Stormy seas weren’t the only thing rocking the F/V Saga this week as tensions erupted on deck between Captain Jake Anderson and crewman Kenny amid mounting frustrations, dwindling crab hauls, and personal demons that have resurfaced at the worst possible time.
Sources aboard the Saga describe a volatile atmosphere in which Captain Anderson has struggled to maintain order as crew morale sinks alongside the empty pots coming over the rail. At the heart of the conflict is Kenny, whose attitude and alleged drinking on the job pushed the skipper to the brink.
“He’s struggled with his demons before, and this time it’s costing all of us,” an exhausted Anderson told this reporter in a radio call from the wheelhouse. “Every second we waste out here matters. We’re staring down a light offload, bills piling up — I can’t afford bad attitudes and half measures.”
The conflict came to a head as the crew prepared for their final haul before offloading in Dutch Harbor. With only one full string left to pull and 20,000 pounds of crab still needed to fill the tank, the stakes were sky-high. But when the pots came up empty, tempers flared.
“We’re tired of all this hard work for nothing,” one deckhand was overheard saying. “It’s like we’re working for food stamps.”
Kenny, meanwhile, clashed openly with the captain, accusing Anderson of unfair treatment and claiming he was singled out despite cleaning up after the rest of the crew.
Witnesses described heated arguments on deck and in the wheelhouse, culminating in Kenny vowing to finish his duties and leave the boat once they reach port.
“It’s got to get better than this,” Anderson muttered as the latest string hit the deck empty. “I hate having to yell, but this boat doesn’t need that attitude. I’d rather run light than drag the whole crew down.”
For now, all eyes are on the Saga as it steams back to port with far less crab than hoped for — and a crew fractured by infighting.
With the clock ticking and quotas looming large, Captain Anderson says he’s focused on one thing only: keeping the boat afloat, whatever the cost.
“Ultimately,” he said, “we all pay the price.”
