This week we took a trip to see the working waterfront here in Ft Myers Beach. There is a walking tour that takes you through the fish houses down the waterway to the shrimp boat docks.

We talked with people who made their living selling shrimp and fish. Then we walked through the yards where the shrimper hang their nets to dry and repair. Here we saw where they make the wooden doors used to spread the nets under water when fishing. Workers were cutting steel and welding long booms onto shrimp boats.

We walked through the ships chandlery looking at large blocks, fishing gear and tools. Then we walked the docks talking with fisherman about their boats and the work they did. The men were burly and rough around the edges. Not unlike the Alaskans Jean and I worked with on the bearing Sea all those years ago.

The kids came away with a working knowledge of the process of shrimping, the parts of a net and how the catch was recovered onboard.

This photo shows Jean and the kids along side one of the boats tied at the fish house.