So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

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two meter troll
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So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by two meter troll »

Hi, folks,
I married an ex-fisherman this past June.
Turns out there is no such thing as an ex-fisherman.

So I'm curious about what a fisherman's wife does.
I know there's a few that go out on the boats with the men, but that's not necessarily the only option. I've seen some farming couples who complemented each other like clockwork, yet both managed to do their own thing, and seemed pretty happy. I'd love to find a way to make our partnership work like that.

So what do the other wives do?

I'll troll the "anecdotes and stories" section as well. But I'm posting here first, since I'm new to the whole scene.

Thanks,
E. Wisner
salmontroll
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by salmontroll »

so you're going fishing huh?
I've known several couples who work well together. and also know many who don't fish together. I don't really think there's one answer. There's no question that fishing gets in some peoples blood. I'd say if you're adventurous, love the ocean and beautiful places, and enjoy working hard, it's a great way of life. The politics can be a bummer. Being together with your significant other and making lasting memories are priceless.
Salty
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by Salty »

There are quite a few good books on this topic. I recommend my mother's book "Following the Alaskan Dream" for one.
What I have learned over the years of fishing with my mother, sisters, and my wife is that every relationship is unique. My father, who brought our family of 4 kids, one dog, one cat, and one bird fishing every summer, always said that it was good enough just to have Marilyn (my mother) come along. If she did anything, and she did a lot, he considered it a bonus. But, she cleaned fish only one day, when dad was rushed to the hospital with fish poisoning, and never iced fish or scrubbed the deck. She cooked, she steered the boat, she loved to run gear and land fish, and she contributed to the radio conversations. She also carefully monitored the delivery weights and books.
On the other hand, my wife, Sarah, who has been fishing with me for over 30 years, hates steering the boat, seldom talks on the radio, and does not do books other than to figure and write herself 20- 25% of the gross checks. But, she does all the cooking, keeps the boat immaculate and clean from the bottom of the cockpit to the anchor roller, cleans most of the fish, lands her share, and manages the unloading while I observe the grading and weighing. She sets the anchor but refuses to haul it. She never second guesses my decisions on fishing place or gear while my mother always had opinions (quite good ones actually) on where to fish and what gear to run. My mother, seldom baited a hook while Sarah is actually much better at threading herring and painting spoons than I am.
Be thankful and appreciative for the opportunity to be together. When it is working it is nirvana.
Salt
yak2you2
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by yak2you2 »

My wife likes to come along, especially if I'm fishing rods, she loves a good fight on a rod. She's not into blood and guts, so she won't clean, but she has gotten good at steering.
The real hitch for her is; she had never been on the water before she met me, and is prone to seasickness. This is a symptom that could make a real difference as to whether or not other wives are able to go along. My wife has tried all the various seasick remedies, Dramamine works the best for her by the way, but she still limits her trips to flat calm, or inside water days.
As has been said, there are many aspects to a fishing business, and they all are important. For a wife who is unable to actually go fishing, helping with paperwork, and other details can be huge.
Most important of all though, for a fishing wife, is to have a lot higher tolerance level than your average wife. Most fisheries entail long tedious hours, in some cases days or even weeks away from home. This heaps all the household responsibilities on to the wife while the husband is away.
There is no set wage. Your man may come home fabulously wealthy, or he may come home with a blown engine and nothing to show for it. Some wives simply aren't prepared to live that lifestyle, so it's best for everybody to be on the up and up, right from the start.
JYDPDX
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by JYDPDX »

If you are planning on going out on the boat then it would definitely recommendable to look into getting some PROMETHAZINE. I know several people prone to seasickness that have been able to prevent it with this drug. I am pretty sure you have to have a perscription for it but most likely well worth it.
yak2you2
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by yak2you2 »

There's many different seasick remedies out there. The one the wife actually said worked the best, was called Bonine, but it, and some of the others, like the patch, usually put her to sleep. Ultimately, she's chosen the flat calm water remedy as her favorite.
two meter troll
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by two meter troll »

Thanks for the tips!
Seasickness seems like an even bigger concern than fish guts. Although I suppose the two might compound each other...
I've been on ferries in (what seemed to me like) rough weather, and as long as I'm out where I can see the chop and horizon, I feel OK. Being inside with "vertical" lines disagreeing with my inner ear, does get to me. But that was, oh, maybe 4 or 5 foot seas? which is considered calm fishing weather from what I hear. I'll be sure to stock some remedies for the wilder weather.

I figure, once we're on a boat, I'll find out quick enough: what I can do, what I can't or won't do, and when to stay out of the way. If nothing else, I can occasionally ride along like a puppy with my head out the window, or a bow ornament.

Another part of my question, though, is what do the wives do when they're _not_ on the boat?

I'm at a crossroads in my career - I've done various things, and need to basically pick something and get going again. When my husband's not fishing, we sometimes teach hands-on skills together, and that's a lot of fun ... but doesn't pay much. So he wants to go back to what he knows, and share it with me.

I don't think I'm It would be nice to know what kinds of work compliment a fisherman's life.
Does it work well being married to a schoolteacher, or a nurse, or a freelance writer, or a home-maker?
Does everyone wear more than one hat?
Does the wife leave dinner by the microwave with instructions, or wait 'til you get home to cook something with fins?
How do you deal with things like health insurance, mortgages, ...
Given the uncertainties of fishing, do you rely on a regular "fallback" income, or on savings from the good years?
What does the wife seem to require for her own happiness and comfort, besides the sailor's safe return?

I'm not looking for a prescription - we'll work it out our own way, I'm sure. What I'm really looking for are some role models.
I like my in-laws, and their time on boats together made some great memories. She ran an accounting business, and since it's mostly seasonal (tax time) that worked really well. They are happy together - in spite of being somewhat crippled up at this point in their lives.
I've met some great "boat people" at the wooden boat show, live-aboard couples (medical techs, marine architects, sea chantey singers, and more). And I got a glimpse of the "boosters" cooking at the fund-raising booth - they seemed a lot like the booster moms at my high school, keeping the social wheels turning and supporting their family's passions. Hidden skills, no doubt.

What I'd really love would be take some fishermen's wives out for coffee or a shopping trip. Get a sense of their attitudes, interests, what kind of life they make for themselves and their families.

But today, since we're snowed in and I'm curious, I'm asking in this forum.

If you do happen to visit Portland, we'd be happy to borrow the girls for some sightseeing or shopping while they boys are busy elsewhere.
yak2you2
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by yak2you2 »

Well, first a question, before one possible answer. Do you have kids? and if so, what age? It matters how much time you have to spare, as to how big of a role you can play in the business end of things. We have 3 kids, 16, 7, and 2, so my wife is a full time stay at home mom, and doesn't really have any time to spare toward helping out the fishing business.
however, each situation is different, and what I've seen some folks do that looks very appealing to me is; husband catches the fish, wife markets them. Troll caught fish in particular are valued for their high quality, you can get a good price for them right at the dock, but you can get a much, much better price by marketing them yourself.
as an example. I'm getting 7.75 per lb. right now for my winter kings here in S.E. Alaska, dock price, but if you go look at the same fish in Pike Place Market in Seattle, you'll see fresh troll king selling for something like 21.00 to 22.00 per lb. People I know catch their fish, then make calls all over the country to various restaurants and markets and get top dollar for their product. Before I met my wife I dabbled in this some, but I found it to be hard to keep up with the logistics. Simply said, I couldn't be in 2 places at once. Fish had to be delivered to the airport at 10:00 a.m. the next day, calls had to be made, fish tickets and other legalities had to be done, and if I did all these things, then I'd miss the next day of fishing. The husband/wife, catcher/seller teams that I've seen here lately are making very good money doing what they do. Trust me on this, nothing will make your huband more proud than doubling or tripling the value of the fish he worked so hard for. If your interested check with your state about requirements though, here you have to have a catcher/seller permit, transporters licsence for inter-state, etc. It's usually all free, but takes plenty of time to get set up right.
I was a full time fisherman my whole life, but I had to go part time around a full time job when the kids came along, largely for health insurance reasons. But again, there's options, lots of people figure out how to pay their own insurance. Many other folks find it works good for husband to make their money fishing, and wife to keep them covered by getting benifits from a full time job. Personally I'm going to lobby for this one, once the kids are old enough to permit my wife to go back to work. :)
I always thought that the perfect job to match a fishing career was a school teacher, so you could have summers off.
Angie
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by Angie »

If you want to spend more time as a couple then I would suggest having a busy job during high season, or a free-lance type of job where you can choose your own hours. I just signed up to start substitute teaching at the end of the christmas break. But, if I were a full time teacher and didn't spend the summer on the boat with Jon, I would never see him. I think most often, fisherman are out at sea for a week or two, only to come home and turnaround as fast as they can. The fact is, if you are not on the boat, you won't see your husband much during the peak fishing months. I always thought being a nurse would be a great compliment to a fisherman, there is always high demand, good pay, and you take time off and join your husband on the boat in the summers and get rehired somewhere else pretty easily if your employer didn't like it. Other ideas, photography, doing maintenance/clean boat during the off season, doing pre-season shopping, get political, provide moral support, tie gear, make millions of runs to Murrays--ugh. I know a wife who would make pre-made frozen meals like lasagna or cookies and send it off with her husband every time he'd come to port.

Being on the boat in the summers for me is like a roller coaster emotionally, physically, and psychologically. The highs are extremely high and the lows are pretty low. Although, my personal experience is you can't have one without the other, not to mention it is just so much damn fun catching king salmon. Jobs that are more even-keeled don't really give me the same satisfaction. Everyone is different though. We both feel that we would not continue fishing if we both weren't on the boat, that's just our deal, we don't want to work with anyone else.

I must say, I am not really an advocate for taking prescription pills for any little ailment. On the other hand, after four days of puking (and Jon telling me I would get over it) and wanting to die, some guy with really strange facial hair gave me some promethazine. It is the best, IMO, seasick drug out there--it works, doesn't make me feel drowsy, and a half of a pill lasts all day for me. I probably would have eventually gotten over being sick, so that's what most fisherman tell me. I don't care, I never, ever, ever, ever want to feel seasick again. So, if you go out there, try it without the pills first, but have some on hand just in case. Good luck!
Angie
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by Angie »

Also, much to my father's dismay, Jon and I don't have health insurance. I tried to get it this winter and got denied, apparently, at least the places I researched, you can fish and be insured only if you are a day fisherman--so i guess the charter folks don't have a problem with that.:) I have been wondering if any other commercial fishermen out there have insurance, where they got it from, if they like the coverage, etc. IMO, any job that would insure you and your family, would be a great compliment to any self-employed husband. As far as our mortgage, we rent our house out during the fishing season.
yak2you2
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by yak2you2 »

I was just checking out an e-mail I got from costco.com offering health insurance. I don't know what the rates are, but this is costco were talking about, they usually come up with the best prices for everything else. Just a thought, might be worth getting a rate quote to see if it's affordable. Some processors offer fleet insurance for boats at a group rate, maybe they offer health insurance the same way? Sounds like an ATA question to me.
No matter what hoops have to be jumped through, a person must have health coverage. One two week long hospital stay without it, and your bankrupt. There's so many things...A good dose of fish poisoning, a hernia, or even a faulty appendix, and your in deep trouble.Just having a baby now-a-days can run you 12-14K, for a normal birth, 20-30K for a c-section.
I'm not trying to scare anybody away from fishing, or babies, I just don't want to see anybody get ruined financially. Find the coverage, however you have to, it's out there.
two meter troll
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Re: So... what exactly is a "fishwife's" job?

Post by two meter troll »

twometertroll sez I should get my own login, so we don't confuse folks.
I say if he's sharing my computer, I can share his login.
In any case, this is Erica speaking again.

Angie's post made me laugh aloud. Especially the seasick part. I suppose it's a lot less funny in person, though.
I'm beginning to think that there's a lot more than "a few" wives who go out on the boats. I hear there's a fair few women sailors in the fleet, too - maybe 20%? Better than my engineering classes, at any rate. (6 of 200)

We're definitely hoping to get insurance sooner than later. Ernie's covered by VA, but something with a shorter turnaround time (less than 6 months for an appointment) would definitely be nice. I'd rather earn my own insurance than try to find out whether the VA would begrudgingly cover me as Ernie's spouse. (Since I'm even less service-connected, would I have to sign up a year in advance for prenatal checkups?)
On the other hand, I've been lucky enough to be able to pay as I go with my family doctor for the last couple years, nothing major has come up. It's been Ernie who's had the compound crush injury, the bone-deep cuts, and various other pecadillos. Sometimes God has a crooked smile, but at least He's still smiling.

So...
tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor...
engineer, schoolteacher, health care, sales?
Business, politics, novelist, ... the rhyme here would be whales, wouldn't it? Maybe I should call that "fisheries biology," or "oceanographic research."
Ernie's encouraging me to learn boat lofting, since there's not too many other uses for hand-drafting these days.

Please keep those stories coming... I spied Salty's "top two wives" in the Troller Talk section, too.
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