The loss of the Big Valley and most of her crew is a terrible tragedy, not only for the families of those lost, but for the community of Kodiak, and the scientific community as well.

Over the last decade, I and other scientists chartered the Big Valley for many research cruises, most recently with a team of archaeologists surveying the Kad’yak shipwreck in July 2004.

Each of us came to know Gary Edwards as a friend and kindred spirit. The Big Valley wasn’t the newest or cleanest boat in the fleet, but Gary made it the best boat to work on. Gary made everybody feel that supporting their work was the most important thing he could be doing. He made cappuccino for everybody on board each morning. If we were too busy to eat, he brought our food out to us on the deck. He rigged up a hot-water shower on deck for us to use after diving. He built specialized equipment for us, like anchors for our survey lines.

Gary was a real Renaissance scholar who loved great art, literature and music. He hung interesting artwork all over the boat, and kept a shelf full of great books at hand. He went out of his way to ensure that we had the best possible experience on his boat. My last two grant proposals were written specifically for Gary and the Big Valley because I could not imagine how to do my work on any other boat, or with any other skipper.

Gary touched each of us that knew him in many different ways, and we are all deeply saddened by his loss. But in addition to his friends and family, he also leaves behind a generation of scientists and graduate students who worked with him, learned from him, and came to love the sea as he did.

The oceans, and those who study them, have lost a great friend. He was Steinbeck to our Rickets; he was Lewis to our Clark. We will miss him greatly.