A number of the larger commercial fishing boats that call Newport’s Yaquina Bay their home headed out last week for the annual trek to Alaska’s Bering Sea.

It can take eight to 10 days for them to make the journey up north, depending on the weather. Boats from Newport will be docking either at Dutch Harbor or Kodiak, where they will be based while fishing for pollack and cod, a fishery that generally lasts for several months.

The Port of Newport’s International Terminal was hopping with activity last week as boat owners and their crews made final preparations. And as has been the custom for a number of years, part of the preparation process before heading up to Alaska involved holding a prayer service, asking for safety for the fishing crews and their loved ones at home, and for a bountiful harvest.