Kodiak College partners with Kodiak Maritime Museum to restore salmon seiner

The Alaska Legislature recently awarded Kodiak Maritime Museum (KMM) a grant for $298,000 to restore Thelma C, a wooden Kodiak salmon seiner, as a permanent interpretive exhibit to be located near Oscar's Dock in the Kodiak Small Boat Harbor.

The boat was built in 1964 with federal disaster relief money following the earthquake and tsunami, which destroyed much of the Kodiak fishing fleet. The museum has been in possession of this legacy fishing vessel for several years. KMM looks forward to working with Kodiak College to begin the actual restoration work on the vessel in the spring of 2012 in conjunction with The Construction Academy, sponsored by Sunaq and Alaska Works which takes place on the college campus in the Spring. This part of the project will involve hands-on wooden boat repair work by student and community volunteers, led by Brian Johnson, a local shipwright with over 40 years of experience.

The exhibit, called "Thelma C: Built For Survival," will feature interpretive graphics and interactive information accessible by smart phone, as well as the vessel itself, fully rigged and restored to its 1964 configuration. An introductory panel will educate visitors about nautical vocabulary, the history of commercial salmon fishing, and the basics of design and construction of this historically significant vessel. Other components of the exhibit include:

• An Earthquake Built This Boat will tell the story of the 1964 earthquake and tsunami, the destruction of much of the Kodiak waterfront and fishing fleet, and the resulting federal aid that funded construction of the Thelma C.
• On the Back Deck, illustrated by a knowledgeable artist and historic photos, will show the crew of the Thelma C at work. Quotes and recordings of firsthand stories will give visitors an inside look at life aboard a fishing vessel.
• Close Quarters will feature a cutaway section of the hull, photos and artist drawings to convey a sense of four people living in a tiny space during weeks at sea.
  

The Kodiak Ports and Harbors Advisory Committee has agreed on a permanent display site near Oscar's Dock. The City of Kodiak also supports the project and is working with KMM to grant site control to the museum for the display.