![]() On the far side of the harbor are the big boats. During high tide, the ship is driven onto the submerged grid and repairs are done while the tide is out and the hull is exposed. There are two grids capable of hauling out ships over 100 feet in length. The fish is immediately put on ice and crated right at the dock by a commercial processing company, and is now ready to be shipped. There are eight cranes to unload the catch from the commercial fishing boats. ![]() The boat launch has 5 paved lanes that can be used during both high tide and low tide. Homer's population may only be 5,364, but the Homer Boat Harbor has 960 reserved slips and 6,000 linear feet of transient moorage tie-up space to handle the motor boats, sail boats, commercial fishing boats, water taxis, coast guard ships, and charter boats that are here every summer. The Halibut Capital of the World takes it's fishing seriously, and the boat harbor is state of the art. On the bayside, the crowds disappear and you can walk the beach for miles picking up rocks or starfish, watching boats or otters, or basically just enjoy the beauty and solitude We are regulars at Coal Point-this is Cameron putting our 2 pounds of king crab legs in the steamer. Of course it probably helps that the owner, Nancy Hillstrand, is the mother of the captains of the Time Bandit- from the tv show Alaska's Deadliest Catch. Every Wednesday, crab legs are on special, and while the ambiance is definitely not elegant-it's really just a food bar inside a fish processing center, the crab legs are awesome (large and sweet, but incredibly cheap). Surpisingly, the price of Alaska King Crab is very similar to what you would expect to pay in the lower 48, EXCEPT for the crab legs at Coal Point Trading Co. Naturally, we replenished Bill's Salty Dawg t-shirt collection. If the light's on, the bar is open! Small, crowded, with dollar bills tacked on the walls, and sawdust on the floor,the Salty Dawg is the Spit's most famous landmark and most photographed building. The Fishing Hole, a man-made fishing lagoon stocked with king and silver salmon, provides easy access for fishermen and a nice alternative to expensive charters. Located along the Spit are campgrounds, the marina, boardwalks with shops, restaurants, charter offices, and lots and lots of tourist. The extreme tides dramatically change the size and shape of the spit. The Spit, Homer’s most distinquishing geographical feature, is a narrow 4.5 mile long glacial morraine jutting out into Kachemak Bay. National Geographic listed Homer as one of 2007's top 50 adventure towns in their "Best Places to Live and Play" issue. There is definitely a disproportionate amount of boat slips, charters, coffee shops, and art galleries, but only two places to buy prescription drugs-the grocery store and the hardware store! There is one traffic light and only two fast food restaurants (Subway and McDonalds). He is also a NASCAR and NHRA enthusiast, and an avid fan of the Dallas Cowboys.Homer is an eclectic mix of fishermen and artist! It's the Halibut Capital of the World but it is also listed as one of "America ’s Best 100" Art Towns. When he is not on the boat, Captain Johnathan is involved in the operation of the Hillstrand’s other businesses including Time Bandit Fireworks, Time Bandit Spirits, Time Bandit Entertainment, Time Bandit Productions, and The Time Bandit Gear Store.Īlthough Johnathan has little time for leisure, when he has time off he enjoys riding his Harley and spending time with friends and family. Johnathan has been on commercial fishing vessels since the age of 3, began fishing at the age of 7, and began commercially fishing for crab at the age of 17. Johnathan is the captain of the F/V Time Bandit during the King Crab Season. Johnathan Hillstrand was born and raised in Homer, AK, and is a third generation Alaskan fisherman. ![]() ![]() Step inside this Captain Hillstrand’s world with this exclusive interview about the success of his life. ![]() From working the world’s most deadliest job to writing children’s books, Jonathan talks about how he has found success, why family is most important and why living large and chasing dreams is the only way to live. Badder than the Bearing Sea, Captain Jonathan Hillstrand joins CIM to talk about his epic 10th season of Deadliest Catch on Discovery Channel. ![]()
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