Part Of My Work History

AK49er wrote:
How does the Astoria hold that many 8-D batteries? No wonder she has only 6" of freeboard.

As a retired Submariner I can assure you some vessels have massive cells in large quantities. (Like 252 or 126 cells each weighing in terms of the equivalent weight of a VW.)

Rarely did we fish for tuna, however. ;)

Frank Oropeza, owner of Transpo Electronics came out and spent 5 days with me as I lectured what was important to rebuilding marine alternators. The guys listened and responded. Then I met the owner engineer of a battery manufacturing plant in Fairfield California, and he convinced me to abandon all hope and not just do battery engineering on the side. So the testing became in earnest, and so did my custom alternator rebuilding. I would get up at 6, work until 5, have dinner then rebuild alternators for four hours. When I moved to Southern California, it was pure batteries and rebuilding. Dang, it's hard to believe that this vessel was completed 31 years ago. I try and make up for my physical disability with enthusiasm. Sometimes it works.

RognBon wrote:

Yes she is. We see her everytime we go to Fort Bragg on the Northern California coast. She's docked in Noyo Harbor.

Nice!

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
The mast lighting was soldered, HIM heat shrinked and then capped with hot tar. I did not screw around.

Excellent work and attention to detail Mex! Wish more of you were around.

I'll never forget hearing Richard Kelley's call to his father. "Dad the Furuno side scan (color) sonar is showing we're sitting on Petrale Sole". They lowered the net and an hour later hauled up sixteen thousand pounds of fish. This was on it's MAIDEN voyage - supposedly to be a shakedown venture out beyond the "Black Can". They returned after four hours and totally plugged the harbor Schnaubelt fish processing plant. Nary an electrical problem. Talked to them six years later and replaced a 24 volt alternator voltage regulator in Oregon. The vessel is still going strong, but it drags so fast, no fish escape the net and the damned thing near clear-cuts the ocean. The title of the beast is "Mid Water Dragger". After plugging every fish processing plant on the West Coast, it went north into Joint Venture fishing with the Soviet Union processors catching Hake. Was a good looking boat then, and now. The image is not mine. I found it late yesterday and it put a smile on my face.

Complicated? Yeah I guess. Three phase 480 and 240, plus 120 volts then 12 and 24 volt charging systems. In 2004, the then skipper told me the electrical system on the vessel was regionally legendarily famous for reliability. The outside lighting and electric engine control stations suffered no corrosion problems - not even on the flying bridge. The mast lighting was soldered, HIM heat shrinked and then capped with hot tar. I did not screw around.

How does the Astoria hold that many 8-D batteries? No wonder she has only 6" of freeboard.

Posted By wrote:
Is she still operational? Looking good there.

Yes she is. We see her everytime we go to Fort Bragg on the Northern California coast. She's docked in Noyo Harbor.

Nice looking project!

Fred.

1983? Have I eaten enough tuna sandwiches yet to pay for all that? :)

Is she still operational? Looking good there.