FRIDAYEXTRA !
The Daily Astorian
Friday, March 13, 2015
Weekend Edition
MORE THAN
HORSING AROUND
Competitors exercise their horses between barrel-racing events inside the Red Barn Arena. Noncompetitive “time-only” events draw local equestrians of all ages and ability levels.
More competitive events often attract riders from around the region who “haul in” for the day.
Red Barn Arena — home of equestrian dreams
Story and photos BY NATALIE ST. JOHN
EO Media Group
L
ONG BEACH, Wash. — At dusk, two teenage girls leaned
out over the top of a corral fence, craning their necks toward a
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One of them let out a long whistle,
and a chestnut-colored horse with a white
starburst on her forehead pressed against
her corral, straining to see the girl.
“I love that it still works!” Eva’s own-
er, Heather Williamson told her friend
Amber Sholin.
The girls, both 16, were earning hay
credit by mucking out stalls at the Red
Barn Arena, a Sandridge Road stable that
is owned and operated by Amy and Bryan
McHale. Equipped with an indoor arena
and stalls, “The Barn” makes it possible
to keep and ride horses in an inhospita-
ble climate. It also provides a welcoming
gathering place for locals who share a
common bond.
As the girls worked, they chatted
about the topics that arise naturally
whenever two horse lovers meet; horse
personalities, horse dreams.
Heather and her boyfriend daydream
about buying a big spread, raising, break-
ing, boarding horses for a living. Right
now, she is working with her young mus-
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that’s an understatement.”
Amber doesn’t have a horse of her
own, but she helps Heather out with hers.
As she shoveled, she amiably compared
her experiences with Heather’s.
“You spend a lot of time with the cute
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a lot of time with the end that smells like
ammonia and gets stuck to your shoe!” As Marin McDonnel rode her horse Houston around the
Red Barn Arena, her dog Blue decided to join her. Hous-
Amber joked.
See THE BARN, Page 4C
ton tolerated the extra passenger, but Blue was ready to
return to earth after a few paces.
Tourists drawn to ‘Deadliest Catch’ crab boat
ILWACO, Wash. — The
Aleutian Ballad was a crab
boat for 23 years before it
was converted into an in-
dustrial tourism ship. The
crabber was shown on the
Discovery Channel hit series
“The Deadliest Catch” when
it was hit by a 60-foot rogue
wave that rolled the ship on
its side. But that night in 2005
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wave knocked the ship over,
co-owner David Lethin said.
In 1991, on a day known
as Black Sunday when there
were 17 mayday calls report-
ed, a storm packing 170 mph
winds took 160 crab boats by
surprise. The seas were run-
ning 60 feet average, he said.
The Aleutian Ballad, then
known as the Shannon Marie,
took a 90-foot wave and was
knocked on its side.
The water in the crab tanks
poured out, he said, and 60-
foot waves crashed over the
side of the boat.
“Vance Jones from Asto-
ria, told his crew, ‘This boat
is going down; you need to
get in your survival suits right
BY THE NUMBERS
Homeport: Ketchikan
Year built:1986
Owners: David and Danene Lethin
Captains: David Lethin, Derrick Ray, Terry Barkley
Length: 107 feet
Beam: 26 feet
Draft: 8 feet
Displacement: 94 tons net, 300 gross tons
Cruising speed: 8 knots
Main engines: CAT 3408 (twin)
Passengers: 150
Crew: 6
Cargo capacity: 170,000 pounds crab
Crab pot capacity before conversion: 150
Fuel capacity: 9,900 gallons diesel
now.’” They abandoned ship
and were rescued.
When the storm subsided,
the U.S. Coast Guard called
with the incredible news that
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ing on its side.
“This boat is the only boat I
know of that’s been abandoned
in the Bering Sea for dead ...
and resurrected,” he said.
Lethin and his partners
bought the boat for $1.2 mil-
lion in 1994 and used it as a
crabber until the 2005 rogue
7th Seas on ASO C
W inter C hildren’s
T heat er 2015
wave damaged it. Converting
it to tourism cost $2.8 million.
The ship now gives tourists
the Alaska crabbing experience
May 1 through Sept. 29 out of
Ketchikan, Alaska. The tour busi-
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said. “We slam as much of Alaska
into three hours as we can.”
It can carry 150 passengers,
including those in wheelchairs,
in the calmer waters of the In-
side Passage where the crew
pulls up crab pots, octopus
barrels and long lines.
P re sen ts
Some of the catch is placed
in a live tank for the visitors to
examine. All the catch is re-
leased back into the water. For
more information about the
Bering Sea Crab Fishermen’s
Tour, call 888-239-3816 or
visit http://alaskacrabtour.com
The Lethins winter the
Aleutian Ballad at Tongue
Point. They live in the area
and like to keep the boat close
by for any work that needs
to be done before the season
starts and for reprovisioning.
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Performances – Friday 7pm March 13th
Saturday & Sunday 2pm March 14th &15th
ASOC Playhouse 129 West Bond Street, Astoria.
Directed by Heather Ramsdell
Music Direction by ChrisLynn Taylor
Donated by
Sponsored by
Columbia Memorial Pediatrics
Submitted photo
Guests aboard the F/V Aleutian Ballad get a close-up look at the catch. The boat hauls
up crab for tourists out of Ketchikan, Alaska. The wildlife is released back into the water
before the boat returns to port.
Book by
Judy Wolfman
Adults $10 Kids $6 on sale ONE HOUR before all shows!
Reservations Recommended
www.astorstreetoprycompany.com For more info 503-325-6104