Petersburg Pilot

R.M. Thorstenson

comes to town

Keith Chaplin

April 15, 2010

The R.M. Thorstenson, a 318-foot fish processor owned and operated by Icicle Seafoods Inc. and recently named in honor of Icicle founding partner Robert M. Thorstenson made a brief stop in Petersburg Friday Apr. 9.

The vessel, with 105 crew members is headed to Kodiak, but made a brief stop Friday at the PFI dock so that visitors could tour the vessel that processes crab, herring and salmon.

As the Petersburg High School band played on the dock, visitors were given tours of the vessel.

Before being renamed in December of 2009, the vessel was known as the Stellar Sea. When Thorstenson passed away in 2009, it was decided that the name would be changed in his honor, PFI manager Patrick Wilson said.

“It’s a pleasure that they came in to honor Bob,” Wilson said.

The vessel, one of five processing boats owned by the corporation is the biggest in the fleet, production foreman Erica Arcemont said. It was bought by Icicle Seafoods Inc. in 2007.

Before its present use as a processor, the boat was used as a container ship. It was remodeled to its present use in 1992, vessel manager Pablo Lozoya said.

Foreman Arcemont is in her fifth season aboard the Thorstenson, she said she has really enjoyed learning about the Thorstenson name.

She also enjoys working on the vessel with newer amenities.

“I really appreciate being on this boat,” Arcemont said. “It is the Rolls Royce of them all.”

The vessel is heading north to process fish from the Kodiak Herring fishery, and will then head to Bristol Bay to process salmon.