Anne and Ron Winters bought the Bering as their fishing vessel after their first boat, the Mutual, caught fire. The Bering, shown here in the Cordova harbor, was an 86-foot Power Scow, built in 1945 in Seattle. The Winters spent 20 years tendering fish all over coastal Alaska.
For 20 years, Anne and Ron Winters lived aboard and operated two old wooden salmon tenders. Their first season was marred by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Instead of packing fish, the couple offered their vessel as a kind of hotel for the clean-up effort. After that they were able to secure contracts with fish processors and the real adventure began.
The Mutual was built in 1920 and was originally used as a trap tender in southeast Alaska. When the ship was lost to a fire, the couple purchased the newer Bering, which had been used as a military transport vessel.
I get so excited when someone from my past contacts me about visiting Alaska for the first time. I revert to my travel agent days and have to restrain myself from boring them with minutia about all of the beautiful and diverse towns I've seen along the coast of Alaska.
For 20 years my husband and I lived aboard and operated two beautiful old wooden salmon tenders. It was always Ron's dream to get into tendering for the commercial fishing industry. Tenders don't catch fish; we haul fish. After I met Ron in Homer in the mid-1980s, he persuaded me that this was going to be a fun adventure. We could make a living, work from May to October, have the winters off, tie up wherever it felt right and see all of coastal Alaska. We decided to pursue the dream, sold our land-locked assets packed up the dogs and moved on board the M/V Mutual (built in 1920). Our first season was marred by the Exxon Valdez oil spill and instead of packing fish, we ended up being a "hotel" boat for the clean-up effort on the outside of the Kenai Peninsula. After that we were able to secure contracts from various fish processors around the state and the real ocean-going adventure began.
We packed fish out of Cordova. We hauled fish into Kodiak. We spent time in the Homer harbor and Cook Inlet. We filled the holds with halibut on a trip from Hoonah to Seattle. We dipped our toes into the dive fisheries in southeast Alaska and spent a few weeks one October being a floating live-tank for abalone destined for the Japanese market from Ketchikan.
We lost the Mutual to a fire in July 1992, but that devasting and scary part of the adventure didn't dull our desire to maintain our ocean-bound lifestyle. We immediately bought a 90-foot power scow, the Bering (built 1945) and subsequently broadened our horizons. The boat was much more versatile and efficient in the fisheries than the Mutual had been, and we were able to secure contracts farther north and west. Our first season on the Bering was spent packing herring in Prince William Sound, and then moving onto Kodiak, down Shelikof Strait, through False Pass and up to Togiak. After the herring season, we ventured around the corner, into the ice, and on to Norton Sound. A whole new world. Although I'd spent several winters working with the Iditarod Trail Committee and visiting checkpoints along the race route back in the late '70s, I'd never experienced that country when it wasn't covered in ice and snow. We got to work with fishermen out of Unalakleet, Shaktoolik, Saint Mary's, White Mountain and even took the boat to Nome and beyond. I have happy memories of stops in Brevig Mission and a windy night spent waiting for deliveries in Port Clarence.
The Bering was well suited to the shallower, sand-bar riddled waters of Bristol Bay and we did our time during several summers packing fish into Dillingham and Naknek. We usually had a minimal crew aboard – Ron, myself and one deckhand. Some contracts, especially in Bristol Bay, required us to have a fourth hand. It was hard work and sometimes dangerous work. Rough seas, high winds, long, long hours were typical and exhausting. I had to add an entire new list of abilities to my resume – first mate, cook, painter, deck hand. I always ended the summer 20 pounds lighter than I started. It was a good life.
Winter time was our respite from the summer chaos. If we had heavy boat work to do, extensive repairs or repowering needs, for example, we had no choice but to head for Seattle. But, if possible, we liked to stay in Alaska and tried to see different ports during our off time. We spent winters in Cordova, in Homer, in Wrangell, Petersburg, Ketchikan, Sitka and Craig. My address book is still full of wonderful friends we made along the way-fellow live-aboards or locals who welcomed us to their communities.
I lost Ron in 2022, but the memories of our 20 years on the boats get me through some lonely times. It was a young person's lifestyle for sure and my bones still feel the effects all these years later. Now I'm confined to a part-time office job, but I wouldn't change the past for anything. And I can tell my friends lots about coastal Alaska.
Dear Readers: We invite you to contribute to a column "I used to..." where you can regale us with a story of your most memorable time living in Alaska. And tell us what you're doing now to cope with not being able to do what you used to do.
