Kendra eased the boat forward as the crew disappeared into the galley for fresh coffee, while she started to trawl.
Kendra smiled when Harvey stepped inside and handed her a cup of steaming coffee.
“Thanks. We’ve been blessed with another beautiful morning.” She nodded toward the golden orb rapidly filling the sky with light.
“Yes, we have. I hope this weather holds out all season.”
She saw Lindsey step out of the galley and walk over to the railing sipping her coffee.
“How she doing?” she asked.
“Like she’s been on this boat for years.” He grinned. “She works well with the men, and gives their teasing right back at them. She’s a good fit if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Kendra nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “The last thing we need is drama, especially if we’re going to be in tight quarters for days at a time.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I think she’ll pose a challenge to the younger men to outwork her and that’s good for the rest of us,” he stated. “She knows her way around a shrimp boat and I don’t think she’ll tolerate them cutting any corners.”
“Not that you would either.” She smiled. “I know just how tight a crew you run, remember?”
“You still thinking we’ll do four days this week?” he asked.
“Yeah. If we have a few good days I’ll call it a week so we can get the new equipment installed and the boat ready for deeper waters. You and the boys can enjoy a long weekend and be well rested for next week.”
“That sounds good. Everyone’s excited to start the red season.”
“Me too, Harvey.”
“I’ll give them a break for a few more minutes, and then we’ll set up the sorting bins. Do you want us to keep any fish or crab caught in the nets?”
“Dad’s going to need some bait for all those crab traps he bought, so keep any trash fish we get for them. You and the boys can take home any decent food fish or crab we catch. We filled our freezer with some nice grouper this weekend.”
“Kevin was bragging this morning that he caught a sixty pounder.”
“He did and it took both of us to hold that rascal up to the scales.”
“I would have loved to see that smile on his face.”
Kendra grinned, pulled her phone out of the holster, and handed it to him. She had saved the photo Lindsey had taken to use as her background. Both she and her dad were sporting huge smiles.
“That’s a good shot.” Harvey handed the phone back to her. “Definitely a keeper.”
Kendra wondered if he was talking about the fish or the photograph as he turned and left the wheelhouse.
Outside she saw the crew milling around the deck and heard Harvey holler, “Let’s get the sorting equipment ready to go,” before he disappeared into the galley. She also watched Lindsey crossing the deck carrying what looked like an empty coffee mug. Kendra watched her move with a confident stride as she disappeared inside the galley. Then Kendra returned her gaze across the open water.
†
The groan of the winch promised full nets as Harvey began to bring them up from the floor of the Gulf.
“That’s such a sweet sound.” Kendra spoke aloud in the wheelhouse, knowing their first run of the morning would be a good one.
Kendra heard the cheers from the men as the nets broke the surface. That confirmed her thought. She watched them rush to place the bottom of the first full net into the mouth of a large cart and pull the tie releasing the bounty. The cart filled to its brink with healthy brown shrimp.
The activity continued as Lindsey and Charlie began pushing the filled cart to the sorting table to dump the contents, while the men worked on preparing the empty net for another run. Charlie moved the now empty cart under the remaining net, and the release of the tie filled it once again to the brim. He pushed the cart to the sorting table where he and Lindsey began sorting the different sizes of shrimp while the rest of the
Kendra smiled when Harvey stepped inside and handed her a cup of steaming coffee.
“Thanks. We’ve been blessed with another beautiful morning.” She nodded toward the golden orb rapidly filling the sky with light.
“Yes, we have. I hope this weather holds out all season.”
She saw Lindsey step out of the galley and walk over to the railing sipping her coffee.
“How she doing?” she asked.
“Like she’s been on this boat for years.” He grinned. “She works well with the men, and gives their teasing right back at them. She’s a good fit if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Kendra nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “The last thing we need is drama, especially if we’re going to be in tight quarters for days at a time.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about. I think she’ll pose a challenge to the younger men to outwork her and that’s good for the rest of us,” he stated. “She knows her way around a shrimp boat and I don’t think she’ll tolerate them cutting any corners.”
“Not that you would either.” She smiled. “I know just how tight a crew you run, remember?”
“You still thinking we’ll do four days this week?” he asked.
“Yeah. If we have a few good days I’ll call it a week so we can get the new equipment installed and the boat ready for deeper waters. You and the boys can enjoy a long weekend and be well rested for next week.”
“That sounds good. Everyone’s excited to start the red season.”
“Me too, Harvey.”
“I’ll give them a break for a few more minutes, and then we’ll set up the sorting bins. Do you want us to keep any fish or crab caught in the nets?”
“Dad’s going to need some bait for all those crab traps he bought, so keep any trash fish we get for them. You and the boys can take home any decent food fish or crab we catch. We filled our freezer with some nice grouper this weekend.”
“Kevin was bragging this morning that he caught a sixty pounder.”
“He did and it took both of us to hold that rascal up to the scales.”
“I would have loved to see that smile on his face.”
Kendra grinned, pulled her phone out of the holster, and handed it to him. She had saved the photo Lindsey had taken to use as her background. Both she and her dad were sporting huge smiles.
“That’s a good shot.” Harvey handed the phone back to her. “Definitely a keeper.”
Kendra wondered if he was talking about the fish or the photograph as he turned and left the wheelhouse.
Outside she saw the crew milling around the deck and heard Harvey holler, “Let’s get the sorting equipment ready to go,” before he disappeared into the galley. She also watched Lindsey crossing the deck carrying what looked like an empty coffee mug. Kendra watched her move with a confident stride as she disappeared inside the galley. Then Kendra returned her gaze across the open water.
†
The groan of the winch promised full nets as Harvey began to bring them up from the floor of the Gulf.
“That’s such a sweet sound.” Kendra spoke aloud in the wheelhouse, knowing their first run of the morning would be a good one.
Kendra heard the cheers from the men as the nets broke the surface. That confirmed her thought. She watched them rush to place the bottom of the first full net into the mouth of a large cart and pull the tie releasing the bounty. The cart filled to its brink with healthy brown shrimp.
The activity continued as Lindsey and Charlie began pushing the filled cart to the sorting table to dump the contents, while the men worked on preparing the empty net for another run. Charlie moved the now empty cart under the remaining net, and the release of the tie filled it once again to the brim. He pushed the cart to the sorting table where he and Lindsey began sorting the different sizes of shrimp while the rest of the
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