we have put some serious miles in. We were lucky enough to go to Sitka and have a day to walk around town. Jeff and I made it to the Sitka Raptor Center. Where they rehabilitate injured eagles, owls and all types of birds of prey. Of course, we had to check out Jeff’s wingspan (see photo).

The harbor in Sitka is a maze, as I discovered while exploring. I found this ocean tug called the Thunderbird with a cat on board. When I approached, I expected the cat to duck inside, but she came right up to me and wanted some attention. I scratched her neck and she followed me from one scupper to another. Old cat on an old boat.

Cooking? Yes, still 2 hot meals a day. I found a nice potato and egg recipe that is easy to bake in the oven. Now we have access to some of the best fish in the world, so I have been experimenting with ways to cook salmon, rockfish and halibut. I think I accidentally made something that seemed like a buerre blanc. Not sure exactly, but everyone enjoyed it.

Wildlife? The guys saw a couple of bears feeding on salmon in waterfall cove. We watched a family of sea otters playing in the same area as well as bald eagles and other seabirds. Humpback whales have been everywhere.

The fishing is slow, and we don't know how much longer the season will last. The rain is flat out depressing. Other than that, there is not much more I can say.

Joanna

Fish for dinner? Oh yeah.

We have been enjoying some delicious fish for dinner. The leftovers from salmon end up in the next morning's quiche (big hit) or on a bed of lettuce for lunch. Otherwise, I have been trying new recipes when I can. Here is a strata with ham and asparagus I made the other day:

I think everyone enjoyed it, but it's not one of my favorites. I will keep trying the stratas because I can make them the night before and refrigerate overnight. Since I am not a morning person, this makes for more pleasant mornings for everyone. I have a recipe for salmon strata that I may try next.

The fishing is still slow and everyone is hoping it picks up and fast. We are headed to Slokum Arm last I heard. That is a good trek from here, about 15 hours through Peril Straight and Serguis Narrows. The tides rip through there at an alarming rate - as high as 9 knots sometimes. It's skinny and shallow so the timing is key. Jeff tells me we have to go through there at 04:00. It's going to be a long night. But we had a nice evening last night - enjoying dinner off of the boat with friends in Petersburg. Thank you Cindy for another fun night of badminton, giant bubbles, and good company around the fire pit.

Quick photo of Jeff and I out on deck recently. The days and nights blur together. We have no sense of the days of the week, only whether or not the seiners are fishing or not. And then we drive and wait, wait and drive.

Lastly, Bootsie is finally home from the Cozy Cat Lodge. Keysa rescued her the other day and it's good to know they are both home enjoying themselves. Look at these happy faces:

Thank you Keysa! You are such a good friend to us and we always want you to know how much we appreciate you and all you do. 

Our best to everyone. Will write again when I can.

Joanna

We are off!

Its been slow... Not much fishing going on. We have been tied to the dock for 4 days and finally heading out. We had time to make some repairs, visit with friends and get some sleep.

 Looks like our destination is Noyes island. I have never been there before. Here's Jeff, ready to go:

Met some people up here from Kailua! That was a surprise. Suns out. Beautiful day. We are off! 

Go suck fish....

We have been working for about 3 weeks and it's been an adventure. Still, things are going on at home and luckily we have a small army of people looking after the house and the cat, Bootsie. My brother John and his wife Alaura were on duty, when Bootsie had to be boarded at the Cozy Cat Lodge for a few weeks. After many conversations about  this new arrangement and reviewing the logistics of getting her there, I was lamenting at the fact that I didn't leave anything that smells like us to comfort her during her first trip away from home... My brother, in his succinct and witty way texted:

"Go suck fish. The cat is fine..."

I roared laughing. I called him up and we kept laughing. My cheeks were hurting I laughed so hard at how silly I was with angst over the cat. Thanks John, for being you and helping me laugh when I am too much "me." Now, my new "back to reality" catch phrase is "go suck fish." It works and I get back to work and try to remember to laugh more.

This is my current view. I love my job. Even when it's not going that great. Or, I'm tired. Or the men are excessively boyish and my patience is gone. Even with all of these factors - this is the best paid adventure ever and I get to enjoy it with my husband.

We are heading out of Valdez. Don't know where we are going next... and it doesn't even matter because it is time to go suck fish and the cat is fine.

Adios! 

Joanna

Go Go Go

We have been going non-stop. So far we have been to:

• Larson Bay, 
• Homer, 
• Seward and 
• Up into Prince William Sound. 

This was the sunset/sunrise on one of my wheel watches. We have had some glitches, but continue to work through any problems that come up. Boats are a ton of work to put it mildly. Weather has been beautiful and the scenery can't be beat.
Joanna

Cooking and more

It has been an uneventful start to the season. We are running freight right now. You know the big containers that go on trucks? We are putting them on the boat and running to and from Homer and Larson Bay which is on Kodiak Island. It's about 14 hours each way. We are running fresh catch that gets loaded on to a truck, then flown to market. Amazing to see how many industries, people and steps it takes to get the fresh catch on the chefs special.

The cooking is easier. The photo is of a chicken pot pie that the boys raved about. That was a definite repeat. It seems whenever I put something in a pie crust, it's a big hit. Made a quiche, the first of the season and they wolfed it down. Other hits - pulled pork, steak fajitas, fried rice, French toast made from croissants and a chicken veggie bake. 

I'm low on supplies now so it's hard to scratch anything together that requires fresh ingredients. I try and use lots of dark leafy greens and fresh produce when I can. Needless to say a big salad usually is met with disappointing looks and I have to make something else to go with it. But they love Keysa's guacamole recipe. When I can find avocados. 

Improving as a deckhand is a challenge. The hawser lines are heavy and unwieldy. When I throw the heaving line, I have a 50/50 chance of getting it where I want it to go. I must improve this statistic right away, not only because it's important but it's mortifying when it doesn't work.  Most of my body hurts. But this will pass the longer I am on the boat. I'm still a greenhorn but now I've been around enough to see my mistakes faster and hopefully fix it before the teasing begins. Yes Joanna, put the PLUG IN THE SKIFF before it's lowered it into the water. Ty and Jeff see my mistake in this particular instance and I hear all kinds of jabs as they raise the skiff back on deck, drain it, watch me put the plug in and now we are ready to launch - for real this time. What a greenhorn move. The teasing is all in good fun and I certainly had it coming. So compared to being a deckhand, the cooking is easy. 

Hopefully I can post some more videos and photos. If anyone wants the chicken pot pie recipe I will send it along. 

Aloha, 

Joanna

2014 season about to begin

One of my favorite parts of the beginning of a new season is the train ride from Anchorage to Seward. I love trains. And this ride cannot be beat. It is beautiful and breathtaking. Our last few moments before the work begins in ernest.

More updates later. 

Joanna

Amazing colors

One of my favorite wheel watches came to a close during that short moment between sunset and sunrise in Prince William Sound. This photograph is without filters, and shows the back deck of the Silver Dolphin. Words cannot capture that night, but this photo comes close...

There are times when I miss being on the boat, the movement and sounds of it, traveling through breathtaking places. There is a  feeling of freedom even though we have schedules to keep and responsibilities. It must be the huge open spaces, the enormous mountains and glaciers, the vast water - all  creating a sense of peace and freedom.