Deadliest Catch is a documentary-style television series that documents the events aboard fishing boats in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and Opilio crab fishing seasons.
The Aleutian Islands town of Dutch Harbor is the base of operations for the fishing fleet.
The show is named Deadliest Catch because the crew of these boats are at a high risk of death or injury due to the conditions of the sea during the seasons they fish, earning the title of most dangerous job in America.
The show was created as a regular series after two well-received prequels about Alaskan crab fishing were produced by Thom Beers for the Discovery Channel.
First was a special documentary titled The World's Deadliest Job; second was a three-part mini-series called America's Deadliest Season. Deadliest Catch premiered on the Discovery Channel on April 12, 2005.
In North America, the series is narrated by Mike Rowe, while Bill Petrie narrates the show in Europe.
The show takes a unique approach to censoring profanities spoken by the crews, using sound effects such as a ship's horn or a burst of radio static instead of traditional bleeping.
As these sounds are part of the atmosphere's normal ambience, it is often difficult to realise that phrases are being censored at all.
Crewmembers face sub-zero temperatures, 40-foot waves and 50-knot winds that drag them across the decks of their trawlers as they pull 20 hour shifts. Over and above battling the fierce weather the crew also need to minimize rising fuel costs and meet demanding seafood processor deadlines.
For many of these men, who are often second and third generation fisherman, working to the brink of exhaustion to hau’ in their quota of crab as quickly as possible is also a matter of pride. Captains continue to forge into the Bering Seas to compete not only against Mother Nature, but also against each other.
Deadliest Catch follows these captains and the crews of five ships on their viyage as they struggle against treacherous conditions to earn a living and, in many cases, to uphold a family tradition that has lasted generations.
The Boats And Their Captains
Fishing vessel: The Maverick
Owned by husband and wife team Rick and Donna Quashnick, the Maverick is a 92-foot House Aft boat that holds between 100 – 110 pots and sleeps between 9 – 10 people.
Captain: Captain Rick Quashnick (age 49) is the owner and captain of the Maverick. A second generation fisherman, Rick grew up in Astoria where he strated captaining his first ship when he was 13 years old.
Extremely devoted to his crew, Rick admits to being a very competitive person and describes his fishing lifestyle as such: “It take long hours to be successful, the money is good and the competition is what keeps people in it.”
The Maverick is one of the smallest boats in the fleet but catches just as much as the big guns.
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Fishing vessel: Cornelia Marie
The Cornelia Marie is a 128-foot House Aft fishing boat that carries 180 pots and has the capacity to hold 312 000 pounds of crab.
A partner boat to the Maverick, the Cornelia Marie was on the top producing boat during the show’s first season.
Captain: Captain Phil Harris (age 48) has been running boats for 15 years and has been involved with the fishing industry for the last 29.
A Seattle, Washington resident, Phil is the father of two boys, one of whom (Jake) is fishing on the Cornelia Marie this season. When he’s not fishing Phil creates handmade brid feeders and enjoys riding his Harley with friends.
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Fishing vessel: Rollo
The Rollo is a 107-foot House Forward boat. The Rollo’s five-man team ranges in age from 21 to 44, the vessel carries 160 pots and can hold 160 000 pounds of crab.
Captain: Captain Stien Eric Nyhammer (age 44) has been fishing since he was a boy and now runs his fathers boat. Eric is an outspoken and proud fisherman who is very dedicated to his two young sons and is participating in the show so his sons can see him in his natural element.
Eric is also an artist who enjoys painting with oils and pastels.
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Fishing vessel: Time Bandit
The Time Bandit is a 113-foot House Aft boat owned by the Hillstrand family. Three of Hillstrand brothers make up the six-man crew and their father designed it. The brothers were involved in designing the boat’s interior which includes some comforts unheard of in a crab boat, namely a four-man sauna, state rooms with queen size beds and a dishwasher. The vessel carries 137 pots.
Captain: Captain John Hillstrand (age 43) spends his time between Seattle and Homer, Alaska and has a love for life on the edge. On land he rides a Harey Davidson that’s rigged with a nitrous boost that rockets him 120mph at the touch of a button.
John runs a tight ship and isn’t afraid to speak his mind.