Since earning her 100-ton captain’s license, Duluth Wayforger™ Shaina has been hired as a site caretaker for coastal sea bass pens and regularly takes the wheel on long-range sport fishing trips. On one memorable outing, she piloted a custom 56-foot fishing boat through the Panama Canal.

Five days a week, Shaina works closer to home as part of Catalina’s Harbor Patrol, cruising the island’s Twin Harbors, assigning moorings and assisting the hundreds of boats that flock to the island.

It’s good work, and a change of pace from her sport fishing duties. As second captain on long-range boats, Shaina takes control of the helm at sundown. At first light, it’s time to wake the crew, then wrangle gear and tackle before pitching in with the gaff to help haul the day’s catch onboard. If there’s time, she’ll nap before resuming her post at the wheel.

“It’s tough, there’s not a lot of room for error – and absolutely no room for whining,” she says with a smile.

Days off find Shaina using her 19-foot center console to put dinner on the table, filling her freezer in lieu of traveling to distant grocery stores. And when conditions are just right, she leaves the rod and reel behind and dives in for spearfishing sessions.

“Spearfishing makes you appreciate the whole process of getting your own food. I know whatever I get is humanely harvested and didn’t suffer,” she says. “When you have a good day, you share with neighbors. It feels like a bonding experience between the ocean and the community.”