Small Craft Route - Raising the Norseman - Mile 463

It was June of 1978, the king crab boom was in full swing and the brand new 108 foot crabber, Norseman, was headed up to the Bering Sea to cash in on the bonanza. But oops, her helmsman fell asleep and the big steel crabber slammed into the shore, slid down into the deep water and disappeared, leaving her stunned crew standing on the beach.

Enter Doug Anderson. Showing true Alaska mettle, he had earlier raised a 65 footer from 195 feet of water using railroad tank cars for buoyancy. With the profits from that salvage job, he purchased a used tug, and was ready for his biggest challenge yet - the Norseman, perched precariously on a pinnacle 400 feet down, on a steep slope.

"It was a hard rigging job," said Anderson, who went down in a wet suit and a special helium rich mixture in his tanks. "We had to come straight up with her first, move her out from the bank, then pivot her level and bring her up."

It also took five months, due to bad weather and the remoteness of the site. After Anderson and her men got her up, they patched the bow and towed her to Seattle where she sold for a hefty profit.

The Norseman was a 108' steel crabber built by MARCO in Seattle, considered by many to be the builder of the best crab boats. On the left is a sistership, the Northwestern, which was later stretched and became one of the boats starring in the Deadliest Catch TV series.