Icy Mist on the Rocks!!!

This just in... Icy Mist went on the rocks on Akutan Island... I worked on this boat for 3 years. All four crew are safe. Here is the link for the video.

http://community.adn.com/mini_apps/vmix/player.php?ID=3261221&GID=

Old photos...

-20 and trying to get back in to port. We beat Ice for 4 hours straight...

That is me preparing to tie up in Kodiak, Alaska.

Early Wednesday morning, the 58-foot crab boat Icy Mist slammed into the rocky coast of Akutan Island, about 40 miles east of Dutch Harbor, a major Aleutian Islands fishing port."Fifteen foot waves were hitting them from over the bow," said Ed Fisher, describing the extreme conditions on the boat as the four men struggled to get off."

A crab pot they were using washed off the boat to the rocks nearby, and they were able to use its cable as a lifeline to get to shore," he said.Kevin Fisher was the last to leave the vessel, his father said. He gathered the crew's cell phones and wallets before using another crab pot line to lower himself into the giant waves.

Coast Guard crews instructed the crewmen to head for shore and then to higher ground on the island to get away from a wind-whipped sheer cliff, said Brad Anderson, aboard the Coast Guard cutter Munro, one the ships involved in the rescue.Hurricane-force winds kept the Coast Guard from lifting crewmen directly from the 58-foot-long Icy Mist,The Coast Guard identified the rest of the crew as Dan Oliver, 46; Clint Packer, 43; and Terry Meyer, 29. Their hometowns were not available.

The drama started when the Coast Guard received a mayday call early Wednesday reporting that a boat was taking on water, Coast Guard Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios said from the command center in Juneau. The call was received by the vessel Arctic Fox and relayed to the Northern Glacier, whose crew contacted the Coast Guard.The vessel was later reported aground on Akutan Island, 766 miles southwest of Anchorage.

The Coast Guard Cutter Munro and three rescue helicopters were sent to aid the crew, but foul weather and high winds hampered rescue efforts, Rios said.The first helicopter sent, a HH-65 Dolphin launched from Dutch Harbor, was forced to turn back because of the wind, which was blowing at 45 mph, with gusts reaching 80 mph, Rios said.The Munro, on patrol in the Bering Sea, was ordered to Akutan. It stood by four miles offshore and monitored the scene.Two larger helicopters, MH-60 Jayhawks, were launched from St. Paul Island, about 265 miles northwest of Akutan.

They were unable to lift the crewmen off the vessel when winds reached as high as 120 mph.Ed Fisher said that because of the winds' intensity, creative thinking from the Coast Guard was needed to eventually get the survivors into the rescue helicopter. "They flew by and each person got in as the basket passed by," he said. All were taken to nearby Dutch Harbor for medical evaluations, but there were no reported injuries, Anderson, the operations officer on the cutter Munro, told The Associated Press by satellite phone.

The vessel had three holes in its hull near the engine room when Kevin Fisher left it, and was still hung up on the rocks this morning, Ed Fisher said. The boat's owner was on the way to the scene to asses the damage, he added. The weather continues to prevent access to the area, Fisher said. "It was a beautiful boat, and one of the best operations in the fleet," Ed Fisher said.

The Badlands

It was a vision quest in a raging lightning storm... Straight from the journal...






West... Arising ever so happily over the horizon. The mountains gradually grow as my heart expands from my breath.

The Sun Shines upon my weathered face. The land speaks to me in a strange but thoughtful tongue. As my mind unwinds so does the concept of time. I am the bohemian again and smile, singing a new song.


My spirit is calling out for strength and guidance. The ancient Indians sought me out and showed me the path to simplicity and contentment. The water of life surrounded me last night.

The ancient Realm of the spirit world took a meeting last night.The peace pipe was passed as the lighting came from all directions and zap! For an eternity the storm met directly over the top of me. The lights all sat down for a ceremonial meeting of the Chiefs. They were all present... They allowed me to sit on on their meeting and blessed the weary traveler.




At least I have fresh coffee this morning...

Headed to Alaska!!

One might ask what is the reasoning behind wanting to go to Alaska to be a fisherman? For me that answer was easy. I wanted to get my Captain's license. The problem was every where I went I couldn't get a job because I had no experience and I couldn't get experience because no one would hire me. So after trying the Florida Keys, Corpus Cristi and San Diego a friend said to me, "go to Alaska they will hire anyone..."

So that winter of '92 I worked in Michigan at a auto parts factory to save up to make it to Alaska. So far I made it through 2 years of college that I paid for by myself and I wanted to go back to college in the fall. Alaska was a way to make money to get back to school and also to get my sea legs to see if I really wanted to get my Captain's licence. At the time it seemed like a grand idea.

The first thing I did was get my best friend, OZ, talked into going with me. He worked at a different auto parts factory but we hung out when we were not working and daydreamed about Alaska. We saw an ad in the Michigan State newspaper looking for workers to come to Alaska to make $6000-$10000 a month. We bit at the ad and of course ordered "The Book". It was a joke. It cost $89 and basically gave you names and address of different companies in the Pacific Northwest. It did describe all the different kinds of style of fishing but beside that it was pretty useless. Now, one would google it and look for postings for free. You also have to remember we didn't even have the Internet in our area yet...

So we planned our trip. Got out road maps, daydreamed about places we were going to see and worked hard to make sure we could save enough to make it out to Seattle and Portland. I swear if it wasn't for the fact that I knew I was saving to go to Alaska I am not sure I could have done that hard labor in the factory for long. It was dirty, and had lots of chemicals and fiberglass dust floating in the air at all times. It was a dead end job with no hope...

So the day came when we were ready to go. We packed up my S-10 Blazer named Sheeba queen of the jungle, waved goodbye to our families and roared out of town. We were on top of the world. We were headed to Alaska!!! Kind of...

Chicago!

We left Michigan and passed through Chicago stopping for some food and sight seeing. Neither one of us had been in the Sears tower so off we went. It was a great day. Partly sunny and around 60 degrees F. It was worth the admission for that elevator ride. It screamed to the top!! You get out and feel the building slightly sway. Or was it my imagination? You walk to the window and look down and vertigo sets in... Holy $%#*! This is amazing. We walked around snapped a couple photos and eagerly awaited the elevator ride down!!! What a rush. Speaking of Rush...

Sears Tower under moonlight...

We drove all night and made it to Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. It was a rainy and misty day but we still got to see a masterpiece. The monument was eerie. It felt like there was a shroud or mist hanging over our past presidents. It was mysterious and inspiring.

It was fun hiking around the base and reading up on the time it took to build the monument. We took some back roads and ended up with this great profile of George Washington... It looks like he is crying. Like he looks out at our nation and wonders what happened to the country I fought so hard for over 200 years ago. This country has a troubled destiny...

On to the Badlands National Park....

Back in the day...

Alaska...What can I say. The most hostile, rough, rugged and craziest times ever and of course I loved every minute of it. I want to put down in the blog some past fishing trips and some highlights in my brief 7 year career as an Alaskan Commercial Fisherman. I'll start at the beggining and work my way to my final trip.

Safety First!