Double-Ended Bristol Bay Fishing Boat - Soldotna, Alaska
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 60° 28.619 W 151° 05.264
5V E 605112 N 6706060
Double-ended drift boat formerly used for salmon fishing on display at the Homesteader Museum in Soldatna, Alaska.
Waymark Code: WM9G6M
Location: Alaska, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2010
Views: 1
Information from sign at site:
Double-Ended Bristol Bay Fishing Boat
This 30-foot long by 9½-foot wide bood boat was part of the fleet owned by the Libby, McNeil & Libby Cannery in Kenai to catch salmon by drifting with gill nets in Cook Inlet in the 1950s. The brass tag indicates that this vessel was assigned the number 32-37-25. Generally, two men fished each boat, but in some cases each boat was manned by a single fisherman.
Developed for fishing in Bristol Bay, these boats were initially propelled by sail and oars but inboard motors were later used. They had flat bottoms that allowed them to settle without tipping onto mud flats during low tides. The side planks of this boat are Port Orford cedar and the ribs are yellow oak.