Monthly Archives: March 2009
Home Cookin’ and Mt. Redoubt
There hasn’t been much to report in the eight days since the 2009 halibut and blackcod longlining season began.
Storms have kept George and the boat landlocked for about a week. However, as my dad pointed out, with the looming eruption of Mt. Redoubt and the canceled flights between Seattle and Anchorage, there probably isn’t much fresh halibut leaving the Gulf of Alaska, anyway. So, perhaps the Gulf storms have been a blessing in disguise. You have to stay positive, right? Right!
The crew did have one fun day last week when they drove to Homer to pick up a part for the boat. George surprised me with a colorful description of how it felt to drive through the volcanic ash from Mt. Redoubt. He compared it to driving into a blanket of fog and said that the way the ash settled on of the snow around them, creating a top layer of brown and gray, was pretty neat. He described how incredible it was to look (from their seats at a local saloon) across Cook Inlet at the cloud of ash, smoke, and steam spewing out of the top of the gigantic volcano.
Because George is not a big talker, I knew by the way he spoke of the events that they were sights to behold. The other event he shared was about a visit with dear and longtime friends of my family, Dani and Brian, who live in a cabin along the Kenai River in Sterling. Although George did not give the couple advance notice that three or four men were about to descend upon their cabin doorstep, Dani and Brian welcomed the group with characteristic open arms.
Everyone enjoyed the visit as well as the two homemade cakes and chicken noodle soup (made from scratch) that Dani magically prepared in a matter of minutes while the men were out in the shop, admiring Brian’s astonishing knife collection.
“It was fun to see them,” Dani wrote to me in an e-mail. “And I did my best to fill them up on some home cookin’ and laughter while they were here.”
That sums up the Dani and Brian that I’ve known my entire life. George was grateful for the generosity and welcome, especially on such short notice. It was an afternoon he won’t forget. (And because he doesn’t get much in the way of home cooking around here, I know he was doubly thankful!)
Happy First Day of Halibut Season
I’d almost forgotten that today was the first day of the halibut/blackcod longlining season until I read a short article about it in National Fisherman magazine this morning. I’ve only talked to George once since he left. We are hard people to catch in beween “boat stuff” and “baby stuff,” so we often just leave quick messages to let each other know how things are going, and call it good.
When George is at sea and I am at home, we both have jobs to do. If he is worried about how things are going at home, it makes it harder for him to do his job on the boat. If I’m worried about how things are going on the boat, I can’t do my job at home. Each person has to focus on what he or she has in front of her and not get distracted. We have to stay the course, no matter what.
Of course, I am always curious to know how the crew is doing, how fishing is, how George is. But I can’t and don’t sit at home and check weather. I don’t check prices, review catches, investigate landings, or otherwise involve myself in anything else related to the actual fishing-end of things. That’s George’s business.
While he appreciates my encouragement and support, he doesn’t need or want input from me in this area. He knows his business through and through and has the record to back it up. He also knows that I have enough on my plate and that adding unnecessary strain to it would not benefit my little ones or me.
Do I get nervous about the risks? Yes. Do I think “What if?” Yes. Do I have nightmares? Yes.
Do I spend more than thirty seconds thinking about any of it? No.
I learned this strategy from my mom. She was as solid as a rock when my dad was at sea and had full faith in my dad’s ability to run a boat and navigate the sea. I never heard her express fear or concern about winter in Alaska, ocean conditions, or boat dynamics. She busied herself taking care of her children and the household. She knew that any outward fear she expressed would impact her children and be a detriment to all.
We didn’t even have cell phones, satellite phones, or e-mail communication back then; there was ship-to-shore radio and a pay phone at the top of the dock. We didn’t have minute-to-minute or day-to-day updates. For that matter, entire weeks would pass without word as to how it was going.
I only saw my mom “rattled” one time. It was after my grandmother had called, worried about a winter Alaska storm and the possiblity that my dad was trapped in the middle of it.
For some reason that time, my grandmother’s call shook all of us up. My mom became uncharacteristically nervous. My sisters and I were scared to death, worried about Dad. We couldn’t sleep and we fought back tears as my mom, grim faced, called the Coast Guard and asked them to locate Dad.
Of course, nothing was wrong. Dad was fine. Grandma had been overly-worried (understandably, having been a fisherman’s wife herself). We all breathed a sigh of relief and continued about our business. Looking back now, I appreciate the lesson: Don’t allow people, news, weather reports, fear, or anything else to rattle you.
Don’t invite more panic and anxiety to take root in your day. Just stay the course, and steady as she goes.
Three Days Down, Two Months to Go…
This has been an exciting week around here.
First of all, thanks to everyone for coming by the blog to view the photographs and leave comments. During the first two days that the photos were posted, the blog had near-record numbers of hits. In fact, Highliners and Homecomings was just four views shy of beating its former viewing record (set last fall during the Sarah Palin/Commercial Fishing/Election discussions).
The day before George left, I received an e-mail with the exciting news that one of my recent personal essays, “True Blue,” had been selected for inclusion in an upcoming anthology (P.S. What I Didn’t Say) set for publication in the Fall of 2009. This was wonderful news and helped ease the sting of George’s departure.
I’m looking forward to working with Megan McMorris, the editor of the anthology. In addition to having been an editor at Fitness and Fit magazines, she has been published in an impressive number of publications (Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Runner’s World, Self, Shape, Real Simple, Parents, and The Writer, to name just a few) and is the author of four books.
When the boat first leaves, it takes a while to get back into my Solo Mom Routine. George was only home for about ten days in between the Dungeness crab and Halibut/Blackcod seasons, but the at-home to at-sea transition is the same no matter how long he’s been at home. I’ve been going through the last three days ”remembering” the things that he’d helped me out with but that I now need to program myself back into doing.
“Oh yeah, it’s garbage day. I have to put the garbage out on the sidewalk and then remember to bring it back inside. Toby needs his meds ordered. Grocery store. Unload dishes. Pay those bills. Return that call. Lock the door. Lock the cars.” Once I get back into the routine, barring any unforeseen complications (ahem, all last season!) it will become normal again.
Thanks again for the views and the comments this past week. It couldn’t have been a better departure all around and it helped get everyone off to a great start.
Here’s to a Great Longline Season Ahead!
Bryan, Brett, George
Dad and George
Bryan
Bryan, Brett, John
Guess who?
Bye bye and…
the very best of luck.
Pre-Season Crew and Family Party Pics
I didn’t actually warn anyone that I’d post pictures from the party, so here are just a few photographs with identifying captions left out!
A Festive Pre-Season Send Off
Today is departure day for the 2009 blackcod and halibut longline season. We had a crew and family breakfast at the harbor yesterday, and then we had a big farewell party for the crew last night.
We haven’t thrown a farewell party in quite a while. We used to have them before each season, but then we got into the habit of celebrating upon the boat’s homecoming instead.
The mood at the party was incredibly upbeat, positive, and celebratory. It was the perfect way to set the tone for the new season, which I have to say I feel really good about. Maybe it is just the joy of moving into spring and relief at being done with the winter crab season and all of the trauma we had here at home—whatever it is, it’s a welcome change.
I want to give a special shout-out to Johnny’s wife, Katie, who made the very long trip north to drop off her husband, and then stuck around for all the pre-season activities. Katie brought two of their three children with her, and it was wonderful watching all of the three-year olds and one-year olds play so well together.
Katie is an admirable gal. Although she’s got a long drive and a long season ahead of her, she was all smiles. She is so proud of her husband for being a commercial fisherman, and she is a strong partner in their fishing family. I know that John must really appreciate her encouragement and excitement toward what he does. Her attitude was refreshing to all of us who have gotten stuck in a bit of a rut lately.
Thanks, Katie!
Goodbye Breakfast
(I’ll be back later today with pictures of the boat’s departure.)
Q and A With the Elusive Captain George
I’ve been maintaining this blog for well over a year. Do you realize that in all that time, we’ve never actually heard from the guy I write so much about, the one who makes it all happen? It’s true. Although it appears that George reads the blog, my husband has never written in with any opinion, comment, story, or otherwise.
I was able to corner George today (after chasing him around most of last week) and convince him to sit down for an interview. The following is the result of my little Question and Answer with the elusive Captain.
How do you think the 2009 Dungeness crab season went overall?
Overall, pretty poorly. It was the lowest abundance of crab in twenty years. The unusually good weather caused the crab that were there to be caught extremely quickly. By the time the price started to go up, most of the crab were already caught.
How would you like to see the upcoming halibut and blackcod longlining season go this year?
Well, I would obviously like to see it go well. We are hoping for good weather right off the bat, and we’re hoping that demand is there so that we get a decent price.
Where do you catch your halibut and blackcod?
Near Seward (Alaska).
How important is a good crew?
Very important. It’s very important because first of all, you need them to be reliable and actually be there when it’s time to go fishing. Experience is good, but most important is a crew that knows how to work.
How do you feel about your crew?
How do I feel about my crew? My crew is going to read this. I like my crew. They’re good workers, conscientious. They’re easy to be around, and they’re motivated. They’re smart. They care about taking care of the boat, and that’s important.
How often do you think about home and your family when you are at sea?
All the time.
How important is it to know the household is running well?
Mmm. Well, it’s very important. It’s a lot harder to focus on what I’m doing if I’m worried about what’s happening at home.
Do you worry about losing part of your bond with your children as a result of being gone so much?
No, I don’t worry about losing it, because they’re always happy to see me when I get home. After a few days it’s like I never left.
What do you like about being a commercial fisherman?
Independence. Of course, I love being on the water. I like that it’s capitalism in its purest form. You get out of it what you put into it most of the time. You do need to plan ahead for the years that don’t go well.
What don’t you like?
Lots of variables that you can’t control, like weather, ocean conditions, abundance, markets in some cases.
If you had not become a commercial fisherman and captain, what do you imagine you would have done otherwise?
Oh, that’s a tough one. I don’t know, maybe a home builder. I studied engineering in college but I was a long ways from getting into you know, real engineering. I did some land surveying, but it wasn’t my calling.
What kind of education did you receive for your commercial fishing career(including first mate and captain of Bering Sea vessels and owner operator of own fishing family vessel)?
Well, there was firefighting and radar certification. Sea School, which is prep classes for taking the Coast Guard exams. I have a Master of Fishing Vessels (up to 1600 tons) and Mate of Inspected Vessels (also up to 1600 tons).
Any final thoughts?
Looking forward to salmon seining this summer.
