Deckhand

Open position aboard F/V Natalie Gail for this summer salmon seining season in S.E. Alaska. Seek adventure and find strength, family, and a good bit of money during this upcoming summer.

This is a position on a commercial fishing vessel. I am the owner and Captain with 20 years experience fishing the ocean waters from Alaska all the way to CA. South East Alaska has always been my favorite and remains so today.

My crew consists of 4 deckhands, though we do sometimes bring along an extra if I feel it is needed. The work is physical and hard, but I’ve never asked my crew to do anything I haven’t done myself.

I was one of the few female crew members hired in the summer of 2006. I had $500 to my name and over the next 6 years I gave my entire self over to fishing and worked anything extra available.

I purchased my first seiner in 2012 and learned more than I ever thought was possible. In 2017 I purchased my current vessel and have entered more fisheries. We now fish Crab on the Oregon coast as well as squid and herring if the market and fish align.

We start Preseason work mid May in Newport OR, though we sometimes take the vessel to Seattle Wa to before embarking on our voyage.

The trip to Alaska takes 3.5 days from Seattle. Though we can slow be slowed down or sped up due to tide and current.

Once we arrive in Alaska we start fishing right away. The first few weeks tend to be slow, but it’s perfect for training “greenhorns”. I won’t lie, that first few weeks are hard. Harder than hard. It takes practice to learn the tricks of the trade that make piling gear so much easier. The first few days you want to die, by week 3 it doesn’t hurt anymore, and by the end of the season, you’ll feel pride, accomplishment, and pretty darn happy with your bank account as well.

We fish a lot, but we go to town to get fresh food and fuel. We usually have the chance to visit barnof warm springs and check out old ghost mining towns on days off from fishing. We anchor up with other boats and play poker or bbq if luck aligns.

We have chores as well. Everyone enjoys having fun, but our goal is to bring everyone home safe with a ton of money.

Priority’s are:

#1 SAFETY

#2 CATCHING A BUTLOAD OF FISH

#3 HAVING FUN

IN order for #1 and #2 to be fulfilled we must keep up with maintenance on the boat. We are our own little city out there. Engine oil needs changed, lines need to be spliced, gears need grease, net holes need to be repaired. Safety comes from keeping the equipment in good shape, and safety is truly #One. Catching a lot of fish requires the same care.

If interested in joining our 2026 seine crew please email:

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