My retirement job

[Bayouhunter]

After 42yrs running oil field supply vessels and at 61 yrs old I retired in July. I wasn’t set up to just fully retire and not work. Born and raised in Bayou La Batre Al. my roots was in the seafood industry. So I returned to my very first line of work
and work harder now than I have in decades and love it. I bought 41ft. Shrimp boat and returned to where I first worked as a teenager during the summer months at age 14. It’s been a big change going from 280ft and 300ft vessels to a 41ft skiff!
The boat is a 41ft. Lafitte style with a Cummins series 6C 8.3 CTA pushing skimmer nets. All hydraulic winches to handle nets and gear.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/shares/1662q6

 

[LAH]

Sounds like you're enjoying yourself & that's the main thing. Your boat sounds interesting.

 

[contender]

I'll most likely retire when they pronounce me dead.

I understand how folks who work for others make the choice to retire. Many good solid reasons,, and very understandable.

But too often,, folks who retire find themselves at a loss of what to do daily. Many find volunteer work, while other start another career,, more of their own choosing, like you have done.

KUDOS!!!!!!!!!!

Now,, I'll take 10 lbs of your finest 25-30 count Gulf shrimp if you don't mind!

 

[Dave P.]

Thanks for posting.
Guessing that's a locally built boat, looks pretty specific to it's task.
Always wondered how those ride with all that stuff sticking way up
high.
Is catching shrimp a real mental challenge with some luck thrown in
or just basically go out every day and work?
Dave

 

[Kevin]

That is an awesome boat! Wow, I bet that is a lot of fun. How many people are on your crew, or is it just a one man operation?

 

[Jimbo357mag]

That is going to keep you busy until you retire for good.

Good luck and good fishing.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Most of the shrimp in the 2 photos were 10/15 & 16/20 count!. This time of year shrimp are small running 41/50 count to the pound.
https://flic.kr/p/2kHhheL
https://flic.kr/p/2kHhAgi
I do like the work and wish I could have done this 10 yrs ago. I do eat too much of my catch.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Most of the time it’s just me but my wife and grandson go out with me at times. This summer he will be 14 and I’m going to work him like I did at that age. He’ll do good hopefully the season will be a good one.
Summer 1974 I was that age working for 1/2 share of the catch. Fuel and ice bill come off the top then there was a 4 share split, Boat, Rigging, Capt, Crew. I made a lot of money that summer.

 

[Mobuck]

"This summer he will be 14 and I’m going to work him like I did at that age."
That's a good plan and I hope it works out for you. Many of the teenagers don't want to work and don't seem to understand that working is learning and job experience.
I was doing a man's work at 14 and it's hard for me to understand why Grandson doesn't want to work and learn how to do things as I did.

 

[Dave P.]

Do you have to still use turtle guards in the area you fish?
When we were down in that area a few years back seems like
some boats had to use them.
Can you empty your nets without pulling the whole net out of the water?
Dave

 

[Gator89]

5 pounds of 10 - 12 count please.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Yeah Dave as April 1st I’ll be required to have T.E.D.‘s “Turtle Excluder Devices” to continue shrimping. I just purchased 3 frames this past week @ $375 each now This week I’ll buy net webbing and get them made up and installed before the 4/1/21. I’ll probably drop $2500 to $3000 by the time I’m get them installed and working right.

Pushing skimmer type nets you only have to lift the bags so you can continue to catch without interruption or delay. But it doesn’t really work quite that well in my area due to sea grass and heavy jelly fish causing us to lift the frames up and shake out the net and chains. I don’t have photos of that but if I remember next time bog up with jelly or grass I snap a photo or two.

 

[any ruger]

Good luck and enjoy your new adventure.

 

[RSIno1]

My dad took an early retirement in his late 50s and got bored so he opened a machine shop. That is where he started as a 12 year old during the depression sweeping out a machine shop. He retired as a tooling and manufacturing engineer. Within 6 months he was working 70 hour weeks and I was doing about 40 after my regular job. All prototype work for companies where other engineers he had known were working. Once I got my city job he said well you won't need this place for a retirement program so he closed it and he and my mom went on a year long vacation. They sold their house before they left and when they got home he built a new one. At 70 I'm still working my retirement is now 92% of my base salary but not sure what to do when I take it. I did draw up a retirement home and do feel a little guilty since I'm the first generation since the ancestors stepped off the boat in 1620 who hasn't built their own house.

 

[Dave P.]

Do you actually get many turtles? The owner I was talking with claimed they
didn't get many, I didn't get the impression that he thought too highly of the
requirement at the time. I think that boat was about 60-70 foot range.
Dave

 

[ned]

What the heck is in the inset photo on your boat photo page?

 

[A.J.]

I retired early almost 6 months ago to a small house in the country. I love it!

Musings so far:
I still hate my last job and most of the people as much as the day I left.
I do a lot of manual labor on my property.
I just turned 57, am in great shape but can tell my body is slowing down a bit.
I never wear a watch or wedding ring.

 

[contender]

Ok,, gee,, I guess I'll have to settle for the 16/20 count bugs.

Sounds like you have a good plan going forward. Hopefully, that grandson will learn the RIGHT stuff, and will reflect back upon this time when he's older & wiser.

 

[Bayouhunter]

Not sure how it got there but the inset photo was the side of buck I shot last year to show bullet path and damage. I had to put better glasses on to see it.

 

[375supermag]

Hi...
I retired almost three years ago
My retirement job is finding a way to keep from working. Doing pretty well so far.
Almost applied for jobs at a couple of local gun shops but good sense got the better of me before I actually applied for the jobs. I don't need the money so that makes it pretty easy to stay retired.

I keep busy around The Estate with maintenance and yard and garden work. Spend a lot of time in the reloading room when I am not providing amusement for the two Labrador Retrievers that allow me to reside in their home.
Wife is still working so I am pretty much in charge around here until she gets home from work.