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King Salmon
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 5,275
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saturday crabbing at tillamook
Took the Threemuch II out for her maiden Voyage. Lots of trouble, but an overall success.
I towed over with Steve, a friend from work, and his son Kyle, who is developmentally challenged (he has the capacity of about a six year old in an adult's body). We launched the boat, with some trouble. My trailer sucks. But after a little work, we got her in.
She fired right up, and we took off to put the pots down. Three on the south side, where the jetty begins, three on the north side. Lots of people crabbing.
I look at the tower, and the lights are off. The bar looks good! So I call the coasties and get a bar report. 4-6 feet, open to all vessels. Two hours before the tide switches. So I look at steve, and say "let's go!"
We cross the bar easily and head down to three arches. The ocean is confused, but small, 6 foot swell, about 2' chop. We are running into the swell, but with trim tabs down, Threemuch II can make 18 comfortably. By the time we get there, Steve is puking. Kyle starts puking right after. So I make a cast with a blue and silver jefftrap, and land a 24" ling. Just barely legal, and I got pinched for a short about 2 years back, so I toss him back in. Next cast, hook another fish, but it shakes off.
Steve has finally stopped puking, but he is still way green. He gets a line in. Kyle is still very sick, and doesn't really understand why. So I look at Steve and say, let's go back.
We run in easily, downhill about 24kts. The coasties pass us on the way in, and turn around and follow us in. We get inside, but Kyle is still very sick. The coasties pull up and we exchange greetings. I ask them whet they want, and they said they were just coming out to warn us that the tide was turning and the bar would get nasty. Duh. I thank them, and we head off to get the crab gear.
No crab guage. We run in and buy one, and head back out. There is a rowboat with an outboard with a woman rowing, and the guy pulling furiously on the starter rope. They are going backwards, the tide is starting to rip. So I offer them a tow.
They gladly accept, and we tow them back. Good Karma. Kyle is still sick, so I tell Steve to take him ashore, I can get the pots myself.
I run back out to the gear, the tide is smoking now, so getting them is not easy. I pull the first three, all shorts. Not good. I head to the other side, and can't find my gear. It's 12:30,these pots aint coming back up for 3 more hours at least. I drag a downrigger for awhile hoping to snag one, no luck. So I figure they have 20 pounds of weight in each one, I am coming back, and hope for the best. I know John, you told me so.
So we put the boat back on the trailer, which wasn't that easy, but we got it done, and put it into my new storage in Garibaldi (thanks John!)
Hopefully I get the pots back, but if not, they were my cheap plastic ones. No one here has gear like this, so it would take a brave soul to swipe them and use em. I will recognize them if I see them, and I plan on spending alot of time on the water. I figure my odds at 50/50. I got the boat across the bar on her maiden voyage, which kicks ass. I didn't refuel yet, but she appears thirsty. Started with a full tank, ended with a quarter, but the guy who sold it to me told me that pegged on E he never got more than 50 bucks in it, and it has a 76 gallon tank. I will take it, all systems on the boat performed flawlessly, everyone got back safe. A great day at sea.
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Alligator
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