The Early Shift

These Jerseyans are at work while you’re still fast asleep.

- Lisa Intrabartola

THE EARLY BIRD may catch the worm. But it certainly isn’t catching enough zzz’s. That’s the moral of the story for those who work during the wee hours. We caught up with a few New Jersey residents who regularly rise before the sun – a commercial fisherman, a waitress and an ER nurse – to chat about the challenges that come with working while the rest of us are in bed and find out why they stick with it.

The Fisherman To make a profit as a commercial gillnet fisherman, you’ve got to sacrifice sleep.

For 35 years, Kevin Wark’s schedule has been roughly the same: two nights at sea, one on land. But no matter how many times he toils through his 30-hour shifts, with little more than a 15-minute nap, Wark’s body has never grown accustomed to the effects of sleep deprivation.

“Your head gets funny, almost dizzy. You think you’d get over that after doing it for so long, but you never feel right if you work through the night,” says Wark, 53, of Barnegat Light. “I guess it’d be different if you weren’t doing such physical work. But I’m not a slipper skipper, one of the guys that don’t come on deck, I’m right in the mix. You’re pulling nets and lugging gear, washing down the boats. You just get worn down.”

As each trip draws to a close and Wark is aching to flop into bed, that’s when he has to be at his best to safely navigate the unforgiving Barnegat Inlet. “You make a mistake and you’re going on the rocks.