Cruise ships come in all sizes from multi-thousands of passengers to a few dozen. But they divide into two general groups. The big mega ships with endless entertainment onboard and the more rugged small expedition cruisers capable of getting into the interesting nooks and crannies of a coast.

In late April of 2020, the Bristol Bay sockeye gillnet season was being eyed with much trepidation. Covid-19 had much of the US in lock down to one degree or another. The challenges of bringing hundreds of cannery workers and fishermen to Bristol Bay in time for the month of June sockeye-opener was being discussed in detail. In late April there were reports that some fishermen had decided not to risk the expense of getting their boats ready for the season.

With all systems checked out and tuned to perfection, the big catamaran’s GPS display read a crisp 25 knots. This met her design speed and the tastefully appointed galley and accommodation area matched the renderings approved by the owner. Another Powerplay boat was ready for delivery.

Placing a board deck across two canoes, to make a broad flat and stable surface for transporting passengers and freight, was often done to form early ferries. The true catamaran is an evolution of that practical design concept.

About 6,000 of Indonesia’s 17,508 islands are inhabited by over 250 million citizens. Many of these citizens earn their living on the sea or live near the 54,720 kilometers of coastline. In addition to the islands, the country has 93,000 square kilometers of territorial waters.

As sometimes happens with boats in the maritime world, the recent repower of a tug shone a light on a pair of well-known independent companies. The tug Gretchen H.