Speaking to the r/deadliestcatch subreddit, u/MiaChambo asked James Gallagher about the longest grind he’s ever faced, and Gallagher had a relatively interesting answer. He replied: “During the Cod Derby in January I stayed awake for almost 40 hours straight on 3 different occasions over a 15 day season. It was my first time in the job. engineer, so I was constantly trying to fix broken things. I don’t think I slept more than 3 hours at a stretch all season.”

It’s a staggering admission from Gallagher – and for those of us with no crabbing experience, it sounds like a pressure cooker of stress. Just think what it must be like to constantly work to keep your boat running, while at the same time being beset by one of the roughest oceans imaginable.

The Sleep Foundation notes that humans often need different amounts of sleep at different times in their lives, with newborns needing 14 to 17 hours of sleep per day, while adults typically need seven to nine hours. . According to Healthline, sleep deprivation can cause many symptoms, including memory problems, irritability, concentration problems, and high blood pressure. Needless to say, three hours of sleep or staying up for 40 hours at a time isn’t the best idea, and Gallagher is lucky to have emerged from this particular trip relatively unscathed.