46. Henrik
FORTY-SIX
HENRIK
Leaving her was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
As soon as we were pushing away from the slip, I wanted to put the Brina in reverse and dock, but I didn’t.
Being a third-generation crab fisherman, I knew since I was a kid, I was born to do this.
If Carina and I were meant to last, the next two months would test us, but also demonstrate our strength and commitment.
To prove it to myself, I had to do what I’d always done.
Focus on crab fishing in the safest way possible.
We hoped we’d catch our quota in under two months and return to Kodiak to enjoy Christmas time with our family before returning to the Bering Sea for Opilio season.
As we headed to Dutch Harbor to pick up our bait, I plotted where to drop our first lines.
I had a hunch the crabs were close to the honey pot we’d found last year, but I believed they shifted to the east. I had no evidence of anything, just had a nagging in my gut.
The first two days at sea were uneventful.
Once we’d arrived at Dutch, the processor loaded our bait onto the deck for us to move into storage.
Then it was off to the fishing grounds. We stayed east of the coordinates we’d used the previous year and crossed our fingers.
My fisherman’s hunch hadn’t steered me wrong yet, so I was going with it.
Lifting the radio to my lips, I called to the guys below deck.
“Fifteen minutes until we need to get ready to drop some pots. I want to get these strings in the water as soon as possible. The weather’s looking decent for a day, but they’re calling for a storm after that.”
Kai pops up from below. “Cap, do you want to let Roy have a chance on the pots before it gets dicey?”
Scratching my head, I consider his request. “Yeah, that sounds great. I guess we need to give him more responsibility now that he’s survived one season with us.”
With a smile stretched across his lips, he asks. “Since we don’t have a newbie this season. Who’s biting the head off the herring?”
I laugh and suggest. “Shortest straw?”
“You got it cap, but you know Edgar is going to bitch if he draws it.”
Groaning, because I know he’s right. “To make it fair, tell the deck princess, I’m including myself in the draw this time.”
“You sure, Cap?”
I nod.
Kai disappears into the galley, presumably to cut the straws and get the guys moving.
Since the weather’s cooperating and it’s a balmy forty degrees, the crew comes out dressed in F/V Brina sweatshirts and bright orange rain bibs.
Kai gathers them in a circle for a team meeting before they head off in the direction of their jobs.
Stepping out of the wheelhouse, I move to the ladder to listen in.
Kai clears his throat. “Roy, Cap decided you should get some time on the pots. As soon as we honor our good luck ritual, you’ll grab a life jacket and scale those pots. Got it?”
Roy nods, but he’s got a confused look pulled tight across his face.
“Do you have a question?”
Again, Roy nods. “If I’m prepping the pots, who’s handling the bait?”
Kai laughs. “That would be me. And speaking of bait. Since we don’t have a newbie for this season, we are all drawing straws to see who gets to bite the head off the herring.”
Just as Kai predicted, Edgar whines. Before he gets too animated, Kai holds up his hand. “Even the Captain has thrown his hat in the ring.”
“Really?” Edgar exclaims. When he hears me laugh from above, his head whips up, surprised.
“Really,” I answer. “Now get to drawing. Someone has to steer us to the right spot.” Kai holds out the straws and we each draw. Edgar pulls the shortest straw and frowns. I muffle my laughter.
“Come on deck princess. Get to it, so we can get to work.” I call out as Roy reaches into the bait boxes and pulls one out.
He tosses it to Edgar and smirks. “It’s still mostly frozen. It won’t be that bad.”
Edgar glares before he bites the head clean off the herring. “That a boy.” I holler before stepping back into the wheelhouse. Checking my coordinates, I grab the radio. “Five minutes out.”
Since we aren’t setting our first lines until early afternoon, it’s going to be a long day.
By dinnertime, it’s pitch-black outside.
The masthead light illuminates the entire deck, making the job of dropping pots much safer.
Keeping track of the weather, I notice that in the last half hour, the wind has picked up to twenty knots and the seas have become more combative than they’ve been all day.
The Brina is getting jostled around, but it’s not too bad.
My crew looks tired, but we’re almost halfway through our pots.
After we finish the fifth string, we’ll take a dinner break.
Knowing the guys, they’ll want to keep pushing and get the rest of the pots dropped after a brief rest.
Two hours later, they’ve dropped the hundredth pot. “Great job, guys. Go have some dinner. You’ve earned it. Kai. Edgar. Can I have a word with you?”
They both trudge up the ladder to the wheelhouse. “What did you need, Cap?” Kai asks. Looking at the faces of my best two men, I see how exhausted they are. I think of the promise I made to Carina, and make my decision before even asking their opinion.
“After dinner, I want you all to hit the bunks for at least three hours so you can recharge. Once you’ve rested, we can tackle the next hundred.”
Edgar makes a noise in his throat. “I thought you wanted to get all the pots in and soaking before that storm hits.”
“I do, but I want to ensure everyone is safe, and you all look wiped. Three hours won’t make that big of an impact. It’ll be fine, you’ll see. Plus, I’m moving us farther east for the next strings, and from the weather predictions, we’ll only catch the edge of the storm.”
They both move closer to my computer so I can show them.
“We may miss the worst of it when we’re dropping pots, but isn’t that another storm heading straight toward our first strings?” Edgar asks.
“Yes. It wouldn’t be crab fishing without a storm or two. We aren’t in a time crunch, so we can afford to wait for a day if needed.”
Edgar steps back, his hands on his hips. “Better to be safe than sorry.”
I smile. “True.”
They both leave to go grab dinner and a few bunk hours. A little while later, Roy calls up the ladder. “Captain, we’re having cheeseburgers. Do you want one?”
“I’ll take two. Thank you,” I holler back.
A few minutes later, Roy appears with my dinner. “Your brother said you’d want chips, a soda, and a few monster cookies too.”
“That sounds great. Thank you.”