Wind, Waves, and a Suicidal Boat
Personal Stories from the Most Dangerous Job in the World
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Incredibly, Shar was still clinging to the bow of the heaving boat, sprawled out like a cat on a steep, steel roof. Disappearing underwater for the third time, my wife emerged with the green wave cascading off her body, her death-grip on the anchor line intact, yelling something I couldn’t quite hear. Her words flew by, mixed in the cacophony of breaking waves and the howling wind. Sputtering, she yelled again, "SLACK, I NEED MORE SLACK ON THE ANCHOR!" This time I heard most of it. I gave Rebel, our leased fishing boat, full power and prayed this wouldn't be the moment the vessel succeeded in its single-minded suicidal efforts. The boat's methods were many. As the water dumped over us, thrashing us like a chip of wood in a washing machine, it was obvious Rebel's intention this time was to drown herself. The obituary would read: strangled at the end of a taut anchor line--a savage termination of the troublesome albatross the boat had become to us. *** We faced a dire concern as the Bering Sea storm raged into the second day. It still blew 100-mph, and the air was below freezing. The slow build-up of ice we were watching on the railing was approaching the size of a mans thigh. Sea Venture’s motion was becoming increasingly sluggish. Between waves, a furtive glance out the door up at the high rigging confirmed the antennas and mast starting to look like winterized, ice encased high altitude conifers. The added weight of tons of ice settled the boat deeper in the water and slowed her recovery. We were taking more frequent trembling hits of solid water that threatened to smash the windows. The sea state remained in a wild frenzy of flying spindrift, mixed in a cacophony of howling wind, and showed no sighs of abating. A short while later first one, then the other radar froze. This surely marked the start of our slide over the thin edge we had been riding as mere battered passengers, into a must-take-action survival mode.
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About the Book
In his twenty-five year occupation as an Alaskan commercial fisherman, known as the most dangerous job in the world, Chris White has experienced a great deal of what most only imagine. From horrendous Bering Sea storms while winter king crabbing, to the sinking of his own boat under him, he takes the reader on seven intense and entertaining high adventures drawn from his career. Beyond simply story telling, there is a purpose to his seeming madness, which he talks about in the Prologue Risking for your Life. Primed early on as an instructor with the Outward Bound program, the risks he purposely takes provide personal classrooms for him to learn about what he is made of, his purpose, and his spirituality. Frequently joined by his enduring wife, Shar, each chapter links to the next as their learning process unfolds and is related with self-effacing humor and honesty. The hardships and dangers are real, but so are the lessons, moments of joy, and richness of life discovered living on the edge. Whether one’s interest is in learning what Alaskan commercial fishing is all about, or learning why someone would do it, or just for an armchair adventure, this book is a reflective, fascinating and exciting ride. For more information, contact:
About the Author
Chris White was raised near the sea in New England-- one of four children in a boat-loving, seafaring family. Early canoe and skiing expeditions into the Arctic further instilled his love for wild places. After graduating from the University of Colorado, he worked for three years as an instructor at the Minnesota Outward Bound School. He met and married Shar while there. They set off for Alaska early in 1976 in their International Scout and were shoveling herring from the holds of tenders in April; they both had commercial fishing jobs by late spring. After investing in an Alaska Bristol Bay limited entry salmon permit in 1977, they started their own commercial fishing business that continues to this day. His children, Taran and Tyga, are both involved in the business Today he is a respected captain and commercially fishes herring, salmon and halibut in the Bering Sea. During the winter Chris splits his energy between writing, and play in the mountains of the northwest, and helping to keep his industry viable and healthy for his children’s children.