Dead Reckoning: Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on Its High Seas

by Dave Atcheson

This is the true story of a journey to a seaside town and the always unpredictable torrent of dark escapades that accompany a life at sea. It’s a story of a world peopled by those who often live on the frayed edges of society, who shun the world in which most people thrive. It’s a story in which college students and “fish hippies” work in canneries alongside survivalists, rednecks, religious freaks, and deckhands with damning secrets in dangerous waters, driven by the need to feed an insatiable appetite for adventure.

This is the heart of the world Atcheson found himself in at the age of eighteen. Having never even seen the ocean, he took his first job on the Lancer with Darwin Wood, a man so confounding, so complex and so frightening, that it’s hard to believe Atcheson walked away from that job unscathed. Forced to buddy up with a murderer in order to cope, Atcheson began to question his deeply ingrained ideas of success and status. The resulting conflict would finally resolve itself fifteen years later, in the least likely of on the Bering Sea, aboard a boat in peril, during a night of terror that would reshape the lives of everyone involved.

Reminiscent of The Perfect Storm and Into the Wild , Dead Reckoning is not only an intimate look at life at sea, but also an insider’s view into one of Alaska’s small communities, and the myriad of upstarts, dropouts, and rogues that color its landscape.

Genres: Nonfiction, Adventure, Nature, Travel, Nautical

224 pages, Hardcover

First published June 20, 2014

About the author

Dave Atcheson's latest book, Dead Reckoning, Navigating a Life on the Last Frontier, Courting Tragedy on its High Seas, is the true story of his time at sea and the harrowing night that changed his life, and the lives of his fellow crewmen, forever. He is also the author of Hidden Alaska: Bristol Bay and Beyond and the guidebook Fishing Alaska's Kenai Peninsula. He has written for a variety of periodicals, from Outdoor Life to Boys' Life, and is a frequent contributor to Alaska Magazine and past contributing editor for Fish Alaska Magazine. Dave teaches fly fishing at Kenai Peninsula College and currently lives in Sterling, Alaska.

Reviews

[Bill Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A combination coming-of-age story and ripping tale of danger in the Bering Sea, DEAD RECKONING is The Deadliest Catch without the cameras. Atcheson does a fine job of capturing the unique mindset that so many of us Alaskans display, while also conveying the sheer power of the mighty oceans around it and the courage of the men who brave those waters to catch fish for America's dinner plates. If you want a glimpse of the reality of Alaska and its fishing industry, skip the reality TV and read DEAD RECKONING. You won't regret the exchange.

[Sara Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really can't say enough about this book. Dead Reckoning is Atcheson's first foray into the world of narrative non-fiction, and it's incredibly effective. This really is The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea meets Into the Wild, and Atcheson's reflective asides and telling of the story to fishing buddies was what made this one for me. Instead of writing for the reader, he sounds as though he's writing for his friends in Alaska, characters he fleshes out throughout the novel, and for himself, as a way to overcome the hardships that go hand in hand with the Alaskan fishing industry.

There was a lot of information about sailing, captaining and operating a boat, and fishing — some of which could have done with a little more explanation. Overall, however, I came away with much more information about an area and an industry that has always interested me and that I feel deserves so much more attention. Very, very well done.

[Daniel Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really captures the fishing life from the point of view of a newcomer and later an experienced hand. Also,this is one of the better "coming to Alaska" stories I've read. Does jump from one story, or part of the story, to the next (from past to present) and the reader needs to take note of that at the beginning of each chapter, but it comes together and climaxes during an harrowing event at sea, and even though you know its coming it's still exciting. Highly recommend.

[Dave Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good the second time.

[Kristen Gehrke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling. I purchased this on a whim when it was suggested by someone I follow on Twitter. An excellent read!

[Andy Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed his book, from the story itself to the descriptions of the places and the characters —I know Karl Kircher and Dave captured him well—to the foreshadowing and growing dread of the approaching near catastrophe. He captured what many Alaskan commercial fishermen feel, and try to ignore; the potential for catastrophe that is a constant companion, waiting to pounce on the careless and the unlucky.

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed this book. Dave has a great love of Alaska and some great fishing stories.
I lived in Alaska in the 1970's and 1980's and loved every minute of it. This brought back good memories. Thanks Dave for your story so well told.

[Christina Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping tale of the physical environment of Alaska, the gritty yet colorful nature of commercial fisherfolk, a tale of survival, and the insight after the fact.

[Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent description of the time and place. Woody is gone and Seward has changed somewhat but the sea, and fishing, are still much the same, and young people still come up every year to start their own adventures. Some never leave.

[Shauna Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once I started reading it I cod t out it down!!!
Well done

[Debra Daniels-Zeller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A memoir by a former Alaska commercial fisherman about his experiences fishing on the high seas in Alaska. His is by-the-seat-of-your-pants learning about skippers and commercial fishing boats and he encounters a number of things that can go awry, until one event tops them all. It takes a certain kind of person to accept and do a job that dangerous where your life depends on the crew you're with. Lots of excitement and good pacing in this memoir. I didn't really care for the epilogue much, just the action on the boat was enough for me. A great story, well told.

[MaryAnne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

I was fascinated by a glimpse of the evolving life as a fisherman (not sure this is the right term) on the waters of Alaska. I found satisfaction with the ending also. One often wonders how the characters ended up. His is a life well spent.

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspectives from an Alaskan Fisherman

Reads like a well written journal with lots of insights into the people and the workings of the fishing society in Alaska.

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good listen that caught the uniqueness of Alaskans, especially the people who fish the dangerous seas.

[Robyn Obermeyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love reading true stories! So this book fell into that category. I probably will never go to Alaska, but in my mind, I have and I always enjoy the thoughts of it. This was a quick read for me but never the less fully captured my imagination!

[Straker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally interesting book falls apart somewhat at the end, when the author tries to convey his feelings in the aftermath of a near-death experience at sea. His reactions, and those of his shipmates, just seemed completely bizarre to me. Most of the book, however, is more successful as the author provides an excellent "grunt's eye-view" of the Alaska fishery in the 1980s and '90s.

[Daniel L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4+ A page turner, good wordsmithing, an easy read.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read, great insight into the Alaskan fishing industry.