Meet the F/V Mabel and her crew
The Mabel's keel was laid in 1923, and she is one of the oldest working fishing vessels in the US. (but who was Mabel named after?) Massively built of Alaskan Yew, Port Orford Cedar, Teak, Mahogany and other rare woods, and is a rare design called a double-ender, allowing her to ride the plane of the water and navigate rough seas. In 2018, We undertook a massive project to strip Mabel down to bare wood and perform seam repairs using traditonal tools and materials. She looks great and is ready to fish into her next century!
Otar has been a commercial fisherman for almost 40 years. His love of the ocean is boundless... if he's not fishing with Mabel he is usually surfing or diving. But those times are few, because the fish don't care if there's a gnarley swell at the beach. It's not an easy life, but he wouldn't change it for the world.
Otar Overacker
Owner and Captain
Otar Overacker
Helen escaped the shark-infested waters of corporate marketing only to end up in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean. She is not very good at her job and has a hard time following orders. Yet she is a formidable deck-scrubber and almost never pukes.
Helen "Danger" Stonhill
Deckhand
Helen Danger Stonhill
Chorky the Boat Dog
Consultant
Chorky and Otar are best buddies, and he provides Otar valuable advice and counsel on matters of strategy, navigation, and filleting, the latter of which is most important to him. Chorky samples the catch and so far has had no complaints. He does not poop in the wheelhouse, much to Otar's delight.