- Ashley

The Captains Eye
by Ashley Earl

Working on a boat for nine to ten hours a day can get a little crazy and maybe even make you a little seasick. Andreas Willhofm knows exactly this.
         I first met twenty three year old Andreas at Resurrection Bay on The Kenai Fjords Boat Tour where he was working. Andreas really likes his job. “I’ve been working here for two summers now and I love it,” Andreas said. Andreas was born in Chicago and came to Alaska about 2 years ago. “My friend visited Alaska, came back and had nothing but great stories to tell me. So I decided to come to Alaska as a celebration for graduating college,” he said. While Andreas was up here, he realized how much he loved it. “I loved Alaska so I decided to look for a job here. My friend found the job for me, I filled out the application, and was hired,” Andreas said. 
Andreas had to go through many hours of working and training to get to the position he currently holds. “Basically my job is to be the captain’s eyes,” he said. “I run the decks, make sure the engine is running well, and make sure the passengers are enjoying themselves.” Andreas also teaches kids about the aquatic life in Resurrection Bay.
He has a lot of fun teaching kids about all of the different animals and the water that they live in, but remembers that the first time he was on the boat wasn’t very much fun. “I hadn’t been on a boat since I was 10 and I was really nervous. I guess my stomach couldn’t handle it and I ended up getting seasick everywhere. It was pretty embarrassing,” he said. Since Andreas has been working on the boat for 2 summers, he has gotten used to it. Andreas loves Alaska so much that sometimes he doesn’t want to go back to Chicago during the rest of the year. Andreas also loves his job and doesn’t plan on changing it anytime soon.
Andreas has achieved something many people strive for in their lives. Instead of loathing work everyday, he has a job that he truly enjoys, and makes him feel good. “This is my dream job; I feel like being on boats is where I belong and the fact that I get to teach and help others learn makes its even more worth while. I always feel great when I find out that someone has learned something from me.”