HUGE Hydraulics Leak On The Deck Of The Cape Caution! | Deadliest Catch

Captain Wild Bill’s Mixed Emotions: Success and Setbacks

“Yeah, baby, I’m excited. I don’t know if you can tell,” Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski says, celebrating the bounty.
“Nice clean crab—we’re in some good spots,” he adds. “I know it’s weird; it’s so early in the season, and being the holidays, not a lot of guys are out here yet.”

Early Season Optimism
So far, his trip has been a big success.
“If we get 100,000 pounds or better on this first trip, that’s a big win. If not, we’ll have to make up for it later. That’s just how the cards go at the start of the season,” Bill explains.

As the pots come up, the haul starts to add up.
“Couple hundred here, couple hundred there. Adds up,” Bill says with a grin.

Trouble on Deck: Hydraulics Issue
Amid the success, trouble brews.
“There’s a little sound coming from our block. It’s not normal,” Bill says, concerned.

The issue seems tied to the hydraulic pump.
“If the pump goes out, we won’t be able to haul gear. It’s bogging the engine down, like it’s overloaded,” Bill observes.

Engineer Zack Larson is called in.
“Zack, what’s going on?” Bill asks.

Zack admits he noticed something earlier but didn’t address it.
“I should have told you. I’m sorry,” Zack confesses.

Bill is frustrated.
“You’re the engineer, Zack. If something’s wrong, you tell me. Don’t blame anyone else,” Bill admonishes.

A Major Setback: Blown Hydraulic Ram
Just when things seem under control, the worst happens.
“We just blew the top of the ram on the launcher,” Zack reports.

With the hydraulic ram disabled, the launcher is out of operation, halting the haul.
“This isn’t life-threatening, but it’s disheartening,” Bill says.

Lessons in Accountability
The task of fixing the hydraulic system falls to Zack.
“Zack, you should be overseeing all this. It’s your job, man,” Bill stresses.

But Zack struggles with engineering logic.
“I don’t think we have the piece,” Zack admits, adding to the frustration.

Moving Forward: Persistence Amid Challenges
Despite setbacks, Wild Bill remains focused.
“We’ll make do. We always do,” he says.

With the crew’s morale lifted by earlier successes, the team hopes to turn things around and finish the trip strong.