Meet Fred Cefalu
Fred Cefalu can tell you the day he started to fish; it was his sixteenth birthday, March 1, 1947. Fred was one of eight children and his dad needed him on the boat to help support the family. So on his sixteenth birthday Fred’s formal education ended and his life long education at the School of the Ocean started. Fishing was nothing new to Fred however; the fishing tradition goes four generations back on both sides of his family. His son in law, Bob Maharry is the fifth followed by Bob’s son Rob who is now the sixth generation.
In his career Fred has fished the entire west coast and on into Mexico. You would be hard pressed to find a man who works harder or knows more about fishing and the ocean. Over the years Fred has shown many a deckhand the ropes of fishing Albacore, Halibut, Salmon, Dungeness Crab, Sea Bass, Swordfish and Herring. Many of those deckhands have gone on to buy their own boats.
Fred has earned the nickname of “Uncle Fred” up and down the coast and is regularly addressed as such on the VHF radio. Fred now fishes his F/V Barbara Marie named after his daughter and lovely wife of 52 years.
Fred and his wife Barbara have raised three sons, whom in their youth, fished with their father during the summer months; Jim, a doctor specializing in radiology; Marc, an attorney specializing in maritime law; Fred, a region manager for a large bio-degradable products company; Method and daughter Susan, employed in the pharmaceutical industry and marred to a fisherman.
In what little spare time he has Fred plays tennis and golf. He also enjoys taking his entire family on well earned great vacations.
Look for the pristine F/V Barbara Marie at the foot of Beach St. when you are in Morro Bay.