week 1 done

Getting all the pots from land into the water proved to be very demanding work, especially the 120 pots that were stashed in the woods. We had to move them from the woods to the beach, the beach to the skiff, the skiff to the boat, from the stacks on the boat to the hopper for baiting, and then finally the last pick up to throw in the water. Talk about a sore back. The pots are bulky and the boat is always swaying back and forth, so my balance is improving quickly. I was standing in line getting some tea yesterday and caught myself swaying in the line like a drunk sailor. Even in the bathroom this morning, my mind was tricking my body into thinking the walls were moving with the water. The first two days launching the pots we worked 28 hours and slept 3! I was also fighting a cold that seemed to drain my energy, so sleep, eat work was my mantra for the week. Now that the 300 pots are soaking in the water, the two of us can run through them and re-launch in two days time. We will leave the house around 5 tomorrow morning and return late on Wednesday night. Probably back to back 15-18 hour days. This work is just as intense as green roofing or farming, but it lasts for many many more sustained hours. If you want to test your work ethic and durability, come work on an Alaskan fishing boat for a couple months. I felt tested everyday and kept the momentum moving forward with humor, food, and beautiful scenery. Our first haul averaged 3.3 crabs per pot for a total of 2,100 pounds of crab, after only two days soaking. Steve said this should double as we progress and let them soak for 7 days. This Sunday we start gill netting for salmon, which will add 3-4 days to our week. We will fish salmon for 3-4 days, then run through the crab gear before heading back to town. More pics to follow.