This is part of my blog about my great adventures in the most amazing place I have ever worked. This was my greenhorn (first) year commercial fishing Salmon in the Bearing Sea. We caught 178,00 lbs. with just myself and my Captain. Thought it might be worthy enough to share. I hope you find it interesting.
Working with this much beauty surrounding you, is like nothing else. My little cannon camera did not give this place justice. Alaska is just such an amazing place the colors, sights, sounds. Like no other place .
With only a crew of 2 Myself (the deck hand) and the Captain on the 37 foot Nancy Gayle, we work long and hard gill netting around the clock it seems at times. Then we scheduled our tender boats to come and we pull up next to them and they buy our catch. They sale food, get our clothes washed if we want for a fee, sale us fuel and top off our fresh water so that we do not have to go to land. That way we can stay out on the fishing grounds.
So once our tender arrives we want to get our catch off as quick as possible because we are all on a time scheduled from the time we bring them on-board until the tender delivers them to the processor . We are also at the mercy of the Bearing Sea. Lots of damage can happen when you are hull to hull with a much bigger and steel boat and in high seas. So speed and safety are paramount.
But there are moments in ones life that are unforgettable. Working as a commercial fisherman is one of those things. Oh and of course days that we were bringing in guys like these!
All I can say is to go after whatever your passion is. And know there will be many that will say you can't or you shouldn't. All I can say is you are the only one who's life you can live. The real question is: Are you living it to it's fullest?
