by Tele | Apr 23, 2011 | Commercial Fishing, F/V Nerka
[Part 1 of “How Nerka Got Her Sea Legs Back” can be viewed here.] “Uh-oh,” Joel said. “Hang on!” We surged into a sea of whitecaps, as clearly delineated from the calm water behind as if a line was drawn between the two. I braced myself and grabbed the depth...
by Tele | Apr 20, 2011 | Commercial Fishing, F/V Nerka
Creatures removed from their natural habitat are a sad sight, and I feel the same way about boats out of water. Perched on spindly prosthetic legs of steel tripods and wooden blocks, they loom gangly and uncertain, vulnerable bellies exposed and dusty...
by Tele | Mar 30, 2011 | Alaska, Commercial Fishing, F/V Nerka, From the Galley, Hooked Favorites, Women in Fishing
There’s a treacherous voice in my head. It maintains a mosquito-like buzz in the back of my brain, an oppressive equation: “You are X, so you need to do/dress/behave Y.” You know the one. Maybe you’ve struggled with your own version. Maybe someone...
by Tele | Mar 10, 2011 | Alaska, Commercial Fishing, F/V Nerka, Salmon Trolling, Women in Fishing
Whenever I tell people that I’m a commercial fisherman, they’re full of questions. “That’s cool – are you the cook?” (Sometimes, when I have to be, and much more than just that.) “Aren’t you awfully small for that work?” (This is code for ‘Aren’t you awfully...
