The crew arrives at the docks just before sunset and they see their stalwart friend, the Cyclone, an old vessel that was once a navy riverboat now configured as a shrimp boat. Her hull and deck are weathered from her daily trips out to sea, she may not be pretty but she can do her job. John and his mate Jerry are well aware of the hard work that is ahead of them, they begin to prep the vessel.
With the heat of the day dissipating, both men start their pre-trip checklist. Checking the engine fluids, putting fuel in the generator and checking the nets are just a few of the tasks at hand. This is an essential ritual that has been performed thousands of nights before.
As the engine warms up, that familiar diesel smell fills the air, the old boat is ready for another nightâs duty. As she makes her way to the Gulf of Mexico, the brilliant colors of the sunset fill the sky, a reminder to both men of just how rewarding this grueling work can be.
The old Cyclone is escorted by a flock of gulls as it makes its way out to the Gulf. The gulls are patient, knowing their dinner is just hours away. A cool breeze is welcoming to the already sweat drenched crew. The trip out to the harvesting grounds is a time to reflect on what the evening will bring, and the bounty that âmother oceanâ will provide.
John already knows his destination for the evening, he has been doing this for so long, the nightâs trip is based on pure intuition. As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, the lights of other shrimp boats can be seen off in the distance. A reassuring sight, they know that if there are any problems, their âbrothers of the seaâ will come to assist them.
Rock and roll is blaring out of the speakers overhead; the chatter of the radio can be heard in the background. They have reached their starting point, 14 miles out, federal waters. The engine slows as John begins to lower the nets, the nets will roll on the oceans bottom to harvest the evenings treasures. At a snailâs pace, the Cyclone pushes forward while the nets collect crustaceans to be sold throughout the east coast. The hard work is about to begin, the crew dawns their orange, suspender-ed slickers.
After a mile or so, the nets are lifted; the catch is captured in the bottom of the mesh. Collection and sorting tables are on either side of the boat. John and Jerry are manning their stations, the nets are opened and the catch splashes into the dump tank. The crew extracts the sea grass from the tank with silvery pitch forks, then place it on the sorting table, by-catch, and shrimp all twisting, turning, and squirming. The sight of shrimp being thrown into the adjoining live-wells is fast and furious. The limited by-catch is scraped off the table with a wooden board to return to the depths from which they came.
Another old, familiar, friend appears out of the darkness. At first a few and then many, ravenous black tip sharks. As the by-catch goes overboard, a feeding frenzy begins. The gulls put on an aerial show catching dinner and the sharks devour the smorgasbord as it hits the water. To John and Jerry, this is nothing new, just all part of the eveningâs work.
When the sorting is done, the nets are again dropped. This routine goes on throughout the night. The work is brutal, but there is no easy way to do this job. The live-wells slowly fill with shrimp. Each night is different, the tanks can fill within hours, or it can be a long, back breaking evening. Just before sunrise, John exclaims, âwe are heading homeâ, but the job is not over.
This well-orchestrated team begins to clear the eveningâs mess. Without a word spoken, both men know their duties and the Cyclone and her nets are clean. Upon arriving back to dock, it is a new day, the sun is rising. John weighs and bags the shrimp; Jerry gives the Cyclone one last freshwater rinse down.
The bagged shrimp will be taken to be processed and distributed. The lights of the Cyclone are extinguished, she has time to rest before the crew returns that evening. This is a tough, arduous, way to make a living. This is âLife on a Shrimp Boatâ!
Special thanks to: John and Jerry for a night on a shrimp boat
Photo Credit: John Surace & Paul Presson.