[quote=UCGal][quote=Ren]
Anecdotal – I know an early 40’s crab fisherman. He works two seasons per year (6-7 months total?) and makes over $150k in that time. He’s got seniority, so he doesn’t do the dangerous work anymore – he sits in a nice warm cabin operating the crane. I’m not sure I would ever have been willing to put in the work he did to get to that point, and probably physically incapable now. He says that most 20-somethings wash out after one season.[/quote]
Ever watch deadliest catch? – unless you’re running the pilot house or the crane – that work SUCKS.
That said – I lived in NW Washington for several years. There were a lot of boat owners who lived in Bellingham during the off season. It’s *very* lucrative if you own the boat… but those boats aren’t cheap. And there’s the months away from your family working extremely long hours (up to 48 hours straight if you’re lucky enough to have hit a high yield spot. That puts wear and tear on your body.
A friend of mine dated the son of a boat owner. He was 30, but looked closed to 50 because of the hard life during the season.[/quote]
This particular person is (I think) second only to the owner/captain, and gets a large cut rather than salary. So far he looks his age – maybe he’d look younger if he didn’t do this. He’s single, so no issues there. I sort of envy his life – not the single part, but the adventure, time off, high salary, and relative safety of his current position. Thankfully it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
