F/V Debbie Sue

Dad sold Thunder last year (the pleasure yacht we came to AK on last year and has since been renamed the Sea Lion) and bought a new boat that he could put to work during the Alaskan fishing season. The girls still frequently say they miss "Lightning" AKA Thunder, but it is sure hard to beat all this deck space to play on! Meet Debbie Sue:
She is a 110 ft. US built Martinolich originally built for Alf (pronounced all-f) Sorvk for crab fishing in the Bearing Sea in 1972. She is powered by a V-12 Caterpillar D398 (850hp). It crabbed actively in the Bearing Sea as the “Rainer” until 2006. It was refit in 2010-2011 at Gardner Boat Repair in Seattle, Wa. Sidenote for you Deadliest Catch fans...in Ballard we tie up alongside the Wizard and Northwestern.

What's on the levels:

Belowdeck: 3 fish holds and a spacious engine room. [This is Uncle Brett's domain].

Deck level: Laundry, walk-in freezer, 3 living quarters (sleeping 8) and bathroom, large galley and dining area. {Most of our time is spent here and in the wheelhouse]

2^nd level: Captain’s quarters with office & private bath. [1st choice location for watching movies]

3^rd level: Wheelhouse. [Fabulous 360 scenery views out the 20 windows, not to mention is is where most of the excitement takes place]

This summer, the Debbie Sue has secured a contract tendering fish between Sitka and Craig for Silver Bay Seafoods.

{this pic gives a more accurate representation for the massive size of the back deck}

We're Back!... on our way to Alaska!

Ballard and the Locks:

We hit the docks running when we pulled into Ballard on Tuesday afternoon. There was cargo to stow below the deck, rooms to prep, and groceries to purchase. It was a late night, and Wednesday was an early morn with more preparations and final trips to the regional passport center and Seattle Marine. Grandpa finally arrived in the early evening, with a movie cameraman close behind, who shot some film of him for an upcoming movie that is going to use the boat, and apparently a little of grandpa as well!

{had to check out the cool bunks first thing!}

Later that evening I made my first trip through the locks, which lowered the boat down from the fresh water of the harbor, to the salty ocean water. I was both fascinated and nervous, never having been through the locks before, and having to manage the bow line on my first trip! I had only heard horror stories about how close the boats get packed in together, leaving little room for error while managing a line---too slack and we would hit the boat behind, and too tight would pull us up into the boat in front of us. Lucky for me though, it was not a heavy traffic trip, and we were blessed with more room between boats than might typically be the case. At least, that is what the lock dock worker told me as he coached me through the process. Ahhh…ocean at last!

Entering the locks:

Tied up at the high end:

Going down: {you can see from the algae growth where we started out}

And under the railroad bridge:

Got Cookies?....Girl Scouts.

Kate is a Daisy Girl Scout! When I was in elementary school, I LOVED being a girl scout. When I got older, I made a promise to myself that if I ever had daughters, I would make sure they had the opportunity to be one too. This year Kate is a 1st Year Daisy. She carried the flag at her Troop's Investiture Ceremony this fall: She also enjoys modeling her mom's old Girl Scout sashes: Brown=Brownie (I LOVED THESE YEARS) Green= Juniors; Blue=Cadettes. And guess what? It's COOKIE time! BUY YOURS HERE!

Another Alaska Perspective

For another narrative and more pictures from our ventures in Alaska this summer, check out Alyssa's blog: http://alyssagarbett.blogspot.com/

Motoring up to Alaska!

We are currently on Motor Vessel Thunder, en route to Alaska. Check out our adventures on that blog: http://www.mvthunder.blogspot.com which I plan to keep updated regularly for my dad. We are having an adventure!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Just have to rave today about a few of my favs.

If you know me well, you know I TRY to be a health-nut, keep away from sugar, processed foods, ...yadda yadda... but my achillies heel and all-time, always-has-been favorite is Reese's Peanut Butter Cups:...if these little packages of deliciousness didn't exist, it would be a WHOLE LOT EASIER to give up chocolate for Lent, and get better results from some of my other favorites today....unfortunately, somehow a bag of the little egg-shaped versions made it into the house for Easter!

I also love Quinoa, my favorite pseudocereal. It is amazingly high in protein (12-18%) and contains a balanced set of amino acids. It has a slightly nutty flavor, and fun texture. You need to be eating quinoa if you are not already!!! I first was introduced to quinoa when I went to Peru in 2003 and had a granola bar made from it. Anything rice can do, quinoa can do better! TRY IT! We had some for dinner last night. Baby E loves it!
The only abdominal workout that gives me totally flat, fabulous abs, even after having children-- Rotate Turbo Jam Ab Jam & Windsor Pilates Maximum Burn--it WORKS! I am posting this because I JUST FOUND MY MISSING COPY! I had lost it sometime before having baby #3, and I am excited to put it to work again!
...this baby works those obliques--I am telling ya! Be prepared to REALLY feel this one the next day.Windsor Pilates Maximum Burn doesn't feel like a workout at all, but somehow produces amazing results, especially in conjunction with Ab Jam. Not sure how...one of the wonders of the universe, I suppose.

...Just a few things that I felt selfish not sharing....well, except the Reeses, because chances are you already knew about those! Happy Spring!

What's Up? Wednesday.

What we're EATING: PIE...Quick Cheeseburger Pie & Triple Berry
What we're CELEBRATING: Jessa's THREE!
What we're RIDING: BIKES.
Jessa: Tiff & Doug:Kate's still tearing up the road with her trusty trek trikester: One of the best investments we have ever made.
Emeline: Still too young to pedal, if she goes for a ride it involves this backpack I couldn't live without:
What we're READING:

• Tiff: The Spiderwick Chronices (complete set)
• Kate: Fancy Nancy
• Doug: Sporting Classics (magazine)
• Jessa: anything she can get her hands on

What I'm doing this week: PAINTING the door casings (hopefully this will get done this week) & STAYING IN with sick kids, hoping they get better so I can make it to BOOK CLUB.

What's up with you?