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As the Dungeness crab fleet goes to sea, more hard work awaits
Jan 30, 2024As our Dungeness crab fleets up and down the coast head out to sea, our Ilwaco crabbers are especially on our minds. They worked so hard to get to the point where they could make this season opener happen, after a devastating facility fire destroyed equipment last week.
Their reward is more hard work, in the year’s worst weather. Today we’ll take a look at what it could be like out there on the ocean for fishermen this week in the Pacific Northwest. It’s a story of difficult, dirty dangerous conditions, and the opportunity to do it all again between catches.
All the more reason to send a prayer or a good thought to fishermen, the next time you sit down to a seafood dinner.
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Crabpot “Dump Day” becomes a symbol of victory over tragedy
Jan 29, 2024Ilwaco, Washington’s Dungeness crab fleet headed out to sea in the wee hours this morning, to start dropping baited crab pots ahead of the Thursday season opener here. Today is “dump day” – the day crabbers can legally start dropping pots, so they can harvest them on Thursday, they hope, full of crab.
The fleet’s comeback was nothing less than astounding, after an incredible fundraising and gear-gathering effort on the part of people and businesses all along the coast.
Neighbors joined forces to step in and save the fleet from the aftermath of a horrific fire last week that destroyed critical gear and a fishing facility on Ilwaco’s waterfront.
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Efforts continue to help Ilwaco commercial fisherman get ready for the start of Dungeness crab season
Jan 25, 2024After a stunningly successful week of fundraising and gear-gathering, community efforts to help Ilwaco, Washington’s Dungeness crab fleet regroup, after a devastating fire, seem to be well on their way.
What remains now is to get that gear rigged and baited in time for a Monday “presoak” deadline. That’s the day when the first crab pots can be put in the water, to allow fishermen to pull pots full of crab on Thursday, the official opening day of the season.
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Wide-ranging community response helps crabbers recover from Ilwaco fire losses
On Monday, a devastating fire destroyed a commercial fishing facility in Ilwaco, Washington, along with thousands of Dungeness crabpots belonging to Ilwaco’s fishing fleet. With just a week till the opening of the crabbing season, things looked bleak.
But a far-reaching and effective community response from other PNW fishermen, and the public, to gather gear and raise funds, may allow fishermen and their families to continue their work and retain their livelihoods. A great example this week of neighbors coming together in a crisis.
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Horrific fire destroys Ilwaco cannery, crushing the local crabbing community at the start of the season
Jan 24, 2024On Monday, a devastating fire destroyed the historic Ilwaco Landing Cannery building on the waterfront in the fishing community of Ilwaco, Washington. The building and dock were gutted, and thousands of Dungeness crab pots destroyed.
It was a crushing blow to the local fishing community, slated to open the local crab season on February 1.
Today we’ll talk about some of the details of the fire, and efforts to help families who are reeling in the aftermath of the fire. PNW commercial fishing orgs up and down the coast are gathering gear to help fishermen replace what was lost.
Current fundraisers to help fishing families:
- The Ilwaco Tuna Club: https://gofund.me/be6c5dc7
- The FV Brandy– the Walters family https://gofund.me/e4fb0a2b
- The Chowder Stop in Long Beach Wash.is donating fund from sales: $2 from every cup of clam chowder sold starting Wednesday 1-24-2024 till the end of January will be donated to help with the disastrous fire that devastated our neighboring Ilwaco fishing community.
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Unusual ship on the river today
Jan 23, 2024Today we’ll talk about the USNS VADM KR Wheeler, a special kind of vessel that can pump fuel via a portable pipeline to land from miles offshore. She is owned by the Navy and is used to support US military operations. The Wheeler is headed to the Portland shipyard to a drydock there.
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A look at today’s ship schedule
Jan 22, 2024After a bout of dangerously cold weather, it’s nice to see ships moving again on the river. We’ll take a look at who’s on the river today, and what they’re carrying to and from ports.
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Microclimates and bad weather
Jan 18, 2024Today we’ll talk about the concept of microclimates, which might be part of the reason why people experienced this week’s icy weather in what semed like a myriad of different ways, and levels of severity.
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A listener question about a boat on the Astoria waterfront
Jan 17, 2024A listener wrote to ask about a small boat they saw approaching a ship in the anchorage. Today we’ll talk about launch services and the valuable work they perform that is an integral part of the maritime chain of commerce.
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Cold weather at sea
Jan 16, 2024While those of us on land were struggling with icy conditions or holed up somewhere, mariners continued to handle brutally cold conditions offshore.
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