Story of the Gravina
The Gravina was built in 1930 at Gravina Island Marine Station in Ketchikan, Alaska and was originally called the Ranger 9. It was part of the historic Ranger fleet of the Tongass National Forest Service who used about a dozen of these vessels as both offices and as transportation for many years. In the late 1950's, with the advent of seaplanes and offices on land, the Forest Service sold the Ranger 9 to a private owner. Since then it has been a fishing vessel, a live-aboard, and now is a charter vessel with a new name and a thorough refit.
Before rebuilding the Gravina, Mark Lundsten was a working fisherman for almost 30 years, mostly in the halibut and sablefish fisheries in Alaska. He retired from fishing in 2002. His former vessel was the Masonic, a 70-foot halibut schooner. Like the Gravina, it is a classic, wooden work boat also built in 1930, but in Tacoma, not in Ketchikan, and for fishing halibut, not for forest ranger duty.Mark retired from commercial fishing, sold the Masonic and bought the Gravina in late 2002.
The rebuilding started about a year later and has been thorough: all the old interior and machinery have been removed and replaced with new cabinetry and modern equipment. The original lines are the same, and layout only slightly changed to make adjustments in the living space for modern systems. With a shower, refrigerator, freezer, central heating, and a hot water systems, no conveniences are lacking. The Gravina is an historic wooden workboat, but updated and comfortable.
A full story of the Ranger boats is available at:
Ranger Boats web page
Information about the Tongass can be found at:
Tongass National Forest
Your Captain
Captain Mark Lundsten brings a wealth of experience to the Gravina. He knows well the inner working of boats and the waters of Alaska - not only the vast expanse of the Gulf of Alaska to the tip of the Aleutians and the northern reaches of the Bering Sea, but also Alaska's myriad of passages, inlets, and fjords.
In the 1970s, Mark worked as a welder at a boatyard that specialized in maintaining and repairing fishing boats, many of them classic halibut schooners. He also found a chance to crew on one of those boats, which he did for six years while still working in the off season in the shipyard.
He learned a lot from his skipper, and, in 1984, he became one himself. He bought the Masonic, a 70-foot schooner built in 1930 (coincidentally, the same year as the Gravina). He was among the most productive fishermen in the fleet, consistently landing boatloads of halibut and black cod. He maintained the Masonic impeccably, some winters doing such major jobs as replacing the engine and the electrical system.
Mark also became very involved in the management issues of the halibut/black cod fisheries, particularly in the formation of the IFQ (individual fisherman’s quota) program and in the design and implementation of seabird by catch regulations. But when he reached the age of 50, he began to feel that he wanted to do something else in his life and that he shouldn't wait to do it. In 2002, he sold the Masonic and bought the Gravina (then the Ranger 9), with plans to return to Alaska at a more leisurely pace, to explore the beaches and bays and to catch salmon with a rod and reel. That’s what he’s doing.