We love hearing stories of women who have built a life on the water and are building families of their own. Here is a note on motherhood and commercial fishing from Molly Ekstrom, who welcomed a daughter into her family this year.
Yakutat, AK. F/V Major (formerly F/V Sherrie Marie) halibut longliner & black cod pot fisherman.
“I’ve been a commercial fisherman almost my entire life, and as long as I can remember, I’ve dreamed about being a mom. This year has been full of change for our little family. My lifelong dream of becoming a mom was fulfilled when my husband and I welcomed our daughter at the start of the new year. Not only did we welcome a daughter, but we entered a new partnership on a new-to-us boat, the F/V Major, after our former partnership ended last year. In the meantime, I’m helping the operation in any way that I can while living on land, and caring for our daughter while my husband is away. We spend as much time as we can on the boat with my husband when they are in port. Our daughter has already been along for many trips from the boat harbor to the cannery and has learned the skill of napping at the galley table in between boat projects.
I look forward to the days when I can return to the ocean with her alongside us. A childhood on the ocean is magical. It teaches valuable lessons about self sufficiency, hard work, and learning to enjoy life on the hardest of days. I would love to see her continue our legacy, but ultimately we want her to choose her own path. We have no expectations that our daughter will continue to be a commercial fisherman herself, but I hope she can carry those life lessons in whatever she does."
