The sea is characterized by freezing water temperatures, which drastically increase the risk of hypothermia should a person be thrown overboard, and notoriously violent storm systems that appear with little warning. Tasks such as securing lines, maintaining the winch, or working near the railings demand a constant, heightened awareness of one's surroundings.
Heavy Pot Hauling Dangers on Deck
Waves in these waters are not gentle swells but towering, crushing walls of water that can exceed fifty feet in height. The decks of a crab boat are not places of flat, safe walking surfaces; they are landscapes layered with thick, coiled lines, stacked heavy crates, and towering piles of crab pots.
This line is under enormous tension and moves with incredible speed and force. Regular contact with these lines causes severe "line burns," where the friction from the cable literally melts the skin and soft tissue.
Heavy Pot Hauling Dangers on Deck
Hauling pots that weigh over 800 pounds, often in freezing conditions where fingers lose dexterity, requires immense physical strength. The boat becomes a living entity, twisting and groaning under the immense pressure, constantly threatening to capsize or, more commonly, to throw a man overboard in a single, violent motion.
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