deadliest library

• Cindy Dyson–AND SHE WAS, written in 2005.  Very interesting and thoughtful novel.  The protagonist of And She Was is a young woman named Brandy who has demons, who is fighting to find her place in this world…to try and fit in it somehow.  On the spur of the moment–which is how she does everything–she follows her fisherman boyfriend to Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where her identity, the Aleutian Islands, the history of the native Aleuts all intertwine as Brandy confronts these demons that have been with her for so long.  This haunting novel is as much about place as it is about people.  If you’re a crab fishing fan and you’re fascinated about Dutch Harbor, Alaska, the ocean…this is the perfect novel for you.  And if you want a taste of what the novel is like, check out Cindy’s website, where you can read up on a TON of titillating Alaskan things, such as the Elbow room bar in Dutch Harbor, the Aleuts and their history, and much more.  Try it, you’ll be there for hours!
•           Spike Walker– WORKING ON THE EDGE, written in 1991.  According to James A. Michener, “This will become the definitive account of this perilous trade, an addition to the literature of the sea.”  Spike Walker was a crab fisherman for eight years and this book covers that same eight years while Spike fished on several fishing vessels.  I quote from his introduction, “This book is about the most dangerous occupation on earth:  king crab fishing off the coast of Alaska.  It describes the eight-year period (1976-1984) that will forever mark the peak of the boom days when hundreds of naive and ambitious young people like myself rushed north in the hope of landing a job and cashing in on the biggest bonanza in the history of Alaska.  This eight-year span was no less than a modern-day gold rush, which netted fishermen more than $1.4 billion in profits.”  Not only was Spike walker a fisherman and not only is he a professional writer, but his empathy for the human condition comes through in his writing and even in his dedication, “In the hope that the youthful tide adventuring north each year may know the perils awaiting them.  And that the slaughter may end.”  A must read for any fans of Bering Sea crab fishing!

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• DEADLIEST CATCH SEASON 2.  Filmed during the 2005/2006 crab seasons.  This season is the first season of IFQ’s(Individual fishing quotas), aka crab rationalization.  The purpose of course, is to make fishing on the Bering sea safer for those who participate in the crab fisheries.  Unfortunately, the most immediate and visible sign of crab rationalization is the much smaller crab fishing fleet this year–80 fishing vessels compared to approximately 250 last year.   Featured in season two is the F/V Northwestern, F/V Timebandit, F/V Maverick, F/V Rollo,  and the F/V Cornelia Marie.  Although the F/V Aleutian Ballad is not a featured boat, she has one of the most memorable scene sequences of the season when a 60 foot rogue wave slams into her and temporarily knocks the vessel on its side.  King crab season starts out rough as one of the worst storms in years is bearing down on the Bearing sea.  Some vessels hold off leaving, but the F/V Timebandit leaves anyways and so starts the trend of this fishing vessel to go when and where no others go.  Later, the Timebandit spends quite a bit of time fishing near the Bering sea ice…Most vessels have a very profitable season and Rick Quashnick prepares to step down as captain of the Maverick.  But when Opilio season comes around the Maverick skipper has a change of heart as crew members don’t seem ready to have Blake Painter as their new skipper.  This Opilio season is a cold and icy one and the arctic ice pack travels southward at a quick pace.  The Maverick loses some of it’s gear under the ice, and the Cornelia Marie–much to the captain’s chagrin–almost loses it’s way in the dangerous encroaching arctic ice.  With iced filled decks and crab filled decks, all fishing vessels head in to offload their bounty.
• DEADLIEST CATCH SEASON 1.  Filmed during 2004/2005 crab seasons.  This is the last Derby style season.  Fishing vessels from season 1 are:  F/V Northwestern, F/V Sea Star, F/V Western Viking, F/V Billikin, F/V Lucky Lady, F/V Saga, F/V Maverick, F/V Fierce Allegiance,  F/V Lady Alaska, and the F/V Retriever.  This 10-episode season is the first and most detailed introduction to fishing crab in the vast Bering sea as of yet.  In the opening episode we learn all about the preparation work involved in going out to sea.  We are also introduced to several greenhorns who quickly learn they’re at the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to ranking, and order & rank are very important to captains who must deal with running a commercial fishing vessel.  The pressures of Derby style fishing are highlighted in this season as we’re reminded over and over that it is coming to an end and being replaced with IFQ’s (individual fishing quotas).  Saying goodbye to a style of fishing that is all that these crews and skippers have known in the King crab and Opilio fisheries is emotional and with heavy hearts, we watch all the major players come forward and share their thoughts on the upcoming change.  At the beginning of season 1, we watch a replay of a crew rescue on the F/V Raven that occurred the year before, and later on we watch the tragic end of the F/V Big Valley and her crew.  Deadliest Catch can be purchased on the Discovery website and is currently available at Walmart for $19.96.

•  AMERICA’S DEADLIEST SEASON.  Filmed by Original Productions.  Discovery Product.  3-Part series filmed during the 2003/2004 crab seasons.  Mike Rowe had yet to become the narrator.  While Deadliest Job in the World gave us a good glimpse of what happens on a crab fishing vessel during Opilio season, America’s Deadliest Season’s format is more similiar to Deadliest Catch in that it follows five different fishing vessels:  F/V Saga, F/V Erla-N, F/V Northwestern, F/V Sea Star, and F/V Arctic Dawn.   In the opening scene of part 1, we’re reminded immediately, that crab fishing is the deadliest job in the world as we watch the entire crew of the F/V Raven being lifted from the vessel’s deck.  The 84′ fishing vessel is in deep trouble and laying completely on her side.  The rescue goes well but it serves as a warning for the other 252 boats participating in the Derby style fisheries.  Other interesting moments in the first part are the grocery shopping, prepping of the vessels, and several one on one interviews with fishermen in Dutch Harbor.  In part 2, we’re at the beginning of King crab season and we’re told immediately that on average one death occurs in each week of this most dangerous season.  The Erla-N suffers through mechanical problems, the Sea star is literally in a wasteland and pulling complete blanks until the very last string, which turns out to be a “Jackpot” string of a lifetime.  Then there is a Mayday call and once again, tragedy occurs as a man goes overboard on the F/V Shaman.  Two members of the crew don their survival suits and jump in to rescue him, but he does not survive.  Captain Larry Hendricks of the F/V Sea Star is devistated to hear that his good friend, Terry Rosanthal has perished.  Episode 3 takes place at the beginning of Opilio season and the men prepare themselves for a “marathon of pain” as a massive arctic storm is forming out at sea.   There are 17 million pounds of Opilio to be had this season and we watch all the vessels race out of Dutch Harbor for their 30 hour run to the fishing grounds.  We’re introduced to greenhorn Kevin Davis this year, who tells us that he came to Dutch Harbor earlier in the year planning to “beat the docks” looking for a crab fishing job.  Unfortunately he’d been told that King crab started in August so he was forced to work several months at a processor.  But all is well for him in January aboard the F/V Saga as a greenhorn…until he falls overboard!  You can see more of this brave greenhorn in Deadliest Catch, season 1 on the F/V Lucky Lady so obviously he survives his almost deadly dive.  Overall this was truly a great predecessor of Deadliest Catch.  You can see repeats of it from time to time on the Discovery Channel.  Unfortunately it has yet to be formally released on dvd.  That being said, there were a few hundred dvd’s made of America’s Deadliest Season as it was an emmy-nominated show and the Discovery network–like all others–sends out hundreds of copies of their nominated shows to the emmy-voters…And those special dvd’s can sometimes be purchased on E-bay.  If you’re interested in owning such a dvd…Beware and be sure you know what you’re bidding on.  In case you really interested, I own one such emmy-nominated dvd and paid $17.00 plus shipping…not a bad investment if I say so myself. 
•   THE DEADLIEST JOB IN THE WORLD.  By Original Productions.  Discovery  Product.  Filmed in 1998.  Approximately 60 minutes.  Prior to Deadliest Catch and America’s Deadliest Season there was this dvd.  Although there are older films and videos of crab fishing, The Deadliest Job in the World is the predecessor of Deadliest Catch.  It follows the F/V Allegiance and it’s crew during opilio season.  This unique show opens with footage of the Rosie G sinking in the Bering Sea.  We meet individual fishermen as they go about their business in Dutch Harbor.  One of them actually wears a lost finger around his neck on a chain as a good luck charm and momento.  There is also alot of Coastguard action as they aid the crew of the Rosie G, they later search for a fishermen who goes overboard, and they come to the much needed rescue of the crew of the Alaskan Monarch as the fishing vessel gets slammed about by ice and crashing waves.  According to the dedication at the end, there were 7 fishermen lost during this season of opilio crab.  Although the filming of Deadliest Job in the World is not nearly as spectacular as Deadliest Catch, it serves as a great comparison to later shows and clearly shows the evolution of producing and filming Bering sea crab fishermen at work.