Diary: The Deckhand Blues
As I read this back, I realized that this feeling can go both ways. In this entry, I talk about the struggle to find a deckhand committed to working hard season after season, yet I know many hard-working deckhands struggle to find a captain who isn’t a giant A-hole.Â
In our experience, our deckhands are great people who choose to work in another fishery or were just trying out commercial fishing for a season before seeking their other passions. I get it. Fishing is hard, and if your dream isn’t to eventually own a boat or you’d like to have a more stable income, who can blame you?Â
Yet, from the horror stories I’ve heard, and Chris has a few of his own, I truly do not understand why a captain would be so cruel to their deckhands. Obviously, there are some undealt-with anger issues there. Maybe it’s being filtered down from their experience with former mean captains that they feel the need to pass on the pain. (Can you imagine what female fishermen must emotionally deal with in situations like this?)Â
I wonder, what can we do as POCFs to help create a better work environment for everyone? This entry is a peek into the life of a captain’s wife who is unsure what to do. What would you do? Let’s dive in!Â
Diary of a POCF: The Deckhand Blues
I don’t know many captains who are completely satisfied with their deckhands. Honestly, I can count them on three fingers. The main complaint from many business owners, in general, is the struggle to find good employees. In commercial fishing, multiply it by one hundred.