So I made it to Anchorage safely! Here’s my first view of Alaska from the airplane.
I’ve been here about three days now, and I really like it. It’s a lot like Minnesota, except the big city buildings are a lot shorter and there are beautiful scenic mountains in the background. It also gets dark pretty early around here. This was taken around 3:30. The sun is already setting.
The housing complex I’m living in is only a ten minute walk from downtown. It’s also pretty close to the grocery store, the mall, and a few bars. It’s not a very fancy place, but it’s a lot better than some places I’ve been.
Friday night, my first night in Anchorage, some of the returning observers brought me to a bar. I’ll admit it, I drank too much. They just kept buying me stuff! I didn’t want to waste their money…It was a good learning experience though. I learned not to drink everything that’s put in front of me. Sounds like that will be important to know once I get to Dutch Harbor.
Today I start my first day of training. I’m really excited! I’ve done the pre-class reading, which explains the history of the fisheries and how the observer program started. First off, only males crabs are allowed to be harvested, and these must be at least a certain size. The size requirements ensure that males have had the chance to mate at least once before they are harvested. All females and small crabs must be thrown back. In the late 80’s/early 90’s the Board of Fisheries made it mandatory that there be an observer on board all fishing vessels because of a suspicion that boats were illegally keeping female and undersized male crabs. (Catcher/processor boats, boats able to catch and cook and freeze their catcher while at sea, were reporting consistently higher catch rates than the catcher vessels.)
That’ll be my job. Making sure that the boat is in compliance with fishery regulations. Training will be learning the regulations, the various species that may appear in the pots, and how to fill out paperwork. I also hear that we watch a lot of Deadliest Catch. Wish me luck!
By the way, thanks for the comments! I like hearing your thoughts. Any comments or questions, I'd be happy to hear them.
By the way, thanks for the comments! I like hearing your thoughts. Any comments or questions, I'd be happy to hear them.
Great to hear that your trip went well, Megan! The "first view" was awesome -- can't wait to see more pictures of Alaska!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your regulations training. Laws and regulations can be pretty difficult to read and process sometimes, but a great instructor will overcome any of that. Of course, since you're not learning tax code, perhaps the laws and regs won't be too difficult!
Will you be able to access the internet from the ship you'll be on? How long will you be on the ship? Good luck!
I'll be on the ship for as long as it takes them to catch their quota, so it depends on the fishing. It could be a few weeks, or a few months. There will probably be a computer with e-mail access. Otherwise I think no internet. I'm still learning! I don't really know...
ReplyDeleteWow Megan this is very cool! I've been to Alaska 3 or 4 times on cruises. Then 2 years ago I flew to Anchorage (by myself mind you, everybody was busy)and spent 9 days hiking and sight seeing around Anchorage, Eagle River, Seward and Homer. It was an awesome time, I met lots of people, I will never be afraid to travel alone again. I love Alaska, the last frontier. Your job sounds awesome! A real adventure! Have you ever watched Deadliest Catch? It gets rough out there, bring motion sickness patches and pills. Looking forward to your updates.
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