deckhand Archives : Megan Waldrep

Diary: Confessions of a Captain’s Wife Trying Not To Lose It Pre-Season Read the Post

Diary of a POCF: The Deckhand Blues Read the Post

What it’s like for Commercial Fishing Woman, Emily Ekbom Read the Post

We got in a huge fight on the way to the boat that morning over something dumb that doesn’t matter that we can’t even remember. (Don’t you love the smell of displaced anger in the morning?) It’s amazing how the stress of transitioning to the off-season (or into a fishing season!) leeks out in ways that trigger the person you love the most. When it comes to relationships, it happens. (Seriously, how could it not?)

Chris and I are cool now. Only once did I want to take a Lyft during our road trip from California to North Carolina. (I kid, I kid. 😂.)

But honestly, the road trip didn’t bandage the awkward off-season transition like I thought it would - we experienced similar emotional adjustments in his overnight fishery as we do after being separated for weeks in Bristol Bay, Alaska! (I’ve linked the previous Diary documenting the calm before this particular storm.) Though once we got in our grove after few days on the road, those next weeks spent across the country was the best of us. We just had to find our way there. (More on that in a future Diary of a POCF to come!)

Real talk: How do you handle on and off-season stress? Please share below so we can help each other out here! 😅🥳 Happy Hump Day!

#offseason #fishingcouple #relationships #commercialfishing #fishermanlife #partnersofcommmercialfishermen #pocfishermen

A season's end is bittersweet. Watching the foul-weather gear, clean and dripping in the wind, marks a considerable chunk of life under the belt and a huge shift in daily routines (just as we got comfortable, it seems.) Though commercial fishing is volatile, you could say it keeps life exciting.

I’ve noticed it’s challenging for fishers to go from grinding every day to the lull between each season. It is also challenging for partners already in their grove to readjust to their fishermen being so…available. I say this with love. (You know what I mean.)

This week, I’m rolling out a *new* Diary of a Partner of a Commercial Fisherman 3-part series on transitioning to the off-season and the strangeness that goes with it. (Yes, I overshare. What’s new.) Click the bio link for the previous Diary series if you'd like. We concluded at the beginning of the spiny lobster season, so we’ve come full-circle!

Next month Chris and I are hitting the road to work on our home in Wilmington, NC. Yes, a MAJOR project awaits, but driving cross-country has become a fun way to meld into a couple again. (Riding shotgun with Chris is one of my favorite pastimes. 🥰 )

I’d love to know, how’s your transition to the off-season? Is it a challenge? What do you like to do?

#offseason #commercialfishing #commercialfishinggear #spinylobster #fishinggear #lobsterman #lobsterwife #fishermanswife #fishermansgirlfriend #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfisherm #pocf

👉🏽Swipe for a funny DM from a fish wife bc THE TRAILER HITCH CAN BE A BITCH! And it looks like 90% of the poll agreed. 😅
Thanks to @mrsafonso0509 for a perfect slice of life of a fisherman’s wife 😂🐟💙 And to anyone reading this, I wish for all your future hitches to be stress free! (But if they’re not, you’re not alone 🤬😄)
How about you? Any funny trailer stories out there?

#trailerhitch #commercialfishing #fishermanswife #fishwife #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

Although *alone time* is the silver lining to being a partner of a commercial fisherman, it’s easy to feel a little lost when your partner is gone for a long season.
(Chp 3 of Diary of a POCF, for example 😅)

Even after seven seasons together, there are tricks I still practice for mental and relationship health. It goes to show that no matter how long you’ve been in the game, it can be tough. (But we got this!)💙

3 Don’ts When Your Fisherman is Away is on the blog now. Link in bio!

#fisherman #fishermanswife #commercialfisherman #commercialfishingboats #longdistancerelationships #ldr #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

This may be hard to grasp, but there is no doubt that America's commercial fishing industry is rooted in slavery. And rejecting this history – our history – is like cheating ourselves from honoring a trade that we truly love. The beautiful thing is that we are linked to generations of fishermen, partners of commercial fishermen, and their families of all backgrounds. And with that shared spirit of the water, may we acknowledge the past with respect and embrace it. 💙⚓️

In a captivating interview, Imani Black of @mia_npo speaks with the two remaining Black captains on the Chesapeake Bay – Author, historian, and educator Admiral Vince Leggett and third-generation fisherman Captain Lamont Wright. The captains share family's ties to the waterways since enslavement, personal challenges on the Chesapeake Bay throughout their careers, reasons for the decline of Black fishermen, and how they plan to reverse it.

A video breakdown of Imani’s full interview is on the blog: Black Fishermen are the Cornerstone of America's Commercial Industry - But Where Are They Now? (*This is a safe space to talk about race, so please leave your thoughts in the comments section.) Link in Bio! 🦪

Q: Looking around your fishery, harbor, boat, or trap yard, what minorities do you see?

#fishinghistory #blackstories #commercialfishing #blackhistoryfacts #minoritiesinaquaculture #fisihngindusty #chesapeakebay #chesapeakebayfishing #offdahookcharters #blacksofthechesapeake #blacksofthechesapeakefoundation

📸: Image: Keystone View Co., courtesy of the Library of Congress via NOAA.gov 🐟

Me, the first year we dated. 😬 (Anyone else felt this way?) Back then, I had NO clue about commercial fishing, and hearing about engine and boats parts did not fuel my interest. (BORING!) So when Chris’ amazing family dove into the fish talk, it kinda felt isolating. (…which inspired my first 🐟 post: 9 Things You Should Know When Dating a Commercial Fisherman!)

But after living the life, listening to fishermen stories, and eating incredibly fresh seafood, the light started to shine through the grit and grime and I could see the glorious 🌊🌅Nature🌄 🌊of it all, and the true heart of the people in it.💙

But at first, I was this guy.

It’s no disrespect, more an acknowledgment of how unique and crazy and wonderful this lifestyle is. So this is a love letter to all the partners of commercial fishermen out there who have ever felt this way: Welcome the table - YOU ARE NOT ALONE! 👯‍♀️💌

Would love to know, how was your introduction to the industry? 🐟

#commercialfisherman #fishingmemes #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

Shout out to @masimemes for the idea!

This blog is one of my favorites from January bc it’s inspired by turning 40, the Sex & the City reboot, and solving the challenge: fashion + function. Can it be done?

Back in the day, when I was a fashion designer in Charleston, SC, and single in California, I used to do it up because it made me feel great and normal, like myself. But after meeting Chris and moving onto a sailboat for three years, and being a commercial fisherman’s girlfriend, I put style on hold because staying dry and warm was number one. Plus, how do you style a waterproof jacket? I’m down for a Basic B look. But I wondered, what tweaks could be made to show personal style when you’re all bundled up? Fashion + Function haunted me, but I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT.

On my bday week, I challenged myself to layer LIKE A BOSS and accessorize with pieces that wouldn’t snag on boat parts, and that I could hike in. There are great tips in the blog, and I know you’ll find a take-away, even if you don’t go all out like me. (Though to some, this ain’t nothin’. And to others, it’s a lot.)

I say, let’s rock that dock! Pose for that selfie with your fisherman and make him takes pics of you - you’re hot!🤳 Let’s celebrate the youthful spirit. Get “decked” out because it feels good to look good. You know what I mean?

Fashion + Function: How to Look Good & Stay Warm - Link in Bio!

Would love to know, what are your thoughts fashion? Do you like to do it up?

#fashionandfunction #deckedout #boatpuns #fishingfashion #outdooroutfit #boatclothes #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

We got in a huge fight on the way to the boat that morning over something dumb that doesn’t matter that we can’t even remember. (Don’t you love the smell of displaced anger in the morning?) It’s amazing how the stress of transitioning to the off-season (or into a fishing season!) leeks out in ways that trigger the person you love the most. When it comes to relationships, it happens. (Seriously, how could it not?)

Chris and I are cool now. Only once did I want to take a Lyft during our road trip from California to North Carolina. (I kid, I kid. 😂.)

But honestly, the road trip didn’t bandage the awkward off-season transition like I thought it would - we experienced similar emotional adjustments in his overnight fishery as we do after being separated for weeks in Bristol Bay, Alaska! (I’ve linked the previous Diary documenting the calm before this particular storm.) Though once we got in our grove after few days on the road, those next weeks spent across the country was the best of us. We just had to find our way there. (More on that in a future Diary of a POCF to come!)

Real talk: How do you handle on and off-season stress? Please share below so we can help each other out here! 😅🥳 Happy Hump Day!

#offseason #fishingcouple #relationships #commercialfishing #fishermanlife #partnersofcommmercialfishermen #pocfishermen

A season's end is bittersweet. Watching the foul-weather gear, clean and dripping in the wind, marks a considerable chunk of life under the belt and a huge shift in daily routines (just as we got comfortable, it seems.) Though commercial fishing is volatile, you could say it keeps life exciting.

I’ve noticed it’s challenging for fishers to go from grinding every day to the lull between each season. It is also challenging for partners already in their grove to readjust to their fishermen being so…available. I say this with love. (You know what I mean.)

This week, I’m rolling out a *new* Diary of a Partner of a Commercial Fisherman 3-part series on transitioning to the off-season and the strangeness that goes with it. (Yes, I overshare. What’s new.) Click the bio link for the previous Diary series if you'd like. We concluded at the beginning of the spiny lobster season, so we’ve come full-circle!

Next month Chris and I are hitting the road to work on our home in Wilmington, NC. Yes, a MAJOR project awaits, but driving cross-country has become a fun way to meld into a couple again. (Riding shotgun with Chris is one of my favorite pastimes. 🥰 )

I’d love to know, how’s your transition to the off-season? Is it a challenge? What do you like to do?

#offseason #commercialfishing #commercialfishinggear #spinylobster #fishinggear #lobsterman #lobsterwife #fishermanswife #fishermansgirlfriend #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocfisherm #pocf

👉🏽Swipe for a funny DM from a fish wife bc THE TRAILER HITCH CAN BE A BITCH! And it looks like 90% of the poll agreed. 😅
Thanks to @mrsafonso0509 for a perfect slice of life of a fisherman’s wife 😂🐟💙 And to anyone reading this, I wish for all your future hitches to be stress free! (But if they’re not, you’re not alone 🤬😄)
How about you? Any funny trailer stories out there?

#trailerhitch #commercialfishing #fishermanswife #fishwife #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

Although *alone time* is the silver lining to being a partner of a commercial fisherman, it’s easy to feel a little lost when your partner is gone for a long season.
(Chp 3 of Diary of a POCF, for example 😅)

Even after seven seasons together, there are tricks I still practice for mental and relationship health. It goes to show that no matter how long you’ve been in the game, it can be tough. (But we got this!)💙

3 Don’ts When Your Fisherman is Away is on the blog now. Link in bio!

#fisherman #fishermanswife #commercialfisherman #commercialfishingboats #longdistancerelationships #ldr #partnersofcommercialfishermen #pocf

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