Voyages of the World: Dutch Harbor, Alaska

We have a truly amazing story to share with you from Dutch Harbor, and if you’re a fan of the TV series, Deadliest Catch, you’ll really appreciate this blog episode. It happened only through blind luck, but first, a little about our arrival & Dutch Harbor itself.

Dutch Harbor itself is a harbor located off of Amaknak Island in Unalaska, Alaska. It was the location of the Battle of Dutch Harbor in June 1942, and it was one of the few locations in American territory to be bombed by the Japanese during World War II. A mile-long spit extending from the southwest of Amaknak Island makes Dutch Harbor a natural port, protecting ships from the waves and currents of the Bering Sea, although winds off the Bering Sea can be wickedly strong as we’ve experienced ourselves the past few days. The native people here are known as the Aleut. The families or tribes would war with each other. When the Russians arrived they exploited the Aleut by taxing them in fur pelts. In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the United States. Russia was exhausted by the Crimean War, and they were having a tough time managing the extensive land of Alaska. Fur was the main export in Alaska after the United States took control. World War II brought an entire army and supplies to Dutch Harbor. In 1942, the Imperial Japanese navy bombed Dutch Harbor from two aircraft carriers. During the war, Dutch Harbor was used as a home for refugees evacuated from the Aleutian Islands. U.S. Army troops and civilian workers alike spent time at "Blackies", the only bar in the area. This establishment had cheap beer and 50-cent shots of whiskey, but no stools or chairs because they said they "splintered too easily in event of a fight". Other entertainment was a brothel named "Pleasure Island", but this was closed in 1941 and replaced by part of the submarine base. They had a 500-man mess hall that doubled as a theater - the tickets for military were 15 cents and 35 cents for civilian workers. Pretty good deal back then!

In early 1942, intelligence officers of the U.S. Navy predicted that there would be a Japanese attack in the North Pacific area, and naval codebreakers warned Dutch Harbor of the impending attack. In June of 1942, 20 Japanese planes bombed the radio station and the petroleum storage tanks. In May 1943, a peak of 10,000 sailors and 9,000 soldiers were stationed at the base. In 1947, the last units of the U.S. Navy left Dutch Harbor and the base was decommissioned. In 1952, the year I was born, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stored over 200 surplus buildings on 400+ acres of land on the Fort Mears Military Reservation. During the mid-1980s, the U.S. Army bulldozed and burned the old World War II barracks on Amaknak Island, & the U.S. Navy scraped the air base.

As you may already know, Dutch Harbor is ranked to be a top fishing port with more than a billion pounds transferred each year. Huge harvests of Pollock and cod in the Bering Sea are cause for these numbers. The Bering Sea has a continental shelf which is one of the world’s largest, and supports a rich ecosystem. In recent years, Dutch Harbor has become a full service port providing all the fishing industry needs. It is "THE" harbor featured in the Discovery Channel reality television series, Deadliest Catch, which portrays the real life events aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab fishing season. The show's title derives from the inherent high risk of injury or death associated with the work. Deadliest Catch first premiered on the Discovery Channel in 2005 and currently airs in over 150 countries. The first season consisted of ten episodes. Subsequent seasons have aired on the same April to June or July schedule every year since the original. Alaskan king crab fishing is carried out during the fall months in the waters off the coast of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, so we've arrived right at the beginning. In fact, as you’ll later read, it actually begins next Wednesday. Back in 1980, at the peak of the king crab industry, Alaskan fisheries produced up to 200,000,000 lb. of crab. That's two-hundred-million! However, by 1983, the total size of the catch had dropped by up to 90% in some places. We've heard several theories for the precipitous drop in the crab population, such as over-fishing, warmer waters, and increased fish predation. As a result the current season is very short and last season only 24,000,000 lb. of red king crab were "landed".

It was cold. Bitterly cold. We docked at 8:00 right on schedule, but couldn’t see a thing as the sunrise was another hour removed – that’s right...daybreak at 9:00. Not only was it cold, it was spitting rain – a little more chilly & it would have been snowing. Both of us had full-body long underwear, Cheryl with a face-scarf & thick winter coat, and me with two sweatshirts, jacket, & stocking hat. We were among the very first passengers off the ship to catch one of the first shuttle busses into town. Actually, there were only two shuttles in total – both school busses, and woefully short to handle the needs of a cruise ship. This was no one’s fault. Holland America did the best they could in arranging ground transportation, and the city of Dutch Harbor gave us all they could spare. They’re not adapted to accommodating cruise ship passengers and in fact, they told us that we (the Amsterdam) were the largest ship to ever visit. By modern standards, we are quite small with just north of 1,000 folks on board. With that said, everyone understood the situation and exercised good patience & tolerance.

There were NO formal shore excursions offered here. Through prior arrangements, the shuttle bus was to make three stops; (1) the WWII Visitor Center, (2) Museum of the Aleutians, and (3) Russian Orthodox Church. Once loaded on the bus, the driver, who was very friendly, told us the road we were on had been paved recently in anticipation of our visit and that prior, it was a muddy, treacherous stretch riddled with potholes – she went on to say we were very lucky! About a half-mile down the road we came to what appeared to be a railroad crossing, complete with the two white vertical arms that extend horizontally when a train is approaching. No…this wasn’t a train crossing…not at all. This was the active runway of their local airport! They have three flights each day when the weather will allow, and the only road to & from the shipping dock just happens to run through the middle of the airport! It was all good.

We elected to leave the bus at the second stop – the Museum of the Aleutians…which hadn’t opened yet because it was still dark! The rain had stopped, but the wind was howling and again, bitterly cold. We walked to the ONE Safeway grocery store for refuge, plus I needed some razor blades. A package of five Gillette blades was marked $49 – are you kidding me?! Thanks, but I think I’ll pass on that. Prices were outrageous on everything by our standards, but then you have to stop & realize that all goods must be shipped in. Fuel was selling for $5.15 p/gallon. The only item we purchased was a small box of Melba Toast – a low-calorie, low carb snack for me – just something to munch back in our cabin.

We walked back to the Museum of the Aleutians which had since opened. We met a young lady outside (pictured with Cheryl) who was probably in her mid-twenties – she recently transplanted from southern California, following her boyfriend who landed a teaching job at the one high school in Dutch Harbor. She was THE accountant for the entire city. We had a great conversation with her talking about Dutch Harbor itself, the people, the job market, housing costs, and so forth. Speaking of housing, the average cost for a small, cracker-box style home is north of $400K. Ridiculous I know, but there aren’t that many homes available and new home construction is very cost-prohibitive. Population here is just south of 3,000. When the fish processing plants are in full swing, it increases seasonally to about 8,000, and the employees are housed in very modest apartments, typically across the street from their facility of employment. The last thing we talked about was our fascination with TV’s ‘Deadliest Catch’ and our desire to see some of the crabbing boats they feature on the series. She told us to walk a couple miles down the road toward the Orthodox church and off to our right in a secluded marina, we would be able to see the vessels, but from a distance. As we began our walk and rounded the first corner, we could see the stern of a crabbing boat docked next to a canning & processing facility and to our surprise, it was the ‘Arctic Sea’ – one of the showcased vessels on TV. We snapped a few photos and continued our walk, remarking to each other how fortunate we were to get that close. Cheryl then spotted an alley and motioned for me to follow. I was reluctant, because although there were no signs posted, I knew intuitively it led to the backside of the processing plants and we’d probably get escorted away pretty quick. Just then, a female employee emerged from one of the buildings and recognizing us as tourists, she said we were more than welcome to walk farther down the alley and take closer pictures of the Arctic Sea. Now standing alongside the famous vessel, I started taking photos of Cheryl – a man then emerges from a small truck nearby – I assumed he was a dock-worker and asked if he’d please allow me to take his picture with Cheryl…”why sure” he said – a very friendly guy you could tell from his short gesture. Then he says…”would you like to come aboard”? Cheryl and I look at each other in stunned amazement and almost in unison we both say “Absolutely”!! Let me jump ahead here for a minute. This is actually the Captain of Arctic Sea – his name, Owen Kvinge, featured in many episodes of Deadliest Catch. He’s been crabbing for 32 years – his boat was docked alongside one of the cannery’s because they were loading crab pots to get ready for their first run of the season, leaving Dutch Harbor next Wednesday. We stumbled into this alley and met this guy by mere chance & coincidence. He said he needed a break from the morning activities – so on the boat we go! Cheryl first…and not very easy to navigate between the dock & vessel – she must place & then balance one foot on a thick rope…and for those of you who know Cheryl well, balancing ANYTHING is a challenge for her but with the Captain’s help, she makes it onboard without incident. I’m a little slower and more deliberate – I have several layers of cloths limiting my mobility but after a few attempts, I make it on safely as well. So here we are with the Captain of the Arctic Sea – he tells us about the crab pots (up to 1,400 lbs. each) how many they’re loading (370) – takes us into the kitchen, shows us the sleeping quarters, then points upstairs to the helm and once up there, puts Cheryl in his Captain’s chair and lets me take a picture. I’m feeling guilty by this time – he’s already spent 20 minutes with us and as I start thanking him for his hospitality, he asks if we want to see the engine room…so down we go! He gave us ear protectors because it’s so loud down there and very patiently, spent several minutes explaining the various equipment & machinery. As you've probably guessed, I have a keen interest in sailing vessels, and these are particularly interesting for both of us. He tells us the commercial fishing boats they use are between 39 to 246 ft. in length, are equipped with hydraulic systems to lift the catch, and are able to withstand the freezing weather of the Bering Sea. The Arctic Sea is one of the largest. Each fishing boat sets its own sailing schedule during the crabbing season, often staying out for days or weeks at a time. The Arctic Sea leaves next Wednesday. Fishermen use a box-shaped trap called a "pot" which consists of a steel frame covered with a nylon mesh. Each pot weighs 600–1,400 lb. and a ship may carry 150 to 350 pots. Fish, usually herring or codfish, are placed inside as bait and then the pot is sunk to the sea floor where the king crab resides. The pots are dropped in a straight line (known as a "string") for easier retrieval. Red and blue king crabs can be found anywhere between the intertidal zone and a depth of 600 ft. Golden king crabs live in depths between 600–2400 ft. The location of the pot is marked on the surface by a buoy which is later used for retrieval. After allowing the pots to rest on the sea floor (typically one to two days for red and blue king crabs, longer for golden king crabs), the pots are dragged back to the surface using a hydraulic winch with a pulley on the end called a "block. The pot is then brought on board the boat and the crew sorts the king crab. Any not meeting the regulation requirements are thrown back, though I can’t recall what he told us about minimum requirements. The crabs are then stored live in a holding tank until the boat reaches shore, where they are sold. If the weather becomes too cold the live crabs may freeze and burst. If they are left in the tank for too long they will harm and possibly kill each other as they can be cannibalistic. Even the rocking of the boat can cause damage to the crab, so boards are inserted in the holds to prevent excessive side-to-side movement. If a crab dies in the hold for any reason it releases toxins which can kill other crabs. If the crew fails to remove the dead crabs, they can poison the entire tank and ruin the catch. Deckhands are paid a percentage of the profits after the owner's share is taken into account. This can range from nothing to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the size of the harvest. The so-called 'greenhorns' (deckhands in their first season of fishing) are paid a fixed sum of money.

In total, we spent nearly an hour with this gentleman and exchanged contact information with each other before leaving. Seriously…how cool is THAT?! It was just dumb, blind luck that we stumbled into this alley – it could have been anyone from our ship and come to learn later, we were the only two who actually toured any of the vessels. Pure luck…right place at the right time. Wow.

Captain Kvinge has our blog address and said he would check it out – so if you’re reading this, Sir, our heartfelt thanks & appreciation for a thrilling tour of your vessel & education but equally, an opportunity to get to know a wonderful gentlemen like you. May God bless & keep you & your crew safe on your first journey next week…and always. Thank you again, ever so much. We are loyal fans!

Statistically, Alaskan crab fishing remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States. In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked commercial fishing as the job occupation with the highest fatality rate with 141 per 100,000, almost 75 percent higher than the rate for pilots, flight engineers and loggers, the next most hazardous occupations. However, Alaskan crab fishing specifically is even more dangerous with over 300 fatalities per 100,000. Over 80% of these deaths are caused by drowning or hypothermia. The fishermen are also susceptible to crippling injuries caused by working with heavy machinery and gear. I asked Captain Kvinge about some of the hazards, and he shared a story about one of his deckhands – last season a crab pot weighing 1,400 lbs. came down on his leg, completely crushing it. He had to be airlifted out but today is in rehab, making progress with his artificial limb.

As I mentioned earlier, the most popular crab-fishing months occur between October and January. Over the years, the allocated time for a season continued to shrink – at one point a red crab season was only four days long. After the 2005 season, the Alaskan crab industry transitioned from a derby-style season to a quota system. This transition is known as rationalization. Under the old derby style, a large number of crews competed with each other to catch crab during a restrictive time window. Under the new Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) system, established owners have been given quotas which they can fill at a more relaxed pace. In theory, it is intended to be safer, which was the main rationale for the change in the fishing rules. The transition to the quota system was also expected to increase the value of crab, by limiting the market of available crab. An influx of foreign crab negated some of these gains during the 2006 season. The "rationalization process" put many crews out of work as the owners of many small boats found their assigned quotas too small to meet operating expenses; during the first season run under the IFQ system, the fleet shrank from over 250 boats to around 89 - mostly larger boats with high quotas. Captain Kvinge & the Arctic Sea have, and continue to be highly successful.

After that ‘experience of a lifetime’, it was 11:00 by then and our ship was sailing at 1:30. We decided to walk to the Orthodox Church to meet the school bus for a ride back to the pier. The sun was appearing occasionally which took a little chill out of the air, but it was still a long, 4-mile walk. Once there, we waited nearly an hour for the ‘shuttle’ – it was filled to capacity so Cheryl and I stood the entire trip back along with several others. The only stop we made was at the airport – you guessed it – one of their three daily planes was coming in for a landing so had to wait for clearance before crossing the runway! Once back on the ship, we removed a few layers of clothing and attended the ‘Salmon Bake’ – fish purchased locally & cooked on a grill poolside; it was THE best Salmon we’ve ever had. Hat’s off to the crew! The sailaway party was really a non-event – just too cold to be sitting around outside on the open deck. But what an awesome, unforgettable, and very lucky day!!