Captain Bill Hulbig and his crew of six fishermen aboard the 105-foot sea scalloper F/V Kate II pulled into Nantucket Harbor Saturday after five days at sea. They had just landed about 15,000 pounds of scallops 40 miles southeast of the island, and decided to tie up at Straight Wharf to complete some gear maintenance before heading back out to sea.
They did, however, make it off the boat for a little R & R. Their first stop? Kitty Murtaghs, the Irish pub on West Creek Road. The crew hitched a ride with island fisherman Dan Pronk.“We like Nantucket,” he said with a laugh, “because I’d rather have people who are friendly with us, and be on the good side.”
Hulbig has been offshore fishing for 40 years, and has been a captain since 1990 with the Compass Fishing company based in New Bedford, the nation’s highest-grossing commercial fishing port.
“I’ve had one job for 32 years,” Hulbig said. “I’m pretty blessed. I’ve got a top notch boat and that’s enabled me to keep a top notch crew.”
What’s it like to fish offshore during a New England winter?
“It can be harsh,” he said. “I don’t want to dramatize it, but yeah it can be harsh. But it’s our job.”
Hulbig said his crew got a good night’s rest on the boat last night, and they were ready to head back out to sea at high tide this afternoon.
