After the Catch - Deckhands and Greenhorns
Wednesday, August 13 2008 | Comments (0)
This week, we'll look at Episode 4, where Edgar and some of the other deckhands let us in on what it really takes to work a crab boat, and who they think is really worthy of even trying.
Mike Rowe begins by asking Andy if it's hard to go back and forth from a captain to a deckhand. Andy says that he enjoys it, that before the IFQ (Individual Fishing Quota) he didn't get the opportunity to go back and forth, because he had to run boats. Individual fishing quota made them downsize, and since then, Andy can now do both. He likes the fast pace fishing during King Crab season, but likes that he can then captain again once Opilio season begins.
Mike then turns to Monty Colburn, brother of Captain Keith Colburn , and deck boss on the Wizard. Monty got to see some exchanges between last season's Wizard greenhorn Moi and his brother, Keith. Clip of Keith talking about Moi, who never quite got it. Moi always felt like he was getting extra crap from the crew and the captain. Keith told him, toward the end of King Crab season to stop riding coat tails of their other deckhand. He crossed the line when he went into the wheel house and confronted Keith about his accusation that he wasn't pulling his weight. Keith kicked him out of the wheel house, and shortly thereafter, he kicked him off of his boat, telling him not to return the next season. Monte wasn't really familiar with what exactly happened. Monty says that if Keith, as the captain,wants to call him out, he has every right to do so, and Moi, should have just taken it, and shouldn't have tried to defend himself.
Then there are the "Discovery Boys". These are the guys that see the show and get really excited about the show and think that they can move up to Alaska and hop on a boat and go fishing. Andy and Edgar remember a Veteran, who was around 55 or 60 years old who had ambition, and nothing else left in life. Sig was able to make some phone calls to a cannery, and he is still there. But many do not always understand the reality of it. Edgar says they shouldn't even bother, that there just aren't enough boats, and the demand for jobs is not what it once was. So anyone who just wants to experience the job, and thinks they can on a whim go up there and work, they won't make it. It's not a novelty job; it takes hard work and real determination.
Andy comments that greenhorns like The Kid, Jake Anderson, has what it takes. He wants to know every job on the boat, he is interested in moving through the ranks, and he has drive and ambition. He's not just looking for an adventure for a few months; he's looking for a career, and that's what separates him from other greenhorns. Mike agrees with Andy, saying that The Kid has become a show favorite, and they roll a clip of The Kid at work.
The clip starts with Jake saying that his goal is to earn his jacket, and to prove himself to the crew and the captain. Sure enough, his first time trying the throw out the hook, he hooks the string, and ends up completing the whole string. He impresses the captain and earns his jacket. After the clip, Jake joins the other guys at the round table, and gets huge compliments from Edgar. He had raw talent, will, and "Heart," Edgar confidently adds. He went from being a kid with no obligations and doing nothing, to an ambitious, and motivated hard worker. He literally loves his job, and wanted to prove himself from the beginning. Edgar says that he proved himself not just on deck, but that during every free moment he had, he'd try to help, and was Edgar to learn every element of the industry, and every detail of their boat.
He seems himself as the future of the company. "Family!" Edgar corrects him. His ambition is to someday run a boat. Andy adds that it is that ambition, that dream to someday run a boat, that really sets him apart. With drive like that, The Kid Jake Anderson is the future of the industry.
In the next segment, Scott from the Time Bandit, and nephew of Andy Hillstrand and son of captain Jonathan Hillstrand. He is there to discuss the Psychotic attitudes of the captains. But are they psychotic or are they just masters of telling it like it is.
Monty comments after the clips of Keith acting kind of crazy, that without being so crazy, he wouldn't have the success as a fishermen that he has. When Mike asks Scott about the craziness on the Time Bandit, he laughs because there wasn't a single clip of the Hillstrand guys acting crazy. All the clips were of the Captains Keith, Sig, and Phil. But Andy adds that they can be crazy at times too. And he defends this for all of the captains, that as a deck hand, you just have to focus on doing your job, and doing it well. But as a captain, you have to see the whole picture, and the pressure is really on you.
Mike asks if anyone has ever gone off the rail and not returned, mentally speaking. Andy tells a good story about his brother who lost it with his crew on a different boat. They had all gone out drinking, and had come back and relieved themselves on the floor of the boat. John got so mad at them for this act of disrespect that he beat them all up and fired all of them...only to hire them back after he'd cooled off. He had to let them know how serious he was.
Mike, a deckhand on the Cornelia Marie, recalls a time when he was just a greenhorn and he risked his life to try to bring in a pot, and he and the pot went over board and into the water. When they pulled him back up, the captain had no concern for the fact that he nearly drowned in the cold water; he instead screamed at him for losing his pot. He quit that boat immediately saying, "You know what, buoy head? I'm outta here."
Mike then brings out Josh Harris, and asks him when Captain Phil yells at him, how does he know when its his dad yelling or his captain. Josh says that it's hard to tell the difference. His dad wants him to do well, and his captain wants him to do his job well. They talk a bit about the credit card incident that really set Phil off at the beginning of the season. Josh had bough and brought on board a new flat screen TV and really nice rain gear. Josh claims that that was his come back for his brother buying designer sweatshirts to fish in. He claimed it was about staying dry, but Edgar comments that it was about looking good, and he didn't understand what they had to look good for. They laugh about the importance of looking good out on the boats. "You never know who you're gonna run into," adds Mike. "Anyone seen a mermaid?"
When they come back, they are joined by John Scar of the North American. Mike asks Russel Hillstrand is it impossible to know who is in charge. Russel laughs that sometimes he is left "hillstrand-ed" as the odd man out. about the chain of command on the Time bandit. He says that since they are all experienced, and mostly related, that the only one in charge has to be whoever is the skipper. He doesn't give orders, he just tries to pay attention to what needs to be done, and does it. Andy adds that on the Time Bandit, they have a lot of experienced people...that's the diff - greenhorns.
Mike Rowe asks John if he demands the same respect as the deck boss of his crew as he gives the skipper. He says that he does. And that remembering the chain of command is importnat, and also knowing that everyone has an important position on the boat. During King Crab on the North American they only had four hands on deck, when they should have had five. They hire people as a position for the deck. They watch a clip of the Deck Bosses demonstrating all of their expertise. The deck boss can set the pace and keeps everything running smoothly. Edgar adds that it's like a ballet, or an orchestrated process. The deck boss needs to keep the pace for the captain. And sometimes, the deck boss is really on fire.
And this brings them to the fire clips. As an interview with a Coast Guard rolls about fire safety on the decks, and how important it is that they get their fires out quickly on a boat, there are clips of Edgar setting multiple things on fire, including his hand made dummy, himself, and the rail, which was for luck.
When they return for the last segment of this week's show, they introduce Jim Gallagher, from the 150 foot Endeavor that fishes out of Gloucester. His experience dates back to 1970's in Ireland, and came to the U.S. in 2001. He's fished all the biggest "fish tanks" of the world. He says that what really makes a good deckhand is being able to get along with the rest of the crew, because at the end of the day it's about putting bread on the table.
Mike asks him what makes a Gloucester fisherman tough. He says that it's just as tough as on the Bering see, because the weather is just as bad. But what makes fishing on the Bering sea even worse is the long periods of time that they are gone not only from their families, but from society. The guys reveal that they miss a lot at sea. They lose touch with current events, often not knowing what's really going on in the world. You give up a lot to be out there.
And with the monotony of the job, they have to keep their minds sharp somehow, and pranking is one of those important means of keeping sharp.
One of the pranks they recall is switching up someone's boots, so they put them on the wrong feet. After an hour, the guy is wondering why his feet hurt so bad. Andy recalls that John put a deckhand's suit in the freezer, and when he put it on, he couldn't understand why it felt so ridiculously cold out.
They bring Jake out to talk about his pranks and roll a clip of some of the best. Commonly, the best pranks are from one boat on another. It has become a bit of a tradition to play pranks by hooking things on the line. One crew switched out another's pot with a Porto-potty. And in turn, the Wizard pullout out a car instead of a pot at the beginning of the last King Crab season. On the Time Bandit, they hooked a bag of flour to the line so that when it hit the gear it exploded in a white cloud of powder all over the by-standing crew.
One of Jake's best pranks was hooking his brother's bedding up to a line and dumping the other end in the ocean. As the boat drifted along, it pulled his bedding right off of him, out the door, up to the deck and overboard, and Jake couldn't catch it. He recalls once when his dad wanted to play a prank on josh and enlisted Jake to carry it out, asking him to put eggs in Josh's boots. But when captain Phil told Josh to put his boots on, Josh told him he should put his on first, and little did he know that Jake had turned the tables and put the eggs in his boots instead.
There are quarrels and pranks and power struggles, but in the end the crews are like brothers. And when it comes down to it, the respect they have for each other shines through as it is obvious that they must work hard together for not only their mutual success, but for their survival as well.
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