9-19-08

9-19-08

As I said before, the ratio of female observers to male observers is around 60:40. Because of this, there was around 10 hours split between two days during training dedicated to sexual harassment issues. Other types of harassment issues were discussed that everyone would inevitably face as an observer, but the sexual harassment of fishermen towards female observers was the obvious issue that we all wondered about. It is a federal crime that comes with imprisonment because of the fact being on boat is different then a normal office environment. The person being harassed can't just go home to get away. Because of this, the laws are much more strict with harsher penalties then you would see on land. I was curious as to the law, but then once I understood I checked out, because it would never apply to me. I guess I could've been put on a boat with another observer that would be female, but I'm up here to make money get experience and smell the ocean. So just like the rest of the guys I didn't think what was said was going to apply to me. Little did I know, there was going to be a gay man on my boat . . . Being a patron of the Pecking North, I have no qualms about being around a gay man. Then I found out that he has been telling everyone that he thinks I'm cute which of course is awkward. I know Pyle is laughing and thinking of course that would happen to me, I would get on the only boat with a gay man, and he would think that I'm cute. I never expected this on a fishing boat in Alaska. It took me by surprise. He never made a move on me or anything of course, never really made me feel uncomfortable. Everything was fine, just a little awkward. Yet I know when I met up with all the cats that I trained with, there is a good chance that I'll be the only one that got hit on. Go figure.

- Casey