Like a chocolate-covered cherry, theres more to the 56-foot seiner Freedom than meets the eye.<\/p>\n
Theres actually a 48-foot Chignik seiner inside of that boat, says Bruce Marifern, of Petersburg. As the story goes, the Freedom began its life as the jig for a mold that eventually became a shallow-draft seiner synonymous with the salmon fishery at Chignik on the Alaska Peninsula. What transpired in the years since Marifern acquired it was a stretch job, which brought it to 53 feet.<\/p>\n
We went back to Delta to look for a 53-footer, and we couldnt find one, he says. So we lengthened it.<\/p>\n
But Marifern says the stretch job, which put the boat at 53' x 15' compromised its stability. Two years later, in 2013, they added sponsons, which widened the boat out to 20 feet.<\/p>\n
It brought stability to our family, says Marifern.<\/p>\n
Marifern adds that the family operation includes his wife, Barbara; their son, David; and daughter, Sam.<\/p>\n
My two kids put themselves through college on that boat, he says. And lately a lot of neighbor kids have been doing the same.<\/p>\n
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More: <\/p>\n
Boat of the Month: Freedom - National Fisherman<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Like a chocolate-covered cherry, theres more to the 56-foot seiner Freedom than meets the eye. Theres actually a 48-foot Chignik seiner inside of that boat, says Bruce Marifern, of Petersburg. Continue reading