Entry No. 1: New Season, New Gear, New Challenge

Just before dawn today, I was standing on the deck of the Cornelia Marie with my brother Todd and Zac McFarlane, the two men I will have to lean heavily upon in order to complete what is becoming a monumental task.

Over the next week, we will be running the crews that will rig “our” crabbing vessels with cameras, microphones and all the other gear. We have done this before, except this time we will have to rig eight boats, and all the new equipment we have brought is not our usual stuff. This will be our first year producing the show in HDTV. None of this new equipment has ever been tested in the Bering Sea, possibly the toughest environment that any show has ever been produced in.

Before it is all done, much of the equipment will see four sea journeys, each with its own unique challenges. Last year, the temperature dropped to -20 F. How will this new gear fare? I don’t know. I can’t guarantee anything, and that is a spot I am not used to.

Dutch harbor is already awake now in the pre-dawn hours. The king crab season approaches, and the docks are buzzing with activity. Dutch has changed a lot since I first came here four years ago. About half the boats that once fished crab out of this port are still fishing today. More than a thousand men have lost their jobs, many of them my friends.  The island seems sad in some ways, but there is little time to heed.  With only a week until the fishing begins, my crew, each captain and every deckhand in this town is involved in the favorite pastime of Dutch Harbor: hard work.

When the boats are rigged, I will head to sea aboard the Time Bandit. Jonathan, Andy and Neil Hilstrand are some of my favorite crab boys. They are not yet in town, but I keep my eye on the harbor’s entrance, hoping they will arrive soon. I need to have every vessel being rigged day and night until we are done. Problem is none of the new equipment was designed for this task, and every piece of it is giving us fits in some way.

Comments

i just wanted to say .be safe out there .i love your show. from mar in newfoundland love you guys .

[barry w]

I love the show. Its about the only show on tv that I anticipate watching as well as getting my adrenaline pumping and wanting more when it ends. When will discovery make some gear for the show,.I would love to have a t-shirt as well as some other shwag. I was also wondering is this extreme type of crabing and fishing exclusively done in the Bering Sea or is it common in all Arctic and Antarctic areas of the world? By the way those guys live on the edge and have stones made of brass! By the way all of you guys that want to be a deckhand keep dreaming, it will never happen, because your pebbles arent big enough. Dont worry mine aren't either but I can accept that. Ill stick to sunny south Florida and fishin for big bass. see ya

[marilyn]

love, love the show i can't wait until season 4 to see what is going to happen. discovery channel this show is a winner. just hope that you bring it back and keep it going for years to come this is one great reality show that i rush home to see and looks at the rerun over and over. hope to see some new faces and new boat. but my favorite is sig's boat just do not care for his attitude sometimes but that make it even more worthy to watch because love fussing at sig when he do not give the men enough sleep, the job is already dangerous enough and a lack of sleep with make the mind do dumb things. but i hope that the season will be blessed and that every fishmen return safety. HURRY AND RETURN TO DISCOVERY CHANNEL!!!! the new shows on television are so boring.

[lawrence dunn]

i was wondering how long they go out? and how do i get a job? i would love it

[Bashkim Sylaj]

I will like to know How Much time is spent out in the waters and what is the minimum paid or maximum pay for this type of job.

[Kris Cartwright]

Yay for you guys!! I appreciate your hard work and appreciate the fact you to work well together as teams or it wouldn't work!
I'm wondering when your next season is going on air? I can't find anything on it.
I love you and your sense of (often sick) humor Sig, but Phil has my heart! Also a man of great humor.
Keep safe and we'll keep enjoying watching and rooting for you.

[Kris Cartwright]

Yay for you guys!! I appreciate your hard work and appreciate the fact you to work well together as teams or it wouldn't work!
I'm wondering when your next season is going on air? I can't find anything on it.
I love you and your sense of (often sick) humor Sig, but Phil has my heart! Also a man of great humor.
Keep safe and we'll keep enjoying watching and rooting for you.

[Peter]

How can i become like one of these people that have this profession? I'am very interested to have this job.

[jim]

why arent the fishermen tethered to the boat to prevent going overboard

[Rex Halvorson]

Love the show..I would like to know what the strangest thing you broght up in one of your pots?

[RICK]

DID ANYONE HEAR OF A CRAB BOAT FROM DEADLIEST CATCH GOING DOWN LAST WEEK I HEARD A RUMOR AND HOPE ITS NOT TRUE ?

[skip clark]

god bless you all,grate show,capt.sig you are the man.

[RO]

What is the top speed of these fishing vessels on the dealiest catch? How many knots?

[jeff stewart]

Thank goodness ,there was a fixed camera on the Time Bandit when Skipper Jonathan Hillstrand went "man over board" before leaving dry land. It showed the dedicated camera men's talent and alertness. It could have been a travesty...

[v. bryson]

when will the new season of deadliest catch be back on

[jennifer F.]

I have been whatching the show and like it a lot. I was wondering if the crew or captin get paid for the show or are compensatied in anyway. I would think so, but am not sure. Does anyone get etra money for being on TV??????