So, I was thinking about becoming a crab fisherman...

...or, alternative title: The Impressionable Mind and the Effect of The Deadliest Catch Upon It.

$20-40k in a week or two sounds okay! And while I've been predominantly white-collar in my post-grad school career, up until then I came home from long hours at work 6 days a week when my family had our lumber business and washed off the sawdust, hydraulic fluid, and grease so I know what the working hard thing is about.

But when the chore of getting up this morning on 5hrs of sleep seemed almost insurmountable (and I thought about how comfortable my stable, warm, dry bed was) I realized those guys are nuts! How can you fish on the icy deck of a pitching boat in the Bering Sea hauling in crabs on a few hours of sleep each night for a week or two? And I don't even eat crabs! It looks easy on tv, but I barely dragged my ass to work today.

Love the show, though...two thumbs up to those guys, they're workhorses.

I read that you can earn that kind of money selling bootleg software. Not that I am suggesting you do it, but I guess there are lots of ways to make big cash quick. Personally I am going for adoption by the Gates family.

If I was going to bootleg anything around here it'd be moonshine or replica Latin American soccer jerseys! The wife would have to let me get a hotrod, too.

Baron von BeeGee said:

If I was going to bootleg anything around here it'd be moonshine or replica Latin American soccer jerseys! The wife would have to let me get a hotrod, too.

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If you need something for haulin' 'shine I have the perfect set of wheels for you. See my gallery.
I need to free up some garage space.
Jeff

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

If you need something for haulin' 'shine I have the perfect set of wheels for you. See my gallery.
I need to free up some garage space.
Jeff

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Wow, the Holy Grail. Not sure I could get that past my comptroller, sadly. Is that a tripower? Where'd you take that picture?

Of course, if you just need the garage space I'll pay you $50/month to keep at my place, garaged of course!

Nice goat. Looks cherry.

Cheers!

Baron von BeeGee said:

Wow, the Holy Grail. Not sure I could get that past my comptroller, sadly. Is that a tripower? Where'd you take that picture?

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Yes, 389 CID with the the Tripower set-up (Thanks for not calling it a "Six Pack", that drives me crazy) Picture was taken at an auto body shop in Garner. I couldn't resist the antique gas pumps

Spyk'd said:

Nice goat. Looks cherry.

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Thanks, man. it looks cherry from 20 feet and 5 beers away.

BOSTONBREWIN' said:

If you need something for haulin' 'shine I have the perfect set of wheels for you. See my gallery.
I need to free up some garage space.
Jeff

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Oh yes! A goat would be perfect for haulin shine.

QUITE the ride BostonBrewin'. :rockin: But since a boat didn't didn't work into this year's budget, I doubt SWMBO would buy the "it was a great deal" line on a 66 Goat either. So now that I think I have this year's donations to the healthcare industry paid off, I should be able to at least get the brewery running. The way things are going tho, it'll be one summer brew with the focus on fall and winter up next.

As for "The Deadliest Catch", VERY cool show. However I prefer sunshine, calm water, cold beer, and bikinis aplenty tyvm..... :cross:


Ize

Baron von BeeGee said:

Love the show, though...two thumbs up to those guys, they're workhorses.

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My uncles used to be crab fishermen out of Dutch Harbor. Such grueling work! The wages made it worthwhile, I guess.

I told my wife I should go work on a crab boat. She said "Those guys would eat you alive". Apparently working on bank software (yes, my job is just like on Office Space) isn't quite as macho.

I wasn't always a geek, though - I grew up a farm boy and I worked as a ranch hand after I graduated high school. It's amazing how soft a desk job can make you. 18 year old me would totally kick 30 year old me's a**.

I am a big fan of this show.... This is the 3rd offering of this show now... they had a few shows in 'special' format the first year and then a real 'season' last year. The snow crab (opelio crap) season they are on now is just nuts. I was out with a few friends tonight and we were all talking about that show. (funny how all guys seem to be drawn to the discovery channel) I can't for the live of me even imagine doing that for a living. You get a real sense of the lack of sleep and the relentless work they do but its hard to inagine how the cold effects you. It is fascinating to watch. When my brother and I watch the show we are constantly saying "f#$k that!"

I've spent some time fishing in the bearing, out of dutch harbor, not crabing, but long lining. Its not for everyone thats for sure, 16-18 hour days are the norm, risking your life for thousads of dollars. I remember times when we would wake up at 10AM after going to bed at 6AM, then we'd fish till the sun came down, then came up, then came down again. Then 2 hours sleep till we have to get up and clean the boat while we head into town, then offload 70,000 pounds of fish by hand. then finally get a good nights sleep. When you are traveling you could be traveling for days straight and everyone on the boat does nothing but sleep, and wake up every once in a while to eat and crap

thats a sweet show. i worked my friends uncles shrimp boat in high school, but it was nothing liike that. cool stuff though, i sure as hell wouldnt be out there though.

Pumbaa said:

I would give you Rebel backside about 30 minutes in AK b4 you were screaming for someone to set you on fire so you could warm up

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Actually, I spent part of my childhood growing up in Grande Prairie, Alberta (north of Edmonton), so I know a bit about being cold I also know I don't like it (not to that degree), so you may be right. My parents were stationed in Fairbanks before I was born and my father wanted to stay, but now says he couldn't go back to those winters.

I've also fished commercially on small boats in the summer in NC which certainly isn't the same, but was enough to convince me to carry on with college. OTOH, we weren't making $20-40k every week or two!

I hope the series keeps going.

I shrimped here in NC and as far south as Ga. in my teens. I also went to NY on 20 day scallop trips. Shrimping sucked because it was hot and we got to sleep for about 30 minutes at the time while we were working. Scalloping sucked because of the long trips. 20 days, no beer, dirty clothes, not nearly enough fresh water for daily showers. Something special about spending your formative years ass-deep in fish. Almost got eaten by a really big shark off Brunswick Ga. in '86.
I was just thinking that the "all you can eat" seafood was one of the benfeits of the job. It's cool until the seafood tries to eat you.
Saw some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets out there. Somebody mentioned sleeping while steaming from place to place. Best damn sleep I can remember. Big diesel humming away down in the engine room. Boat rocking you like you were in Mommas arms. Life ( and death) was simple out there.
Think I'd rather pick up cans for a living than go back to it, though..
You get more beer that way:rockin:

Yeah, I had a buddy (and his cousin) killed shrimping one night around Christmas. It was pretty devastating because they could have been saved, but the CG regarded their SOS as a hoax and didn't go out. I haven't been out again (commercially), don't really plan to.

I had some friends killed off Baltimore. They never found anything of them. That's probably the hardest part. I haven't been on the Ocean since then.

"When I grow up I want to be
One of the harversters of the sea

I think before my days are done,
I'd like to be a fisherman

I'll live and die a fisherman

Calling John the fisherman!"

Who sang that ? Alternative radio used to play a song titled " I Want To Be A Fisherman" back in the late '80's.

Primus:rockin:

Damn right, Primus ! Thanks !