Captain’s daughter learns to command | Deadliest Catch

Mandy Hansen’s Journey to Command

170 miles southwest, the Northwestern faces rough weather once again. Just five days after battling Elsa, the crew now endures 30-knot winds, 4-meter waves, and encroaching ice.

“This sucks,” Captain Sig Hansen mutters as the relentless sea tests their resolve. “We need to fill the boat and get out of here.”

Conditions are worsening, setting the stage for what promises to be a grueling afternoon. Much like Captain Keith Colburn of the Wizard, Sig struggled with poor numbers in the southern fishing grounds before shifting north, where he finally found success.

“I don’t like fishing in the north. I never do,” he admits. “But we pulled up the pots and reset them. Sometimes, when they soak long enough, new crabs move in—but we won’t know until we pull them.”

A Promising Start

The first pot surfaces.

“Come on, come on!” Sig urges.

It’s a heavy one. “What a haul!” he exclaims.

The sorting table is quickly overwhelmed. “Captain! We’ve got 325 crabs in this pot!” a crew member reports.

“325?! That’s what I like to hear!” Sig beams. “These are monsters!”

On deck, the crew’s morale lifts as they haul in more full pots. Meanwhile, relief captain Mandy Hansen—Sig’s daughter—observes closely from the wheelhouse, determined to hone her skills.

“So far, so good,” Mandy says. “I want to keep this going.”

Sig sees an opportunity for her to practice steering under rough conditions.

“I want Mandy to get more time in the wheelhouse,” he explains. “She needs experience.”

A Lesson in Command

With 30-knot winds and rough seas, Mandy receives a crash course in boat handling.

“Just focus,” Sig advises. “Throttle up as the wave dips, and ease off as it rises. If you throttle too soon, you’ll hit the wave too hard. Got it?”

She nods. “Got it.”

“Don’t hurt anyone,” he warns.

Her challenge? Maneuver from pot to pot, controlling the throttle to reduce impact from the waves while ensuring the safety of the crew.

Suddenly, a towering wave approaches.

“Ease off! Back up a little!” Sig barks.

Mandy hesitates. The wave slams the boat. The crew braces.

“Damn it! I hate this!” she exclaims, gripping the controls tightly.

Sig shakes his head. “You need to anticipate three seconds ahead. This isn’t a car—it’s 200 tons of steel. It takes time to respond.”

The next set of waves rolls in.

“Slow it down,” he urges.

Mandy misjudges again. The deck pitches, knocking the crew off balance.

“Didn’t see that one coming, did you?” Sig asks.

“No,” she admits.

“With more experience, you’ll sense them before they hit. You’ll learn.”

Another big swell. This time, Mandy reacts better.

“Shift into neutral—now!” Sig instructs.

She follows his command. The boat steadies.

“That was way better!” he praises. “Nice job!”

As the final pot is hauled aboard, Sig claps his daughter on the back.

“Good job, kid.”

Mandy exhales, relieved.

“The weather was rough—30-knot winds and 4-meter waves,” Sig reflects. “We got knocked around a lot, but she handled it well. She wants to run the boat by herself one day. I just need to make sure she’s ready when that day comes.”

With each wave, each pot, and each lesson, Mandy Hansen edges closer to taking the helm of the Northwestern—one storm at a time.