Fishing- Deckhand Job (Kodiak, Naknek: insurance, showing, trip)

[Metlakatla]

oh boy...commercial fishing has changed so much over the past few years. I used to have contacts in that field but not so much anymore.

I do know that since the television show Deadliest Catch came out, jobs in the crabbing industry are getting harder to find. But I know a guy who's owned several crab boats--don't think he does any more --but let me ask him what the best way for someone to get onto a boat is.

This is nothing against you at all, but about 20 years ago I was in the Arctic Bar in Ketchikan and it was just blowing and raining outside to beat the band. There was some guy in there complaining about the weather and saying that the only reason he came up to AK was to get rich. Then he asked us if we knew any fishing boats that were hiring. It was November. We laughed.

So you're going about it the right way, gathering information before you come up.

I would suggest coming up in the spring and getting a job somewhere doing something that puts you in contact with commercial fishermen. Some place they go, for instance. You can probably line a job like that up before you even come up. Let it be known that you want to work on a boat. Because at the very beginning of the season, they're more than likely going to have full crews. But as time goes by, plans change, people have to leave for whatever reasons, and that's where your best opportunity probably is.

[Metlakatla]

I found this and it seems to have some good information:

Deadliest Catch - Deckhand Jobs alaska, fishing, boats fisherman, alaskan,

[missyM]

I have another suggestion: watch Cowboys of the Sea on National Geographic channel. It should be required viewing for those who think they want to crew in Bristol Bay. I've been there, so I know it's 100% accurate.

[mal_flisk]

Naknek, Dillingham and Dutch don't connect to any road systems beyond the immediate surroundings. Dutch is on Unalaska (or is it Unalaska? LOL). Naknek has a road that connects to King Salmon and Dillingham has a couple of roads to neighboring towns. None of these can be accessed from Anchorage or Fairbanks.

[Marty Van Diest]

To answer a few of your questions. You will have to store your truck somewhere. You can find a storage yard to leave it in.

It would be unlikely for you and your friend to both walk into a job on a decent fishing boat. Usually those jobs come open only one at a time. It would also be unlikely for a skipper to hire two greenhorns at the same time. It does happen, but not on the better boats. Usually they only want one newbie at a time on a boat.

You cannot drive to most of the big fishing ports. You can't drive to Bristol Bay, or Kodiak, or Dutch Harbor. You can't drive to any of the South East Towns.

You pretty much have to fly out to Dutch, or Bristol Bay. You can take a ferry to South East and Kodiak.

I know lots of people who got jobs the way you are going about it. But you have to go after it.

You might be able to get a job on a salmon tender for the summer. That will put you in contact with a lot of fishermen. Our boat hired a guy off the back of a tender. He said he wanted to work on a boat, we had a guy fly home hurt that day so he gathered up his stuff and jumped on board.

[Simplycomplicated87]

So the majority of long distance transportation is flying. How easy is it to find a plane from say Anchorage or one of the road accessible towns to the ports? And is it really expensive?
I assume a salmon tender is a processor, how much does it matter which one you get on, vs. there are good boats and bad boats, are there good processing jobs and bad ones?
If I came out in late june, would that be too late to find a good job on a good boat?

Thank you

[missyM]

A tender is not usually a processor. It is the middleman between the fishing boat and the processor. It weighs the fish, keeps records of deliveries, chills the fish, sells groceries, dispenses fuel and water, etc...

it's easier to get on with a tender ($1-150/day), go to the different fisheries with it, get to know some skippers, (impress them), then decide where you would most like to crew next year. If you want to start on a tender, look in Seattle in March or April. Late June in AK, you'd have to be in the right place at the right time, as fisheries have their own start and stop times.
You'd probably be replacing somebody who got fired or quit, and by late June, you may be dealing with a skipper who has had it with everything. Better to start at the beginning of a season.

[earls]

Hello Simplycomplicated: I am just wondering what state you live in and your familiarity with use of the net to find info like airfares and your access to a map that indicates where Dutch Harbor is located. How much do you expect to make in USD given your level of experience?
Have you watched any of the TV programs that have been recommended? If so Do you really still want to fish the Bering Sea?

[Rance]

Keep in mind...when your a couple hundred miles off shore..in a blowing gale wind and rough choppy seas...you can quit...but you can't go anywhere! Until the skipper heads for port. Which can take a week or more in some cases. If your here in the spring, check the canneries for work and for boats hiring. Most will have a bulletin board with boats hiring. Alot of the fishing towns will even have ads pertaining to cannery, beach site or fishing boats in the local papers.

[itdincor]

I worked the sea for nearly 24 years, am now 60, and pretty much crippled. Because of the sea. She will kill you and not even notice. She will kill everybody on the boat and not even notice. You are trying to get in to a difficult and dangerous profession, one which is not what it was.

Although some deck hands can yet make $100 or more a year, there's not so many, and these are the men and women who have put in the time. It is very rare indeed for anyone with less than ten years' experience to pull down top money. There's a lot for a deck hand to learn, people to meet (it's a relatively small community) and attitudes to develop, before a top-tier producer will consider hiring you. You must put in the years, and make a committment, or don't waste our time - stay home.

This is not an easy path you choose.

BTW: I live in Sand Point Alaska, in the Shumagin Islands, between Dutch and Kodiak. It's a goofy little town, and I fit right in.

First: Buy Round Trip Ticket! We get really tired of guys so stupid that they think all they have to do is show up and get rich, because they know they'll just looove it all. "Romance of the Sea, my ass!" And then, two months go by, no job, no money, no way out of town. Geeze, this gets boring! It's so repititious. And so stupid. Get a round trip ticket, and guard it with your life.

Gear: Buy every bit from an established fishing supply business, such as Kachemak Gear Shed, Lummi Fisheries, Seattle Ship Supply, or equivalent.

You will need an Alaska State crewman's license.

Rain Gear - Grunden brand
Boots - Goodyear X-tra Tufs. Two pair. One to wear, one to dry.
A good, light weight sleeping bag. Several other little bags for odds and ends.
Two sets poly pro or other wicking-type long johns, shirt and lowers.
Lots and lots of WARM socks. Felt inserts for the boots.
A REALLY good duffle bag to jam it all into.
The above is just for starters.
Try to keep non-essentials to a minimum. You'll be doing a lot of walking with the damned duffel bag, and they get heavy. Stick to essentials.

The Job: First, you must understand that every time we go to sea we court death. An inexperienced hand can literally kill us all, or otherwise inadvertently cause harm or financial loss. Thus, you must expect a severe testing process. Your ship mates have to know that you can be counted on when the situation becomes serious. Not freeze or panic, but get the job done. Also, if you do not perform adequately on deck, you cost everybody money. So, if you can't take a joke or a ribbing, how can you handle a dangerous situation? To do this job, you must be physically and mentally strong, and able to ENDURE. Otherwise, stay home. We got no use for ya.

Undertand this testing. It is vital for your ship mates to know you're reliable. And it can be tough. This whole life style can be tough.

As for getting the job, this is number one: GET A CONTRACT! It's Alaska state law, and merely prudent. As any other profession, commercial fishing has its *******s. So protect your self, and do not accept a serious job if the skipper refuses to sign a legally binding contract covering wages, food, etc. Some of these guys will really *********, so watch out! BTW: if a boat is dirty and slovenly, it's also most likely unsafe. An owner who won't even keep the boat clean almost surely neglects basic maintenance and safety issues. Thus, generally, a dirty boat is an indicator of an unsafe boat. And a clean boat is no proof of safety!

For better or worse, hanging out in bars can gain you a great deal of valuable information. Like what fishery may pay, which boats are unsafe, which skippers are real princes, who might be hiring, etc.

As for finding the job, utilize every avaiable option. Walking the dock, the bars, friends, hearsay, bulletin boards, church groups, anything you can think of. But, eventually, you'll have to talk to some old salt who's seen 'em all and heard it all, and convince him he wants you. Don't bull**** him. It ALWAYS shows.

One way that works, but takes much more time, is to move to a fishing town - IF you have a marketabe skill. It can get tough up here in Alaska, and if a guy can't pull his weight, he ought to go back to mama. Kodiak is good. Dutch Harbor I personally dislike, and if you have problems there, you're usually on you own. Also, winters in Dutch are simply awful.

And, don't forget: a ROUND TRIP ticket!

Ken Johnson
Sand Point Alaska