New Seine Skiff Based on Tug Boat Design

In June, 2014, Seattle-based Snow Boat Company delivered a new 24-foot by 13-foot seine skiff to King Cove, Alaska for the area M salmon fishery. The boat is one of the largest seine skiffs in Alaska, and almost begs not to be considered a skiff due to the size and power.

Over the years, the rails on seine skiffs have been getting higher, thus creating a need for a higher tow post. This height can lead to instability and poor towing characteristics. Bringing the tow point down was the primary goal in the new design.

The new skiff is more like a tug than a traditional skiff, and many design features are a departure from traditional skiffs known throughout Alaska.

There are no bulwarks in the stern of the boat, and the towing point is much lower, giving the boat great stability when towing and turning. Using a large 4-blade 40-inch wheel provided by Sound Propeller with a fixed nozzle designed and built by Snow, a 3.8:1 Twin Disc 5091 deep case gear, and 300-HP QSL9 Cummins, the boat has more bollard pull than other skiffs with 500-HP. Behind the wheel is a large Deflector Marine Rudder capable of spinning the boat in just a little more than one boat length. With 11,000 lbs. bollard pull, the 300-HP engine is almost never running at full speed. The boat is pulling much harder than the 200-HP skiff it replaced, using half the fuel.

Eight-inch HDPE pipe surrounds the boat as a bumper, set in a channel with 2-inch thick polyethylene foam behind the pipe, this type of bumper is very durable and not "sticky" like rubber bumpers are. It slides along the hull of the seiner without grabbing.

The bulwarks in the bow rake inward for better protection from banging on the overhanging portions of the seiner when fishing in rough weather. There are bulwarks across the vessel just forward of the tow post. There were no attempts in the vessel design to keep water off the aft deck, and it is assumed that waves will roll across the stern in a heavy sea.

Two 350-gallon water ballast tanks keep the boat deeper in the water, adding stability and towing power. The ballast is pumped in and out with a hydraulically driven pump.

The sea trials in Seattle gave the impression the design is successful, with great towing and turning qualities, and the first few weeks on the fishing grounds are proving the design a success, with stability, operator safety, and economical pulling.

Wild Salmon Harvest for Alaska Tops 136 Million Fish

In just one week, Alaska’s preliminary commercial salmon harvest count has jumped from 125 million to more than 136 million fish.

As of August 20, that catch of 136,589,000 salmon of all species included 82,428,000 humpies, 42,144,000 sockeyes, 9,013,000 chum, 2,577,000 silver and 428,000 kings.

That compares with the final tally for the 2013 commercial salmon season in Alaska of 272,630,000 fish, including the record 219,160,000 pink salmon catch.

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, in a move to promote sales of the abundance of pink salmon, has produced a new online e-cookbook promoting canned Alaska salmon in recipes ranging from salads and tacos to quesadillas. Find it at www.wildlaskaflavor.com/ecookbooks/

The largest increase came in the Southeast Alaska region, where harvesters have now delivered to processors an estimated 37,133,000 fish. That total includes 28,982,000 pink, 4,955,000 chum, 1,619,000 coho, 1,203,000 sockeyes and 374,000 Chinook salmon.

Elsewhere the overall increase is harvest continued at a less dramatic pace.

Prince William Sound processors have received 46,402,000 fish, a catch that includes 41,890,000, plus 3,309,000 red, 1,154,000 chum, 37,000 silver and 10,000 king salmon. There were no reports of an increase in harvest for Bristol Bay, which ended the season with 29,393,000 fish, including 28,809,000 sockeyes, but the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region boosted its harvest total slightly, to 1,845,000 salmon, including 1,298,000 chum, 234,000 pink, 229,000 silver, 81,000 red and 3,000 Chinooks.

In Cook Inlet the harvest overall rose to 3,663,000 fish. Processors received 2,508,000 red, 852,000 pink, 176,000 chum, 122,000 silver, and 5,000 kings since the season began.

For the Alaska Peninsula, harvests have reached 4,756,000 salmon, the bulk of them - 3,155,000 fish – are sockeyes, but the mix also includes 693,000 pink, 606,000 chum, 293,000 coho and 8,000 kings.

At Kodiak, deliveries to processors through Aug. 20 came to 12,275,000 salmon, including 9,320,000 pink, 2,482,000 red, 321,000 chum, 144,000 silver and 7,000 Chinooks.

Federal Disaster Relief Funds Granted for Alaska Fisheries

Commercial fishermen in Alaska affected by the 2012 salmon fisheries disaster for Yukon Chinook, Kuskokwim Chinook and Cook Inlet salmon will share in $7.8 million in grants announced this week by NOAA Fisheries Alaska Region.

The award includes direct payments to commercial fishermen, and breaks out as $3.2 million for the Yukon-Kuskokwim region and $4.6 million for the Cook Inlet region.

Jim Balsiger, Alaska’s regional administrator for the agency, said that their first priority has been to get those dollars directly into the hands of fishermen impacted by those fisheries failures. “Approval of the grant application for direct assistance means that will happen very soon,” he said. Applications to impacted fishermen are going out in the mail.

The estimated number of permit holders likely to participate include 631 harvesters for the Yukon River, 489 harvesters for the Kuskokwim River, 443 East Side Cook Inlet set netters, and 96 harvesters in the northern district of Cook Inlet. The highest direct payments, an estimated $4,952, are expected to go to Yukon River harvesters.

Funds are being distributed through the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission in Portland, Oregon, one of three interstate commissions established by Congress back in 1947 to manage and conserve marine resources in state and federal waters.

For the remaining funds, some $13 million, the Pacific states Marine Fisheries Commission is developing a second grant proposal based on spend plans provided to National Marine Fisheries service by representative groups identified by the state of Alaska and the Alaska congressional delegation. The second grant is anticipated to be awarded in coming months.

Registration Underway for 2014-2015 Crab Fisheries

Preseason vessel registrations are underway for the 2014-2015 fisheries in Bristol Bay red king crab, Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab, Western Bering Sea Tanner crab and Bering Sea snow crab.

Forms for preseason vessel registration and a list of vessels already registered is online at www.adfg.alaska.gov/cfregion4/dynamic/shellfish/management/vesreg/index

Through Aug. 20, 18 vessels were registered for the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery, 13 for the Eastern Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery, 13 for the Western Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery, and 17 for the Bering Sea snow crab fishery.

All preregistration forms must be completed and received by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game by Sept. 24. A Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission permit card is not required to preseason register.

Vessels that have completed preseason registration in all four of these crab fisheries are listed online in random-order by fishery. ADF&G officials said that vessels would be chosen from the top of the roster for observer coverage to achieve the target level of coverage in each fishery. Vessels that are selected to carry observers will be named in a news release on or before Sept. 26. Catcher vessel observer coverage for these fisheries is contracted and paid for by ADF&G.

Selected catcher vessels will be required to carry a crab observer 100 percent of the time each vessel is engaged in the fishery. In addition to catcher vessels selected to carry an observer, ADF&G will maintain an alternate list of vessels for potential observer coverage in each fishery. Should the alternate list be exhausted during a fishery, all vessels active in the fishery may be considered, ADF&G officials said.

Crab processing vessels are required to carry a crab observer 100 percent of the time that crab is being processed. Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands crab processing vessels must arrange and pay for their own observer coverage.

World Fisheries Project Received $2.6 Million Grant

The University of British Columbia’s “Sea Around Us” project has received a $2.6 million grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation in Seattle to provide African and Asian countries with more accurate and comprehensive fisheries data.

The project, led by UBC Fisheries Centre Professors Daniel Pauly and Dirk Zeller, will provide comprehensive catch data and data collection methods to policy makers and non-governmental organizations working with countries in West Africa, East Africa, the Arab world and South Asia.

The data is to be used to increase public transparency of access agreements for foreign vessels to fish in a country’s waters, improved methods of recording or estimating harvests, improve policy and management environments for local small-scale fisheries, and illegal fishing by foreign fleets.

This “Sea Around Us” project began on June 1 and will run through June 1, 2016. Funding from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation will also support FishBase, the Philippines-based research partner of “Sea Around Us,” whose aim is to create the most extensively accessed online database about fishes on the web.

The “Sea Around Us” was initiated in 1999 to provide integrated analyses of the impacts of fisheries on marine ecosystems, and to devise policies that can mitigate and reverse harmful trends, while ensuring social and economic benefits of sustainable fisheries. The program has assembled global databases of catches, distribution of commercial marine species, countries’ fishing access agreements, ex-vessel prices, marine protected areas and other data, all available online.

Communications: Prices Drop and Services Increase

As advances in communications and navigation equipment technology change at a seemingly alarming rate, there is something to be said about mixing the old with the new to keep some semblance of the old familiar functionality for commercial fishermen.

In June, Inmarsat launched Fleet One, a new satellite phone service which provides voice, email, Internet, text service and features inexpensive equipment and installation. "Airtime is only 50 cents per minute for voice calls and the data rate starts at only five dollars per megabyte," says Dave Brengelmann, Maritime Sales, Western US. "These rates are considerably less than a cell phone when roaming overseas and are a third less than the other services we currently offer."

Of particular interest to fishermen is the ability to purchase pre-paid vouchers of time so they can initiate the service as they need it, no matter the fishing season. "All you do is go to your marine electronics dealer to activate the service and buy extra vouchers that feature a 16-digit pin. Whenever you want to re-activate the service, dial a toll free 3-digit number and you're back in business," he says.

Fleet One operates on Inmarsat's I-4 satellites which are rigorously tested and has a standard plug and play connection to a computer, works with mobile apps such as smartphones and tablets, and a wireless router enables multiple users. The system also offers real-time weather information. Also available is an AmosConnect email service for free with an account.

One can hook up a Fleet One terminal in about five minutes on a shop bench and users can find youtube videos that help visually through the process. On board, installation time will vary due to the cable run. The Inmarsat Fleet One terminal has the same mounting bolt pattern as the Mini M and MSAT antennas; users need only change out their existing one for Fleet One. Additionally, Fleet One supports Inmarsat's unique '505' safety service that immediately connects a fishing vessel in distress with the marine rescue coordination center.

Also in June, Globalstar, Inc. launched its new satellite technology offering. Called Sat-Fi, the device provides the clarity of a cell phone for voice-to-voice contact and also enables up to eight users to send emails and texts through their existing smartphone, tablet or other Wi-Fi-enabled device interface.

"We are expanding our hardware portfolio to provide customers access to a satellite network with their existing smartphones, in essence, making the user's current phone into a satellite phone," says Rich Galasso, Distributions Manager. "The real trick is that the Sat-Fi allows up to eight devices connected at any one time."

Once users download the free Sat-Fi apps on their existing cell phones, for example, they can compose an email or a text the same way and can monitor what it's doing and where it is in the process of sending and receiving.

When adding users to the Sat-Fi device, Galasso says it works much like extensions on a land line phone. Only one person can dial out at a time and the app shows any other users if the line is already in use.

For email, each user can create emails and have them queued on the app until they are ready to send and receive. From a text message standpoint, users shouldn't notice any kind of delays as these work in near real time.

The new Sat-Fi, in comparison to Globalstar's other sat phones, is a lot less expensive. The fixed GSP-2900 phone normally retails for about $1,400 to $1,700, depending on antenna set up and data kit. The Sat-Fi at $999 comes complete. There is nothing else users have to buy unless they want to extend the antenna cable, which will likely cost less than $100. Sat-Fi comes with a 14-foot antenna cable which for most operations is more than enough.

For fishing crews, there is the option of a three-day free email plan, or getting email direct for an additional $80 per year (including additional service fees on top of the air time). Users can obtain an unlimited voice and data plan through Globalstar at $150 per month which is comparable to today's cell phone plans.

"People already have their phones in their pockets so they're not buying any additional equipment," says Galasso. "And they get the benefit of putting multiple users on it at one time. Sat-Fi provides normal wireless connectivity, so it definitely has good range for small crew-type activity."

Technological advances in the next couple of years will soon increase raw data speeds that will bring satellite phones on par with cell phones. "It's not that sat phones are going to replace cellular but it will be very convenient and very simple to use and the price will be very reasonable in both the hardware and in the air time side of it," adds Galasso. "That's where the satellite world is going for Globalstar. As data speeds increase, we'll offer faster, less expensive products with more capabilities."

Ocens, located in Des Moines, Washington offers easy access weather data-gathering that can be downloaded via satellite phone. "The software is designed around the low bandwidth limited file size restrictions so that users can cost-effectively get in, get the weather information they need, and get that downloaded over their satellite phone," says Jeff Thomassen, Director, Sales & Marketing, Product Testing & Development.

WeatherNet 4 service allows the user to select the weather information they want, for instance, a text weather report from NOAA or a weather facts chart. All they need to do is hit the download button and the software connects them to the Internet over their satellite phone, which logs into Ocens' servers, immediately downloads the files and then disconnects the call when it's done. The files are downloaded in compressed formats so the user takes the minimal amount of air time possible to get the files.

"We employ some data compression as well as Internet protocols that are streamlined, and our servers are configured to work with the slow connections," says Thomassen. "Today's Internet is looking for broadband connections everywhere and sat phones are not, in general, that type of connection. They're much slower or still using older protocols, older speeds, so we have our servers configured so they can operate at that slower speed to deal with the slow data transfers without causing time-outs."

According to Thomassen, WeatherNet 4 comprises one of the world's largest databases of ocean information products; everything from standard weather information to ocean data such as surface temperatures, currents, salinity, plankton and as well as text reports and satellite imagery.

Each time the user hits the download button, the software downloads the most current version of that particular weather file. Many of the files are supported by many of the charting software programs so the files can then be imported into a user's navigation software or view them as stand-alone weather files. "Even if you have guys who are working multiple fisheries, it's all available in the same service so all they have to do is change their selections as needed," says Thomassen.

Ocens sells many familiar state-of-the-art satellite phone brands along with WeatherNet 4 service. Users with existing phones or computers can sign up for the WeatherNet 4 service which is $99 per year. File download costs vary from between five cents to a dollar, with some higher resolution products at $5 per download and are billed on a monthly basis.

"We offer the satellite phones and we offer email service as well," says Thomassen. "If the crew need to stay in contact back home or communicate with a buyer, etc., we have an email service that's designed around the same kind of compression and enhanced network protocols so that they can very cost-effectively send or receive email from the vessel, and they can subscribe on a monthly or yearly basis for that."

Furuno's family of NavNet TZtouch products have recently taken a step forward with a much-requested remote control unit that provides the old-fashioned buttons and tactile control for vessel captains and crew.

"The MCU002 Remote Controller is compatible for use with the entire NavNet TZtouch series, including the TZTBB Black Box, as well as theTZT14 and TZT9 MFD," says Jeff Kauzlaric, Advertising & Communications Manager, based in Camas, Washington. "The controller benefits installations where the displays are recessed and/or mounted a bit out of conventional reach. The design of the controller is compact and light, allowing it to be installed anywhere, even as an armchair controller, if desired."

The remote control accesses all NavNet TZtouch features, including Chart Plotting functions, like panning, zooming, and route creation. Users can control the Radar, Fish Finder, NavPilot autopilot (when interfaced), RotoKey menu functionality, as well as custom page displays. When this remote is mounted alongside a currently installed TZT14 or TZT9 TZtouch display, it will give the user direct, instant access to tactile controls, which can be critical in rough seas.

The cost of the unit is $180. "The only thing you'll need to do is make sure TZtouch MFDs are updated with the very latest operating software, version 3.12 or above," says Kauzlaric. This can be done easily by watching youtube videos.

Additionally, Furuno has recently released version 3.12 of their TZtouch Software which enables operation with the MCU002 remote control and offers new features, including optimized active route synchronization between NavNet 3D and MaxSea TimeZero software, auto transmission power setting for the DFF1-UHD CHIRP sounder, and enhanced on-screen DSC call and position indication.