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boat life

Money Talk: Mistakes We Made When Splitting Finances (& How We Fixed Them) Read the Post

Cruising to Altata, Sinaloa, Mexico Read the Post

Tortillas of the Hands: Part 2 Read the Post

Tortillas of the Hands: Part 1 Read the Post

Sailing into Ensenada, Mexico Read the Post

Behind-The-Scenes of Living on a 34-Foot Sailboat Read the Post

Why Relationships Are Hard Read the Post

Back at Sea: Leaving Santa Barbara Read the Post

Compare and Despair: The Instagram Blues Read the Post

Fight For My Write Read the Post

Unwelcome Home Coming Read the Post

Boat Life: A Relationship Test Read the Post

(Save for the future!) One of the taglines of commercial fishing seems to be “you never know what will happen,” whether it’s the price of seafood, if a fishery will close or become more restricted, safety, and, of course, the weather.
Getting through times like this means leaning on people who have been there and can offer advice to help navigate the waters. How lucky we are to have each other! Here’s some helpful advice that Partners of Commercial Fishermen in our community recently shared in case this happens to you:
How to Get Through a Fishery Closure:
⚓️ Rely on the income you, as a POCF, bring into the household.
⚓️ Diversify income through investments, like real estate/rental income.
⚓️ Develop a product around an open-access fishery and sell it.
⚓️ Get licenses to multiple fisheries. If one closes, fish the others.
⚓️ Slash and burn your way through household expenses and cut unimportant things. (I.e., TV subscriptions, auto-renew products, etc…)
⚓️ Find community you can access when you need it most. (More below!)
What would you add to the list?
Our private group chat at a time like this has been a game changer. Not only is there a group of women who understand our unique challenges, but you can ask for advice on what they’d do or have done to get through it.
Whether it’s missing your fisherman and needing to vent (and your friends and family are over it or aren’t able to relate), having people on your side during medical emergencies related to fishing, figuring out crew contracts, or wondering how to prepare for fishery closures. You can text 24/7 and we’ll get back to you, as reliable as messaging a BFF.
Comment CHAT to learn more about the private community that’s waiting for you!
#Commercialfishing #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride.

Me, figuring out why these proposed closures for the Channel Islands in CA are happening, and trying not to lose my sh*t. Hope to have some special guests on the podcast soon to explain it all and how we, as POCFs, can help advocate to protect our fisheries!
What have you been faced with lately that’s got you 😵‍💫?
#commercialfishing #fishinglife #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Roadtripping out West from NC with my commercial fisherman so he could begin preparing for the California spiny lobster season, and we never ate so good. 🚐⚓️
The secret for us was preparing as much food as possible. Not only did this save money from going to random restaurants on the way, but it saved a lot of time! No longer were we searching for grocery stores or a decent place to eat for healthy food so we wouldn’t feel so *bleh* on the road. IYKYK.
It was a game changer, and I’m sharing the food we prepped in case you find this helpful. These all work as provisions for fishing trips, too! (Combine any and all to your hearts desire. No wrong answers here!) I chose these items bc they keep up to 3-5 days in the cooler. (Our trip took us 5 days, and we had leftovers!)
Everything is organic bc that is the cult in which we live. However, do you!
🚐⚓️ Roadtrip food that works from fishing trips:
Chicken breasts - cooked and shredded
Wild-caught sockeye salmon -baked
Spinach
Cabbage - sliced
Cucumbers - sliced
Kraut
Sourdough bread
Spelt tortilla wraps
Veggie wraps - hummus (homemade or store bought), carrots and cucumbers cut longways, avo, sprinkle salt, any other veggies you want, spelt wrap or tortilla.
“French tortilla wrap” - butter, Brie cheese, sliced ham
Cooked lentils (made w chicken broth, little salt)
Chips - tortilla or gluten free casava (Costco) to scoop cooked lentils
Seaweed snacks
Carrots and homemade (or store bought) dressing
Macrobars
Meat sticks
Tea/coffee/heavy cream
Fruits - bananas, apples, plums, grapes…
Banana/apple w Peanut Butter
Egg, spinach, feta, and shroom egg squares - individually cut and wrapped
Quinoa - cooked
Sliced deli ham (w Brie and sliced apples on sourdough)
Sparkling water and kombucha.
What do you like to prep (or eat) on long trips?
#roadtripfood #fishinglife #provisions #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

Just flew back from CA where I left my fisherman for spiny lobster season, and he’s already grinding away preparing for the season. The season runs from October to March, and if we’re lucky, we’ll get a few visits in between (either me there, or him here). I’m currently sitting on the couch of our home in Wilmington, NC, taking the advice that I’m about to share with you:
- Take 24 hrs to feel the feels + be lazy: embrace your real and valid feelings of missing your partner and honor this time to feel these deep emotions while being grateful that you have someone you love enough to miss. 🫶🏼
- Make plans in the days to come. This will look different for everyone, but in-person, human connection, or taking time out for yourself (and family) to travel or do a fun activity is so valuable during times like this! Getting ahead of making plans will help you feel inspired and excited for your new solo season and won’t leave you feeling like you’re waiting around for your partner to have fun.
- Check-in with long-distance friends/family! Look at time apart as an intentional time to pour into our friends and family near and far.🫶🏼
- Fill free time with positive habits. It’s just too easy to spend your free time scrolling, mindlessly binge-watching a show, or over-indulging in substances (you know what I mean). And while there can be space for these things, they aren’t going to leave you feeling fulfilled. Instead, think of this time as a reset to add in new things you’d like to try or increase daily movement or workouts, reading, or spiritual practices.
I love hearing what members of our community like to do. What helps you when you’re long-distance w your fisherman? (Day fisheries count, too!)
#partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride #commercialfishing #longdistantrelationship #fishingcouple

When you fall in love with a commercial fisherman, you’re thrown into a lifestyle you’d least expect. When I met Chris 9 years ago in my office at a local paper, where I was editor at the time, I never thought falling for him meant diving into tasks and jobs of the physical kind.
My story isn’t unique. There are thousands of us across the globe who help with the fishing business, and many do not realize their involvement until help is needed like…
- raising kids by themselves through a fishing season
- bookkeeping
- advocacy
- provisioning
- chopping bait
- building gear
- stacking traps
- painting buoys
- washing bait jars
- untangling lines
- baiting hooks
- ordering parts
- etc., on top of other jobs/careers and household responsibilities.
This is why our community was created. To support those who support others. My goal is not only host a beautiful community and provide valuable resources, but reflect on POCFs contributions to the commercial fishing industry and validate our efforts on all levels, from being a stay-at-home mom to managing money and business to working alongside their fishermen as partners in the fishery (all the above at once and more).
Thanks for being here and proving to others (and myself) that we are strong, we are powerful, and we are not alone! I’m constantly inspired by all you do. With lots of love and POCF Pride. We are here for you!
What was the last job or task you helped your fisherman with?
#partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfpride

What do you think is going through her mind? I bet it’s a feeling many Partners of Commercial Fishermen know too well.
After five years of serving this community and being with my fisherman for almost 9 years (!), I’ve learned so much about the unique experiences of POCFs worldwide. The highest compliments are when you feel supported, seen, and valued. We deserve it, not only for the physical responsibilities we take on but also for supporting our fishermen through the highs and lows. That’s why our community is here—to help support YOU!
I share emails I get from POCFs on the blog and podcast to explain we’re not the only ones feeling a certain way. I promise, we’ve all been there or are exactly where you are now. Our shared experiences unite and connect us to thousands of years of POCFs navigating the unique challenges of this life. Including the woman featured here. How incredible is that?
So, do you know this feeling? What do you think is going through her mind right now?
(Link in bio to learn more abt our awesome community!)
#FishingIndustry #FishingLife #CommercialFishing #FishingCommunity #SeafoodLovers #FishingFamily #FishingSupport #OceanLife #FishingLove #FishermansPartner #longdistancerelationship #FishermansWife #FishermansGirlfriend #realrelationships #commercialfishing #fishingcouples #LDRLove #DistanceMakesTheHeartGrowFonder #commercialfishing #commercialfishermen #fishermanwife #fishingcouple #longdistantrelationship #Partnersofcommercialfishermen #POCFpride

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