A Game-Changer for Noyo Harbor’s Fish Catchers

by Anna Levy

The day that I sit down to talk with Nick Saveda, Marina Manager for the Noyo Harbor District, is the kind that brings out tourists in droves: blue skies and light wind, the sound of sea lions barking nearby. We’re meeting to talk about the new icehouse, a structure made of three shipping containers stacked on top of one another and covered by a colorful mural courtesy of artist Vinnie Schraner. I’m struck by the fact that this isn’t where tourists will go. As cool—pun intended— as this addition is, it’s not something most people will even consider. Rather, the icehouse serves people who spend their working lives or recreational hours on the ocean, and for those who benefit from them.

Access to this new structure is a big deal for people who need to keep fish fresh. “The fishing fleet uses the ice for a variety of reasons,” Nick explains, “from loading it directly on their boat to keep fish fresh while they are at sea, as well as to obviously pack fish while they are sending it out, distributing it to the consumer.”

It’s been a long time since the harbor has had a new icehouse. “The main machine that the fleet has been relying on is 48 years old,” Nick says, noting that it’s “basically out of date.” The new one, by contrast, is state-of-the-art, with computer systems that are set up to communicate with one another about getting the ice from the top level, where it’s made, through the second level, where it’s stored, and out one of two delivery systems on the bottom level.

Securing the icehouse was no easy task. Harbor Master Anna Neumann’s hard work spearheading the project made it possible. “Anna secured a grant, which provided $3.2 million in funding,” Nick says. The process took about three years, including a year to actually build and finalize the structure. Pending final permitting, the Noyo Harbor District hopes to open the icehouse this summer.

Because Noyo hasn’t had the type of machine needed to keep up with demand, fishing boats have had to take an extra step when they’re headed out to sea. “Right now, because we haven’t had a reliable icehouse, a lot of the fleet has had to go to Bodega or up to Eureka to get the ice that they need to fish,” says Nick. That often means longer trips for boats headed out. The new icehouse will save them the trip.

The hope is that the icehouse will be able to fully meet the community’s needs. “It’s a 22-ton ice machine, meaning it can hold 22 tons of ice, and makes about a ton of ice an hour,” Nick explains. Once it’s clear how much ice is needed on a regular basis, they’ll set limits on how much is made at any given time. After it’s made, the ice remains in the second container until it’s used, periodically loosened by a rake that runs continuously. “The rake runs on a cycle about every 3 or 4 minutes in order to prevent the ice from really clumping up and creating just a big block,” Nick notes.

Ice buyers can pick up their ice from land or water. People with their boats on a trailer can back up upon arrival and fill up their ice chests. At the same time, a chute off a high dock can send ice to boats that are in the water below. This allows the icehouse to easily serve both recreational and commercial fish catchers.

I wasn’t raised near the ocean. Even after a dozen years on the coast, I am still surprised by all that coastal living entails. For me, it is incredibly interesting to climb into the new three level icehouse to see the machine in action. It is mesmerizing to peer down into the barrel where the ice is made; to watch it being scraped off and falling into the level below. I’m also oddly entertained by the pipes that lead from the storage unit to the different delivery points.

Perhaps it’s getting an inside look at something most people will never even think about that’s so compelling. This new icehouse will increase the economic vitality of the Noyo Harbor District, which will open up the possibility of more and different kinds of fishing. That certainly seems like a good thing—even for those who have no idea what’s happening inside those three shipping containers.

Contact the Noyo Harbor District for updated information about the icehouse at (707) 964-4719.

To learn more about the mural, including videos of the artist’s process, follow @schravin on Instagram.

Anna Levy lives on the Mendocino Coast with her family.