Prepared for the Unexpected: Lessons from Safety at Sea

L to R: Fishermen Colin Parry and Tim Weldy checking PDFs ( Personal Floatation Devices) at the FPSS Safety Training.

Recently, Fishing Partnership Support Services, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the health, safety, and sustainability of commercial fishermen and their families, hosted a safety training at the U.S. Coast Guard Station in Chatham on a chilly, rain-soaked day. Despite the weather, it was truly an “all fishermen- hands on deck” effort joined by Harvesters’ own fishermen Colin Parry and Tim Weldy, who both worked aboard Captain Doug Feeney’s F/V Noah last season. We were glad to keep everyone warm by serving hearty quahog chowder to the attendees and trainers.

We invited Colin to share his experience with our fish share members, and he enthusiastically stepped up. His reflections are included below. Today, Colin works as a crew member on a lobster boat and is excited to help bring the freshest local seafood to Cape Cod tables. Though relatively new to the Cape, he has quickly developed a deep appreciation for ensuring the community has access to the highest-quality fish and shellfish. As part of a sustainable fishing co-op, he understands the importance of protecting ocean resources while thoughtfully connecting people to the sea’s bounty.

Before you dive into his story, we want to extend our congratulations to both Colin and Tim for completing the safety training. And a special shoutout to Tim for returning the following day to become a U.S. Coast Guard–certified Drill Conductor! - SD

Prepared for the Unexpected: Lessons from Safety at Sea

- by Colin Parry 

Colin, crewing on the lobster vessel Mary Alice holds up a keeper.

The Safety at Sea training was highly recommended to me by my coworkers and family. Having a full understanding of safety procedures while commercial fishing is extremely important to me, this is a dangerous and unpredictable job, and things can go wrong real-quick out there, seconds-matter and not knowing what to do is a safety concern. My expectations were nothing like what the course really was. I was expecting a lot of videos, a lot of lecturing, and a slow pace, but I was completely wrong; it was very engaging and hands-on, and the instructors were phenomenal. They all went the extra mile to give you recommendations and to make sure you really understood what they were talking about.

Taking the course was eye-opening. It made me realize that I would have very little idea on what to do correctly in a fishing emergency if I were to ever be in one, but after I left, I felt a massive confidence in myself if I were to ever be in an situation.  Before the course I didn’t even think about things such as using the right fire extinguisher based on where you are on the boat, or ways to temporarily but properly plug holes if you start to take on water. Those things matter a lot more than I realized and can be the difference out there if in that situation.

Since the course, I look at things I hadn’t looked for before. I now check to see where all the fire extinguishers are. I know exactly where the life raft is on each vessel I work on. I made sure the survival suits were easily accessible to everyone working. I’m more conscious of where people are all the time, regardless of the time of day. The course instructors shared some of their stories with us about their time at sea, and there were a few times where I realized I’ve done things that seemed not so dangerous in the moment, like being on the deck early in the morning when it’s dark out, but if it went slightly wrong, it could have been me overboard and life threatening.

This course really did a good job at reminding me that I’m not invincible. It was naïve to think that I was. By the end, my confidence that I could do things like call the Coast Guard using the proper terminology, shoot off a flare if lost at sea, and get my survival suit on quickly and effectively soared. My confidence was also built in the aspect that I could help others fishing alongside me if they needed help, or at the very least be an effective helping hand during emergencies that required help from everyone. Being able to stay calm and knowing what to do could be the difference between life and death, so I feel a lot more peace-of-mind.

This was a hard winter for the New England fishing community, it was a difficult time for a lot of people. I think people underestimate how quickly things can happen out here, it’s shocking to hear and see things go so wrong so fast. I felt a lot of motivation to take this course due to all that’s happened recently, and I’m very happy I did. In situations that threaten your life it’s not something that you can try it out and see if it works, you need to know how to respond to what’s going on the right way. I love my job and I love that my job involves feeding people on the Cape, and I want to ensure that I can do it for as long as I can. Being safe and knowing how to do the right things keeps me and my friends working and others get their fresh and local seafood. This course was eye-opening and I highly recommend it to anyone who’s working or considering working on boats.

Trainers, support staff, and attendee fishermen, along with Magic, the official sea-dog mascot, pose in front of a deployed life raft to commemorate the day.