Book Review: The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain’s Journey by Linda Greenlaw

The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain’s Journey by Linda Greenlaw is the first-person account of Captain Linda Greenlaw. The book covers her early career fishing in the Newfoundland area of the East Coast up to and including her commanding the fishing vessel Hannah Boden. The sister ship to Andrea Gail, both of these crafts were made infamous by the novel and movie The Perfect Storm. Over the course of the story, Linda interweaves her current fishing expedition with previous voyages to give a full-fledged account of commercial fishing in the Grand Banks area of the North Atlantic. The eccentric cast of characters that make up her current crew range from the even-tempered middle-aged cook to the ornery kid. They represent the caricature of individuals who come across her deck over the course of seasons that she is a captain. These varying personalities clash on the high seas as they struggle to get the fish on board in a timely fashion while battling against fellow fishermen, the elements, owner demands, and port restrictions.

For the reader inexperienced with the vernacular of the commercial fishing lingo, the extensive description of catching and processing of fish can make comprehending these concepts somewhat complex given the industry-heavy tendency of the book. A previous exposure to fishing would likely facilitate the learning process. None the less, the acquisition of specialized language associated with the vocational aspects of the field provides the reader with an education of the fishing community and the art of commercial fishing. These descriptions also give the reader an appreciation for the exhaustive work of Linda and her crew in addition to the others in the industry.

The equipment is the most significant aspect of a fishermen’s success. Leaders are an essential component of this type of angling. A leader is an assembly of metal snap, a length of 300-pound test mono fishing line and a hook. Since driving fish to the craft is the top priority, the fishermen use a variety of tactics to get the fish on the line and the money in their coffers. Furthermore, the fleet utilizes slammer baits. Slammer baits consist of Styrofoam pipe insulation cut into slices and soaked in cod-liver oil. When setting at night a light stick is fastened to a leader, then a hook is strung through the slammer bait and finally, a squid is put on the hook. The specific method allows the slammer bait to float up and down between the hook and light. Distributed along the 40-mile long line the combination bait attracts the swordfish to the area.

Since the gear is so long beeper buoys are necessary. Standing at 3 feet tall and holding an electronic bundle in its base, the buoy receives a radio signal from the radio direction finder (RDF) in the wheelhouse. Each buoy has its own frequency. Connected to the fishing line beeper buoys are set at intervals of approximately every 3 ½ miles. A piece of gear between two beepers is referred to as a “section.” A typical set is 10-12 sections or 35-40 miles.

When fishing, depth and distance are two meaningful measurements that the captain tallies at regular intervals. The first measurement is the fathoms, which constitute the deeps of the ocean. A single fathom is 6 feet. In the case of Hannah Boden and her rival boats, the intended fish is the swordfish. The leaders fished on Grand Banks are 7 fathoms, which gives an indication of how deep the swordfish swim and how far the gear must be set. Distance on the ocean is a further component that the captain and crew monitor over the course of their fishing excursions. Proficiency with the fishing equipment and calculating the correct nautical mileage helps the captain to communicate with fellow skippers, decipher where the fish are and thus the best location to lay the gear and at times communicate with the Coast Guard when needed. A single nautical mile is 1 minute of latitude. Thus, 1 degree of latitude is 60 minutes or 60 miles.

The issues of being a captain are immense from getting the correct gear to relations with the crew while on the fishing grounds. “Crew problems” could refer to a range of issues from seasickness to homesickness. Most often the euphemism elicits descriptions of laziness and personality conflicts. The ability to compensate for the difficulties of the crew and the demands of commercial fishing is a necessary component of the job. As the captain and her crew state throughout the book that is why Linda is "on the pointy end" of the boat, referring to the stern and the position of the wheelhouse where the captain drives the boat.

At times the “crew problems” jeopardize the fishing itself, though. For instance, when Captain Greenlaw allows one of her crew members to use the radio to speak with a fellow crew member on a different fishing vessel, he inadvertently makes the blunder of announcing to the entire fleet how many fish they are catching. Until that point, Captain Greenlaw had been downplaying their actual numbers to keep the competition from imposing of their fishing grounds. The fishing fleet works together interchangeably exchanging information to capture fish when needed, but they must give significance to their own financial considerations for getting as many fish as possible for themselves. Their paychecks depend on how many fish they catch, so they can ill afford mistakes or sharing too much information with their fellow fishermen. When too many in the fleet are in one area the fishing grounds become overrun. When too many fish come into port at one time, the price of fish drops, which likewise creates lighter paychecks for the captains and their crew. In turn loss of profit causes downward pressure from the owners of the boats onto the captains and crew to catch more fish. In some cases, the captain and the watercraft owner are one in the same. In which case the pressure is as high, if not higher because they are directly aware of how much the in fishing is costing them. Every day they spend at sea is another day that the cost of fish goes down. Concurrently, the owner wants the holds to be overflowing. An outstanding paradox in played in the minds of the captain. Many factors go into catching these fish, when to catch them and when to come into port.

The author does an excellent job of bringing the reader along for the ride on Hannah Boden. The reader is an honorary sixth crew member for the duration. The story expands and contracts from the captain’s current excursion to previous fishing tours. The captain presents stories of times when the crew had wonderful catches and others when she had miserable fortune on the seas. She feels lucky for her crew members, despite their flaws, recognizing that all the members of her team have something to contribute in their own unique way. She can use hindsight to recognize those journeys that were not so pleasant to recognize a good crew when she sees it. For instance, at one point one of the crew members is disrespectful to another. When confronted, it becomes apparent that he is behaving poorly because there is not a "green guy" on the fishing vessel, referencing her experienced crew and thus a lack of a low man in the pecking order to harass. She is grateful for her knowledgeable crew while still understanding that there might be a place for a newbie in the fishing world culture for proficient deckhands to pester.

The Hungry Ocean: A Swordboat Captain’s Journey would be an excellent read for anyone who is inquisitive about commercial fishing. Also, the story provides a unique perspective on the commercial fishing world, from the viewpoint of a woman captain. Given that this is a nontraditional role for women, readers intrigued by gender studies would likely find the nonfiction account to be fascinating. The narrative takes the reader through the new days of a deckhand all the way through to the author’s experience as a captain, which is a wild ride wrought with highs and lows, elation and absolute despair. Some details give explicit descriptions of medical procedures done on board, which might make some readers uneasy. Even an account of placing a man in a bait locker when he passes away in his bunk is described. Additionally, the descriptions of the cleaning and processing of fish can be unsettling for those who are faint of heart. Despite these depictions, the book is well written with a fresh voice in the commercial fishing industry. Linda Greenlaw knew from the age of 12 what she wanted to be. She worked her way up the ranks and she is now living her bliss on the sea.

Book Review: Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

In Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World, Rita Golden Gelman goes on a quest spanning the globe to find herself after the breakdown of her long marriage. The author takes to the world to find her place, both figuratively and literally. In the process, she makes connections with people from all cultures. She finds a commonality among the places that she journeys from Mexico, Israel, Indonesia, and Australia, traversing the globe several times in this pilgrimage. The concept of connection is the prevalent undertone that resonates in these places. Also, Rita finds that she feels the need to give back to the communities that contribute so much to her. At times she is more dependent on her fellow citizens than she feels she can contribute back. For instance, when she is gravely ill in Mexico she must rely on her host family, and when she is traversing mountains in Indonesia the author leans heavily on her women’s group. When she is able she participates in traditional ceremonies of the places she visits, immersing herself in the culture, or she teaches English to the citizens. While she is involving herself in the daily life of these communities along the way she learns their customs and language. She plays with and cares for the children in the areas she visits. Additionally, she participates in communal cooking and helps a few of the people to help to tell their own stories through writing.

The author has conflict not to impose her western cultural norms on the nations where she travels. She wants to be in the role of the observer, so she feels that it is important to accept the cultures for their own norms without putting her American expectations upon the society she is observing. The author has an advanced degree in Anthropology thus her interest is in the civilization that makes up the communities that she visits. In an effort to better understand these societies Rita seeks to immerse herself directly into each of the groups. By becoming a global citizen, she is able to blend into these different situations and broaden her experience even further.

As the author leaps into the great unknown without a plan of where she is going to stay she is daring in each point of her travel. Many of Rita’s travels are determined spontaneously. For instance, on a whim, she decides she wants to live in a Zapotec village based upon a visit to a museum. Even some of her physical undertakings are sometimes impetuous and she faults herself for not preparing better, even for those physical events she plans. Despite her ill-planned pursuits, Rita’s ability to act based upon her instincts leads her to have beautiful experiences around the world and to make deep connections with many people.

The author states that connection requires participation, which is a life lesson she learns early based upon her experience living in the Zapotec village. In this community, Rita experiences a connection to a sisterhood among the women. The impulsive connection unites each experience that the author has throughout the book. A connection is what bonds each person to another and connection brings together communities of people, much like the banjar in Bali who come together to support each other. The author states that we all share sensations of human emotions and a need to affirm sameness. Through her travels, she is able to gain friendships with people all over the world, cementing old friendships and gaining new friends. She defines friends as people with whom she connects.

Filled with vocabulary relevant to the different areas where the author visits, the book is educational about different cultures. For instance, huipils are blouses found in Mexico and Central America. These garments are made from rectangular weavings with openings from the head and arms. Each hupil defines a woman as each garment is different depended on each village. Also encountered in the author’s travels in Mexico is a comal. A comal is a rectangular steel griddle used to cook tortillas. In Israel, the reader learns that a cholent is traditional Sabbath stew. During the author's time in Bali, she stays in a puri, which is a compound of a royal family also thought of as a "palace." The adat of Indonesia refers to the tradition.

While the author is traveling in Nicaragua she encounters the political turmoil of the time. Given that her travels began in the mid-1980s, she experienced the tumultuous political climate taking place during the Iran-Contra affair. The author states “thank you for a country that honors the freedom of the press” referring to the United States. Nicaragua suppressed their press releases, by any means necessary, therefore the author was thankful for being a United States novelist where she had the freedom of the press to support her work and musings. Since the majority of the author’s communication takes place through the written word, this statement is rather poignant.

Another place where Rita experiences political turmoil is in Papua New Guinea. It is here that she encounters the OPM. OPM, which stands for Organisasi Papua Merdeka, is an organization formed for the freedom of Papuans against the Indonesians. Under United Nations order, West Papua New Guinea was brought under Indonesian order in the 1960s. This order led to the Indonesians flooding Papua New Guinea with immigrants, leading to the rebellion by the native peoples. The Indonesians are the police, army, businesses, government, and many teachers in immersed in the culture of West Papua New Guinea. OPM is a rebellion group to fight against Indonesians who seek to oppress the Papuans. The Papuans want to have their autonomy to protect the indigenous people instead of being associated with the overall Indonesian classification.

When Rita was traveling in Israel she made use of an international organization called Servas. Committed to building peace and understanding this organization is a network comprised of hosts and travelers from different cultures. She stays with a range of individuals from a woman whose family helped to hide Menachem Begin during the 1940s to a woman living on a kibbutz, a collective community-based in agriculture, among others.

One of the personal stories that Rita attempts to tell is the story of Dr. Birute Galdikas. While in Indonesia Rita has the opportunity to meet Dr. Galdikas and observe the orangutan camp at Camp Leakey in Borneo. The rescued orangutans of Camp Leakey come from a variety of sources. Some were kept as pets while others were orphaned by poachers. A percentage of the orangutans lost homes when the loggers cut down their canopies. During Rita’s stint in the camp, she tries unsuccessfully to connect with Dr. Birute Galdikas to complete a book about Dr. Galdikas’ work in the Camp and the Camp itself. After meeting once, Rita drafts a copy of the book. Following several complications, the publisher cancels the contract and the book is never published.

Another dimension that Rita encounters on her journey around the world in exploring her sense of self is the dimension of the spiritual. In Bali, she discovers the concept of two worlds, the sekala, the world you can see and the niskala, the world that you cannot see. The sekala is the world of the tangible, the world that we walk around every day. The niskala is the world of the spiritual. This is the world that we transcend when we pass on. In Bali, she learned to listen to spirits, the inner one that is a part of her and the ones from the other invisible world. She ultimately experiences serenity through a series of significant events that take place during her time in Indonesia.

When Rita returns to the United States for an extended stay she feels that she is closer to her family and making new friends, yet she has equally felt that she is losing her spirituality and the gained awareness she received in Bali. For instance, when she goes to REI and she buys “labels” she does not feel connected to her source. Ultimately, she decides to return to her nomadic lifestyle to get back to her newfound roots of self, spirituality, and connection.

Throughout much of the author’s travels, she practices what she refers to as “experiential learning.” This technique of learning through doing and hands-on learning is the ultimate in living in the moment. It is also a great way in which the author is able to connect with the people she meets and cultures where she travels. In the places she goes, she is repeatedly invited to take part in ceremonies and side trips that take her on other journeys. She says yes to each of these experiences she remains open and allows herself to be guided to each new experience. This practice allows the author to expand her horizons far beyond her wildest expectations. By continuing to travel the world, persistently learning and immersing herself in the cultures she encounters she has developed connections throughout the world, developing a legacy.