Day 28 - Waiting on the Weather

June 1^st

            We’re packed and all systems are a go, but the weather has postponed our departure. The preparations we’ve done in the past week are reminiscent of a long camping trip, an expedition. It took four trips to Costco in the pickup truck to get all the dry food we’re bringing… we still have to buy perishable and frozen goods.

            I’ve packed all my gear… Computer, DVDs, books, journals, camera gear, extra underwear, extra socks, t-shirts, pants, sweatshirts, jackets, deck shoes, casual shoes, boots, rain pants, light rain jacket, heavy duty rain jacket, extra gloves, glove liners, boot liners, arm warmers, baseball hat, knee pads, Victorinox knives (aka: Vicky), one set of nice clothes for when I’m not working, and lots of Dramamine. The most important things are the little articles of clothing that make a long day (or days) on your feet as comfortable as it can get.

            My diet while I’ve been working here consists of meat – that’s all, just meat. There are very few fresh vegetables in Alaska and they’re very expensive. Every day on the boat is equivalent to a long day lifting weights at the gym. It takes its toll on your body – I’m surprised some of these fishermen are in as good condition as they are after doing this for 30 years.

            I wish somehow I could express my excitement to being so close to leaving. I can’t wait to get my hands on some fish! Dave has a number of people lined up for our third crewmember, but he’s picky and is taking his time to find the perfect person for our team – we have a lot of good choices.

            I’m in disbelief of how much I’ve learned so far, I’m still absorbing everything… and we haven’t begun fishing yet. I’ve learned about hydraulics, engines, cooling systems, electricity, and chemistry – all of which (and more) are needed to run and maintain this boat. I can’t imagine what else I’m going to be learning in the next few months.

            The salmon season in Bristol Bay lasts for one to two months. I doubt I’ll find Internet access in that area of Alaska – but there’s always a possibility. After the bay we’ll be fishing for halibut. Halibut is caught on a different system than salmon. Salmon has a season where it can be fished for a certain amount of time – regulated heavily by the number of salmon running. If there are fewer salmon, there is a limit on the number of pounds per day each boat can catch. Halibut can be fished year round with a permit. There are a set number of permits that are owned and do not expire. Each permit is for a specific weight – usually between 10 and 30 thousand pounds per year. One person can own more than one permit. If the owner of a permit does not want to fish, they rent out their permit for a percentage of the earnings. So far we have 50,000 lbs of halibut to catch. The price for halibut right now is a little more than four dollars per pound. As a deckhand I’m getting paid a percentage of everything that we make.

             “Here fishy fishy fishy!”