Steaming

Taken in 2017 during a tropical storm, we were aboard the *Mary Elizabeth* steaming down to Beaufort, North Carolina with a limit of fluke we’d caught off the coast of—well, it doesn’t matter. I was on watch in the wheelhouse while my friend Scott Berglin and his father were sleeping. It took me three hours in driving rain to capture this shot. I was soaked, and so was my camera. I waited patiently for the perfect wave to hit the side of the boat and rear up. The wind and waves were on our stern, helping us make great time down to Virginia. I still remember how excited I was when we hit 10 knots that night. Going through rough weather is something I’ve always enjoyed—even though it makes work tough, it brings a sense of wonder and excitement. You realize how powerless you are out on the great sea, at the mercy of mother nature.