Bering sea gold dredges

dicor

dicor

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Feb 19, 2011
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boat Barnegat Bay, NJ (hopefully) - live Bucks Cty
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270 DA 1998
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7.4 Merc w/Bravo III Drive
I've been watching this show on the Discovery channel on Fridays called 'Bering Sea Gold'. If you haven't seen it do yourself a favor and catch a couple of episodes. These people will find anything that floats and weld VW engines, home generators, AC pumps, back hoes to them. Then they sail them offshore and dive to the bottom to dredge for gold. When they are sitting on dry land you would never guess they were boats. As I watch this I keep remembering how many time the Coast Guard has checked my boat for all necessary safety equipment, if they find one thing out of place they pull your plug. Are there two Coast Guards? WTF? All the time I've watched this show I've never seen one life jacket or fire extinguisher. You gotta see it to believe it! :wow:
 
It's the last frontier man! They don't need no stinkin' lifevests! I've seen the show. All I need to do is get a barge built and up to Nome and it'll be much safer than the aluminum jon boat with a outrigger bolted on it.
 
I've thought the same thing... I wonder how they were able to ground the generator?:grin:

I've thought that it would be great to be able to do that with real equipment and not duck tape and super glue...
 
Seems like they make pretty good money but you would never know it looking at that floating junk heap. (or that whole town for that matter)

LK
 
The Palmrinky's have a pretty big dredge. They seem to bring in good money. More then the Hoffman crew on Gold Rush. I have to say Deadliest Catch is still my favorite show on Discovery. Can't wait for this season.
 
spikeitaudi said:
The Palmrinky's have a pretty big dredge. They seem to bring in good money. More then the Hoffman crew on Gold Rush. I have to say Deadliest Catch is still my favorite show on Discovery. Can't wait for this season.
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I just can't believe that the Palmrinki's paddled their way out with the excavator.
 
Using the excavator in a quick pinch is smart though. But that greenhorn that took one on his leg was just stupid for standing there knowing the thing could just bust lose by putting that quick fix solution. He is lucky he did lose his leg.
 
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I'm just watching it for the first time now! It actually looks like it would be much easier than mining on land - as long as you remain above the water. Would they have to "stake a claim" or do they just get to dredge anywhere for free?
 
I often wonder when watching this show if a larger pontoon boat would be a whole lot better than those hobbled together junkpiles some of them are calling a "dredge".

Hell, put a motor and dredging equipment on a couple floating dock sections with a motor on back. I find it hard to believe some of those guys say they spent over 20K on those piles.
 
spikeitaudi said:
The Palmrinky's have a pretty big dredge. They seem to bring in good money. More then the Hoffman crew on Gold Rush. I have to say Deadliest Catch is still my favorite show on Discovery. Can't wait for this season.
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I've watched both shows and it seems to me the Hoffman crew should take all the money they've invested in equiptment and buy a dredge like the Palmrinky's and dig for gold in the Bering Sea.....the Palmrink's made more in a shorter time than the Hoffman's did in 2 seasons.
I too wondered about safety equiptment and the Coast Guard??????
 
Jimmy Buoy said:
I'm just watching it for the first time now! It actually looks like it would be much easier than mining on land - as long as you remain above the water. Would they have to "stake a claim" or do they just get to dredge anywhere for free?
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In that season finale the government for next season auctioned off plots of land (lease for 10 years) to dredge on. Those that won the auction for those plots would have exclusive rights to dredge that plot for 10 years. I believe the Palmrinky's got the one they wanted for 300k. They were the only ones that won a peice of land. I think there is a general area where anybody can dredge, but it has to be in that zoned area.
 
I too find myself watching the show and asking myself how would I do it. I think I'd buy a trashed 24 to 30 ft cruiser with a operational engine/out-drive. Install the air pumps for underwater breathing and wet suit heaters on it and tow a pontoon boat with the dredge pumps and sluice box on it. After seeing the shacks they live in they could also live aboard the cruiser and it would be luxurious compared to where they live now.
 
These gold mining shows are awesome. I was thinking the same thing about the large Palmrinky rig. Granted they have higher operating costs, but they do really well compared to all of this small pontoon boats with vacuum hoses. I wonder why more investors don't get together, front the money, buy a lease plot, and have at it. Risk/reward ratio looks good from what little i know from the show. Also, why do you think these guys are so willing to show the world all of this gold, and risk more people showing up, and driving up the cost of the mining plots the government is auctioning off? Are these guys paid to do the show, or are they simply enjoying the camera time?
 
spikeitaudi said:
In that season finale the government for next season auctioned off plots of land (lease for 10 years) to dredge on. Those that won the auction for those plots would have exclusive rights to dredge that plot for 10 years. I believe the Palmrinky's got the one they wanted for 300k. They were the only ones that won a peice of land. I think there is a general area where anybody can dredge, but it has to be in that zoned area.
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I think it was $67,000 or something like that - Most ere going from 20k - 40k

LK
 
There are two areas where its a free for all, (eastern and western Nome), and other areas are non-competitive claims that you have to file thru the DNR for. If you find something you stake a claim and the area is yours as long as your active and pay the rent. Its usually a 1/4 mile area.
 
I watched the show where the girl pulled the guy behind the "dredge" while he sat on the dredge pipe. What craziness is that? She stops to soon and the momentum of the dredge pulls him into the prop.

I too was wondering how these tubs stay afloat and within CG standards. As for the money, anyone seen the houses they live in and trucks they drive? Most look like junk yard rejects at best.

Deadliest Catch is still by far my favorite. But the "Gold" shows are fun too.
 
Yea, Shure must be expensive to live there by looking at the trucks & housing. :D

LK
 
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