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& Boats gear BOATBUILDING Back to Bristol Bay Keith Singleton s sons inspire him to return to his old fishing grounds with a new gillnetter By Michael Crowley On May 31, Keith Singleton s new Bristol

1 & Boats gear BOATBUILDING Back to Bristol Bay Keith Singleton s sons inspire him to return to his old fishing grounds with a new gillnetter By Michael Crowley On May 31, Keith Singleton s new Bristol Bay salmon gillnetter, the Naknek Leader, left Seattle aboard the king crabber Retriever for its trip to Alaska and the sockeye season. On June 12 a day before the opening Singleton and his crew were in a small plane coming into Naknek. The pilot buzzed the cannery, and looking down and across the water, Singleton watched the Retriever coming up the Naknek River to the cannery with his boat on its deck. As soon as the plane landed he got a skiff to take him out to the crabber. They off-loaded the boat and I drove away. From there it was a fivehour run to the fishing grounds. On the 13th, he slapped a net out, and everything has been working great since, he says. After all that work we made the opener, which was very cool. There was a little doubt, but everything was on time. The crabber was on time. The plane was on time, and the weather was right. Setting out In the fall of 2010, Singleton was scrambling to make the whole adventure possible. He had two partners, Rob and Alicia Wurm, but as of October, he didn t have a permit or a boat. It had been 17 years since he d fished Bristol Bay. His previous Bristol Bay boat was a wooden gillnetter built by Bryant Marine in 1966, but he d long since gotten rid of it. He had spent some years running king crabbers in the Bering Sea, but now it was back to Bristol Bay. King crabbing is for the young, energetic, strong guys. Bristol Bay is not as rough; it s a short window, and it is a lot of fun, Singleton says. His teenage sons, Christian and Sam had heard Singleton s stories of king crabbing and watched the Deadliest Catch on TV. They encouraged me to get going, Singleton says. In October he started shopping around for a permit to fish Bristol Bay. Singleton was confident enough he d get the permit and boat that he started drawing up a list of equipment. In November he took that list to Seattle s Pacific Marine Expo. I took advantage of all the discounts. I went from booth to booth and put deposits on all the things I needed. Still, there were those missing items: a permit and boat. By the end of December, Singleton had his permit. It was a Christmas present to myself, he says. Not long after that he got his boat. Jim Wegley at Wegley Boat J Enterprises in Bellingham, Wash., was laying up a 32' x 12' 10" x 18" fiberglass gillnetter. Singleton got his hull on Sunday, Feb. Tied off to a tender while picking fish to clear the net, Keith Singleton is obviously enjoying his new boat. 30 NATIONAL FISHERMAN SEPTEMBER 2011 For updated news, visit

Inside the Naknek Leader Keith Singleton photos Alicia Wurm applies a traditional christening to the Naknek Leader.

Singleton says he thought 70 days to finish off the 32-footer was a world record. Seaview East had fiberglass, wood and aluminum fabrication shops, as well as yacht finishers.

Though the Naknek Leader must have been one of the last boats built at Seaview East. On July 1, the shop closed down. However, Builder: Wegley Boat J Enterprises, Bellingham, Wash., built the hull.

Design: Wegley Boat J Enterprises and Seaview East Boatyard and Yacht Riggers Owner: Keith Singleton Dimensions: 32' x 12' 10" x 18" Material: Fiberglass hull, NidaCore used in fish hold and main

2 Inside the Naknek Leader Keith Singleton photos Alicia Wurm applies a traditional christening to the Naknek Leader. 6 and the next day it was at Seaview East Boatyard and Yacht Riggers in Seattle to be finished off. Just over two months later the boat was finished. Singleton says he thought 70 days to finish off the 32-footer was a world record. Seaview East had fiberglass, wood and aluminum fabrication shops, as well as yacht finishers. Everything was available, says Singleton. And the suppliers such as Marine Engine & Repairs, which furnished the 375-hp John Deere are centrally located. Though the Naknek Leader must have been one of the last boats built at Seaview East. On July 1, the shop closed down. However, Builder: Wegley Boat J Enterprises, Bellingham, Wash., built the hull. Seaview East Boatyard and Yacht Riggers, Seattle, finished off the boat. Design: Wegley Boat J Enterprises and Seaview East Boatyard and Yacht Riggers Owner: Keith Singleton Dimensions: 32' x 12' 10" x 18" Material: Fiberglass hull, NidaCore used in fish hold and main deck Hull layup: layers of 24-ounce Seaview West, which is owned by the same company and is only a half-mile away, has access to the same suppliers, says Seaview West s Kirsten McAllister. In his choice of boats, Singleton was going against the tide an aluminum tide. The number of fiberglass boats built for the Bristol Bay fishery has been declining over the past few years. For this fishing season, somewhere around 16 new gillnetters went to Bristol Bay. Almost all of them were aluminum. The choice for fiberglass was influenced by finances: a fiberglass boat is less expensive than an aluminum boat. But beyond that, Singleton feels a fiberglass boat is a lot quieter, doesn t sweat and roving with 3/4-ounce mat Bulkheads: 1-inch NidaCore Stringers: 1-inch NidaCore Deck: 2-inch NidaCore Wheelhouse: 1/2-inch plywood and fiberglass Power train: A 375-hp John Deere bolted to a Twin Disc marine gear with a 1.98:1 ratio spins a 24-inch prop on a 2-inch shaft. is more of a solid ride. Going to another builder to have the hull finished off isn t unusual for the owner of a Wegley hull. Wegley says kit boats is all I ve ever built and I ve kept it that way. Fishermen have got their own ideas of what they want, so they are all custom done anyway. And it just takes too much time to do all that under one roof. Molding the mold The design for Singleton s boat goes back to 1979 or 80 when the Wegley mold was built. Though a couple of changes have been made to the 30-some-year-old design. To subscribe, call SEPTEMBER 2011 NATIONAL FISHERMAN 31

Boats &gear BOATBUILDING About 10 years ago a reverse chine was built into the mold. That keeps the water in instead of slipping off the bottom. And it makes it more stable, Wegley says.

He also switched from a straight matroving layup to a stitched material of 24-ounce roving and 3/4-ounce mat. It s stronger with the biaxial material than with the mat-roving.

Wegley has increased the height of the wheelhouse mold by 15 inches. Though some fishermen have added even more height. It s close to being an enclosed wheelhouse.

As soon as the kit-boat package solid-fiberglass hull, fore deck and wheelhouse slid into the workspace Keith Singleton with his sons Sam (left) and Christian on the Naknek Leader shortly before it

at Seaview East Boatyard, Singleton hauled over all of the purchases he made at Pacific Marine Expo and set up his own marine supply store behind the boat.

3 Boats &gear BOATBUILDING About 10 years ago a reverse chine was built into the mold. That keeps the water in instead of slipping off the bottom. And it makes it more stable, Wegley says. More recently, the sheer line was raised 8 inches to accommodate the fishermen s desire for a flush deck while providing more fish-hold capacity. He also switched from a straight matroving layup to a stitched material of 24-ounce roving and 3/4-ounce mat. It s stronger with the biaxial material than with the mat-roving. And it takes about 50 gallons less of resin. That s 500 pounds. On a 32-footer that s really important if you want to get any speed out of them, Wegley says. Wegley has increased the height of the wheelhouse mold by 15 inches. Though some fishermen have added even more height. It s close to being an enclosed wheelhouse. They want to get away from a flying bridge, Wegley notes. As soon as the kit-boat package solid-fiberglass hull, fore deck and wheelhouse slid into the workspace Keith Singleton with his sons Sam (left) and Christian on the Naknek Leader shortly before it was launched. His sons spent part of their summer vacation in Bristol Bay. at Seaview East Boatyard, Singleton hauled over all of the purchases he made at Pacific Marine Expo and set up his own marine supply store behind the boat. I put all the products in there, Singleton says. If it wasn t in my store, it wasn t going on the boat. To keep up with the speed [of building the boat] we put everything within hand s reach of the crew, from bilge pumps, to lights, to radios, everything was there, ready to go. The Wegley hull had a plywood bulk- The Total Boat Solution PacificMarineExpo PacMarineExpo Presented by: When you re searching for the best price or researching the latest and greatest technology, count on Pacific Marine Expo to be the one-stop source for all your vessel needs. And, while you re there catch up with friends and fellow mariners at the daily happy hour. Pacific Marine Expo is the only show dedicated to your region and your industry; it s your total boat solution. Admission is FREE at Produced by: November 17-19, 2011 Seattle, WA CenturyLink Field Event Center (formerly Qwest Field Event Center) To exhibit call: Chris Dimmerling NATIONAL FISHERMAN SEPTEMBER 2011 For updated news, visit

head up forward and a partial plywood bulkhead at the back of the cabin. Everything aft of the cabin is composite, says Seaview East s Tiel Riise.

These were covered with fiberglass and provide most of the support for the main deck, which is made up of 2-inch Nida- Core and fiberglass.

The bulwarks are aluminum, which Singleton says will take a beating and are more cost effective than stainless steel.

Below the deck are nine fish holds that hold 18,000 pounds of salmon. To keep the fish chilled, Singleton went with a hydraulically powered RSW system from Integrated Marine Systems.

4 head up forward and a partial plywood bulkhead at the back of the cabin. Everything aft of the cabin is composite, says Seaview East s Tiel Riise. One-inch NidaCore, a polypropylene honeycomb material, was used for the fore-and-aft bulkheads, longitudinals and partitions in the fish hold. These were covered with fiberglass and provide most of the support for the main deck, which is made up of 2-inch Nida- Core and fiberglass. The boat is several hundred pounds lighter and much stronger than if we had used plywood, Singleton says. As a cost-saving measure, the wheelhouse is plywood and fiberglass. The bulwarks are aluminum, which Singleton says will take a beating and are more cost effective than stainless steel. A slight influence from his king crabbing days is the freestanding aluminum mast with spreader lights. The mast is integral to both the rain locker and the exhaust. Below the deck are nine fish holds that hold 18,000 pounds of salmon. To keep the fish chilled, Singleton went with a hydraulically powered RSW system from Integrated Marine Systems. It s a 6-ton-model designed for small boats like those that fish Bristol Bay, says Integrated Marine Systems Paul Beaulaurier. Farm Credit worked out the financing for the Naknek Leader, so it s only natural that Farm Credit s Mike Wittman (left) goes on sea trials with Keith Singleton Duramax Commercial Fendering Johnson Heavy Duty Stuffing Boxes To subscribe, call SEPTEMBER 2011 NATIONAL FISHERMAN 33

Boats &gear BOATBUILDING It features a titanium-tube box chiller, the only RSW system in the company s line that does. Titanium, Beaulaurier says, gives better longevity and is less corrosive.

He attributes most of the emphasis for the move to chilling salmon with RSW to Trident Seafoods Joseph Bundrant. He s the one encouraging his fleet to put RSW in.

Home again On July 9 with one more opener ahead of him and his crew before putting the Naknek Leader on a Northland barge and shipping it back to Seattle, Singleton says the only change he ll make is

When you re fishing, there s no reason to be flooding the whole boat if it s Space is tight aboard a 32-foot gillnetter, but the Naknek Leader will sleep four and can handle six when needed.

5 Boats &gear BOATBUILDING It features a titanium-tube box chiller, the only RSW system in the company s line that does. Titanium, Beaulaurier says, gives better longevity and is less corrosive. Singleton notes that canneries now pretty much demand RSW-chilled fish. The quality of the fish is superior than with a dry bag, he says. And there s a bonus program for refrigerated fish. He attributes most of the emphasis for the move to chilling salmon with RSW to Trident Seafoods Joseph Bundrant. He s the one encouraging his fleet to put RSW in. He s out in the market and says quality sells. Home again On July 9 with one more opener ahead of him and his crew before putting the Naknek Leader on a Northland barge and shipping it back to Seattle, Singleton says the only change he ll make is to zone the refrigeration. When you re fishing, there s no reason to be flooding the whole boat if it s Space is tight aboard a 32-foot gillnetter, but the Naknek Leader will sleep four and can handle six when needed. not needed, Singleton says. There will be two zones of four tanks each, while the ninth tank can feed off one of the two zones if it s needed. While he says that Bristol Bay came up short in its predictions and wasn t a highliner year, We had a good season. We did fine and the boat runs like a top. Christian and Sam spent two weeks aboard the Naknek Leader with their dad and his two crewmen, Chris Sandell and Cole Barrett. It was a dad and son operation, says Singleton. It was really cool. And it sounds like it was an adventure for Christian and Sam. The cook on the Trident Seafood s tender Entrance Point made cookies and cupcakes for them. They loved all the fishermen they met and all the fishermen were really receptive and friendly to them. They d call me on the radio: How s Christian? How s Sam? They lovin it? Michael Crowley is the Boats & Gear editor for National Fisherman. For information on companies mentioned in this article, see page 49. Advertise in For November Special Feature Focus on Gear Ad Closing September 6 For December Special Feature PME Ad Closing October 3 Contact Us! Contact Us! Susan Chesney Western Susan Chesney United States, Canada, Western United Far East States, & Pacific Rim Phone: Canada, Far East & Pacific Rim schesney@divcom.com Phone: schesney@divcom.com Jeff Powell Gulf States & South Central Jeff Powell Territory, Central Gulf States & South & South America Phone: Central Territory, Central jpowell@divcom.com & South America Phone: Kristin jpowell@divcom.com Luke Eastern United States & Canada, Europe Kristin Luke & Africa Phone: Eastern United States & Canada, Europe kluke@divcom.com & Africa Phone: Dennis Gears kluke@divcom.com South Atlantic & Central U.S. Phone: Classified Advertising Wes Doane dgears@divcom.com Classified Advertising Wes Doane wdoane@divcom.com Advertising wdoane@divcom.com Coordinator Wendy Jalbert Advertising Coordinator Wendy wjalbert@divcom.com Jalbert wjalbert@divcom.com 34 NATIONAL FISHERMAN SEPTEMBER 2011 For updated news, visit

Boat Strength Errata & Updates 5/7/18 Sheet 1 of 5

Boat Strength Errata & Updates 5/7/18 Sheet 1 of 5 Formulas 1-2 and 1-3, page 7: Instead of averaging LOA and LWL and when LOA is more than 108% and instead of averaging BOA and BWL when BOA is over 112%,