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Aleutian Freighter: A History of Shipping in the Aleutian Islands
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About Aleutian Freighter: A History Of Shipping In The
Product Description Unique among U.S. maritime cargo operations, the Aleutian trade is and has always been carried on by small break-bulk cargo vessels, through severe weather, and a grueling schedule; not an industry for the weak, timid, or foolhardy. Contained in these pages is a history of the Aleutian trade, from the sailing vessels of the 19th century that transported salted cod, to the mailboats that for decades provided the region s only scheduled communication with the outside world, to the make-do, rough-and-tumble, seafood-driven fleet expansion of the 1980s, to the small but capable fleet of today. It is a history of small ships and the people who owned and operated them, set in a severe and unforgiving environment, and framed by an evolving marine resource-based economy. Review (Review by Ronald Burke) In Aleutian Freighter, Juneau native Mackovjak presents a thorough history of the Seattle-based shipping companies that have serviced the communities and ports on the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands. These companies developed to accommodate the population growth of Alaska s most bountiful fishing grounds. Small, specialized freighters deliver the groceries and day-to-day needs of the populace, and return with the increasingly valuable seafood harvested in the Bering Sea. The Bering Sea has been estimated to contain 20% of the world s fishery resources, and Dutch Harbor the nation s largest fishing port by dollar value. An industry veteran, Mackovjak knows the nuts and bolts of the business. He explains the inter-related issues that affected the success of the companies involved, such as the influence of governments including the Russian occupation days and other interferences from foreign fishing fleets. He also explains the changes in the industry that influenced transportation needs, following the once-profitable sea otter and fur seal trades; through the evolution of fishing for salmon, cod, halibut, and crab to the current value leaders: ground fish and their increasingly profitable by-products. Seattle plays a prominent role in this story since the companies servicing the Aleutian trade were home-ported here, most located between the Ballard Locks and Lake Union. The three most recent companies were the Soriano Brothers Western Pioneer, the Strong family s Coastal Transportation, Inc. (CTI), and Sunmar Shipping Co. of these, only CTI survives. These companies operated small vessels, mostly of 200 feet or less in length, and sailed some of the world s roughest seas; a fleet list included in the book covers statistics for 31 of these tough little freighters. (Ships that take the great circle route to the Far East also pass through the Gulf of Alaska, paralleling the Aleutian Chain. I can assure you that, from personal experience, even in summer months those waters can be very rough.) Your old editor s fingers itched to draw maps that would locate some of the very remote outports. Also, there doesn t happen to be any mention in the book of the retired square-rigged ships that once serviced the Alaska Peninsula and Bristol Bay salmon canneries. Readers of The Sea Chest have been following their story with the saga of the old ST. PAUL, which concludes with this issue. Beyond this, the large format book is to be highly commended. It is well-written, well researched, and thoroughly annotated. Aleutian Freighter is a nicely designed book too, printed on good quality paper with clear, sharp reproduction of both black-and-white and color photos. At $32.95, it is also reasonably priced. This interesting new book was published by Documentary Media and designed by Philips Publishing Group who publishes The Sea Chest. Add it to your list of must reads for anyone interested in the Seattle to Alaska shipping trade. I predict that it will be a well-read reference book for years to come. --The Sea Chest, Sept. 2012, pg. 45. About the Author Author James Mackovjak has lived in Alaska most of his
