Reality TV crab boat Captains above the law?

Professional Mariner Forum
1

Personally I can hardly stand to watch “Deadliest Catch”. I live the drama everyday I am on the boat, just a different kind of drama.

On the few occasions that I have had to sit through part or all of an episode when it was on in the galley I have noticed some disturbing images.

When Phil of the Cornelia Marie was alive he was taking narcotics while running the boat. How do I know this?
His junkie son got into his stash and got caught.
Junkies don’t steal from your “Tylenol” stash. They go for the good stuff.

JR of the Seabrook was taking some type of narcotic or prescription pain reliever while running the boat with a bad back.
He even showed the half of a pill to the camera.
I don’t know for sure it was a narcotic of course but it sure looked like half a perkaset to me. (I also have back issues but do not take any prescription drugs while on the boat).

All of the junkie crew members and even some Captains that are or have been addicted to speed, heroin, alcohol, and a whole host of other “party favors” that I am quite sure did not leave their stash at the house when it was time to go back to a boat where they have to go days and days on end with little to no sleep to make a living.

In all the episodes I have had the misfortune of viewing I have never once seen the drug man step on the boat or seen a crew member sent to the “clinic” to be randomly tested.

Another disturbing fact is the acts of assault committed by Keith of the Wizard.

On two separate occasions I watched him put his hands on first a deckhand and the second time on a camera man.

No one is allowed to touch anyone under any circumstances!

A little anecdote for you…

I know of a Captain that had trouble with a Tankerman/Deckhand. The deckhand was being insubordinate and doing anything he could to undermine the Captain.
The Captain was a very easy going fella and had never had a deckhand walk off the boat on him in 20 years.
Most deckhands he worked with would request a transfer to his boat not because he let his hands be slackers but because he treated them the way he wanted to be treated.
The Captain had also never “written up” anyone in his entire career and did not want to start.
This deckhand was really pushing the envelope though so he prepared a write up and went out on deck to show it to the insubordinate deckhand and give him one last chance to correct his attitude before he forwarded it on to the office.

The deckhand immediately attacked the Captain as soon as he set foot on the barge.
Little did the deckhand know that this very humble Captain had been a former SF operative in his younger days.

Long story short…
The deckhand was airlifted to the hospital with severe head trauma and the Captain was fired, arrested for battery, and lost his license for 18 months (the USCG wanted to take it for life but he worked out a settlement).

Everyone from the company to the USCG told the Captain that he “took it too far”.
What exactly is too far when someone is trying to hurt you in an industrial environment where you can lose your life very easily just doing your job let alone getting in a grabass match with a dummy?

The Captain neutralized the threat, double timed back to the boat, woke the relief crew, started the engines, dropped all but the last line, and let the relief crew know that the deckhand out on deck needed immediate medical attention.
When he was relieved by the Relief Captain he confined himself to his quarters until the police showed up.

Morale of the story…
Let your deckhand beat your ass or you will lose your license?

More effectively…Everyone keep your hands to yourself no matter what!

The USCG really came down hard on this Captain but when it comes to TV Reality Show Captains anything goes I guess.

Why would I make this statement?

A few examples for you…

Explosives (fireworks) on the vessel in International waters.
Weapons on the vessel in International waters.
Fighting onboard the vessel.
Drug and alcohol use (crew members coming back to the boat intoxicated and going directly on watch while intoxicated).
Crew members falling asleep while on wheel watch.
Crew (like Captains) admitting to hard core drug use while off the boat. You never stop being a US Merchant Marine Officer.
If you use heroin when you are home that is still Conduct Unbecoming a United States Merchant Marine Officer.
Countless hours behind the helm violating the 12 hour rule as documented by time lapse camera footage.
…so many more my fingers are getting too sore to list.

Not to mention the antics of the idiots on “Great Lakes Warriors” and all the violations of Federal law that they committed during that show.

Why does the USCG not make an example out of these camera hog dumb dumbs for all other mariners to see and take heed?

Why are Captains and other crew members allowed to attack their ship mates without any repercussions?

Why does the USCG go after a nobody Captain for defending himself but takes no action against idiots that violate Federal laws on International TV?

Would anyone with the USCG care to chime in on this one?

2

Is any of this stuff REAL or do they play it up for the camera?

3

For some one that doesn’t watch the show a lot,
"On the few occasions that I have had to sit through part or all of an episode when it was on in the galley " you’ve sure seen a lot. You’re talking about things that happened over multiple seasons and numerous episodes.

4

The TV show is mostly fictionalized drama set on Bering Sea crab boats.

They are fishermen and actors. They are NOT merchant mariners. 99 percent of fishermen are NOT required to have USCG licenses or take any drug tests.

The medications that you see them taking come from the ship’s medicine chest. The captain can lawfully prescribe those medications.

5

It’s fisherman, no uscg license, just fishing license and ifq paperwork for the catch, they all use drugs and alcohol while on the boat, it’s just how that industry has always been.

6

Oh WOW, it’s fake ? Now I have a reason to commit suicide.

7

Its actually shocking how ignorant some of you are who work outside the fishing industry. The stereotyping is the kind of thing I would expect from some fool who has never stepped foot on a boat. You all must think pretty highly of yourselves. Id love to see any of you do a tour up here and not have more respect for these mariners who will work 10 times as hard as you have ever worked in your life.

That being said, yes the deadliest catch is dramatized and pathetic. Crab fishing is no longer a derby fishery, thus they can take their time catching their quota. They have to fill air time with all the other BS now to keep it interesting. If you are convinced that what youre seeing on a television show is reality, I hope I never have to sail with someone who is as stupid as you are.

8

[QUOTE=AHTS Master;140575]Oh WOW, it’s fake ? Now I have a reason to commit suicide.[/QUOTE]

I just did!

but only after I vomited

      • Updated - - -

[QUOTE=snacktray;140577]Id love to see any of you do a tour up here and not have more respect for these mariners who will work 10 times as hard as you have ever worked in your life.[/QUOTE]

Those are no mariners on Deadliest Catch…they’re FUCKING CLOWNS and MEDIA WHORES!

9

No forget it, not worth the fight.

10

[QUOTE=Hoggy;140572]It’s fisherman, no uscg license, just fishing license and ifq paperwork for the catch, they all use drugs and alcohol while on the boat, it’s just how that industry has always been.[/QUOTE]

Some of those guys end up working for us. With predictable hilarious results.

11

[QUOTE=c.captain;140579]I just did!

but only after I vomited

      • Updated - - -

Those are no mariners on Deadliest Catch…they’re FUCKING CLOWNS and MEDIA WHORES![/QUOTE]

oh I agree with you there. However I don’t agree with the comments in here grouping all fishermen together as a bunch of reckless morons like the ones presented to the public on the deadliest catch.

12

My brother fished up there and told me the new big thing is they get tourists on the crab boats in the summer and make them do crab boat stuff. ROFLMAO - my boat needs the bottom cleaned, maybe I can make someone pay me to go do it while I watch.

13

[QUOTE=snacktray;140632]oh I agree with you there. However I don’t agree with the comments in here grouping all fishermen together as a bunch of reckless morons like the ones presented to the public on the deadliest catch.[/QUOTE]

Sometimes they come to work for us on the fisheries vessels…and quit because our deck practices are too dangerous. That should tell you volumes.

(that’s what I mean by hilarious results)

14

[QUOTE=catherder;140636]Sometimes they come to work for us on the fisheries vessels…and quit because our deck practices are too dangerous. That should tell you volumes.

(that’s what I mean by hilarious results)[/QUOTE]

Ill assume you are referring to crew who actually have experience with trawl gear coming to work for you? Can’t see how any of them would find NOAA more dangerous? Perhaps a crab guy who doesn’t understand how trawl equipment works, or its someone just using that as an excuse to leave once they see how bad the pay is?

15

the guys I know who fish in the northeast are usually pretty professional. Often crude and not book smart they do their jobs safely and profitably. There are hacks but they have been run out of the business for the most part at this way. Just surviving now is testament to a fisherman’s skill. Yes I’m not talking about crab fisherman out west but definitely not a true generalization at least now a days in all fisheries.

16

Because you have a NOAA guy running a boat who has no idea how the deck of a fishing boat works, and has never worked on one. Just like someone who’s never decked on a tugboat as captain on a tugboat makes working on deck generally less safe compared to one who has!

17

[QUOTE=snacktray;140638]Ill assume you are referring to crew who actually have experience with trawl gear coming to work for you? Can’t see how any of them would find NOAA more dangerous? Perhaps a crab guy who doesn’t understand how trawl equipment works, or its someone just using that as an excuse to leave once they see how bad the pay is?[/QUOTE]

Yes. referring to the fisherman positions.

They don’t just trawl. They use other commercial methods to catch fish, depending on the species. I can’t testify to the relative skill level.

Could be an excuse to leave over the pay? I suppose so, but pay is a very valid reason to move on, so why make an excuse?

All I know is that I’ve seen fishermen, and for that matter ABs and engineers walk off after as little as a week citing safety and work practices, and I can’t say that I blame em.

Interesting world we work in.

      • Updated - - -

[QUOTE=z-drive;140641]Because you have a NOAA guy running a boat who has no idea how the deck of a fishing boat works, and has never worked on one. Just like someone who’s never decked on a tugboat as captain on a tugboat makes working on deck generally less safe compared to one who has![/QUOTE]

You said it better than I did.

18

Im surprised to hear that. I was confused, I didn’t think you actually meant that the deck practices were possibly unsafe on the NOAA rigs, but rather something was wrong with the fisherman from the other boats ( although there is something wrong with all of us, otherwise we wouldn’t go to sea! ). Makes sense though.

19

They’re all unlicensed. Period.

20

I though I heard Sig Hansen once state that he held a 1600 ton license.