What a great job the Discovery Channel is doing documents this hazardous way of making a living. It may seem glamorus and worth the risk, but I'm here to tell you from experience, it's not. You work 15 hours a day seven days a week for weeks on end. You constantly fight to even stand. Usually the boat never stops, so it never stops rocking. In 1985 it was my first time on a commercial fishing boat in the Aleutians. I had never worked in a moving kitchen before in my life. Everything wants to move and its just as dangerous inside as it is out. My favorite trick was a wave cake! Make 2 pans with cake mix, they are small on one end and large on the other. Take one and flip it on the other to make a straight cake.
Anyway, constantant movement, huge waves and unpredictable weather all show you how small we really are. I was on the FV Courageous with a crew of 24, which was 180 foot catcher processor, catching Black Cod. I've seen the most beautiful scenery in the world along the Aleutian Islands but I've also experiences the worst weather I've ever seen in my life. There are no trees on the Aleutians, probably because the wind very rarely stops. I've seen wind and waves so large that they would dwarf a 6 story building. In the 3 months at sea, I only saw 2 boats and 1 airplane. You are a world apart from civilization and at the edge of nowhere. We just visit these desolate areas to catch fish and never is there a thought that you would stay out here any length of time, we stayed 3 months! They say there is a woman behind every tree in the Aleutians, I saw 3 when I returned to Dutch Harbor in November.
This experience will humble even the the most seasoned veteran. You come away with a new perspective on life and tend to appreciate even the little things a lot more. You wonder how you had survived but in your heart and mind you've just lived the most awesome but dangerous experience of your life. Your memories will remind you time and again - it was fun and exciting, but I don't want to do that again.
I commend those who venture there and back time and time again. They have a spark in them that most will never experience. They are true believers and have a spirit and will to fight for life. Hope they are safe on their voyage and wish them the best of luck.
Old sign in our galley, "This ain't no disco, just plain ol' rock in roll."
God's speed Mariner's, may your bounty be prosperous.
Thanks for helping me re-live my experience.

luv the show. one of the highlights of summer on TV, along with Hell's kitchen