JOE UPTON

Joe graduated from Harvard University in 1969 Cum Laude in History and Creative Writing, as well as the University of Rhode Island Commercial Fisheries Program ‘79-’70.

He has operated and owned numerous boats in Alaska salmon and king crab fisheries (primarily salmon) for 16 years along with operating a fish buying operation throughout Southeast Alaska for 4 years. When he worked as a fisheries consultant for FAO (United Nations) in projects in Guatemala and St. Kitts/Nevis, these involved month long stays in country working with small scale fishing operations to recommend new gear and boats. Joe also worked on various tuna and anchovy

seiners out of Iquique, Chile, ‘65-’66

Additionally, Joe has been Commodore (operator) of Island Sail, non profit sailing school on Vinalhaven 2005-2010 (or thereabouts), owned 2 44’ sailing cutters and explored first the ICW and the Caribbean, taking our children out of school for 6 months, and then 10 years later, explored US and Mexican west coasts, and Sea of Cortez with family and friends. Our grandchildren sail Hurricane Sound in the summers with us and soon by themselves. Both children worked as instructors at Island Sail, Vinalhaven, in high school, and during college summers as skippers of Beneteau 50s in the teen sailing program operated by Caribbean Sail.

He is a published author many times over, with titles such as Alaska Blues: A Fisherman’s Journal - Alaska Northwest Books 1975; Journeys Along The Inside Passage - 1982 Amaretto - International Marine Publishing Co, 1984 (Later reissued as Herring Nights: Remembering A Lost Fishery), Runaways On The Inside Passage (YA fiction) - Epicenter Press 1995 Bering Sea Blues - Epicenter Press 2005, Young Men Go North - (Memoir) - Epicenter Press 2022. Joe also started Coastal Publishing in 1998 to produce illustrated maps and books for Alaska Cruise passengers and worked with multiple other cruise lines for onboard educational programs.

Additionally built all our houses with the help of his wife Mary Lou, as well as the dock and float at his summer home on Vinalhaven. Joe and his wife currently live half the year on Old Harbor, Vinalhaven (right across from Hurricane) and half on Bain-bridge Island, Washington.