Checking Out an Impounded Russian Superyacht

My fishing season got off to a very late start this year, but we finally got out for the first time on Monday. Although it’s lingcod season, my girlfriend Viktoria had never fished for sand dabs before. Between being the first fishing day of the season, with a new tow vehicle, and a new crew member, I thought I’d keep it simple.

When we launched about 9:00 a.m. it was a little bit cold, with the overcast sky and a bit of a breeze. We had both bundled up in our boating jackets though, and when I hit the throttle to cross Possession Sound only my gloveless hands were freezing. The sea was fairly calm, and I selected a fishing area near Langley. When we got there I taught Viktoria how to fish for sand dabs, and she picked it up quickly. We released quite a few of them, only wanting to take the biggest ones home for the frying pan.

I switched over to my “house” battery, which is intended to run the fish finder and radio while preserving the main battery for getting home. I had stopped and started the engine several times to move the boat after each fishing drift. After a while, I called South Whidbey Marina on the VHF to request short term moorage to enjoy our sack lunches. However, when I tried to start the engine to go there, nothing happened. I tried the other battery and both batteries, to no avail. It reminded me of that rough day last May when Dave and I temporarily lost power at Possession Point. I noted that the battery voltage was a little low. However, after trying it several times I finally got the engine to start. We decided to cancel our lunch stop and head straight home while we had the engine running. The battery voltage climbed steadily as the engine ran until it reached normal, so it’s not the charging system this time. I suspect my batteries are just getting old and were insufficiently charged in the off season.

On the way home we took a cruise by the massive superyacht Amadea, which is currently moored just off Everett by the wood chip barge. This infamous ship was built by a sanctioned Russian oligarch, but was seized by the US government in Fiji two years ago. It’s apparently having some maintenance done here in Everett while it awaits its fate.

The outgoing tidal current in the channel in front of the Port of Everett was the strongest I’d ever seen. It’s a no wake zone so I can’t go more than about 6-7 mph, but I was only making 4 over ground against that current. Right after we tied up to the fuel dock, the skipper of a big sailboat lost control in that current. My Whaler suddenly got sandwiched between him and the dock. I jumped back into my boat and physically pushed the sailboat away from mine with all my might, while the fuel dock attendant did the same from the dock. Fortunately both of us had our fenders out, but they got squeezed thin. Because of the angle of his boat, we would have collided at my stern without intervention. In the end, no harm was done. When they were done fueling and sailed by me again, they apologized and made sure my boat wasn’t damaged.

I came home with a long list of stuff to fix. The tow bar on my new Cherokee is even higher than the one on the Wrangler, so I need to get a new trailer hitch with an even lower drop. One of my trailer lights is out. The buckles for the straps that tie the trailer to the boat are very rusty on the inside, where they can’t be rinsed. Oh yeah, and two more batteries. My boat isn’t new anymore, and it’s starting to require maintenance.

At least I’m getting more skilled at cleaning the fish. I only had two sand dabs to work with this time, but I filleted them into boneless slabs, breaded them, and fried them. They were the best ones I’d ever tasted. The fish snobs won’t eat them – “real fishermen” only go for salmon, lingcod, or halibut, but they taste good and are considered more of a delicacy in California. They’re essentially a type of flounder. They are incredibly abundant in Puget Sound and are super easy to catch. Because they don’t really have a commercial fishery here, you’re allowed to catch 15 per person per day. Yes, it’s more challenging to catch those other fish, but I’ll still be taking home more sand dabs this season for the freezer.