Alongside Michael are four regular crew members, including Brendan from Cork and Sergey from Warsaw.
However, Cathal's duration at sea is getting longer due to the rising price of fuel and the decrease in the value of his catch.
With every trip comes the pressure of finding a good catch for the crew so that he and his men can earn a decent wage.
Youngest son David is carrying on the tradition as an energetic skipper on his father's 60-foot, €2 million trawlers "The John B".
Times have changed for David as he has to work twice as hard as he did five years ago when he used to sell his prawns for double what he's getting for them today.
For John, it's a significant change from his previous job as a plumber, but he's hoping he won't have to be fishing for too long.
This trip will be make-or-break for the two Irish lads, as David must decide if they are cut out for the hard life at sea.