Season 3
Forty-foot waves, freezing temperatures, swinging 700-pound crab pots, a nearly 100 percent injury rate, but also the chance to earn enough money for a family to live on for a year, for just a few month's work.
Welcome to one of the world's deadliest jobs - that of the Alaskan crab fishermen - and witness it first hand in the all-new third season of the Deadliest Catch series.
With the severe weather conditions, no one wants to endure the unrelenting Bering Sea any longer than necessary. Crews face sub-zero temperatures and 50-knot winds that knock them off their feet and drag them across the decks.
But its not just the weather that forces the crew to pull 20-hour shifts. They must also meet demanding seafood processor deadlines and minimize rising fuel costs.
Deadliest Catch follows the captains and crews of five ships on this dramatic voyage as they struggle against treacherous conditions to earn a living and, in many cases, to uphold family tradition that has lasted for generations.
The Boats And Their CaptainsFishing 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.