The Challenge of Leadership on the Water
“Yeah, Roger, Ray wants to get a string on board and then check. Are you running that board, or is he? Who’s running it?” The tension was rising. “It’s kind of… wow, wow, listen, if it’s going to be like that… I mean, I’m trying to help, but you got to play your own game. I’m moving, so we’ll just leave it at that.”
Freshman Skipper Jake Anderson calls a string against the wishes of his mentor, veteran Sig Hansen. “I screwed up. It’s a total strikeout. Now the saga’s numbers have fallen.”
“Yeah, the crab fishing isn’t too hot. It’s died down quite a bit. A lot of it’s going over the side again. Oh, I don’t know. It’s kind of hard when you have two people in the wheelhouse sometimes, ’cause my decision’s one thing, and the other captain’s is another. But now, we’re going to have to pick them up and go somewhere else. We can’t live on these numbers anymore. Problem is, I don’t know where they… My strings out, where’d he go?”
Jake continues, “I’ve had one glimmer of hope through all this. I have a trusted advisor and teacher-mentor. I hope Sig can help me. I got to crawl back to him with my tail between my legs. He loves more than anything watching me squirm.”
Jake reaches out: “Let’s give him a call. Yo, yo, yo, got me? I messed up ’cause I didn’t want to start doing my own thing and everything all up. My bad.”
Sig responds coldly, “143 is when I’m setting my pot out. Where are you setting yours?”
Jake admits, “I gotta wrap this Jake thing up. Radio silence—it’s done. He won’t work with me anymore. He put us here, and we’re supposed to be working together—that was the deal. How do you bite the hand that feeds you?”
Sig’s response is blunt, “I won’t ever do this again. I don’t feel it’s our obligation to help Jake right now.”
Jake’s frustrations continue, “It’s over here, ’cause if he really wanted to be the boss, he would’ve just finished checking these pots like I asked him to do. He didn’t. I’m not telling Jake what numbers I have, you know. He needs to get out there and really make some decisions and find his own way. See, that’s how you learn.”
The Super Bowl Gambit
Captain Wild Bowski arrives back on the Opelo grounds after a 135,000 lb offload. “Tomorrow is the Super Bowl. There’s a couple guys that are devout Seahawk fans. They really wanted to stay in town and watch, but there’s no way I’m going to stop fishing for a damn football game. I just woke up, and I can’t wait to go crab fishing. Dude, I slept like a rock. Yeah, I slept really good. I needed that. So the boys are up; we’ll see what happens today. It’s kind of like starting all over here. I’m really looking forward to getting in and getting out, because this has been kind of a nightmare so far this season.”
The challenges continue with big weather problems, breakdowns, and injuries plaguing the boat. “A glamorous job, isn’t it?” the captain quips.
Crew member John Wal is nursing a badly infected hand, adding to the team’s already strained situation. “Gotta keep my dressings up, gotta keep the antibiotics up, and hopefully get better and get back out on deck. Not out of the woods yet. We’ve had a ton of stuff go wrong, but with any luck, we’ll get there this time.”
Despite the chaos, they press on. “Alright, here we go, got a lot of gear to haul today, and we got a beautiful day to do it.”
The Struggles with Equipment
The situation continues to worsen when a crucial oversight threatens the safety of the vessel. “We got no water in the front tank now; it’s about halfway. We just drove all the way from town with the slack tank.” One crew member explains that the CB pumps weren’t running, and the lack of water in the tank could lead to a dangerous weight shift, causing a capsize.
The skipper isn’t pleased. “I can’t believe—and I cannot believe one of you guys did not notice that the pumps weren’t turning on. You know what that tells me? You guys are not doing a wheel watch. Call yourselves full share sailors, and you guys should be pretty proud of yourselves, putting our lives on the line with this. You guys suck. Sorry, guys, it’s not on you, so don’t worry about it.”
But the captain doesn’t let it slide, taking responsibility for missing the issue. “No, it’s not—it’s my fault.” He discovers the slack tank in time to prevent disaster, and the crew works together to resolve the problem.
A Day of Surprises
After fixing the plumbing, the crew continues their day with a renewed sense of purpose. They are still facing setbacks, but there is a bit of hope as they begin catching good crab. “We’re catching some big crab right now, looks really good. These are tank filling numbers right there. I’m happy my dad’s laughing, and he’s not going to murder us, so he’s moved on. Everybody down here can move on from this morning’s mishaps and get back to doing what we do best—that’s catching crab.”
The Super Bowl Adventure
Despite the setbacks, there’s a surprising turn of events when the crew makes plans to watch the Super Bowl. “We got 8 lbs of pork shoulder, I’m going to smoke everything and then finish it off in the oven. More than anything, make us feel like we’re somewhat at home.”
Then, things get a little wild. “We’re going to set two strings on what we got on deck, once we get this gear in the water. We’re heading over to Cornelian Marie, and if we can do it, we’re going to skip over and watch the game.”
The plan? To use a 12T skiff, dubbed Little Whiz, to cross the seas and make it to a spot where they can watch the game. However, they’re not alone in this risky decision. “Well, the only way we’re going to be watching the Super Bowl is if we’re watching it in your galley,” one crew member jokes.
High Seas and Risky Decisions
As the crew takes the skiff out, there are problems with the boat’s engine, and things start to look sketchy. “This is just ridiculous. Are you seeing this? Some crazy stuff right here.”
Despite the rough ride and the challenges, the crew makes it safely to the Wizard ship to watch the game. They manage to grab some snacks and get a glimpse of the big game, but the reality of their decision sets in when they realize the risk they’ve taken just to watch football on the high seas.
Sig’s Final Gamble
Back on the main boat, Captain Sig Hansen is battling to haul another string. “We’ve got steady 30-35 knot winds, and this weather’s not going to cooperate for the next week. We’ve got to keep pushing through.” Sig makes the call to keep working even as ice threatens the grounds.
“We’ve got time for one more hit. We’re going to try to bang that tank out and put the lid on it with the ice pack on the move,” Sig explains, continuing the race against the elements.
But luck is on their side today. “Oh yeah, well that’s what we’re looking for. Looking good. Nice big crab.” As the haul continues, they begin to feel a little optimism. “This is really working out for us right now. I think we’ll be alright.”
But with the ice and uncertainty looming, Sig is still calculating. “Do you get greedy and go for one more, or do you just say thank you and play it safe?” It’s a tough call, but the numbers are looking good.
This concludes the updates. As the day progresses, the crew faces decisions that could change everything depending on the outcome. It’s a reminder of the unpredictable nature of life at sea.
