I started commercial fishing with a relative at 8 yrs old, fished salmon with him till I was 17, then went to work on someone elses boat a non relative. I thought I hated my second cousin for the way he treated me compared to the rest of the crew. When I got I my own I really appreciated what he did. (He also taught me how to swim, threw me over in the gulf of Alaska, it was either sink or swim period.) I had my younger brothers on my boat and fish sites with me. My son Jay was 7 and he chopped and filled the bait jars while we were crab fiahing, His mom Helen taught both him and christy Home corespondence schooling.
In 1980 when I got into this buisness, I hired nieces, nephews, brothers, wife any thing for a warm body when we were doing 250,000 a year in sewage back ups.
in 87 here in the lower 48, Jay, my son would help with evening jobs and on the week ends.
he went to work at McDonalds was there for 5 years in mid management. Went back to work for us for 13 years, Our daughter Christy worked for us for 6-7 years. We have had inlaws and and other relatives work for us through out our years in business and they have saved our butt or so we thought time after time.
For the past 6 years it has mainly been Helen and I, I am sure glad she hasen't fired me as of yet.....