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Redmond O’Hanlon – Trawler (07-018)

Redmond O’Hanlon – Trawler (07-018)

He is a travel author. He likes impossible challenges. He has found a new one. Instead of travelling to a remote place, he decided to join the crew of a trawler, going out deep sea fishing. But O’Hanlon never does things normally. So he joins one of the biggest ones going to the North Atlantic. And to make things worse, he only wants to joint them when they are almost certain to be out on sea during a hurricane.

The crew does not welcome him with open arms. On a huge trawler like this one, one has to be able to depend on each other blindly. With an outsider or newcomer that is always difficult. If that outsider does not even come to help, but to observe and write about it, it is even more complicated. But as he tries to help when possible, gets out of the way when necessary and shows respect for the pro’s on board, gradually he gets accepted and they open up and tell him about their lives.

The result is a great story about fish that nobody has ever seen, working on 24-hour shifts without sleep, standing on deck during a hurricane, walking around with wet socks, difficulties living on shore and the economics of fishing. But most of all about human relations, the way we treat each other and this earth. All done with a great sense of humor. O’Hanlon knows he is a burden, but because he continually takes the Mick out of himself, this story becomes a great book.

If I manage to read a book about a subject I do not really care about, the author must have done a great job. Imho, he certainly has.

Number: 07-018
Title: Trawler
Author: Redmond O’Hanlon
Language: English (UK)
Year: 2003
# Pages: 339 (3183)
Category: Travel
ISBN: 0-140-27668-8