King Crabbers Valentine

Southeastern Alaska’s King Crab season starts February 15th. So all the lovers are busy trying to fit romance into good-byes and getting the boat ready. Working long days overhauling the gear, buoy lines, mounting the block, repainting the numbers on the buoys, and fastening down the gear. Preparing for any kind of weather. Loading the boat with bait, groceries, movies, coffee and nicotine. Stocking up on sleep and solid ground before the waves start crashing into the bow and the nights are full of hauling and setting gear. The ocean is wild and free, frothing at the mouth to capsize a boat and steal away its crew. The fisherman work so hard and smart to come home to their families.

As most Alaskan women I wanted to send my man off well rested, fed and with a smile. Valentines dinner was always something simple, once we had scallops fresh from the ocean, another time it was pizza and ice cream. In the morning he was off for a month, 6 weeks or more. Sometimes they would return to refuel or grab a part for the boat, do laundry and get groceries then gone in a hour. One time I was taking his laundry back and he was sailing out of the harbor. Out of the car I jumped, waterproof bag of clean laundry in hand. I could see his eyes… happy to see my face once more, but angry he had no clothes!

Romance for us was moments on the SAT phone, or looking at the map calculating the way to each other. Those were my favorite Valentines, because they were so much more than a nice dinner and a sweet evening. They were driven by passion for life and thankfulness for time. We kissed until the captain yelled and locked eyes until the waves broke our stare. Every second he was gone I was out the window and on ocean feeling the climate and taking in every memory we shared, patiently waiting for him to come back to me.

Sometimes romance is found in a fantasy of being saved, of a great rescue, an amazing perception of unfolding events. Sometimes romance is found in the reality that you have been saved, rescued from only god knows what and it was amazing and it will always be forever a reminder that love is right here in front of you!