fv northwestern tour

The F/V Northwestern From "Deadliest Catch" Has Been Fishing Crab Since 1977

For the Discovery Channel fans out there, stumbling upon the Deadliest Catch TV show isn't exactly uncommon. It's been on since 2005, and it's still going strong on its 16th season, so many people find entertainment from the endeavors of these brave fishermen .

The boats used on the show aren't exactly your average fishing boats. Not only do these things need to be large enough to carry all the catches during a busy year, but they also need to be strong enough to stay in once piece during harsh weather conditions and rough waters. As an example, let's check out one of the well-known fishing vessels from the show, the F/V Northwestern.

History of the F/V Northwestern From Deadliest Catch

The cool thing about this boat is that it's the only vessel to still be featured on the show since the very beginning. It is owned and operated by the Hansen family, which consists of siblings Sig Hansen, Norman Hansen, Edgar Hansen, and Mandy Hansen. Of course, it's most often associated with its captain Sig Hansen, who's been featured on the show since the start as well.

The boat was first built back in 1977 at Marco Shipyards out of Seattle, Washington. Its main purpose was to fish king crab and tanner crab from the Bering Sea on the coast of Alaska. During the 1980s, they began fishing opilio crab, as well as red, blue, and brown king crab to stay busy throughout the year. The boat would normally be running six to eight months out of the year at this time, bringing home the Alaskan crab for a huge profit.

The Northwestern was originally built with a 108-foot length. This gave it the ability to carry up to 156 crab pots. During 1987, demand for Alaskan crab was through the roof, and they needed to find more space onboard. Rather than buy a new boat, the Hansen family decided to extend the Northwestern to 118 feet, allowing it to store up to 200 pots. Again, in 1991, the limit of pots was raised to 250, so the Northwestern was extended one more time, reaching a length of 125 feet. Even though it can carry more, the vessel normally travels with no more than 200 pots.

This massive ship has a tonnage of 197, and its depth reaches 14.5 feet. Along with the large amounts of fishing equipment that they need to store in order to operate efficiently, Capt. Hansen can also keep a crew of six deckhands -- including Matt Bradley and Nick Mavar Jr. -- on the boat while out at sea. To power through the water, the Northwestern is equipped with a Caterpillar 3512 V-12 engine, producing 1,280 horsepower. It's got a top speed of 14 MPH.

As many people have seen over the years, the Northwestern has surely been put through the test. It's been beat up, frozen, and nearly capsized in the waves, but it always holds up in the end. By the looks of it, the ship and the crew have no plans of slowing down anytime soon.

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Deadliest Catch: What Happened To The Northwestern?

For fans of Discovery's "Deadliest Catch," the fishing vessels are sometimes just as popular as the crew members. The long-running reality TV series follows king crab fishermen as they risk life and limb to make a living in the rough waters of the Bering Sea. The only boat to appear in all 19 seasons of the show, the F/V Northwestern is owned by the Hansen family and skippered by Sig Hansen, according to the Discovery Channel's F/V Northwestern origin story, posted on Youtube . Surely the 124-foot-long fishing boat built in 1977 has weathered some rough seas, but so has the family that owns her. Despite lawsuits, a sexual assault conviction, and more accusations, the Northwestern has remained integral to the livelihood of the family. 

As of season 19, Captain Hansen's daughter, Mandy Hansen, (pictured below with Sig Hansen) came aboard, according to Hollywood Life . On joining the crew, Mandy told People in 2022, "I always wanted to be on the water." With youthful Mandy in tow, as of 2023, it seems unlikely the Northwestern's streak of " Deadliest Catch " season appearances will end anytime soon. 

In the meantime, a lawsuit against "Deadliest Catch" producers was filed by the boat's owners related to an onboard medical emergency, Alaska Public Media reports, the latest development in the family's troubling allegations and legal problems. 

A crew member's appendix ruptured on board

Perhaps the most notable incident to happen on the F/V Northwestern took place in 2020 while the "Deadliest Catch" crew were operating under COVID-19 protocols mandated by the show's producers, Original Productions, Inc. and Discovery. At that time, long-time Northwestern crew member, Nick Mavar Jr., experienced a ruptured appendix onboard the boat, revealing a cancerous tumor and causing serious complications.

Mavar Jr. filed a lawsuit against the Hansen family, which in turn brought a lawsuit against the show's production company for the cost of Mavar Jr.'s treatment. According to Mavar Jr., Washington state-based Hansen Family Inc., which legally owns the boat, should have been better prepared for potential medical emergencies during the pandemic. Hansen Family Inc.'s legal representation then said that Mavar Jr. could have received adequate medical attention if not for pandemic-related restrictions put in place by producers.

According to the Hansen Family Inc. legal team (via Alaska Public Media), "These COVID protocols limited the exposure of the F/V Northwestern crew members to people who were not associated with the television show," including medical personnel. Mavar Jr.'s lawsuit was for $1 million in damages. Hansen Family Inc. claimed Discovery and Original Productions were liable, instead.

In Deep Water with eyes on the horizon

On top of legal issues facing the Hansen family, in 2018, Captain Sig Hansen's younger brother, Edgar Hansen, who has also appeared on "Deadliest Catch" as a crew member confessed to sexually assaulting a minor, USA Today reports.  Edgar has been absent from "Deadliest Catch" since season 15 , but he may still be on the crew, just not on camera. For his part, Sig has been embroiled in a decades-long sex abuse controversy related to his estranged daughter, Melissa Eckstrom, according to Seattle PI .

Before all of the legal trouble, though, the family was able to use the Northwestern for entertainment purposes outside of "Deadliest Catch." If the voice of the boat "Crabby the Boat" from the 2011 animated feature film "Cars 2" sounded familiar that's because it was: the boat itself was based on the F/V Northwestern, and the character was voiced by Captain Sig. The Northwestern even had a Disney toy made in its likeness. 

On the opportunity to appear in the feature film, Hansen told My Ballard , "One thing led to another. They said, 'Hey, we need a boat.' 'I have a boat.' 'Let's do it.' It was really kind of casual. It was nothing we pitched. It just sort of fell in my lap." South Park also parodied the F/V Northwestern, among other "Deadliest Catch" vessels, in the 2009 episode "Whale Whores" (via WatchMojo ).

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

Tour the Northwestern and eat with the crew

On May 22nd, fans can attend a private tour of the F/V Northwestern and eat an alder-smoked seafood BBQ featuring Alaskan King Crab with the crew at the docks of Pacific Fishermen Shipyard in Ballard. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to share the catch with the crew of the iconic vessel that has captured the imagination of the entire world,” said Nordic Heritage Museum CEO Eric Nelson.

A little about the Northwestern provided by the Nordic Heritage Museum:

The Northwestern was built in Seattle in 1977 and was originally owned by Sig’s father, Norwegian fisherman Sverre Hansen. All three of his sons followed the family tradition of fishing. Sig Hansen, the eldest, took over as captain of the Northwestern full time in 1990. Under his leadership, the Northwestern boasts an astounding record of never having suffered a death at sea. The Hansens are active members of Ballard’s Norwegian community and longtime supporters of the NordicHeritageMuseum.

The event is a fundraiser for the Nordic Heritage Museum. The cost for the tour and barbecue is $100 per person, kids under 12 are free. For reservations, call 206-789-5707 ext. 10 or [email protected].

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13 thoughts to “Tour the Northwestern and eat with the crew”

Aren’t people tired of this show yet? I mean, one or two episodes are fine, but how long can you drag out a bunch of chain-smoking fisherman’s lives?

Guess it is still running cause you are were too busy doing great things?

It’s very cool that the Hansen’s are hosting this fundraiser for the Museum. They seem like fantastic community members, and I’m proud to call them neighbors!!

do we get to smoke cigs with sig? and will he yell at us and spit on our faces?

Even if you don’t watch the show, our Alaskan fishing fleet specifically, and the maritime industry generally, have played a central role in Ballard’s local heritage, history and economy. I’d think folks would think this was interesting even if they’d never tuned in to the series. Not to mention the fact that many of these guys grew up and around Ballard so there’s a natural local connection. I think the fundraiser is a really interesting and unique way to raise money for the NHM and it sounds like fun. Kudos to them!

You can boil any show down to a nihilistic one liner, but that’s not what makes the show interesting. Deadliest Catch has managed to pull story lines and build tension in just about every episode. I don’t really watch reality TV much, but I have seen their show and see how it works. Good for them if they can keep an audience entertained without demeaning real work. I’d rather see some people making an honest living fishing get the limelight than another bunch of rich kids who’ve never done anything of worth.

These guys are great and always treat their fans well in their public appearances. If I was in WA on the 22nd, I’d be there!

Yeah like she doesn’t have ANY bad habits of her own?  :P 

BLAH BLAH BLAH – Why don’t you start watching to find out!   

Well sig, much as I would love to attend,i cant afford it right now, but if ya find yourselves in need of an extra cook for the event, ive got some excellent seafood recipes, give me a holler,..and stay safe out there!

best show ever! t.v is getting worse without the likes of these programmes keep it going lads

Why would they jinx them by making the “astounding” comment! That is so stupid! Sorry, if you don’t believe, but it is true-as a nurse, I’ve learned the worst thing that you can go is to make a comment like that-like when someone says “Wow, it’s really quiet here tonight!”-best way ever to ensure a code or a bunch of admissions at change of shift…

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Deadliest Catch: The Hardest Part Of Jake Anderson's Northwestern Return

For Jake Anderson, the F/V Northwestern has always been like a second home. It was on this vessel that he was introduced to crab fishing, and climbed the ranks from greenhorn to relief deck boss, all under the tutelage of Captain Sig Hansen . However, when offered the opportunity in 2013 to leave the Bering Sea and eventually run the Kiska Sea as a captain, he decided to take advantage of it. Anderson told Hansen and the Northwestern crew, "I'm scared as hell to leave, but I have to move forward. I have to."

Still, this opportunity was short-lived, with Anderson failing to earn the respect of his new crew. Anderson soon returned to the F/V Northwestern to ask for his job back. Though Hansen welcomed him, it was tough to admit defeat — especially on such a popular show as "Deadliest Catch."

In an interview with Yahoo TV , Anderson said, "That was the hardest part, was knowing everybody in the world was going to see me come back to the Hansens with my head between my legs. It wasn't fun! But I wasn't scared to ask them [Sig and Edgar Hansen]. I was more worried about all the people that watch the show seeing me having to go and ask for my job back because that meant I didn't accomplish the goal. Nothing worked out the way I thought it was going to work out."

Deadliest Catch fans were supportive of Jake Anderson's return to the Northwestern

Jake Anderson may have been worried about what "Deadliest Catch" viewers would think of his humbling defeat, but he didn't have to worry. Rather than judge, fans largely expressed support and excitement over Anderson's return to his second family on the F/V Northwestern. On Twitter, @BethBean98 said, "Glad to see Jake back. Hold your head high, you did nothing wrong by trying." Meanwhile,  @Jessica45515948 tweeted, "WELCOME back to Northwestern, Jake!!!!!! Good to see you back there!"

Anderson has seen many highs and lows during his years on the F/V Northwestern, from the celebration of his continued sobriety to the shocking news of his father's death. Therefore, it makes sense that audiences and crew members alike were more than willing to welcome him home to the Bering Sea. In fact, the Hansen brothers assumed from the start that he wouldn't be gone very long. Anderson told Yahoo TV, "I talked to Sig and I talked to Edgar, and they kind of figured that I was going to ask to come back because I knew the boat."

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F/V Northwestern, Deadliest Catch AK Bering Sea Crabbers, F/V Saga, F/V Wizard, F/V Cornelia Marie, Ship Canal Marine Traffic AK to PNW

F/V Northwestern, Deadliest Catch AK Bering Sea Crabber, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, Seattle on the Ways, Spring Shipyard Work, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse With The Source On Who Runs Up & Down Hill

Deadliest Catch Season 13, footage from this last Alaska Bering Sea Crab season is in the can. F/V Northwestern is back in Seattle in her old faithful homeport, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard. By early spring in April 2017 F/V Northwestern is already on the ways in the shipyard getting per usual after crab season ship repairs.

Deadliest Catch, the big question so far from viewers is, Did Captain Sig make it back on the Northwestern after his ‘widowmaker heart attack last season.’ As Deadliest catch 2017 unfolds sounds like production has kept a tight lid on on how they plan to tell the Sig Hansen storyline of word pictures for this next season.

F/V Northwestern rests in the ways at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard looking over the wheelhouse of F/V Wizard, who’z put to bed on the finger dock right next to the Northwestern. F/V Wizard is tucked in her per usual dock stern to stern, bootie to bootie with F/V Pinnacle, an Alaskan Bering Sea Crabber, Pinnacle is a beefy huge massive girl of a crab boat!

F/V Northwestern, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard Ways, overlooking, F/V Wizard, Deadliest Catch, Spring PNW, Stormy Canal Surfing, April, Season 13, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse

These photo’s were all taken on an extra snotty, stormy ship canal Pacific Northwest afternoon. Original Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse With The Source On Who Runs Up & Down Hill, Salty Dog Lab Lookout! In my skiff this particular spring 2017 stormy day my black lab 105 lb girl and I were literally surfing in the canal out on a PNW lunch time joy ride. My Salty Dog Lab Lookout poked her head out from time to time, no matter how rough my lab is so salty she mostly curls up in the bow on her doggy pillow and naps as I try to keep the boat straight, mother nature’s wind was trying her best to slam me into the dock or other boats…. we needed a little early spring stormy adventure!

F/V Northwestern, overlooking, F/V Wizard, Deadliest Catch, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, Northwestern on the Ways Spring PNW, Stormy Canal Surfing, April, Season 13, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse With The Source On Who Runs Up & Down Hill, Salty Dog Lab Lookout!

Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, a crabbers personality all depends some are civilized with okay land manners and a good grip of these guys act like they were were born in a barn. That’s really the nicest way to explain it being I have 1st hand local experience and years of Bristol Bay, Akutan and Dutch touch and go’s…. Crabbers were always my least favorite to drop and pick from in Ugashik or Togiak AK, and yes in 1997 Sig put  the Northwestern on a sandbar, as they were about to go majorly dry… not a good thing on a Marco V bottom – let’s just say my obsession with splicing lines and my Captain Wayno, AKA: Captain BBQ pulled off the F/V Northwestern… Sig had his head out the window yelling ….. bla… bla…. Bristol Bay river sandbars are no joke, always a changing….!

F/V Pinnacle, F/V Wizard, F;V Northwestern, AK Bering Sea Crabbers, Northwestern out dry at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, PNW Ship Canal Deadliest Catch Action, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse

Down the ship canal before the Ballard Bridge we’ve got in Seattle F/V Saga, Deadliest Catch AK Bering Sea Crabber. Captain Jake Anderson brought the Saga through the Ballard Locks about 2am on the 2nd day of Spring 2017. Now the boat is mostly put to bed for now over at Fishermen’s Terminal all tucked in on the hip of F/V Tempo Sea.  Tempo Sea hit the lower 48 a bit before Saga.

Spring time at Fishermen’s Terminal means boats are put to sleep for a bit while Captain and Crews enjoy land with loved ones for a bit, or Fishermen’s Terminal commercial fishing boats are in hurry up panic mode get the boat ready, stocked, provisioned and gear on to run out or up hill to get on the fishing grounds. In the the PNW spring time, its  mixed bag of sleep boats and panic hurry boats!

F/V Saga, Deadliest Catch, Fishermen’s Terminal on the Hip of F/V Tempo Sea, Saga hit Seattle 2nd Day of Spring, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse With The Source On Who Runs Up & Down Hill

F/V Cornelia Marie, Deadliest Catch AK Crabber: well the CM is still crabbing and summer salmon tendering but it sounds like they had no Deadliest Catch production crew on board the boat for season 13. Seems there are no hard feelings and still over between the CM guys and Deadliest Catch. Times are always a changing, it is a TV show and Discovery has full creative control on these matters. F/V Brenna A. is still in season 13, our local Sean Dwyer will be back on the big screen the boat isn’t in the lower 48 yet, Sean doesn’t usually bring the boat back to Seattle till late summer after AK salmon tending is over!

F/V Cornelia Marie, Deadliest Catch, Seattle Ship Canal East of Ballard Bridge, Spring 2017 PNW, RIP Phil Harris, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Marine Traffic Pulse With The Source On Who Runs Up & Down Hill, Salty Dog Lab Lookout!

F/V Summer Bay, Deadliest Catch, Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski, has a new crab boat on Deadliest Catch season 13. Discovery plug is that the new season will launch per its usual Tuesday nights in April 2017. F/V Summer Bay, has a custom quote painted on the sides of the wheelhouse exterior reading, “Attitude Makes The Difference.” Well, Hummm… is Captain Wild Bill practicing being in a ‘calm state,’ or his per usual seasonal wheel house ‘flip out, yelling matches’ at crew.

F/V Summer Bay, Wild Bill, New Crab Boat, Deadliest Catch Season 13, Photo as the boat departs Seattle Ship Canal To AK Bering Sea AK, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Fishing Marine Traffic Source, Salty Dog 105 lb. LAB lookout! Go Crabbers Go!

Well, I guess ya’ll will have to stay tuned…… lots of interest in F/V Summer Bay, I got some of the 1st photo’s of the boat underway the day Captain Wild Bill left Seattle to run uphill for Summer Bay’s 1st Crab season, not as a new crab boat, but with a new name, major time at Pacific Fishermen Shipyard in Ballard and a new paint job shave and haircut! She’s a good looking crabber!

F/V Summer Bay, Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski, has a new crab boat on Deadliest Catch, Pacific Fishermen Shipyard, PNW Ship Canal, Salty Dog Lab on stand by, Summer Bay just happens to be in our shot this afternoon…Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Fishing Marine Traffic Source, Must Love Dogs!

God Bless our Alaska Bering Sea Crabber and their families and loved ones. This crab season we lost F/V Destination into the Bering Sea along with the 6 men on board whom went missing on Feb. 11, 2017, as at the time I was in church my phone was literally blowing up…. I went to listen to my messages to get nearly every publication from OR, WA, AK asking to use one of my zillions of photo’s I have taken over the year of F/V Destination, of course I said yes, the publications and media did the per usual professional credit to: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing . Inquiry to:  [email protected] God Bless all PNW fishermen, fisherwomen and their families on land and at sea. RIP F/V Destination, men resting into the sea!

F/V Destination, 6 men lost at Sea, AK Bering Sea, Feb. 2017, RIP Destination, Photo of the boat at Fishermen’s Terminal West Wall Loading Gear, Crew All Smiles, Photography by: Salty Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Salty Sea Chick, PNW to AK Commercial Fishing Marine Traffic Source

God Bless our AK Bering Sea Crabbers!

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What happened to deadliest catch's edgar hansen (& where he is after the show fired him).

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Deadliest catch: the cornelia marie's sudden departure explained, wednesday season 2 will bring back iconic character element, confirms jenna ortega.

• Edgar Hansen disappeared from Deadliest Catch after pleading guilty to fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation in 2018.
• Some Redditors claim that they've seen Edgar reappear on Deadliest Catch, working on the F/V Northwestern in the background.
• Edgar has a minimal social media presence, but was spotted in a video on his niece, Mandy Hansen's Instagram.

Edgar Hansen was a memorable shipmate in Deadliest Catch , but it's not clear what happened to the crabman after he disappeared from the Discovery Channel show. The F/V Northwestern has been a fan-favorite boat on Deadliest Catch since its appearance in season 1. Helmed by the star of the series, Sig Hansen, the boat has appeared in every season of the Discovery Channel reality series. Sig is joined by his family in the show, with his daughter Mandy and his two brothers, Norman and Edgar, all helping out on their family boat.

The Hansen brothers have been through their fair share of trials and tribulations, with Norman Hansen nearly dying in an episode of Deadliest Catch . Edgar came on the show in season 9 and was immediately respected for his fishing proficiency. He also looks quite a bit like his older brother Sig, but he has a much more laid-back personality which quickly endeared him to viewers . Despite being liked by fans of the show and the crew of the F/V Northwestern , Edgar suddenly stopped appearing on Deadliest Catch while his brothers and niece continued crabbing.

It was never clearly explained what happened to the Cornelia Marie when it didn't return for season 19 but legal issues kept it from appearing.

Edgar Hansen Disappeared From Deadliest Catch After His Legal Troubles Came To Light

Edgar stopped appearing after season 14.

Edgar's last appearance on Deadliest Catch comes in the season 14 finale , "Storm Surge", but in season 15, he was nowhere to be seen. According to court records obtained by The Seattle Times , in July 2018, Edgar Hansen admitted to inappropriately sexually abusing a 16-year-old girl the previous fall. In exchange for Edgar pleading guilty to fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation (a gross misdemeanor), he served no jail time and instead received a 364-day suspended jail sentence and was ordered to pay court fines and fees of $1,653.

Edgar was also instructed to undergo a sexual deviancy evaluation and treatment and give a DNA sample to authorities. Asked to write a statement by the Snohomish County District Court judge, Edgar wrote,

"I committed this assault for the purpose of my own sexual gratification. I am very sorry for that conduct and I have commenced treatment to ensure that nothing like this assault ever happens again."

This all took place back in 2018, in the middle of season 14 airing. Once the news got out, it was likely that Discovery decided not to renew Edgar's contract to appear on the show.

Edgar Hansen Is No Longer In The Public Eye (Though Redditors Swear They Saw Him On Deadliest Catch)

Edgar has no social media but appeared on his niece's instagram.

Edgar Hansen has little in the way of a social media presence, so it's not exactly clear what he's been up to since being fired from Deadliest Catch . However, eagle-eyed fans on Reddit claim they've seen him on the Northwestern in the background of some scenes. User u/juice2425 says,

"Edgar still works on the boat for some seasons, every so often you can catch a glimpse of him in the background. He was fired by Discovery not from the boat."

Another Redditor u/kashy87 writes,

"Just because the show fired him doesn't mean he's out of the family business. Discovery just wants nothing to do with him."

Mandy Hansen also posted a video to her Instagram that clearly shows Edgar Hansen partaking in a kick-off tradition of biting the head off a fish.

It makes perfect sense that Edgar would remain working on the Northwestern , as nothing would preclude him from doing so. Discovery Channel doesn't dictate who does and doesn't get to serve on a boat; they only get to decide who they put on their show. It's a fairly by-the-book result of everything that happened. Edgar was accused of a crime, he pled guilty, was sentenced, served his sentence, and likely resumed working. It all checks out.

The Discovery Channel has the right to decide who goes on Deadliest Catch and if they so decide to take Edgar off, that doesn't mean they can remove him from the Northwestern , which it's clear they have not. While it's possible that the Redditors are wrong, their theory makes sense.

Deadliest Catch (2005)

Deadliest Catch is a reality television series that follows the dangerous lives of crab fishermen in the Bering Sea. Premiering in 2005, the show documents the perilous conditions crews face aboard their vessels during the Alaskan king crab and snow crab fishing seasons. The series provides a gritty, in-depth look at the challenges of one of the world's most hazardous professions.

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‘Deadliest Catch’ boat’s owners sue show over deckhand’s botched diagnosis

The owners of a fishing boat featured in “Deadliest Catch” are suing the reality TV show’s producers after one of their deckhands claimed he did not get adequate medical care, resulting in serious complications.

The lawsuit was filed by the F/V Northwestern’s owners Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Alaska. It follows the deckhand’s own lawsuit, filed against the boat owners in Washington court in December.

That deckhand, Nick Mavar Jr., was a longtime cast member on the Discovery Channel show. His attorneys say that during a December 2020 voyage he suffered a rupture in his appendix, which contained a cancerous tumor he wasn’t aware of at the time.  

Mavar’s attorneys fault the Northwestern’s owners for failing to have Mavar quickly and competently examined, and for failing to have a medical plan in place for treating crew members during the pandemic. 

“The delay in competent and adequate examination, testing, and diagnosis caused (Mavar’s) appendix to rupture resulting in horrendous and chronic infections, surgeries, and cancer treatment that would not have occurred had the appendix been removed prior to rupture,” attorneys wrote.

Mavar is seeking $1 million in damages from F/V Northwestern’s owners.

Washington state records show that the vessel is owned by Hansen Enterprises, Inc. of Washington, which lists three members of the Hansen family – including skipper Sig Hansen – as governors. 

In their lawsuit last week, the owners’ attorneys argue that “Deadliest Catch” producers, Original Productions, Inc., and the show’s medical provider, Trifecta Solutions, LLC, should be on the hook to pay any sort of damages to Mavar, as well as the owners’ attorneys’ fees.

According to the owners’ attorneys, Original created COVID protocols for the filming of the show, and the boat’s crew had to comply with them.

“These COVID protocols limited the exposure of the F/V Northwestern crewmembers to people who were not associated with the television show,” the owners’ attorneys wrote. 

They claim a resident medic, subcontracted from Trifecta by the producers, examined Mavar for abdominal pain on “multiple occasions.” After a Dutch Harbor medic’s diagnosis of appendicitis, Mavar suffered a massive infection and spent a month in the hospital for cancer treatment and abdominal surgery.

“(Mavar) suffered and may continue to suffer in the future, great amounts of physical pain with resultant physical disability, disfigurement and mental suffering,” attorneys wrote.

A request for comment from Original Productions wasn’t immediately answered Tuesday.

At least part of Mavar’s medical issue aired on “Deadliest Catch.” A YouTube clip posted by Discovery from a 2021 episode of the show shows Mavar complaining of rib pain to the Dutch Harbor medic during a port visit.

“If I push on it I feel pain – I feel pain,” Mavar tells the medic as he lies in his bunk.

That medic tells Hansen that Mavar’s white blood cell count has tripled from normal levels and he needs to be medevaced to Anchorage.

“You definitely need to go to the clinic, like, right now,” the medic tells Mavar.

Hansen soon agrees and must find a replacement crewman. The clip shows the Northwestern going to sea as Mavar’s LifeMed flight takes off from the local airport, with Hansen sounding the boat’s horn for his departing deckhand.

Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Chris Klint is a web producer and breaking news reporter at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at [email protected] . Read more about Chris here.

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Boise to Spokane

Leavenworth to Seattle

Tacoma to Seattle

Spokane to Seattle

Charter bus rentals to the inland northwest, the west & beyond.

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