This is the time of year many commercial fishermen get a voluntary safety inspection from the coast guard in Petersburg. Vessel examiners typically come to town every February, shortly before the start of the tanner and golden king crab seasons. The free dockside inspection gives fishermen an opportunity to make sure they have all the safety gear and other required items that the coast guard normally checks for during an at-sea boarding.
Petersburg’s fleet is known for extensive participation in the program and several people have signed their boats up for safety inspections this week, including KFSK’s Matt Lichtenstein. He asked Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner Scott Wilwert for a preview:
For a mobile-friendly mp3, click here
The Coast Guard’s Scott Wilwert and his colleagues will be available to do dockside exams in Petersburg Wednesday through Friday of this week. To sign up, you can stop by the Harbormaster’s office or call 772-4688. The safety-checklist generator and other information can be found here.
