Working Waterfront is an insider’s view of the world of seafood from deck to dining table. The New England Waterfront borders the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank — one of the most important, vibrant, and productive of the world’s fishing grounds.
What They’re Saying
Bill Gerencer knows fish, working just about every job there is in the seafood industry. Lobsterman, trawlers, president of the Portland fish exchange, salesman at Foleys Fish etc. The list goes on. One common thread in all his work is quality. Bill was instrumental in the “Ocean to Table” concept teaching chefs like me where our seafood came from. I would use terminology on my menu like Block Island Swordfish, Georges Bank Sea Scallops or use underappreciated fish the people in the Midwest never heard of like Acadian Redfish. This made my customers aware how dedicated I was to serve them the best. This is a good read; it tells the story of a man who spent his entire life with an unrelentless pursuit of quality.
—Chef Brian Polcyn
Restaurateur, Culinary Professor, Author
Bill Gerencer’s book is a must read if you want to understand the people and history of what has driven the American seafood market over the last 40 years. Bill’s experiences on the water, his associations with those who capture, produce and process American seafood, and his rich writing style make this a great read.
—Ed Chiles
Organic and Regenerative Farming Pioneer,
Coastal Sustainability and Resiliency Advocate, and Passionate Foodie
In a 21st century world where stress is in the air, Bill Gerencer’s great new book, Working Waterfront, takes us back to a world where the sea sets the rhythm for the soul. A lifetime of stories about people, pullies, potheads (not the kind you’re probably thinking of), and pickled hake, interwoven with a deep dive into the science of sustainable fisheries and a whole series of seafood-centered recipes to help bring Bill’s coastal home-cooking alive in your own kitchen! Loads of down to earth wisdom (if you can have down to earth wisdom while you’re out at sea), plenty of good humor and a healthy helping of what it takes to trap lobsters, live on the sea, make your way in the unique culture of coastal Maine. Bill’s book is an engaging and energizing gift from the sea that anyone who likes lobster, the smell of seawater, fishing culture and great cooking will happily devour!
—Ari Weinzweig
Zingerman’s
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Excerpt
I needed to get lost for a summer. Putting aside books and job interviews, I took a job working in the prettiest environment most people will never see.
“Just for the summer” turned into the winter, the following summer, and another 5 years of working on offshore trawlers, including one of the New England “Highliners” fishing on Georges Bank out of Boston Harbor. When my full- time gig on the water ended, I spent another 35 years at fish auctions, fish and shellfish farms, fishery management meetings, processing plants, wharves, and waterfronts, from Stonington, Maine to Pt Judith, Rhode Island. Not to mention a lot of restaurant kitchens across half the country.
I never had a concrete plan, preferring a life that offered a closer connection to nature, the freedom to live outside the 9-to-5 world, and pay scales that more closely matched my effort and success.
True, in my chosen world, 12 hours is only a half-a-day (“You lazy bastid”), but the long hours, hard work, and the exercise of a sharp mind needed to succeed here leaves you with a satisfaction found by folks who love what they do.
The decisions we make at each step cascade us into the next series of things. I made my way through ocean storms, nature’s fierce beauty, colorful characters, death threats, and close relationships with fishermen, fish and shellfish farmers, stakeholders at fishery meetings, chefs, and a host of others.
My journey was also a culinary one. After all, the result of our collective efforts in this life is food. Tasty meals, life sustaining meals, healthy food, and it helps if you like eating the kind of food you produce. To that end, I made connections and friendships with some talented chefs who were always more than happy to learn all things seafood, could sniff out bullshit a mile away, and were genuinely excited to teach—if you only asked and then actually listened.
Finally, my journey has also been a spiritual one, as is all life if you pay attention. My classroom in the school of enlightenment was also found here. (Yours is right in front of you wherever you are.) As for enlightenment, it’s a worthy step but also, I believe, overrated. I learned to think on my feet, face fear, and set aside my ego, while honoring myself and others. But most of all I learned to get out of my head and live in my heart.
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Working Waterfront, A Fish Tale: A story about life, fishing, food and the spirit.
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