The Gig Harbor BoatShop is offering a Purse Seine Vessel Crew Member Training Program in April 2026.
The Purse Seine Vessel Crew Member Training Program Crew School is designed to provide fundamental commercial fishing crewmember training in the classroom and aboard commercial fishing vessels.
Experienced commercial fishing captains and crew will lead the hands-on program. A U.S. Coast Guard-approved safety-training course is included: Sea Safety and Survival (Drill Instructor). The four-day program, three days led by long-time purse seine captain Gregg Lovrovich and one day led by safety training instructors, will take place in Gig Harbor, Washington, and on the waters of South Puget Sound beginning Monday, April 13, 2026, and ending Thursday, April 16, 2026.
Program goals are to introduce basic skills required aboard fishing vessels, primarily purse seiners, and to provide participants with a window into the on-board life of a commercial fishing crew member. In addition, the program is intended to help commercial fishing skippers find qualified crewmember candidates. When asked about the program, Gregg Lovrovich said, “I’m looking forward to sharing my commercial fishing experience with program participants and to introducing a younger generation to purse seining. For me, well, I can’t imagine earning my livelihood in any other way.”
Program participants will be introduced to the basics of net mending, navigation, line handling, and on-deck skills on land and aboard fishing vessels, including setting and hauling a purse seine net from a Gig Harbor-based seiner. The safety course will follow the initial three-days of training. Participants who successfully complete the training will receive a certificate and guidance in their search for crew positions.
An Alaska purse salmon seiner is limited to 58’ in length and typically has a crew of four to six, including a skipper. The fishing season runs from mid-June to early September, and any given vessel’s participation varies in length within that window of time. Crew members live aboard for the entire season, and often visit towns like Petersburg, Sitka, or Kodiak to unload fish and/or to get provisions. Crewmembers are compensated on a share basis, a percentage of the total catch.
For more program information or to register, visit the Gig Harbor BoatShop website www.gigharborboatshop.org or call 253-857-9344.
