Captain is thankful to be back on the water

His last name may be Land, but he sure does like being on the water.

Capt. Steve Land, who’s been battling cancer for several months, spent his first day on the water since November on Thursday amid the clouds and rain.

However, the gloomy day didn’t dampen his spirits.

“It was good to be back out there,” he said, standing on his 33-and-half-foot boat at Fishing Fleet Marina Thursday afternoon.

“I plan to keep fishing as long as I can. I’m hoping to fish all year,” Land said.

The 65-year-old has prostate cancer and is keeping it under control with hormone shots.

“This cancer thing … I’m going to beat it,” he said.

Land said the doctors at Shands in Jacksonville gave him a good prognosis.

“They gave me a 100 percent chance of a cure,” he said, noting his current hurdle is the insurance companies to get the proper treatment.

But in the meantime he’s fishing.

“Fishing is what I do,” he simply said.

Land has been fishing out of Destin for eight years and before that he fished the Virgin Islands for seven. But when it’s all said and done he’s fished his whole life.

“For now I’m thankful just to be back on the water … very much so,” he said.

“Even a rainy day is better than sitting at the house.”