The Good: you鈥檙e on the open ocean, the pay鈥檚 great, and you鈥檒l never complain about hard work again. The Bad: it鈥檚 nearly around-the-clock, demanding physical labor鈥攈auling traps out of the water, removing the lobsters, cutting up bait fish with huge knives on rolling waves. After 20 hours there鈥檚 a four-hour break鈥攕ometimes. 鈥淚f weather gets rough, I鈥檒l keep guys on duty for up to 48 hours if I need to,鈥 says Morgan Garrett, captain of the 64-foot Sea Star in Point Judith, Rhode Island.
Prereqs: 鈥淎 driver鈥檚 license,鈥 says Garrett. 鈥淎 lot of deckhands are alcoholics and drug addicts who can鈥檛 keep a license and don鈥檛 show up for work on time, so a valid license says a lot.鈥
How to Break In: Walk the docks from New York to Boston, handing out r茅sum茅s at boats. 鈥淎void Maine, where there鈥檚 a required two-year apprenticeship,鈥 says Garrett. There鈥檚 no minimum age, as long as you can handle the work.
Pay: A share of the catch, which ranges from $600 to $1,800 per week, plus room and board at sea.
Romance Potential: Decent, just as soon as you get into shore, where you鈥檒l be flush with cash at the port bars.
R茅sum茅 Skills: Knot mastery, ability to work like a mule, knife play.