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Itinerary
North Sea Fishing with the Professionals
6 days - May-Oct - From US $ 2,981
Day 1 (Sunday): In the early evening, you will be picked up at your hotel, arrival airport or train station by your driver and taken to the port (usually on the coast of Holland) where the Osprey II (PD-47) has been moored for the weekend. The Osprey often lays over in the port of Harlingen, but the exact location varies from week to week depending on fishing and weather conditions.
You will likely arrive at the ship about 9PM on Sunday. Depending on the distance to the fishing grounds, most of the crew members will arrive about midnight. You will be escorted aboad, introduced to those already on board and shown to your berth in the crew's quarters. Usually, you will be staying in a two-person cabin, shared with another participant or a crew member. There will be food aboard, so you can have a snack and go to sleep if you wish. There will be plenty of time to meet everyone in the morning. However, before leaving port, one key thing is to receive a safety briefing!
Most of the crew members will go to sleep soon after arriving on board Sunday night, except for the skipper and any crew required to navigate to the fishing grounds. The ship will leave port soon after everyone is aboard, and head for the selected fishing area, generally somewhere in the North Sea.
Day 2 (Monday): Usually the sleeping crew members will be up by 7AM or perhaps a little later. Everyone will gather in the mess room for a hearty breakfast, followed by net-mending chores as the ship steams toward the fishing grounds. It may be as late as noon on Monday before the ship is positioned to start fishing. You can use this time to go up to the bridge for an orientation by the skipper and out on deck to learn a bit about the nets before they are actually lowered into the water and the fishing cycle begins.
Day 3-5 (Tuesday-Thursday): Once the ship begins fishing, life aboard PD-47 settles into a routine geared to the timing of the fishing. For side-beam trawlers like PD-47, the nets are left on the bottom for about 2 1/2 hours each cycle. they are then raised, brought on deck by two teams and the fish are emptierd into bins for processing. The nets are returned to the water and lowered as quickly as possible, since time out of the water is time not catching fish! Meanwhile, the crew and guest-helpers turn to the process of sorting and cleaning the fish. Since the crew gets to rest, eat or sleep as soon as the latest batch of fish is cleaned and iced, they will enthusiastically welcome your efforts to assist with cleaning the fish, a chore which takes about half an hour for each cycle.
After the nets have been down for another approximately 2 1/2 hours, a bell rings and all hands (exceopt the skipper) meet in the compartment where foul weather gear is stowed. Quickly donning traditional orange foul weather gear and rubber deck boots, all hands go outside on the main deck to haul the nets on board and see just what sort of catch has been made.
Day 6 (Friday): PD-47 continues normal fishing operations until about noon or a little later. Depending on how far from port the ships is located, the skipper may start home in the morning, while leaving the nets in the water to continue catching fish for as long as possible. Sometime after lunch you will join the crew in pulling the nets aboard for the last time, and laying them out on the deck for repairs. Depending on the number of tears and broken lines, repairs may take one or two hours. The process of mending nets is a little bewildering to novices, but fun to help with.
The repaired nets are then lowered below decks and sanitizing of the ship begins. Using a powerful cleanser, the crew cleans the whole exterior of the ship, and inside work areas where fish are handled. The galley and crew quarters also receive a weekly cleaning at this time. After everything is tidy, you and the crew are free to have coffee, watch movies or nap while the ship steams back to port. This is also when everyone showers and changes into clean clothes for going ashore. Traditionally, beer is also served on Friday afternoon.
Sometime between about 6 PM and midnight, the ship will dock and you wull be picked up, possibly with the crew, for transfer to your hotel. It is wise to book a hotel for this evening, since it is not certain at what time or exactly where the boat will dock. You will climb up the ship's gangway and into your van with fond memories of a week full of adventures and some new friends made.
You will likely arrive at the ship about 9PM on Sunday. Depending on the distance to the fishing grounds, most of the crew members will arrive about midnight. You will be escorted aboad, introduced to those already on board and shown to your berth in the crew's quarters. Usually, you will be staying in a two-person cabin, shared with another participant or a crew member. There will be food aboard, so you can have a snack and go to sleep if you wish. There will be plenty of time to meet everyone in the morning. However, before leaving port, one key thing is to receive a safety briefing!
Most of the crew members will go to sleep soon after arriving on board Sunday night, except for the skipper and any crew required to navigate to the fishing grounds. The ship will leave port soon after everyone is aboard, and head for the selected fishing area, generally somewhere in the North Sea.
Day 2 (Monday): Usually the sleeping crew members will be up by 7AM or perhaps a little later. Everyone will gather in the mess room for a hearty breakfast, followed by net-mending chores as the ship steams toward the fishing grounds. It may be as late as noon on Monday before the ship is positioned to start fishing. You can use this time to go up to the bridge for an orientation by the skipper and out on deck to learn a bit about the nets before they are actually lowered into the water and the fishing cycle begins.
Day 3-5 (Tuesday-Thursday): Once the ship begins fishing, life aboard PD-47 settles into a routine geared to the timing of the fishing. For side-beam trawlers like PD-47, the nets are left on the bottom for about 2 1/2 hours each cycle. they are then raised, brought on deck by two teams and the fish are emptierd into bins for processing. The nets are returned to the water and lowered as quickly as possible, since time out of the water is time not catching fish! Meanwhile, the crew and guest-helpers turn to the process of sorting and cleaning the fish. Since the crew gets to rest, eat or sleep as soon as the latest batch of fish is cleaned and iced, they will enthusiastically welcome your efforts to assist with cleaning the fish, a chore which takes about half an hour for each cycle.
After the nets have been down for another approximately 2 1/2 hours, a bell rings and all hands (exceopt the skipper) meet in the compartment where foul weather gear is stowed. Quickly donning traditional orange foul weather gear and rubber deck boots, all hands go outside on the main deck to haul the nets on board and see just what sort of catch has been made.
Day 6 (Friday): PD-47 continues normal fishing operations until about noon or a little later. Depending on how far from port the ships is located, the skipper may start home in the morning, while leaving the nets in the water to continue catching fish for as long as possible. Sometime after lunch you will join the crew in pulling the nets aboard for the last time, and laying them out on the deck for repairs. Depending on the number of tears and broken lines, repairs may take one or two hours. The process of mending nets is a little bewildering to novices, but fun to help with.
The repaired nets are then lowered below decks and sanitizing of the ship begins. Using a powerful cleanser, the crew cleans the whole exterior of the ship, and inside work areas where fish are handled. The galley and crew quarters also receive a weekly cleaning at this time. After everything is tidy, you and the crew are free to have coffee, watch movies or nap while the ship steams back to port. This is also when everyone showers and changes into clean clothes for going ashore. Traditionally, beer is also served on Friday afternoon.
Sometime between about 6 PM and midnight, the ship will dock and you wull be picked up, possibly with the crew, for transfer to your hotel. It is wise to book a hotel for this evening, since it is not certain at what time or exactly where the boat will dock. You will climb up the ship's gangway and into your van with fond memories of a week full of adventures and some new friends made.
