As a small boy, Wim Lybaert was already fascinated by the sea and the fishermen. At the age of 54 he makes his boyhood dream come true. In the documentary series 'A Year At Sea' he goes on board and becomes a fisherman among fishermen. Wim finally finds out what fishing life means exactly. The fishing trade is one of the oldest professions in the world and, according to the fishermen themselves, the cleanest. But professional fishing is tough: the ships sail with five to six crew members on board and often stay at sea for days or weeks. Every two to three hours they pull out the nets, clean the catch, sort everything and put it away in the cold store. And if it's lucky, they can sleep a little in between. And this 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition to life on board, those left behind, the people who stay ashore, also share their story with Wim. Like the fishermen's wives who have to raise their children for the most part alone. They tell you how to make a relationship work with a man who is away from home for up to 250 days a year and how to keep a family running alone. The sons and daughters also tell their story about how they grew up with a father who was always at sea. And then there are the fishermen at rest. Wim talks to them about the adventures they went through, about lifelong friendships, the freedom and... the loss. 'A Year At Sea' tells a story about friendship, family ties, trust, strong women, men with a vocation, but above all... about the love of the sea.
