Upon graduating from Southern Regional High School in 2004, I became a full time Scallop Fisherman, going out to sea for weeks at a time. I worked out of Viking Village in Barnegat Light for the next 11 years before joining the crew of Discovery Seafood out of Point Pleasant. It was during this time, that I met my future wife, Alyssa. About a year later our first son, James was born. Being a commercial fisherman is hard work, and it takes you away from home for weeks at a time on a regular basis. When we had James, it totally shifted my perspective on life. I wanted to be there for them and all of their milestones as my dad was for me.
In 2019, our second son, Pierce was born. There was a time that I thought I would fish forever but having a family at home now, I began spending my time out at sea thinking of how I could be there for them on land. Having a family to support put me a precarious position. On one hand I wanted to put my fishing days behind me, on the other I still had a family to support. On fathers day in 2021, I set sail for the last time. A month later, I started Land Over Sea. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, and I would miss the thrill of the catch, but I knew where my place was and that was at home with my family. Being able to come home at the end of the day and see them meant everything to me.
Despite the uncertainty, I knew I made the right decision. Between my work ethic and the support of my family and friends, I went all in. As with most small businesses, the start was slow, but I just stayed the course, put my head down and got to work. That winter, I had an opportunity to take some work as a sub-contractor for one of my oldest friends, Luke Reynolds. I learned more about running a business that winter than I had anticipated. From order of operations to customer satisfaction, it was an eye opening experience. By the spring, Land Over Sea was running like a well oiled machine. Our third son, Hudson was born that spring and it was then that the uncertainty faded away and I knew that I had made the right decision to leave my seafaring life behind. Family over everything, Land Over Sea.
How It All Started
Growing up in Cedar Run, the son of a builder, I was always on the job site with my dad from a young age. It was through going to work with him that a solid work ethic was instilled in me. For fun we would go out fishing on the weekends and when the bass would run we were in hot pursuit. As I got older I began to take notice of the local commercial fishing industry. When I was 14, I began working on the docks in Barnegat Light, NJ with my cousin. We would pack out boat after boat coming in with their catch. Curiosity grew and it did not take long for me to find my way on to a boat. After the first trip I was hooked!