Northwestern Installs New Equipment After Their Ship Becomes A Walking Hazard | Deadliest Catch

Northwestern Returns to the Sea After Repairs and Challenges

After a week of extensive repairs, the 125-foot Northwestern is finally back in action. Captain Sig Hansen inspects the newly repaired electrical panel, acknowledging that while the fix is temporary, it will allow them to finish the season. The final step before setting sail is a crucial one—testing the new system.

With a deep breath, the crew switches from shore power to the ship’s own breaker, the very one that had previously caused a fire. The tension is palpable as the switch is thrown. The lights flicker momentarily before stabilizing, and the system reads a stable 208 volts—perfect. The hydraulic system powers up, and soon, the deck comes to life. The Northwestern is moving again, officially running on its own power.

“I’m a little skittish,” admits Captain Hansen. “The boat went through a fire, and we’ve got an entirely new panel. Now we have to go back, find the crab, restart the season, and regain momentum. That’s tough.”

Back to the Grounds

After a 335-mile journey northwest of Dutch Harbor, the crew is ready to haul pots. It has been 14 days since they last hauled, leaving everyone uncertain about the condition of their crab traps. Captain Hansen rallies his team, treating this as a fresh start.

“It’s the second half of the season,” he encourages. “New start. Let’s go get ’em.”

His daughter, Mandy, prepares for the first pull. The crew anxiously awaits to see if the crab traps still hold their catch after sitting idle on the sea floor for so long. With so many factors at play—crabs escaping, damage to the pots, or sand fleas devouring the catch—the tension is high.

Another Setback

Just as the first pots are about to be hauled, another problem arises. A hose on the coiler has sprung a leak, a significant issue given that each pot contains 450 feet of line. Without the coiler, they’d be forced to hand-coil miles of rope—a labor-intensive and time-consuming task.

“It’s a little leak,” says one crew member, attempting to downplay the issue.

“Well, it scares me,” another replies, knowing the potential delay it could cause.

After a quick fix, the crew is back on track. The first pot is hauled aboard, and now, it’s the moment of truth.

A Stroke of Luck

As the first pot emerges, the crew erupts in cheers. It’s full of large, healthy crabs—at least 350 in the haul.

“Oh my God, thank you so much, Lord!” one crew member exclaims.

The pots continue to bring in good numbers, reigniting the crew’s morale. After enduring a fire, mechanical failures, and delays, the Northwestern finally catches a break.

“We’ve been behind the eight ball since that fire,” Captain Hansen admits. “All I can say is I’m thankful we saw a couple of decent numbers. That’s the shot in the arm I needed.”

With the Northwestern back in full swing, the crew is hopeful that the second half of the season will be a success. But with the unpredictable Bering Sea, nothing is guaranteed.