One hundred and fifty miles north of Dutch Harbor, the crew of the F/V Wizard found themselves fighting more than just building seas. A sudden steering failure left the vessel without control as wind and current pushed the boat dangerously close to the 166-line boundary separating fishing districts.
Captain Monty Colburn was navigating near the demarcation that defines the eastern and western Bering Sea districts when the crisis unfolded. The boundary is strictly enforced, and crossing it unintentionally can result in penalties or lost fishing time. But the greater immediate threat was mechanical.
“We don’t have any steering,” came the urgent call from the wheelhouse as waves began to build.
The vessel’s steering motors had overheated to the point that they were untouchable. With both units running dangerously hot, the Wizard was effectively adrift in deteriorating conditions.
Improvised Engineering in Tight Quarters
Chief engineer Joe Serpus quickly assessed the situation. Replacing the motor would take several hours — time the crew did not have in rough seas and on a tight delivery schedule. Instead, Serpus identified an alternative: manually operating the rudder post.
In a confined four-by-three-foot steering compartment beneath the galley, the team located the top of the rudder post — an engineering detail dating back to the vessel’s original World War II construction. Using welding equipment and a steel strap, Serpus fabricated a makeshift tiller handle inside the galley itself.
The solution was unconventional but effective. Crew members physically steered the vessel by pulling the steel arm left and right on command from the wheelhouse.
“Slowly pull it to port — about three degrees,” instructions were relayed as the boat inched forward through head seas.
For the next several hours, deckhands rotated through manual steering duty, holding course by muscle and coordination while Serpus worked to diagnose the electrical failure below deck.
Racing the Clock
The breakdown came at a critical moment in the season. With only days remaining before the cannery closure, Captain Colburn was pushing to complete his final bairdi crab haul and secure his quota before transitioning to the opilio fishery.
Any extended downtime would jeopardise not only the catch but also the tight schedule required to retrieve his brother Keith from Dutch Harbor before the next season began.
After reworking the electrical control box, Serpus restored powered steering — a development Colburn described as “a huge relief.” The temporary halt may even have benefited the operation, allowing the gear additional soak time.
A Timely Haul
With steering restored and the Wizard back on course, the crew hauled pots near the boundary line. The result was strong: 115 crab in a single pot — a solid number at a pivotal stage.
“Exactly what we need,” Colburn said as the crew celebrated on deck.
The Wizard now presses toward delivery, closing in on quota as the Bering Sea season approaches its deadline. The incident underscored the vessel’s resilience — and the crew’s ability to improvise under pressure.
In an industry where mechanical reliability can mean the difference between profit and loss, the Wizard’s hand-steered passage stands as another reminder of the unpredictable conditions faced by those working the northern fisheries.
