On September 25, 2011 Madeleine Hall-Arber interviewed Dick Grachek as part of the Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project. Dick shares memories from his childhood which nurtured his attachment to the water. Despite not coming from a professional fishing family, his love for the ocean was instilled in him by his grandfather, who owned a fish store in Brooklyn, and father, who took him fishing frequently. Growing up on the south shore of Long Island, Dick was exposed to the cycles of fish and the intricacies of marine life from a young age. At the age of 12, he obtained his first commercial clamming license and started his journey in the fishing industry. His early ventures included trapping eels, potting crabs, and selling his catch in his neighborhood. While he left the coast briefly to pursue his degree, his still found time to go fishing, and found his way back to the coast after graduation. While he initially stuck to fishing in the Bay, he soon ventured into the ocean, where he experienced moments of both beauty and terror. At the age of 32, he briefly took a break from fishing and pursued a graduate degree in psychology. He worked on land as a counselor, often to fishermen, for eight years, before he found himself back in commercial fishing as the captain and owner of the F/V Ann Katherine. Dicks reflects on the challenges fishermen face, including regulations and growing financial insecurity.