Thanks for saving his boat….

You heard about the fire early Sunday morning over at Jensen’s Shipyard…here’s a note from Matt (he’s presently in Alaska, fishing), commending our firefighters for a job well done:

Matt

I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the Fire Department for saving my commercial fishing boat, Satisfaction, during the fire at Jensen’s Shipyard on Sunday Morning, April 25.  Ironically, this is the second time a boat I owned survived a boat yard fire, and both times mine was the closest boat to the origin of the fire.  I guess that shows there really is an element to luck in being a commercial fisherman.

Fortunately, this time there were no vessel casualties, because our firefighters are on standby and saved the day.  In the previous fire in Alaska, in which my Bristol Bay gillnetter was involved, 40 boats went up in smoke, and the whole place burned to the ground in a matter of hours.  I stood on the mudflats and watched that fire burn out of control (a boat burns like CRAZY when it goes up), so I know firsthand how fast a boatyard fire–or any fire–can get out of control.  I also know it takes a fast response and a well-trained team effort to knock a fire down and keep it from spreading.  That is what happened on Sunday morning, because my boat is still right where I left it, and it looks like it will be back out there helping me earn my living and also bringing fresh, locally caught fish back to the people of San Juan Island to enjoy.

So if you like eating my fish, thank a fireman.  Every volunteer fire fighter on the island puts in a lot of time at drills and incident response, and they all provide an invaluable service to our community.  Whether they are saving a commercial fishing boat, somebody’s house and the people inside, or just responding to another false alarm at the High School; they’re always on standby, listening to their radio, ready to drop everything and be on the scene when they get the call.  So thank you, firefighters, for being there, and a special thanks to those who woke up at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday to knock down that fire and keep the whole boatyard, hillside, and God knows what else, from going up in smoke.

GOOD JOB!!!
(Think Fish!)

Matt (and Maureen) Marinkovich
Matt’s Fresh Fish / Compost It

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.