Damn! Glad to hear it Jason! Stay safe out there and thanks for sharing your journey with us. Your posts are always so interesting and informative 
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Omg Jason!!
Now I’m gonna worry everytime you go out! That’s scary.
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Holy shit Jason!! I’m glad you’re still here with us. Stay safe!!
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Holy shit. Yikes. Makes me think more about how we really need to know more about where our food comes from and what people go through to get it to us. Your documentation is extremely valuable, but nowhere near as valuable as you as a person so stay safe!
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They say its the most dangerous job.
I think they are correct.
Those of us who love it know the risk every time we go. I cant imagine not going.
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Crab is expensive for a reason. That good meme material!
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Hey, the world needs carpenters too!!! 
Just kidding ya. Glad your safe and still staying strong. Happy Saturday 
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Its been a while since I checked in.
Its been a strange season. Its been easier than most in many ways, but much harder in others.
The weather in the beginning was awful! it made it hard to get to our gear which meant we worked less hours, but also made it a lot more treacherous.
We knew where the crab were. They were in the most dangerous location in our area. We had a weather window that we were able to get in and set gear. We set half of our gear there.
After the gear was set, the weather got horrible. Big swell made it impossible to get to.
When we were able to get back in there the swell had moved a bunch of our gear into the surf. We had to recue what was left because an even bigger storm system was coming. We moved our gear out of awesome crab. The best crab we have seen all season.
After the weather calmed down we moved our gear back in there.
There aren’t a lot of crab around this year so by then, everyone else was looking for better grounds. They came where we were. There was a lot of competition in a small area. We didn’t see loaded gear again. If your catching 50 crab to a pot and someone else comes and sets gear close to you, then you get 25 crabs to a pot.
Crabbing works like this. If you have an area all to yourself and your catching 100 crabs to a pot on your first pull, you’ll most likely get 50 to a pot on your second pull. 20 on your third, and then its scratch time. 5 crab to a pot or less unless a big biomass runs through the area. its rare, but it does happen occasionally.
So sharing a smallish area with 20 other crabbers goes belly up fast!
Time to move! but where? All the other boats left their areas because there was no crab. We already knew there were no crab there. We did our pre season homework.
My tweaky coworker was worthless spun out of the gate. He wasn’t very low key about it either. It was making me angry. Every day it builds up. One morning I was getting gear out of the back fish hold and when I came out I see him hitting his frosty glass pipe. It triggered me. My brains first reaction “ooh that looks good. I’m tired! maybe that will help”.
Second reaction was “I’m going to punch that glass dick out of his mouth and take a few teeth with it.”
I didn’t do either, but I did call him on it later. I told him I would punch it out of his mouth if I saw it again.
Then he tried to be sneaky about it which made it even more obvious, and even more annoying. We hadnt been working long hours. We haven’t done a 24 hour grind this year. We were able to get at least 6 hours sleep between trips. I was disgusted how worthlessly spun he was.
I let skipper know how I felt, he agreed but wouldn’t let him go yet. he felt like we needed him.
He has been gone for a couple of weeks. That’s been good. Its a bigger work load for me, but I get his percentage too. its worth it!
Skippers been drinking beer. I smell it in there. He told me one day he has been only having one beer a day. I know he is full of shit.
He hasn’t done anything stupid. He has keeping it together for now. My inner alcoholic loves to work that angle. Its working for him…
I know his story. its just a matter of time…
Matts been awesome to have on the boat! We help each other stay positive.
It was looking like he might quit. He wasn’t very into moving gear around and looking for crab. He had to miss a day. It was me and Tweeky on the deck.
Tweeky was the block guy last year. His unreliability all year got him demoted. Matts been running block.
The block guy controls the vavle on the hydraulics the bring the pot to the boat. Physically its the easiest position on the boat, but mentally you have to be 100 percent on your A game. you could easily kill yourself or the guy next to you(me). a 120 pound steel pot full of crab is pretty unforgiving hitting you at 30 miles per hour if you forget to slow the valve down.
On my side I can jump out of harms way. When your running the valve you are in harms way, and its you that didn’t turn it off and you didn.t realized until that pot is on target for your head.
I have broken ribs running block. I prefer not to run block.
I had to run it in Matts absence. Im rusty. and Skipper was in a mood. He went full throttle. He was screaming at me for two strings. It was hard to focus with him screaming. Tweeky was trying to coach me on the other side. It was frustrating.
Third string, I found my rhythm. I started rocking it!
Fourth string I got cocky and broke my thumb. I was so jacked on adrenaline that I barely flinched and kept going. I ran another hundred pots with my freshly broken thumb. I felt it crack when it happened. two weeks later it still hurts every day!
On the way in it was throbbing. I was hating Skipper for being such a dick when I got on block. I was hating Tweeky for being Tweeky. I was in pain. Hungry and tired. Worried Matt was going to quit had me feeling pretty lonely on that trip.
The perfect storm for a strong whiskey craving! I wanted a whiskey bad! Whiskey is never a good idea. I knew it, and that made me feel really sad.
I made it to my no alcohol allowed zone and got some rest. Not drinking has been pretty easy other than a couple moments. The big wave triggered a craving.
Its been a year full of close calls. Matts not real experienced running the valve. Early in the season he sent a pot flying towards my face. the block stopped it. it was scary and close. He has gotten really good since then. I like knowing my block guy sleeps in between trips!
Making videos in between trips has been good for me. Hanging out in the safelty of my no alcohol allowed zone!
483 days since my final relapse!
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Thank you for sharing your experiences. You should be so proud of yourself for staying sober during all of that! I can imagine he temptations you had and it couldn’t have been easy especially with a broken finger. ouch I look forward to more updates! Stay safe out there.
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Hey brother. Was just thinking about you, as I do from time to time. 97 or so days for me. (Too lazy to back out of the forum and check the counter.
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I’m happy to hear from you! 97 days is awesome! 
Your story is amazing, if you ever wrote a book about this I would want to know so I could buy it.
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If you are tough enough to crab, you are rough enough to do the work and embrace sobriety.
I don’t know what it is like to be part of of the high risk, maximize rewards fishing culture. I can image that alcohol and substances are everywhere at the dock. Are there also meetings or groups that you can head to?
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I have been doing the work and I do embrace sobriety 99 percent of the time.
Covids had meetings messed up this year. There is AA here though. Even though meetings haven’t been happening. There are several AA people who work at the dock. We talk recovery whenever we can. Its pretty cool.
One of my coworkers is in recovery too. We talk recovery out there.
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I bet you’re probably helping some guys who may be struggling and you may never know it. You’re doing great, my friend!
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Thanks for the update! I love reading your posts… Makes me feel like I am out at sea catching crabs! I hope your thumb heals soon. That sounds really painful!! You probably need a cast.
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Ive been wrapping it every morning before going out, using a splint to help keep me from bending it. On the block side, I have to use my right hand. Thats the hand that was injured. On my side, my left hand does most of the work. It didnt need to be set, so I havent gone to the DR. Its healing good. It feels much better now. This three day break has been good for it.
I expect a call from skipper today to get ready to go tomorrow.
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Oh man! I am glad you got some rest and its healing up good. Sounds like you are taking good care of it, I will be praying it heals up nicely. Your job sounds hard as hell so you definitely need 2 good thumbs!!
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Jack says you’re good! 
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