Stranded in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

Stranded in Dutch Harbor, Alaska

The last time I was in Dutch Harbor was in February of 2006 and before then I too was stranded momentarily in Dutch Harbor, Alaska a few times before and let me tell you it is one of the worst places to be stranded I know of.

I don’t know what it is like now a days, but from the video article posted on the New York Times it is pretty much like the way it was if not even more worst.

As it was mention on the video that due to the popular show on the Discovery Channel “The Deadliest Catch” made it to be the place who seek for a ton of money in such a short period of time, that can be true, this has many factors such as:

• A good company that share it’s wealth to it’s crew members.
• A good crew to harvest the catch
• The type of payments, ie, percentages or hourly and such.
• The amount of time it takes to catch and off-load the products.

Basically there are many variables when making money in Dutch Harbor, I would say luck is the main factors. I was with a company that I had work for since 1994 (seasonally) and in my opinion are one of the best to work for as it gives out a fairly good share of it’s earnings to the crew members and treats you with dignity.

Reason why I said “luck” is that I had work with a certain type of people that had less qualities on being on that boat they could barely do what is expected, how they got hired that’s another thing, I guess luck played a part.

My experience on being stranded in Dutch Harbor or in Alaska for that matter started in Ketchikan, Alaska for about a day until I got called my people to wire me a plane ticket via Western Union.

I was stranded in Dutch Harbor in the summer of 1989 for a short time and I wound-up getting a job at a place could Ziggy’s Restaurant? and I believe it is called Eagles Inn the last time I check. The place closed after a few weeks then I manage to get to a Trawler called Alaskan Command (Command Processing). I was with the Trawler for the summer and later went to Ketchikan to process Salmon, then went home and back to the boat, then a friend of mine got sent home because he failed a drug test. For what reason it was I decided to want to go home too after my friend left.

I pack all of my belongings, this includes a big portable stereo boom-box with 8D batteries and a couple of plastic bags full of my work gear. I dint realize that it was the weekend and had only a few dollars to my name. (What was I thinking)

I was then skipped to the shore of Ketchican and not even knowing wherever I was I just kept walking until caught a bus ride and the bus driver allowed me  a free ride. (They know the story, it is too common)

Night came and I was in a place where people were partying or drinking having a good time, sat on the bench park and I cannot recall what happen then until the next morning when I ask around where the nearest Western Union was.

I got to Western Union and called my people at home in Washington State, I was granted a loan for a plane ticket since I have money at that company I worked for. To kill time I wound-up at the Ketchikan Mall? and fucked around a little.

The third time I was stranded was an idea that I could save money by on a cave near Delta Fuel Dock where the old U.S Nave Sub use to dock back in the the days. It wasn’t working out, the top of the cave was dripping water on my face and the bottom was just too rocky for me, this force me to abandon my plan and catch a cab to the cheapest bunk houses that are available in town.

2004? I think I was stranded as well with this guy name Vinnie that I meet on a boat that we work on until the season close but I opted to stay? I can’t remember what was the reason, all I know is that we dint made any money on the F/V Seattle Star.

Vinnie some how got around with the people, he could go no wrong as he hustle his way by finding a place to stay. He had a place with this lady that work in a Cop Shop in Unalaska, she was a big Red haired woman, living in a small place. She would often tipped him on some information on what ever it was. Vinnie knew all of the cops (not many) and could get away on a few things with them, he was in fact a charming guy and I lack the skills he had.

When we were together he does most of the talking and I just try to look cool which I guess helps him out too, but I never cared nor had I payed any attention to whatever agenda he was working on.

Vinnie some how got a room at the Delta Western bunk house (probably charm his way into it). He let me sleep on the floor of the tiny room. The Delta bunk house is well known to be a crack house, a bad place to be, this is a place where some company would let some of it’s excess employee’s stay or for those just arriving. This is by far the worst place to stay in Dutch Harbor. The Delta Western Bunk House is located at the very end of Dutch Harbor, just across from the man made Spit Dock and an Icicle Seafood factory factory.

There was this people across the room that Vinnie and I went into and later finding out that they were going to smoke some crack. I was still in the room and just look into the Hustler magazine keeping my shit cool as I don’t do crack.

Thereafter I manage to land a job back to a boat I was with the last season and that was with on the F/V Northern Aurora. When I was on a van with the crew and the Captain I had him drive to the Delta Bunk House to get Vinnie to work on the boat, but Vinnie was not interested. After doing a trip with the Northern Aurora I read on the Dutch Harbor Fisherman news paper that a few people got busted for drugs and I believe I saw Vinnie’s name on the paper.

There was another time when I was stranded when I left the boat called Ocean Peace (Slave Ship), a Trawler that specialize in Yellow Fin mostly. I wounded-up in a smaller boat that does a conventional gear for a long-liner boat.

I spoke to the Captain Christian also the owner of the boat in which I don’t remember the name of. The Captain explain on how hr pays, he says he pays by percentages and by how many Skate’s are baited. I look around and the boat seem to be okay, so I accepted, after all I was stranded in Dutch Harbor.

After leaving the port I then get the story. Most of the crew members if not all would tell me that they have all been there for over 4 months and had not made any money for a plane ticket home and at that time I  said “fuck”.

I found out that I was the most experience guy on the boat, most of this guy’s lacked the know-how or the will to do the job. The Deckboss was young and so was I, he had had arguments with Christians probably on work related. Standing right behind the deckboss while he was hauling gear and I was assisting just right behind him, I notice Christian was above the deck, him and the deckboss was arguing about something. I see a the end of the Poll Gaft being bounced around on the deckboss by the Captain as if he was pist. The deckboss eventually quit while at sea, then I was appointed but at that time I already knew what type of ship this was…A nightmare. We dubbed it “Hotel California” you can come but you can never leave.

As the boys would say and they were right on with the routine. They would tell me that Christians would go to post at night or very early morning. He would dock and he’s wife would be waiting for him with some gears he requested or would just fuel-up. There was also a reason for coming in early, Christian hates to lose a crew for “jumping ship”.

While there we had done the several trip to port and back to sea and as I notice we were never far from the Dutch Harbor area just fishing right of the coast and when we fish the boat seem to be just  drifting which I find it to be kinda odd. When the boat drift it causing the gear lines to snarled-up, when it does that it means lots of work for us. (fucker).

The more I got to know about the captain and he’s Icelandic engineer the more I was hating to be there, the environment look hostile and most were having some sort of fits from their addictions, visual them as bad Pirates.

One day I did what the deckboss did, I quit, bad idea. For two days that I was in my bunk, I was visited by the Captain and some crew that he gathered while the rest of the crew was working.

While I was on my bunk I woke up with them just looking at me, call it a threat or an intimidation tactics because that is how I saw it, I became paranoid at that point even more. I would have been more comfortable with a Victornox but I had no way of protecting myself. Like the deckboss I wound-up back to work, then the next day we were set to go back to port, I made a quick plan to abort the ship.

Before the boat could tie-up I threw my duple bags on the dock and jump out of the ship waving to my crew mate that saw me. It was at 2 am near the Alaska Ship Supply, I don’t know where I stayed that morning, I might have walk to the Airport.

I guess I had enough so I called my buddy Kevin and wired me some money so that I could stay in a bunk house, he instead payed my stay using he’s credit card and a week later I manage to get on a boat.

The truth of the matter is, Dutch Harbor is a cold place to be stranded, both literally and figuratively and the town of Dutch Harbor discourages of anyone coming there by not having any employment and they are true to that.

My advice is if you make at least $14 an hour now, don’t come to Dutch Harbor if money is what you seek, if adventure is what you seek, then go for it as you will get the adventure of your life there.

Watching this video on the New York Times, I found out the the Elbow Room has been closed. The Elbow Room was wild, it is the place you hear about so much about and anyone who could get in or old enough went to the Elbow Room. It is a legend that even Playboy magazine had an article on that place, it was then showcase in many other places, this includes the Discovery channel.

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