Two years previously, Viktre and Ayyen, his lifelong friend, had finally saved up between the two of them enough to buy the ship that they had both been hired to work on for many years. What had been a surprise was Viktre’s father going ahead to send him his inheritance to assist in their plan. With that they had also bought another deep ocean fishing ship of a similar style. This also made Viktre the main investor in their new company. Ayyen was the more experienced captain, but Viktre had been learning a lot as they worked together over the years. Ayyen was the better navigator and manager, but Viktre had the knack of finding the right places to put out the nets for the best catches. Viktre was also better at making contacts.

The ships were not huge, but would allow them to spend a few days out in the deep to fill them up before coming back in to sell the catch. This new situation allowed them to work over the next phase of their dream of owning their own fleet. They spent the next two years saving up to also head down to England to set up a home base to run their fleet.

Thanks to friends they had some contacts in that area that would help get them started in getting some contracts immediately once they arrived in a port town called Whitby. They headed that direction in early May and by the end of May, they were within a day of their destination when they put down anchors and began tossing out the nets, and using the poles (designed for the huge fish that was their goal) were set up for the other side of the ship while they waited for it was time to pull up the nets. They wanted big-game fish such as swordfish, marlin, sailfish, bluefin, yellowfin, bigeye, and sharks. That was where the big money came from and at good prices for inland and even there on the coastland area if they were lucky.

They were not looking to push out the locals as they would stay closer to the shore with their fishing. Viktre and Ayyen would go out to the deeper waters and get the kinds that the smaller boats couldn’t handle. Though they both knew that at first the locals likely would not see to it that way. Well, that and that they were foreigners. But they were eager to give it a go.

Each had over the last two years, working with the crew they currently had. Over those years, some had been hired only to leave or be fired for various reasons. These eight men though worked smoothly together and respected their captains highly. There was a friendly rivalry between the two crews. In fact, they had an ongoing bet with each take, the crew that brought in the biggest catch had to buy the other crew’s a round at the local pub or tavern once they got their wages. They also cheered for their appropriate captain with the other ongoing bet, of which Captain brought in the biggest fish. The loser would buy the other captain a large steak dinner.