It was in the midst of a downturn in the oil patch and they got the 38m (125 foot) boat for significantly under the cost of building her in 1981. In 1986, when they were both still in their twenties, they borrowed money to add to their fishing earnings and purchased an off-shore-supply vessel in Louisiana. “We knew that, if we bought shares in her, she would require new engines and new decking under the accommodation area,” Roger Thomas explained.īuying a large older boat that has been worked hard is not for the faint of heart, but Roger Thomas and Kari Toivola are accustomed to risk. She also tenders on the herring seine fishery. The holds circulate seawater when crabbing and then become RSW when tendering salmon. Much of the boat checked out well but, from the engine room, they could see that 70% of the steel deck under the accommodation block was badly deteriorated and would need to be replaced. The two flew to Dutch Harbor in January 2015 to inspect the vessel.įrom the dock, her classic aft cabin style and her 39m (128 foot) by 8.50m (28 foot) ultra-marine blue hull carried the same impressive look that she had when custom built at Horton Boats in Bayou LaBatre in Alabama in 1989. After checking with another owner, Josh Harris, he got back to Roger Thomas and Kari Toivola with an offer of a 50% stake in the famous boat. Casey has skippered the Cornelia Marie and is a shareholder in the boat. When Roger Thomas and his business partner Kari Toivola began searching for a Bering Sea crab investment, Roger called Casey McManus (pictured below). The Bering Sea crabber has gained a wide public following both for the family saga of ownership and for her role in a popular television series that portrays the challenges of one of the world’s toughest fisheries.
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