Stories & Essays: Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Brandon Hatfield, 38, is a third generation waterman. Both his father and grandfather worked at the Naval Base, but commercial crabbing "was a required income to keep the family running." Construction in the winter months helps him get through the off-season and funds the next year's gear. But during that time, he's just not as whole. "I'm a much happier person out here. Everything else seems to fall in place."
Brandon Hatfield, 38, is a third generation waterman. Both his father and grandfather worked at the Naval Base, but commercial crabbing "was a required income to keep the family running." Construction in the winter months helps him get through the off-season and funds the next year's gear. But during that time, he's just not as whole. "I'm a much happier person out here. Everything else seems to fall in place."