At first glance you might think it’s a sandy beach, but your nostrils will tell you that iodine breeze holds the smell of low tide. That sand would be very soft to walk on and I wouldn’t advise it. When the tide comes in, all that “sand” will be under water. Meanwhile, there’s no telling how far you would sink into that sea bottom.
This is the east side of the causeway that divides the wharves where fish boats can tie up. It is what they call the new side, more recently dredged to provide more moorage and shelter for local boats.
The older side is more crowded because “the old salts” tie up there. It is busy with fishermen getting their boats ready for a summer of salmon and halibut fishing, often far enough from home that the men and their boats may be gone for many weeks.
You can see the roof and the rigging of the Captain’s boat on the bottom right-hand side of the photo below.
The new side is also busy, but is more convenient for boats that come and go more frequently.
Those who have fish for sale will want to moor on the new side. It is handier for the public to visit for dockside sales of whatever is in season. It might be prawns, shrimp, salmon, halibut or other. Today it is halibut. The customers lined up on the dock know that they have to buy the whole fish. The price is high, but they gladly part with well over $100 for a small halibut. These flat fish have a delicate white meat which, though highly priced, is also highly prized. If you could see what the fishermen have to risk and endure to catch and bring these fish to harbour, you would say the price is a bargain for the customer.
As you can see, there is no shortage of people wanting fish for their supper.
I have removed the name and number of the boat to allow some anonymity for the boat owner.
It is indeed a bargain, when you consider how much you have to pay at the grocery store or even worse at a fancy restaurant for a small piece of halibut.
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I find it very high, but then when I think of the danger the fishermen often face, it’s really very inexpensive.
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I loved going to the dock for shrimp when we lived there.
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Can’t get it much fresher!
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Fishermen deserve a good price for their catch.
And halibut – so good. 🙂
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I agree. Thanks, Lynette.
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I love good fresh ocean fish, but it just isn’t available here. I’d also love to make just one run on a boat like that were it not for my inherent seas sickness. However, in mid summer until late fall I can usually go down to my favorite stretch of the Clark Fork in an evening and, with the right fly and a little luck, manage to come back with a 2 lb Rainbow Trout for the grill.
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I think I could settle for something like that, rather than going through being seasick. There’s not much worse than seasickness.
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Your description was so good I can almost smell the air!
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There is something unmistakable about it, isn’t there? 😉
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Iodine. That’s what that smell is? Learned something today…
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Iodine and decaying very small bits of animal matter.
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Awwww
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How fortunate you are to take advantage of fresh caught fish, Anneli. Thanks for sharing this with us…I enjoyed your photos!
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I do feel very lucky to have access to fresh fish out here on the coast.
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Beautiful photos as always Anneli. I’m quite sure the average person doesn’t realize the work that goes into getting the fishboat ready and safe, not to mention the conditions most “fishers” must endure. They’ve earned every penny charged for a nice piece of fish.
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Yes, it’s a hard job, and the fish really is good.
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Interesting glimpse of life on the coast and the people who work and live there. Nice shots Anneli.
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Thanks, Belinda.
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Wow. I can’t imagine getting fish to cook fresh off the boat. We just went to an upscale seafood restaurant for our anniversary. It was delicious, but to have the fish we ate all the way in Chicago, you know it’s not fresh. Although, I’m not clear on what is salt water and what is fresh water fish, I’m sure my order was a salt water fish.
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Pretty hard to get the best when you’re so far from the ocean, but the upscale restaurants do get fish flown in that is quite fresh. You pay for it though.
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Yep, and we did pay for it. It was worth it for making it 33 years. 😉
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Yes, and sometimes it’s good to have that kind of an achievement acknowledged by both parties.
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Fresh fish is a treat. For the fishermen, it is a hard and sometimes dangerous job. Wonderful photos, Anneli.
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It really is a good food and we’re thankful for the fishermen who provide it. Thanks for your nice comment, Jennie.
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You’re welcome, Anneli.
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So interesting! A world I know very little about. But I do know I love those fish.
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I do too – love fish. Lately I’m becoming more and more aware of the plastics in the ocean that are killing our fish and many other sorts of marine life. It’s so sad and I feel helpless to know what to do, but if we don’t do something soon, we’ll have very little time to enjoy the wonderful things the ocean provides for us.
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