Cannery work tips for a newbie

cornmeal33

cornmeal33

New member
Hey Guys! I'm new here, I love reading everyone's stories and protips for cruising this planet.
I'm a student in California and I'm going to go work in a cannery next month in Naknek, Alaska.
It's my first time and I'm just wondering if anyone has any do's and dont's they can pass my way :)
Cruise on, cruisers.
 
cornmeal33 said:
Hey Guys! I'm new here, I love reading everyone's stories and protips for cruising this planet.
I'm a student in California and I'm going to go work in a cannery next month in Naknek, Alaska.
It's my first time and I'm just wondering if anyone has any do's and dont's they can pass my way :)
Cruise on, cruisers.
Click to expand...
Search around..someone posted a pretty in depth run down of his time at a cannery awhile back
 
Welcome aboard! I don't have any advise on the cannery (sounds tough but rewarding). The search function at the top right of the page should give you lots of info. I have learned a lot by digging deep in various threads here. Have fun!
 
Rad! Thanks
Cloval said:
Welcome aboard! I don't have any advise on the cannery (sounds tough but rewarding). The search function at the top right of the page should give you lots of info. I have learned a lot by digging deep in various threads here. Have fun!
Click to expand...
Thank you thank you! :)
 
-Don't drink so much that you show up hungover to work. It will suck working around fish guts and blood and loud noise when hungover.

-Don't go into it expecting you will make tons of money. Some years the salmon run is strong, other years it isn't.

-Do bring your own INSULATED boots if possible, maybe wool socks too. Getting some comfortable insoles that will pad your feet will make it more comfortable when you are standing for 16 hours a day. X-tra tuffs are the go to boot all the locals wear in AK (get the tall kind, you can always fold em down if you like later). The company will provide boots to people, but they are cheapo brand. Trust me, your feet will appreciate having a good insulated boot.

-Depending on what line you're stuck on and what your job will be, you might want to grab a few packs of these or something like it: ATLAS® Shoulder Length Full Dipped Nitrile Gloves - http://smithsafetysupply.com/atlas-shoulder-length-full-dipped-nitrile-gloves/?sku=772%20-%20XL&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq7mX3tvt6QIVjMDACh1Smw-UEAQYAiABEgKwBvD_BwE The company will provied you with short gloves, but these will probably be hard to come by.

-Do bring lots of smokes, if you smoke. Cigarettes will be more expensive up there.

-Do get as much sleep as possible during the peak of season, whenever you can.

-Do bring vitamins and lots of those Emergen-C packets. Everyone always gets sick with a cold at some point throughout the season, and you don't want to catch it.

-Do bring stuff to keep you entertained on your days/time off. Naknek is pretty bleak and boring from what I hear.

-Do keep an eye on your gear and your personal belongings. Canneries don't always attract the most upstanding people. There's always shit getting stolen.

Good luck.
 
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Also, there's another gal on here who'll be working in Naknek as well. Maybe you guys could request to be in the same bunker room if you get along @Bent123
 
cornmeal33 said:
Hey Guys! I'm new here, I love reading everyone's stories and protips for cruising this planet.
I'm a student in California and I'm going to go work in a cannery next month in Naknek, Alaska.
It's my first time and I'm just wondering if anyone has any do's and dont's they can pass my way :)
Cruise on, cruisers.
Click to expand...

Hi my name is Chelsea and I will be working in Naknek as well this season. It is my first time so I don't really have any advice or tips for you. I fly out of Seattle on June 19th and will be working until around August 15th. What factory will you be working at? I will be working for Alaska General Seafoods.
 
I did it.. in Nahnek.. would not do it again,

there are worse ways to make money certainly,

just be ready for a whole different world. be ready to get treated like hit by HR if you need anything, or want to leave Nahnek before the season is over. be ready to be around the shadiest people you can imagine in an otherwise lawless part of the world. One clinic in the whole town, one doctor and 1 RN, fire department with a few EMTS who don't even conform to national standards because of the nature of Alaska.. no other medical staff. a hospital visit would require a flight in a helicopter.

everybody gets sick during the season, people are housed together, covid 19.. no hospital in town.. no ventilators, a dubious supply of oxygen and bag valve masks supplied by the local fire department..

its not a good idea, but do you
 
I worked in petersburgh. Second on getting sick alot in close quarters. Bring muscle relaxers like tiger balm. Find some reliable peeps and dont drink all the money away. Good luck. No place as pretty as Alaska.
 
cornmeal33 said:
Hey Guys! I'm new here, I love reading everyone's stories and protips for cruising this planet.
I'm a student in California and I'm going to go work in a cannery next month in Naknek, Alaska.
It's my first time and I'm just wondering if anyone has any do's and dont's they can pass my way :)
Cruise on, cruisers.
Click to expand...

Hopefully it wasn't a shit show, I went there for work and it was the equivalent of being a prisoner of a Siberian Gulag.
 
jakmail said:
I did it.. in Nahnek.. would not do it again,

there are worse ways to make money certainly,

just be ready for a whole different world. be ready to get treated like hit by HR if you need anything, or want to leave Nahnek before the season is over. be ready to be around the shadiest people you can imagine in an otherwise lawless part of the world. One clinic in the whole town, one doctor and 1 RN, fire department with a few EMTS who don't even conform to national standards because of the nature of Alaska.. no other medical staff. a hospital visit would require a flight in a helicopter.

everybody gets sick during the season, people are housed together, covid 19.. no hospital in town.. no ventilators, a dubious supply of oxygen and bag valve masks supplied by the local fire department..

its not a good idea, but do you
Click to expand...

Spot fucking on, 2 fucking months I was there, season started late so everyones standing around with their dick in their hand for 3 weeks, shit undercooked food, bullshit living conditions looked liked they hired meth heads to build bunk beds, no internet or service, I got in a fight with my bosses a few times as well as the local Yupik natives; they love to drink and will try to come into your place saying its theirs then start throwing fists.....they can't fight for shit. Few Somali women were prostituting themselves around the cannery. I loved the views and landscape, hated everyone there. Wasn't worth the money, mental hell and travel. They straight up lie to your face during that interview promising great things for hard work but its just because if they didn't no-one would come work for them. Fuck Ocean Beauty.....everyone said they were the worst to work for.
 
Hope all went well for you, I was also in naknek this season for silver bay seafoods. I saw some discontent for a lot of the canneries here and while yes the work is shit, I did most jobs at least once but I was mostly on case up and the fillet line, it wasnt that bad for me.

The bad: Aside from the long hours (16 hour days the whole time I was there) I would have swollen fingers in the morning which I cured with anti inflammatory ibuprofen which I brought a few bottles of. I was sometimes tired due to lack of sleep but I also had caffeine pills, but coffee was also abundant and free inside the mess hall/break hall. My feet hurt at first with the company provided boots but when I got the extra tuffs with insoles my feet were fine, also had wool socks so my toes were not cold. the breaks were also bullshit because they started when they told you to go so you had to get undressed and redressed in your break time, leaving time for a hot beverage and a smoke for me personally. HR didnt transfer me :(

The good: Fat fucking checks for me personally. The work itself was not hard at all. I had brought my phone loaded up with 300 gigs of tv shows and movies, some of which I actually got to watch lmao. They had internet accessible machines for me to update friends/family/whoever on my condition and order some amazon packages to enjoy when I got home. The food was pretty good where I was at, but that tends to vary between places and more importantly companies. I wasnt super micro managed, only given a heads up when I was caught slacking off, got yelled at once for "breaking the fish" when I was throwing frozen fish onto the belt but didnt even get a write up.

So if anyone brings shit like icy hot or anti inflammatory drugs and xtra tuff boots I think the rest of your stay will be great, maybe even some emergen-C, the only thing terribly bad was the boredom and sometimes I couldnt even talk to my co-workers due to language barrier but that was fine. Its a good job if you have specific goals for that money such as travel or school or getting a new car or whatever its a job thats monotonous as fuck but the pay was worth it for me.
 
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