Saturday started out with a lot of frustration from a simple random car issue.

I was cleaning out the garage and had some fishing gear to give to Jeff.  When I set it on the passengers seat, some halibut rigs engaged the electric parking brake on the Leaf.  I never use the brake.  And that might be why it’s now seized.  I looked up how to mechanically release the electric brake, and that didn’t work.  Of course, the car was in the wettest part of the driveway where the water trickles down to the road, right under the middle of the car.  I could sort of run it in reverse, with the back wheels that are locked up dragging, and the front wheel drive able to push the car backwards down the hill.  I figured I’d get it down to the level pavement by the road, and then I could work on it.  That was all working well as I inched it back wards down the driveway, until the car would go no further when it got to some soft mud under the shot rock from all the rain.

It looked like there was enough room to squeeze the truck between the house and the car so I could drive the truck below the car, and then try to drag the car the rest of the way down to the road.  Well, there was not enough room.  There was maybe an inch clearance between the house and the truck bed on one side, and an inch between the other side of the truck bed and the car on the other side.  And my eyes can’t do an inch anymore.  I crunched the side of my car a little bit, and was worried I wouldn’t be able to back out back up the driveway, but managed to do that without more damage.

Now I needed to pull the car back up the driveway somehow and get it out of the way so Sara could get her car past it from the garage to the road.  There was no place to hook up a tow chain underneath the car.   I went online and found there’s a tow eye in the emergency tool kit in the car, even though the owners manual doesn’t talk about this as far as I could find.  I threaded the tow eye to the front of the car, and dragged the car up the driveway carefully with the truck.  The car was now in a drier spot, but still on an incline that was enough that I don’t feel real safe trying to jack up the rear of the car to work on the brake mechanism, which I think I could tackle after watching a good you tube on this repair.  I think I’ll see if I can get a mechanic to do this in town, and get the car towed there.

Then a bright spot.  The outboard mechanics called.  My boat was ready.  And the engine still works!  The engine would not idle properly, and I thought it was the reed valves.  Turns out the answer was much simpler.  Not cheap.  But simple.  The stud holding on the alternator had snapped after I’d replaced the alternator when I got the engine (a common issue with Optimax engines, I found out from online discussions), and when I tried to drill out the part of the bolt threaded in the mount, I buggered that up (of course), and ended up putting  a smaller bolt sideways next to it.  The alternator was now on a little cockeyed, but it worked.  Until it didn’t.  I think it stretched the belt or something, and so the belt wasn’t turning the air compressor properly.  The air compressor on this outboard is akin to the computer on my diesel truck I came to find out, controlling alot of functions, including the idle.

The mechanics have a crafty welder next door.  All of us consulted on how the welder could try to fix the mount for the bolt.  We decided he’d grind off the part of the mount that I’d buggered up, then carefully reform the mount (which is located on the engine block) by building up welds.  He’d have to go slow and be as careful as he could to not heat up ruin the engine cylinder on the other side of the engine block wall from the mount.  He said he couldn’t guarantee he could do it, and I agreed to take the chance.

The mechanics called just as I got the car moved to it’s current spot, and they said my boat was ready. They sounded a little giddy, so I hoped for the best.  I asked if the engine still started, and they said it was running as they spoke!  The welder succeeded in reforming the mount, then the mechanics drilled and tapped a new hole for the bolt.  I was happy.  They were happy.  They said it was a challenge for the welder but he fixed it in the end.  It took about 50% or more longer than the welder expected, but I was fine with that.  It is what it is, as they say.  I love the outboard, and the engine wasn’t gonna really work if the repair couldn’t be made.  Plus, now I have working relationships with both the mechanics and the good welder – all of which I’m satisfied with – for future work.  And another good thing was when I went to pick up my boat, there was a boat with a home built hard top that was just completed, and so I’m hoping to get info on the welder who built that so I can see about getting one for our boat.  Things were looking better from the morning.

I checked the forecast, and after days of wind and rain, the forecast was for calm and drier tomorrow!  I picked up ice from Chris on the way home from getting the boat.  After emptying the boat when I left it at the mechanics, I started to re-outfit the boat so I could go trolling tomorrow.  First I had to remount the kicker I’d removed so the mechanics could have easy access to the big motor, and re-attach the new rectifier I put on the kicker to charge the battery when I’m trolling.  Next was to put on the downriggers I use for hand troll gurdies, and put the fishing gear back aboard.  I remembered at the last minute to put back the new cleaning tray set up.  I was ready to go in the morning.
I didn’t sleep well the night before, so got a late start.    I launched the boat and headed out in almost calm seas to the fishing area. On the way, I realized I forgot my spoon leaders, so I tied up what I needed for the day on the way there.   As I turned into Chatham Strait, the southerly wind was making a 1 to 2 foot chop, so I headed south as far as I’d caught fish in this area, then turned north to go with the wind, and put the gear out.  There was only one other boat sport fishing.

The lone occupant of the sport boat came out on deck gesturing to me with his hands out and turned up that he’d caught nothing, and I gestured the same.  As I got to the north end of the fishing area after a couple hours without a strike, I picked up my gear to try another spot north of this spot.  The sport boat pulled his gear, too.

It took me about a half hour to run north to the area open for me up near Berners Bay.  I caught 5 fish here late in the season last year, so thought I’d try it again.  I saw lots and lots of sea lions hauled out on Benjamin Island on the way.    I dropped the gear, and fished north with the wind.  I got one fish – still bright – but that was it – for a couple hours of fishing.  But a nice end to the season.  It was a nice dry day so warm in the wheel house of my little cruiser.  And knowing I’d fished to the end of the time when I could catch fish, so I wouldn’t be thinking I’d missed catching more fish for the season if I didn’t go again.

It was a pleasant hour+ run back to the boat landing in calm seas.  I saw cow and calf humpback whales on the way home.  At the launch, a duck hunter was pulling his boat, and he said hunting was good with early migrant ducks and it was good to get out with “the little one”.  I wasn’t sure if he meant his hunting dog or child, neither of which I could see.  As I was backing my boat down, I saw that he’d meant his son, who was wrapped up in his phone like a an addict getting his fix.  Just like some of the scouts and parents might be at the campout I was missing this weekend.  I felt a twinge of pain.  Technology has so many benefits, but there is a downside.

When I got home, I filleted the lone fish I caught, and put the frame and head and fins, along with the eggs I left on the boat, into the crab bait jars for checking the pots the next day.  I started cutting up the fish, and saw it was the rare fish filled with parasitic cysts.  I looked them up and found they aren’t dangerous to humans, but there was more of them than I wanted to eat, so we passed on fish for dinner.

We had a mailed package waiting for us, and after I cleaned up from messing with the fish, I opened it.  It was a beautiful rectangular glass tray with a salmon on it.  From Andrea and the twins.  When I emailed to thank them for it, Andrea said Odessa had made it!  Even better.
That capped an August of memories with friends and family here, and an enjoyable September of fishing.   Fishing and selling to a buyer, without having to worry about packaging, storing and selling them myself as I did in the past, sure has made fishing enjoyable and satisfying.
I’ve been walking daily getting ready for elk hunting with Roy and Zeke, and so now looking forward to fall hunting and maybe some high bush cranberry picking if I can find some.

Andrew went with me hand trolling on Monday.  It was so choppy I would not have been able to fish I don’t think if he wasn’t there driving.  The jacked up cleaning tray worked great.  My back is still sore, but better.  We caught 23, which is another good day and for sure I caught many more than I would have if Andrew wasn’t driving.

Too windy to go out to the hand trolling waters today, so I delivered my catch from yesterday to Chris, then took Andrew and his newly arrived daughter sport fishing.  We only caught one coho, but it was a hog, and there were half a dozen crab in the pots, so the daughter got a good first boat ride and day fishing.  When I got home, I decided to swap out the home made hand troll gurdies from Cannon to the Penn downriggers I picked up over the winter on craigslist.

It took a couple hours but once I did the first one, the second one went quickly.   I like the brake on the cannon over the penn, but the penns are more skookum built, especially the handle, which is metal.  I’ve already broken off 2 cannon handles.   We’ll see how they fish tomorrow.

Chris and Sheila left this morning after a week of fun here. Sheila is the sister of my late friend from grad school, Jimmy, who made me feel most welcome among his family during my 2 years in Mississippi. Chris was Jimmy’s best friend growing up.

Dropped them off at the airport shortly after 3 am for their 5 am Delta flight to Seattle. Wheeled in their fish box and it was dialed in at the maximum 50 lbs on the nose, which was not surprising given the week they’d had.

Every day was exceptional for them.

• We took a ride with Larry to Tenakee and back and saw humpback whales bubblenet feeding.
• We caught 13 coho salmon in a day, then saw orcas on the way home.
• We took a ride to Haines with Larry and Roy showed them around town and we saw the cranky sea lions hauled out on the way home.
• We caught a pile of crab and overnighted at our cabin eating all the crab we could for dinner, then picked the rest.
• They took some walks and drives around town, and saw a sow black bear with cubs, went up the tram and climbed further up Mount Roberts, and they loved the whale statue park.

Yesterday, we drove out the road and stopped at the Shrine of St Therese, and they did some praying in the church, walked around the stations of the cross, and then Sheila walked around the labyrinth.  Chris explained to me what a Columbarium is. On the way home, we were running low on electric for the car, and luckily Sara was also in the same area, so I plugged my car in at a station,  jumped in with her and we all went over to Zarelda’s to order take out, then I took her car to get ice for fishing from Chris, dropped it back at my car, and when I returned to pick them up they came out with food in hand.  I added leftover salmon to my vegetarian curry and it was excellent.

We learned  a lot about the Methodist Church from these two ministers, and interesting to hear about their different congregations in Mississippi and their daughter’s in Atlanta. Also how long term a “mission” can be, as they spent 10 years at a site just helping to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina, and now are headed back to see what the situation is with Ida, that passed through their area when they were here.

Got in a couple days of hand trolling the past two days. Had my best days for coho hand trolling in my second year, two days in a row. My friend Gordy had his best day yesterday, too, fishing south of me, and he’s been hand trolling a long time.

And wow, is my back sore from cleaning because my cleaning trough is too low. Got to take tomorrow off at least. Now that I don’t need the money, my health takes priority over fish checks, and my back needs to be in good shape to go elk hunting with Roy in about a month.

The fish were coming about as fast as I want to have them come yesterday for awhile. I had to quit pulling fish and just clean, and in doing so, realized I should let the lines load up with fish like that all the time as the fish on the hooks attract other fish to hooks without a fish.  I had four fish on each side – with the only hooks not with a fish were fouled and maybe one of the hootchie hooks was bare. Of course, fish could have got on and off with all the soak time as I was cleaning the other fish.

Coho dock price from my buyer is $3.50/lb, so the pay checks are somewhat stunning just for catching the coho with cannon manual downriggers rigged for trolling.

Of course, I lost the first fish of the day and the last. Both hogs. And I think each time – there goes 35 bucks.

Still refining my little troll show. Realized I can just take out one of the benches behind the captain seats and put the cooler there, instead of having it in the way all the time, so that’s one of the next projects.  I must get some welding done for better mounting of the downriggers, too.

I started off just fishing flashers and hootchies as that’s what I’d been catching coho on sport fishing. I put in an orange spoon here and there as well. When I saw the coho start to hit the spoons, I swapped the flashers to spoons, except for some 4 inch flashers I got from Cabelas to try. They seem to work okay at times, and create no drag on the wire like the bigger flashers do.

Yesterday a humpback whale surfaced right next to me, then started cutting in front of me. I yelled to him or her, and she seemed to hear me and dove across my bow at a safe distance.

Sara and I took our first Alaskan cruise last week. We flew out to Unalaska and took the ferry to Kodiak. We flew down a few days early to see Dutch Harbor and Unalaska. I’d never been there before, and it exceeded my expectations.  The nice weather didn’t hurt. Our flight was scheduled for 3.75 hours, but we got there in under 3 hours because the weather was so nice they did not need to refuel on the way.

We stayed at the Grand Aleutian Hotel, and rented a car and traveled most of the fairly extensive road system around the town.

Dutch Harbor is not a small boat town. Most of the boats were trawlers and crabbers.

Net menders worked right out our window on a trawl net. The net and rigging was flaked out over a 300 yard strip between the hotel and the road, and that gave us some sense of how big those nets are.

One surprise was the number of 40′ containers in town. Thousands of them. Many were refrigerated units, and were plugged in an running. It obviously takes a lot of cold storage to house the largest seafood port in the country.

One thing not so surprising was the thousands of king crab and tanner pots stacked around town.

The Aleutian landscape is stunning, with grassy mountains rising right up out of the sea. Lots of ground squirrels, and I saw the first snow bunting since I worked on the north slope. Lots of wild flowers were in bloom, and the salmon berries were still green. We saw rafts of ribbon kelp along the road, with a little bull kelp mixed in. There was a sea otter or two in the bay, but just a few. The ADFG biologist there now came from our shop in Juneau 7 years ago, and I could tell she really loved the place and I was glad to see that.

The town is a melting pot of colors and  races and cultures with all the fish processors and fishing boats and support businesses.

The schools and library looked well maintained, as well as the two museums we visited. The library has free wifi and computers and is open long hours.  Gasoline was $4.09/gallon at the pump.

We boarded the ferry Tustemena a couple days later for our trip north. I’d guess about half the passengers were Alaskans doing the same thing we were and local residents riding the ferry to another destination.

The ferry stops at several towns on it’s way to Kodiak and then to Homer. The stops are an hour at each stop, but if we arrived early, we stayed until the scheduled leave time.

Our first stop north was in Akutan, and this town was one of my favorite stops. The tiny community has a fish processor on one side of town and the community on the other. Like almost every community in the area, there was an old Russian Orthodox Church and cemetery. We were able to walk to the end of the town boardwalk in about 15 minutes, and the little Akutan School looked well maintained. There was also a brand new Catholic Church between the town and the fish processing plant, and apparently built at the behest of the cannery workers if we got the story straight.

The next stop was Cold Bay. Although we had fair weather our whole trip, one downside to this was we had hours of fog a day. Cold Bay was socked in and so I didn’t see anything of the town as it’s somewhat distant from the ferry terminal.

The next stop was King Cove. King Cove seemed like a prosperous community with well kept houses and processing plant. There’s also apparently a popular Chinese restaurant in King Cove, and people from Chignik (I think) ordered food from the restaurant and had it delivered to the ferry for delivery to Chignik.
The fog broke out of King Cove, and I was able to sit on the bench on the side deck of the ferry and just watch the beautiful Aleutian scenery of emerald green. Real wilderness here with no sign of civilization. We passed Pavlof Volcano, which is one of the many active volcanoes in the area, and we could see a vent whole in the top and ash on the snow below it.

At Sand Point, the state fish and game biologist met us and gave us a quick tour around town. With the beautiful weather, we arrived early so got a little extra time. Sand Point was my second biologist job with ADFG 30 years ago. I would later find out that the biologist was the cousin of an old friend from Fairbanks. She grew up in Kodiak, and this position winters in Kodiak and she was glad to back home after several years working in  Anchorage. I also met an elder seiner on whose boat I’d worked as a biologist test fishing 3 decades ago. He didn’t remember me, of course, but I remembered him and his boat. The town hadn’t changed all that much in 30 years. The roads were now paved, and ADFG was in a new office. Sadly, a new memorial was erected at the harbor dedicated to the crew of a boat that included the son of a co worker who was about 4 when I worked there 30 years ago. He and  4 other crew members were lost at sea when their crab boat sunk inexplicably a couple years ago near the Pribilof Islands. The town looked like it was doing well, with well maintained houses and fishing boats.

The last stop before Kodiak was at Chignik, another place I worked right after graduate school. The bugs were so bad I didn’t get off with Sara. I had heard there was a donut maker in town, and noticed several donut boxes showing up. I got to sample a donut with the Captain of the ferry on our way to Kodiak, and it was excellent.

Kodiak was our last stop. I lived in Kodiak for a couple years when I worked summers in Sand Point  and Chignik, and it’s always a pleasure returning. The only problem now is so many of the people I worked with and hunted with as a young biologist there have passed away. Many before their time due to cancer or heart attack or disease. We were lucky to have an old friend and his wife invite us over for breakfast and it was fun catching up with them. They are in their mid  70’s now, and in good shape. Another old friend took me to the airport for my flight home, and it was great catching up with him and scheduling my stay with him in October when I’ll return to elk hunt. Sara stayed in town for a few days to visit with her fellow legislator and friend Louise.

What a great way to see the state with nothing more to do than watch the world go by. It might be boring for some people, but not for us. By the end of the trip, we of course met several of our fellow passengers, found common acquaintances with some of the Alaskan passengers from Fairbanks, and enjoyed eating in the ferry dining area and meeting the staff that served us.

Finally found a computer module for my old truck. It’s been down since January. Found a great mechanic locally who diagnosed it, but he couldn’t help find the part. First I sent the one in that was in the truck to get fixed, but the company couldn’t fix it. Then I started looking at outfits that dealt in ECM’s and found a lot of outfits with poor ratings and customer service. Normally I don’t mind just buying a random part and figure it will work – the computer for the truck is $800 and up, so you really want to know it’s coming from an honest, reputable company. Which I hope I have.
I got the computer yesterday and installed it this morning. It’s as easy as changing the air filter. 3 bolts hold it to the firewall, and then 3 wire harnesses plug into the computer. A five minute job.

Then came the moment of truth. I hooked up the batteries again, then climbed in and turned on the key. Everything lit up on the dash board like it’s supposed to!  The truck started, and the tachometer and alternator were again working. So far so good. I started up the road and immediately noticed I had full power like a big diesel truck should. The only problem: it wouldn’t shift out of first gear!  And, the speedometer wasn’t working.

I called my mechanic and asked him to look at it. He said it was probably the transmission speed sensor or something, but couldn’t look at it for a week. I scheduled an appointment, then looked  up the sensor location on You Tube. Then I crawled under the truck and there it was. Unplugged!  I’m sure my mechanic probably unplugged it when he was troubleshooting the computer, and just forgot to plug it back in.

I plugged it in, and now had all my gears and the speedometer. Happy day. I texted the mechanic to let him know what happened and that I could cancel my appointment. Now to get Brian’s outboard on the boat.

Jeff and Andrew helped me ease the old Yamaha 115 off, then I pulled out all the cables. I got the 135 Merc on myself, and started pulling the cables. Just have the fuel and oil hookups left and then a test fire and hopefully a test run after that.