How much does a crab boat cost?
The Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch features an Alaskan crab, Pacific cod, and salmon fishing vessel.The only vessel that has appeared on all 17 seasons of Deadliest Catch and the pilot series of America'sDeadliest Season is the Northwestern.Sig Hansen is the primary captain of the vessel and it is owned and operated by the Hansen family.
The F/V Northwestern was built in Seattle, Washington in 1977 for the sole purpose of fishing King and Tanner Crab off of the coast of Alaska.It was christened on November 5, 1977 by Snefryd Hansen, the wife of captain Sverre Hansen.The vessel is owned and operated by Sverre and Snefryd's three sons.Sig serves as the vessel's primary captain with his younger brother and daughter running the boat on occasion.The deck boss is Edgar.Prior to Norman taking over as the primary engineer, the relief captain and engineer had been held by Edgar.[3]
The boat was one of the first to catch opilio crab.During the 1980's there was a lot of fishing for opilio crab and blue king crab at different times of the year.
In order to keep up with the increased demand for crab in the late 1980's and early 1990's, boats needed to carry more pots.The Hansen family decided not to buy a new boat.The Northwestern was extended to 118 feet in 1987 to allow for 200 pots.In 1991, when the maximum crab pots a boat could carry was raised to 250, the Hansen's again lengthened the Northwestern, this time to 125 feet.They usually carry no more than 195 pots.
The long line of Hansen men making their living as fishermen began when the three Hansen brothers decided to make fishing their profession.Sig took over as captain of the full-time team in 1990.His leadership has resulted in a record of never having had a death at sea despite its home territory being the dangerous Alaskan crab grounds, where deaths average nearly one fisherman per week during the heart of its productive seasons.
One of the few boats to engage in pot cod fishing during the 2006 Opilio crab season was filmed for an episode of Deadliest Catch.After completing its red king crab season, the Northwestern was one of the few vessels to fish for blue king crabs.During the summer, the vessel transports fish from vessels at sea to floating processors, allowing the fishing boats to stay on the grounds rather than make repeated trips back to port.[4]
One of the most successful boats in the crab fishing fleet is the Northwestern.In 2005, the final king crab derby, the vessel won both the tonnage and price titles, as well as her share of the available quota, and as a result, she brought in money for the crew and family.Due to being featured in the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch, the vessel has become very recognizable and popular.[5]
The rest of the crew includes Matt Bradley, Nick Mavar, Jr., and Jake Anderson.During the opilio season of 2009, Jake earned full-share deckhand status and continued to fish on the boat for several more seasons before taking over as captain of the F/V Saga.Jake and Matt joined each other on the F/V Saga by the king crab season.The grandson of a quota leaser joined the crew.Sig's daughter has fished on the boat during salmon season, and she had been an intermittent crew member during earlier seasons of the show.Sig's son-in-law, Clark Pederson, joined the crew before the red king crab season.