Tag Archives: Famous boat
Before she was Wild Alaskan, she was the F/V Shaman – and she ruled the King Crab fishery
Long before strippers gyrated for fishermen who boarded the Wild Alaskan for a night of fun, she was known as the F/V Shaman, one of the most profitable boats to ever throw pots in Alaskan waters. She had a million-dollar price tag when she was built in Tacoma in 1974, 110 feet long with a high wheelhouse. Made to shrimp and crab. And boy did the Shaman crab. Tom Hendel and his brother worked on the crew back in the late 70’s, when the Shaman was in its glory days. Back then, as Kodiak fishermen are fond of saying, “Crab was king.” And it was. Some made millions in the Bering Sea. But other mariners were not so lucky. “I gotta tell you, guys were dying every day it seemed like, back in the 70s and 80s. >click to read< 22:41 >Click for Wild Alaskan posts back to July 5, 2014<
Famous boat now calls the Crystal Coast home
The Cricket II was built in 1947 for Captain Frank Mundus who in 1978 Newsweek magazine was called “the most celebrated shark fisherman in the world.” Mundus fished out of Montauk, N.Y. for 50 years, specializing in the hunt for sharks, in particular great white sharks. It was no coincidence that the “Jaws” character, Capt. Quint, bore much resemblance to the real-life Capt. Mundus. Capt. Joe DiBella of Morehead City has quite a history with the Cricket II. Joe says, “My history with the Cricket II began when I was 8 years old. I fished on the Cricket II out of Montauk, N.Y. with my father and first captain Frank Mundus.” >click to read< 10:31
