Advice wanted: living and working in the peninsula/Unalaska as a young man. (Anchorage: employment)

[Arnkad]

Greetings, folks. I'll start by conceding the fact that I am a young man clouded by naivete and ambition. I must also say that very little guidance has come my way from actual residents and employees of Alaska - only that which I have read online. Having said this, I appreciate the many posts that have been put up on this board, and the way this community has responded (in most cases).

I will describe the tentative itinerary that I hope to follow starting next week or the week after. So far, I have left Arizona (where I grew up) and am currently in the Bay Area of California. I hope to fly out to Anchorage and then from there take the bus to Homer. There, I hope to catch the ferry. At that point, I am contemplating heading straight out to Unalaska to meet up with an elder sister who lives there with her partner. Or (and this is what I am favoring), I can make a detour in Kodiak to make some money to live off of. If I do this, I am very much interested in salmon fishing or working aboard a vessel. Coming from the middle of the desert to almost the opposite extreme makes this experience so highly appealing to me. I am aware that the summer season is already in full swing, but I do not know much else than that.

This is where I am most uncertain... I have a little over $3000 saved up. I wish to capitalize on my time in Alaska, but the greater goal is to experience it, especially its seas. Most of my experience is academic (I am currently on a leave from college for two years at the most), and in construction/labor (before the housing bubble burst). Does it make sense to pursue this kind of employment at this time with my lack of experience? If so, what does it take to make contact with boat crews/fishing companies? If not, is there an ideal season and what other industrial jobs will I be able to break into?

This plan has changed so much that I really feel that I need to get out to Alaska in the hopes that things will materialize faster. With that in mind, I wish only to eventually make it out to Unalaska; where I go or where I work before then can, and probably will, change so long as I make enough to support myself into the future.

Thanks for your time and if any clarification is needed please ask.

[ShipOfFools42]

Well, as usual I cannot speak from direct experience, only knowledge that I have gathered from anecdotal and academic sources. Coming from Arizona and going to work on a fishing vessel in Alaskan waters would be an incredibly trying experience. I know that those waters are extremely treacherous, and even if you have a lot of experience in boats in less hostile waters, I would expect that would not very well prepare you for what Alaska is going to throw at you. I personally have spent a LOT of time aboard fishing and recreational vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic Ocean. During my time on a fishing vessel off the coast of southern Maine, I learned just how seasick and miserable a person could become, given the proper conditions. We hit a freezing rain squall in our 56-foot vessel, and as the vessel pitched and rolled, I felt myself losing all my strength and becoming very very sick. I stayed that way for about 36 hours, even after the storm had passed. Keep in mind, this is in the north Atlantic, which is a far cry from the Bering Sea.

I don't mean to scare you, but just to give some perspective. Having had extremely trying experiences in the Atlantic (and even one in the Gulf), I know how hard the sea can be on a person. If you go for it, kudos to you for bravery! There is only one way to become experienced, and that is to experience it for yourself.

Good luck, and hopefully someone will provide you with some more Alaska-specific information.

[Rance]

If nothing else there may be some cannery work in Kodiak. And that might lead to working on a boat.

[tigre79]

You're not going to get a job on a fishing boat this summer. You may however, get a job at a cannery, or even a hatchery, neither of which are glamorous in any way. Openers for pinks just started around here last Sunday, so anything to do with producing or processing fish is ramping up quickly.

[stiffnecked]

Go stay with your sister in Unalaska. At least there you know you have a roof over your head. Take any kind of work you can get to start with. Any kind. Be patient. It'll happen.

[Arnkad]

Originally Posted by tigre79

You're not going to get a job on a fishing boat this summer. You may however, get a job at a cannery, or even a hatchery, neither of which are glamorous in any way. Openers for pinks just started around here last Sunday, so anything to do with producing or processing fish is ramping up quickly.

In terms of jobs outlooks, is there any response on the part of the employers to hire Fall & Winter season workers when the Summer workers leave? Outside of fishing, I am looking at service or construction, possibly mining or oil.