129
January 2001

The "Best" Alaska Limit Boat

The tachometer came up to 1860 RPM and the Floscan metre showed 30.8 gallons per hour. "That’s even better than the specs that give 32 gallons per hour at 1800 RPM," noted Mark Severson with satisfaction. His immaculate steel 58x22-foot Alaska Limit seiner/longliner/trapboat had just spent the winter in Hansen’s Boat Company in Marysville Washington where it was originally built in 1991. On sea trails Mark was also pleased with the quiet, vibration free operation of the newly installed electronic-controlled 660 HP Cummins QSK19. As with all aspects of his boat, the new engine reflects careful thought and a good bit of experience in its selection and installation. The boat’s original 500 HP KTA 19 was still running fine after 28,000 hours but he wanted a little more power so that he could run easy and still have something in reserve. He had also taken extra care and expense to minimize sound and vibration by soft mounting the new engine with Sound Down Mounts. Cummins field technician Dana Walker, who was involved in the installation, explained that the Twin Disc MG5170 gear with 5:1 ratio was hard mounted to the hull to take the propeller thrust. A Centa-Flex adapter was installed between the gear and the engine. This allowed an even softer mount for the engine than would have been the case had the gear been soft mounted also. A custom Vulcan flex adapter was installed between the engine and the hard mounted hydraulic power take-off at the front of the engine.

Another custom aspect of the installation is the fuel cooler mounted on the aft bulkhead. The engine returns fuel to the fuel tanks at 160 degrees Fahrenheit. With fuel tanks located adjacent to the hold in which frozen longline bait is stored, there was concern that on long trips this could raise the temperature of the fuel in the tank causing spoilage in the adjacent fishhold.

The sea trials proceeded with all systems checking out. Rick Hansen, with generations of fishing Alaska and building its boats behind him, took turns with Severson piloting the boat and moving around the boat to confirm a wide range of systems, while Dana Walker moved his lap top with its diagnostic soft ware from the engine room to the wheel house to check and demonstrate the complex of systems that can be monitored on the electronic engine.

In the Odin’s galley hang three photos of an earlier Odin. She was a graceful little 50X14-foot gasoline-powered wooden seiner built in the early years of the century and fished by Mark’s father and grandfather. It is interesting to note that the newer Odin has added eight feet to both the length and the beam.

Rick Hansen explains that Mark comes into his yard about every third year to have various improvements made to the boat for its varied fisheries. Sections of the deck shelter can be bolded and unbolted to provide a full bait shed for longlining, a partial shelter deck for pot fishing or totally removed for seine fishing. Severson likes a steel boat, but his dislike of rust has let to the addition of ever more stainless steel. Not only are all the rails and most of the bulwark caps stainless, but all the deck hydraulics are piped in stainless steel and stainless steel has been extended down the starboard side to the chine where the gear is worked. The insulated fishhold has had stainless pen stanchions added as well as stainless covers to the shaft box and the bottom of the hold.

Before the trials were over, Mark was planning his brief return to his home in Pertersburg Alaska on the way to the Southeast Alaskan crab grounds. "I’ve missed my usual scouting trip," he said, "But I pretty much know were I want to go."

Rick Hansen puts it quite simply when he says, "This is probably the best set up Alaska limit boat there is!"

For further information contact:

Rick Hansen
Hansen Boat Co. 4124_34th Ave.
N.E. Everett, Washington 98205
Phone: (425)252-4021 Fax: (425)259-9170

or:

John Walls
Sales Manager
Cummins Northwest, Inc.
811 S.W. Grady Way, Renton, WA 98057-9811
Phone: 425 235-3400 Toll free: 1 800 274-0336 Fax: 425 545_7374
E-Mail: jmwalls@cnw.cummins.com

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