After my health wouldn't allow me to continue purse seining I sold my Seiner the Evie. After a year or so without a boat in Valdez I started looking. The most common boats were Bristol Bay gillneters Which only draw about two feet of water which isn't what I was looking for for Prince William Sound. The Cordova Gillnetters were fast enough but just aren't real comfortable. I always enjoyed working on boats so a junker was an option for the right price....
Date(s): March 17, 2024. Album by John Stelling. 1 - 24 of 31 Total. 447 Visits.
1 This was what Id settled on. ..The PHYLLIS JEAN. Originally built in 1979 by Carrol Kompkoff of Cordova who seined it for years. He built it as a combination Seiner/gillnetter for the Copper River Flats and Prince William Sound.
2 Carroll retired from fishing and gave the boat to his oldest son Gary who lived in the native village of Tatitlek. There wasn't any good way to maintain the boat there. Gary wasn't much interested in fishing and the boat sat on anchor. The boys would use her to make trips to Valdez or Cordova for groceries and the boat languished.
3 The discovery effort. Just trying to see what was going to be needed.
4 I dropped the rigging and had the boat hauled out to my house where I had a shop with lots of tools and electricity and started in on this project. I set up a tent so I could get out of the rain and started in. I knew going in there were lots of issues....Fuel tanks were sour, fuel lines plugged, wiring a mess and dry rot in the deck, and on and on. I was going to try clean up the tanks and re-use them but the first touch of a wire brush went through the bottom!!!
5 SOOOO. new fuel tanks, Oh, and while we're at it a water tank and a hydraulic tank which was non existent. I was lucky enough to get Brent Jorgans to move his welder to my shop and work there close to the boat. He is an excellent aluminum fabricator and welder and things worked out well as he had plenty of room to work.
6 New fuel tank
7 Custom build to fit hydraulic tank
8 The deck beams were rotten all the way to the back of the house so the whole deck was removed. By this time I was needing some help so I was able to get Rodney Walters to pitch in with the fiberglass and wood work.
9 When the boat was built they foamed and glassed the fish hold. it was easy to remove the rotten deck and beams and lay new in.
10 Lazarette bulkhead
11 New fuel, water lines as well as steering lines and electricity for pumps to the lazarette
12 Rodney glassed the new deck in my shop after it had been fitted.
13 The rest of the boat was a mess as well...Basically I bought a hull with a new Volvo Penta diesel and New Twin Disc marine gear...installed. The engine had 36 hours!!!The rest was junk! I cleaned it up and spent many hours in the engine room tearing out wiring and hydraulic hoses, old batteries, automatic pilot, pumps, fresh water system, etc, etc. AND cleaning up an oily bilge!!!
14 It took about five years to this point. I only worked in summer months and around my work schedule. I was in no hurry. It was time to move back to the harbor yard from my shop so the tent had just been removed.
15 I had her renamed after my wife.....Thought I might just score a few points....and for good luck which she brought us..
16 Back to the harbor yard with the seine rigging standing again.
17 Id completely rebuilt the interior of the boat. New floor, headliner, electronics, I completely rebuilt this Dickinson stove...new refrigerator, fresh water system etc.,etc.
18 This is the new Diamond Seaglaze sliding door...a very nice touch.
19 New bunk and seat cushions
20 Command and control
21 On the deck an on to the bridge.
22 Starboard engine room looking aft with a battery box and the Micro Commander shift and throttle control
23 Battery charger and negative buss w/ hydraulic pump
24 Some of Brents handiwork. This is the front mounted, shaft driven hydraulic pump through a Pitts clutch.
