Dungeness Season 2010 - Part 2 - Ready To Be Crabby

It seems as though every year the crab season opens just as the ocean gets really nasty.

And the Oregon coast....

Well let me just say....

This ain't no Mission Bay.

And so the Chetco River Station Coast Guard unit was standing by on the morning the local fleet made their first run.

12:01 a.m. was the time set for dropping the first sets of gear.

Mostly the larger boats of the fleet went out at that time.

The smaller boats waited for daylight and a check on the river bar conditions.

This river bar can get real serious real fast.

These next two shots are from a day in November when we had high surf warnings.

And so as the first of the boats came back to reload with more gear early that morning, the Coast Guard acted as escort at the harbor mouth.

Can I just say...

One of my most favorite things about living here is waking up when it's still dark out and seeing the light from these boats on the water.

It's really beautiful.

And it reminds me of how really wimpy I am...

Seriously.

I would be such a whiner in those conditions.

And as some of the boats came in our #1 kid got his small but mighty boat ready for it's first gear run.

While some of the boats utilized then loading services of the cranes on the docks.

And this goes on for the better part of of few days....

Depending upon the size of your boat, the ocean conditions, and the limitations of your permit.

One of the local boats headed out with more gear...

And Sean on his first run of the season.


He decided to err on the side of caution and go with a light load for the first run to test the bar conditions.

And this is when it starts to look reallly small to me...

I know this kid has been on the ocean since he was 5....

I know he knows what he's doing...

I know he carefully watches forecasts and conditions...

but still...

And my #2 kid is on the crew of this larger boat farther north up the coast.

And still I worry...

These guys are hard core, round the clock, out in almost any conditions...

I meant to get a shot of them all geared up too before he left but I blew it...sorry about that.




So do me a favor...

When you sit down to your holiday crab feast and bow your heads....

Throw in an extra mention for the men who go out on the ocean to bring it in to market.

And all the mamas, wives, friends, and families who worry over them.

Thanks.

One more comin...

Cath