With Barely TWO NICKELS To Rub Together

With Barely TWO NICKELS To Rub Together is a straight-forward American story, both interesting and instructive, that is neither simple nor complex. It puts a face to the success of a small company that built commercial fishing vessels that were the pride of the fleet during the 1970s. It is a story about how a person’s word once given is a contract, and much more. Here’s what people are saying about the book: “It shouldn’t be surprising that I became fascinated by a new book that recently crossed my path.

In With Barely Two Nickels to Rub Together, author Bo Shindler tells the remarkable story of Ed Freeman and his son Dugie, who in the 1970s in Gold Beach, Oregon, would build the largest aluminum commercial fishing boat constructed in the United States. It is a colorful story that blends all that was and is iconic about life on the Oregon coast — timber, fishing, boats, the call of the Pacific, creativity, persistence, colorful personalities, and hard work.

At 350 pages with 280 photographs and illustrations, it is a true coffee table book that will provide many hours of enjoyment.” Kerry Tymchuk, Executive Director, Oregon Historical Society “The story weaves together a mixture of entrepreneurship, risk-taking, human creativity, and a history of west coast boatbuilding and how this boatyard did its work and thrived. The book is a highly entertaining and the illustrations and photos are outstanding.

Through all the story of Ed and Dugie Freeman and their boatyard, there is a blue-collar approach of getting things done no matter the cost. They make plans, stay on task, implement decisions, accept responsibility, learn from mistakes, rarely hesitate, rebound from hardship, and when the bell rings they’re ready to come to the center of the ring even if it includes the possibility of taking a good ass-whipping.” Bruce J. Cole, Publisher & Editor, National Fisherman Magazine (1975-1994)