BILLIKIN, Season 1 (April 2005, Opilio)
Captain: Jeff Weeks
Crew:
Jim Hilt, Greenhorn
Ricky Bonds, engineer
Andy Rice, deckhand
Tama, deckand
Ty, deckand
Lasko, deckhand



CORNELIA MARIE
Seasons 2 (April 2006) and 3
The Cornelia Marie is a 128-foot house aft fishing boat that carries 180 pots and has the capacity to hold 312,000 pounds of crab. A partner boat to the Maverick, the Cornelia Marie is one of the top producing boats for king crab.

CAPTAIN PHIL HARRIS (age 48) has been running boats for the past 15 years, and has been involved with the fishing industry for the last 29. A Seattle resident, Phil is the father of two boys, one of whom (Jake) is fishing on the Cornelia Marie this season. When he's not fishing, Phil creates handmade bird feeders and enjoys riding his Harley with his friends.

BAIT BOY JAKE HARRIS (age 20), a greenhorn and son of Captain Phil, learned the ropes when he fished on the Maverick.

FIRST MATE ROGER JENSEN has been fishing with Phil since 1988. When he first started, Roger fished solely for the money, but now he does it because he truly enjoys it. Roger thinks crab fishing in Dutch Harbor is worth the inherent risks because of the huge amount of money that can be earned in such a short span of time. When he's not out at sea, Roger works for NOAA and drives vessels for hire.

DECKHAND DAVE MILLMAN resides in Hawaii when he's not fishing in the Bering Sea. Although his dad owns a crab boat (the Four Daughters), Dave chooses to work with Phil on the Cornelia Marie.

DECKHAND DAN GILBERT owns his own Steiner boat in Kodiak, Alaska, and fishes for herring and salmon when he is not on the Cornelia Marie.

ENGINEER WALT DAUDERIS (age 48) is laid back and enjoys pursuing a more holistic approach to life. When he's not fishing, he enjoys Harleys and outdoor sports.

Season 3
CORNELIA MARIE

This season marks Capt. Phil Harris' 16th year with the Cornelia Marie and his 30th year in the crab-fishing industry. As a co-owner, Phil was responsible for making the Cornelia Marie one of the top-performing boats last season, despite some major mechanical difficulties.

Phil, who resides in Seattle, will be joined this season by his two sons: Jake (who celebrated his 21st birthday while out at sea during king crab season) returns for his third year as a deckhand, this time earning full share. Taking his place on board as the greenhorn this year is his older brother Josh (23). This is Josh's first season crab fishing on the Bering Sea, and Jake is eager to show him the ropes.

Joining the Harris clan is First Mate Roger Jensen, who has been Phil's loyal and trusted deckhand since 1988; Deckhand Dave Millman, who is returning after suffering an injury last opilio season; and Engineer Mark Anderson, new to the Cornelia Marie this season.

EARLY DAWN
Season 3

Capt. Allen Oakley, an intense and focused man, has served on the Early Dawn for the majority of his 21-year career, and has skippered the boat for 15 of those years. Allen saw the Early Dawn for the first time when he took a summer off from college to become a fisherman and knew that "Someday, I had to get on that boat." Little did he know that serving as a deckhand on the Early Dawn would lead to his partial ownership, as well as command, of the craft. Allen, who resides in Blaine, Wash., also owns partial shares in three other fishing boats.

Accompanying Capt. Allen as a greenhorn is the co-owner's son, Bryan Mezich. Standing 6'6" tall, Bryan certainly has the size to become a skilled hand, and he postponed his college career to try the family business. Bryan will be mentored by 20-year veteran Pat Quinn, who has worked the past five years for Allen. Rounding out the crew are Engineer Mike Fish and Deck Boss Rick Fehs.

FARWEST LEADER
Season 3

Capt. Greg Moncrief is called "the natural" by many of his fellow fishermen because he is naturally gifted at finding crab. He's a 20-year veteran of the fishing industry and has spent the last five years on the Farwest Leader. Greg resides in the Harbor Point area of Washington with his Norwegian-born wife Ragnhild and their two daughters. This season, Ragnhild is taking some time off from her full-time job as a travel agent to join the crew as a deckhand and cook.

Joining the husband-and-wife team are Engineer Chris "Chilly" Anderson and deckhands John Mavar, who has been with the Farwest Leader for the past four years; Tico Tyson, a Seattle resident who has spent six of his eight years in the business crabbing on the Farwest Leader; and Ricky Lopez.

FIERCE ALLEGIANCE
Season 1: April 2005

The Fierce Allegiance is one of the largest and most successful boats in the fleet.

Tony LaRussa is a seasoned captain on one of the largest boats in the fleet, the 187-foot Fierce Allegiance. He rules with an iron fist, but has the trust of his crew, who count on him to make smart, often life- and profit-saving decisions. Tony spends 10 months a year at sea, and the other two with friends and family in his hometown of Seattle, Wash.

Eric Abrahamson is a former Navy deep-sea diver who, at 42, decided to challenge himself by taking on the most dangerous job in the world. Twice the age of most greenhorns, he quickly finds out how hard crab fishing is — even for a guy who used to train Navy SEALs. Eric fights his exhaustion by eating raw beef liver and relying upon his military training. Recently married, he lives in Burbank, Calif.

LADY ALASKA
Season 1 (April 2005, Opilio)

The Lady Alaska measures 137 feet long.

Captain Peter Liske, who began his sea career in 1979, is known for "overpreparing" in order to ensure a good harvest. No stranger to film crews, Peter was part of a documentary while working onboard the Amatuley in 1993. When on land, he helps his wife home-school their 16 children. Liske is a devout Christian.

A fisherman for 14 years, Kyle Robertson has worked with Peter since their Amatuley and Husky days. Married with two boys, Kyle loves to be at sea but often regrets missing birthdays and other moments with his family.

When Brandon Ober first met Peter Liske at the airport, the two quickly realized how much they had in common. Brandon has worked on the Lady Alaska for five years and enjoys working with his friend Peter.

Also on the crew: engineer Leo Estrada and deckhands Jorge Hernandez and Steve Maher.

LUCKY LADY
Season 1: April 2005

One of the smallest boats in the fleet, the Lucky Lady can store only 30 crab pots at any time.

Vince Shavender, former deck boss of the Saga, is captain of one of the smallest boats in the fleet, the Lucky Lady. Captaining the Lucky Lady, which can hold only 30 crab pots at any given time, demands special skill and great trust in his three-man crew. When not fishing, Vince, who hails from North Carolina, lives in Kodiak, Alaska, with his wife and kids.

Kevin Davis, 23, is heading out for his second season of king crab fishing. Last year, he cheated death when he went overboard in the freezing Bering Sea. Kevin is back this year on one of the smallest boats of the fleet, determined to overcome his fears. He spends most of his time at sea and feels he is a true fisherman at heart. When on land, he lives in Kodiak, Alaska, with the family of his friend and now-captain Vince.

MAVERICK
Seasons 1 (April 2005, Opilio), 2 (April 2006) and 3 (April 2007)

The 92-foot Maverick is the only boat in the fleet that is owned by a husband-and-wife team.

Captain Rick Quashnick and his wife Donna have had a tumultuous year: Their son-in-law was killed while serving in Iraq, and their daughter gave birth to their grandson shortly afterward. Donna enjoys cooking and cleaning for the crew and when her husband needs to rest, she watches the wheel.

Engineer Blake Painteris a second-generation fisherman whose father owns a boat. The hardworking Blake, who aspires to purchase his own, loves to be in the wheelhouse and to lead the crew. He is especially excited about this crab-fishing season since he has convinced his roommate, Mike Johnson, to come onboard the Maverick.

Greenhorn Mike Johnson is transitioning from the logging industry to fishing.

Also on the crew: deckhands Matt Curnow and Hiram Johnson.

Season2
CAPTAIN RICK QUASHNICK (age 49) is the owner and current captain of the Maverick. A second-generation fisherman, Rick grew up in Astoria, Ore., where he started captaining his first ship when he was 13 years old. Rick admits to being a "very competitive person," and he describes the fishing lifestyle as such: "It takes long hours to be successful, the money is good, and the competition is what keeps people in it." The Maverick is one of the smallest boats in the fleet, but it catches just as much as the big guns. Rick is extremely devoted to his crew. Instead of selling his quota this year and putting his crew out of work, he chose to continue fishing.

COOK DONNA QUASHNICK, Rick's wife, is the "mom" of the crew. She buys the groceries, cooks the meals, and keeps her guys alive and well. Having a woman on a crab fishing boat is rare as the superstitious believe it is bad luck.

ENGINEER BLAKE PAINTER (age 26) is a young, hardworking second-generation fisherman born and raised in the Oregon coastal town of Astoria. Blake started fishing at the age of 3. His dad operates the Evening Star, and he has one younger brother who also works in the fishing industry. Blake spends 11 months out of the year fishing and has been skippering since he was 19 years old. This is Blake's fifth season on the Maverick, and he's going to take the helm from Rick during this trip. When he isn't fishing, he likes to hunt, play golf, wakeboard and snowboard.

DECKHAND MIKE JOHNSON (age 27) is a second-generation fisherman who was born and raised in Astoria, Ore. Mike comes from a somewhat well-known fishing and logging family — his uncles Evan and Frank are fisherman. Mike has only been fishing for a couple years; he spent seven years in the logging industry before his good friend Blake got him into fishing. Mike has only been on the Maverick since last year. When Mike's not fishing, he enjoys hunting.

DECKHAND JUSTIN GIFFORD (age 27) was born in Astoria, Ore., and currently lives in Cambridge, Idaho, with his fiancée and 4-month-old daughter. Justin has been on gillnetting boats since he was 4 months old. He has two gillnet boats of his own in Astoria. He's a hard worker and earned his spot on the Maverick last year by word of mouth.

DECKHAND HIRAM JOHNSON (age 51) was born in Astoria and currently lives in Hammond, Ore. Hiram has been fishing the Bering Sea since he left high school; he currently has 33 years experience under his belt and is hunting down Benny Bay's record of 63 years. Hiram comes from a long line of fishermen and is proud of his Norwegian fishing heritage. Hiram caught his first fish — a salmon — in the Columbia River in 1966.

Season 3
MAVERICK

Greenhorn Capt. Blake Painter takes the helm of the Maverick while husband-and-wife owners Rick and Donna Quashnick take off this year's king crab season. Rick and Donna return to run the boat for opilio season.

A second-generation fisherman from Astoria, Ore., Blake started fishing at the age of 3 and made his first professional fishing trip to Alaska when he was 13. Blake, now 26, has been fishing on the Maverick for the past six years.

Deckhands Mike and Marvin Johnson are Blake's former roommates and long-time friends. The brothers are also second-generation fishermen who worked in the logging industry in Astoria prior to fishing the Bering Sea. They both credit Blake for getting them into the crab-fishing industry.

Greenhorn Ed Green played high school football with Capt. Blake. He has seven years of fishing experience and his captain's license, and he spent several years skippering a charter boat but this is his first season on a crab boat. The crew's most experienced fisherman by far is Deck Boss Scott Templin, who is entering his 18th year of crabbing. He has worked with Blake in the past on some of the Maverick's partner boats, and fished last year with the Aleutian Ballad.

NORTHWESTERN
Seasons 1 (April 2005), 2 (April 2006) and 3 (April 2007)

Unlike the crews of the other boats, the men of the Northwestern have worked together for almost 20 years.

Sig Hansen, whose father was one of the original crab fishermen of Dutch Harbor, has been a captain since the age of 22. A fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, Sig is very superstitious, but always brings back a big catch. He and his brothers not only work on the Northwestern, they own it. Living proof that blood is thicker than water, this three-brother crew has fished together for almost 20 years.

Greenhorn Bradford Davis is an urban 19-year-old college student from Southern California who has a good sense of humor and tends to take the harshness of crabbing in stride. In his spare time Bradford likes to ride motorcycles in his hometown of Long Beach, Calif., where he lives with his parents.

Season2
The Northwestern is a Marco, house forward, 125-foot boat that carries 200 pots, with a capacity to hold 251,000 pounds of crab in its tanks. It is a Norwegian family-owned and -operated boat. Three of the five crew members (including the captain) are brothers, and have fished together for almost 20 years.

CAPTAIN SIG HANSEN (age 39) has been a captain since he was 22 years old. As a fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, he is very superstitious but comes back with a large load of king crab every season. Sig revels in the strategy and competition of fishing.

DECK BOSS/ENGINEER EDGAR HANSEN (age 33), Captain Sig's younger brother, is a conscientious deck boss who works hard and plays hard. He's married and is expecting his third child.

DECKHAND NORMAN HANSEN (age 38) is Sig and Edgar's brother. He is a hard worker who is happy to stay out of the view of the camera.

DECKHAND NICK MAVAR JR. has been working on the Northwestern for several years.

ENGINEER RICK MCLEOD is a Seattle native who has fished on and off with the Hansen brothers for the past nine years. After dragging the Aleutian Isles for the past five years, Rick rejoined the dynamic crew of the Northwestern. Whether Rick's taking charge in the engine room or working the hydraulics on deck, his versatility makes him one of the more valuable members of the Northwestern. Other than NASCAR, Rick's true passion lies in his family; with two young girls and a third on the way, dreams of an early retirement and time spent at home are high on Rick's list of priorities.

Seeason 3
NORTHWESTERN

Sig Hansen revels in the strategy and competition of fishing. He has been a captain for the past 18 years, and is the eldest of the three brothers who operate the family-owned vessel. A fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, Sig tends to be very superstitious. The Seattle, Wash., resident operates the Northwestern with help and unsolicited opinions from his younger brother, Deck Boss Edgar Hansen, and his more reserved brother, Deckhand Norman Hansen.

Working alongside the Hansen brothers as deckhands are Nick Mavar Jr. and Matt Bradley, both of whom have been a part of the crew for several years.

RETRIEVER
Season 1 (April 2005, Opilio)

The Retriever measures 135 feet long.

Captain Jim Stone and his partners own a fleet of fishing boats, but have sold the Western Viking as a result of recent rationalization laws.

Engineer John Lamar and deckhands Le Nyugen, Eliborio Beltran, Mizrain Rodrieguez and Daher Jorge round out the crew.


ROLLO
Season 2 (April 2006)

The Rollo is a 107-foot house forward boat. Captain Eric Nyhammer is a Norwegian peer of Sig Hansen and his father, Svien, is the boat owner. The Rollo's five-man team spans in ages from 21 to 44, with the vibe on the boat being that of an eclectic crew. The vessel carries 160 pots and can hold 160,000 pounds of crab.

CAPTAIN STIEN ERIC NYHAMMER (age 44) has been fishing since he was a boy and now runs his father's boat. Eric is an outspoken and proud fisherman who is very dedicated to his two young sons. In fact, he is participating in the show so his sons can view him in his natural element. Eric is also an artist who enjoys painting with oils and pastels.

DECKHAND COREY ARNOLD (age 29) is a fun-loving guy from Southern California who started fishing with his father when he was 5 years old. He studied photography at the Academy of Art and College, and worked summers as a salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay. He chose to become a commercial fisherman for the adventure, love of the sea, hard physical lifestyle, and (of course) the money. He views the Rollo as an "artsy fishermen" crew.

DECKHAND MATT SULLIVAN (age 21) ended up in Seattle after dropping out of film school and hitching his way around the country. Eric found Matt wandering the docks three years ago and offered him his first job jigging for cod — a difficult fishing technique used by Eric to test potential deckhands. Matt passed the cod jigging test and now works as a fisherman six to nine months out of the year. Matt plans to be on the ocean for the rest of his life.

ENGINEER BRIAN GREER (age 44) has fished since 1980, and has been with Eric since 1989. When not fishing, he subcontracts various construction jobs, doing carpentry, welding and commercial maintenance in the greater Seattle area. Brian enjoys working and playing outdoors, loves animals, and cooks all sorts of different cuisines, which the Rollo crew oftentimes enjoys. Other hobbies include snow skiing, gardening, motorcycle riding and, most of all, tinkering in home improvement. Brian is divorced, but has a wonderful 13-year-old son named Alex.

FIRST MATE CHRISTIAN KIRK (age 44) is Eric's brother-in-law. He is married and has three children. Christian has been crabbing and gillnetting
for 20 years and is a fledgling longshoreman. He is also an avid Cleveland Browns fan.

SAGA
Season 1 (April 2005)

The Saga is manned by the youngest captain in the fleet.

Roger Strong has been a captain for 11 years. Now 37, he misses the brotherhood of the deck, but finds that even his well-conditioned rock climber's body has trouble performing the grueling physical labor of a crab boat. When he isn't out at sea, Roger is a high-profile rock climber, well-known for his ability to scale both rock and ice.

Julian Hiner is the Saga owner's 22-year-old son. As a greenhorn he wants to prove himself, but must first overcome his seasickness — and the hierarchical strain caused by his status as the boat owner's son, which technically makes him the boss. When he isn't fishing, Julian loves to spend the winter months snowboarding near his home in Kodiak, Alaska.

SEASTAR
Season 1 (April 2005)

The majority of the deckhands on the Sea Star are more than 50 years old.

Fifty-something Larry Hendricks, from Seattle, Wash., has been a professional fisherman for almost 20 years. He loves the sea, and believes fishing is not only a job, but a lifestyle as well. He has specially designed his boat to accommodate his older deckhands, whom he has kept with him for nearly his entire career. Larry has lost many friends to the sea, which encourages a heightened level of safety on his boat.

Kenny Hendricks, Larry's cousin, has been crabbing with Larry for most of his career. In his younger years he was known as a wild man, but now, at 57, he has a much more sober and professional demeanor. Deck boss of the Seastar, his age and agility sometimes cause this work to be more tiring for him than his younger crewmates, but they work as a team and make it through. Kenny spends his time off with his wife and young children at their home in Seattle, Wash.

Greenhorn John White is trying to turn his life around after a string of bad luck. He landed his job on the Seastar at the last moment when another crew member failed to show up for work. John is a hard worker and very grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Seastar's crew. He wants to do a good job not only for himself, but more importantly, for his daughter.

TIME BANDIT
Season 2 (April 2006) and 3 (April 2007)

The Time Bandit is a 113-foot house aft boat owned by the Hillstrand brothers that was designed by the Hillstrands' father. The five men helped custom-build the boat's interior, including some comforts unheard of in a crab boat: a four-man sauna, state rooms with queen-size beds and a dishwasher. Three of the five Hillstrand brothers make up the six-man crew. The vessel carries 137 pots.

CAPTAIN JOHN HILLSTRAND (age 43) has a love for life on the edge that doesn't end when he gets off the boat. He rides a Harley Davidson that is rigged with a nitrous boost that will rocket him to 120 mph at the touch of a button. John runs a tight ship and is not afraid to speak his mind. John splits his shore time between Seattle and Homer, Alaska.

ANDY HILLSTRAND (age 42) trades command duties with John between seasons; he is the captain of the Time Bandit during opilio crab season. Andy owns a quarter horse ranch in Indiana where his other passion is horse training.

NEIL HILLSTRAND (age 38) is the youngest of the five brothers and is in charge of prepping the boat before each season. Neil cooks, cleans and operates the boat at night while the crew sleeps. Neil started fishing salmon and herring with his father when he was 12 years old. In the off-season, he runs a hydro-seeding company in Homer, Alaska. Neil is the father of two teenage kids.

DECKHAND MIKE FOURTNER (age 25) has been fishing with the Time Bandit since he was 18 years old. Mike was raised in a fishing family in Homer, Alaska. He says there are only two jobs up in Homer: logging or fishing. He chose the latter. He started fishing when he was 9 years old with his uncle and fell in love with it. Fishing has been his only source of income his entire life.

DECKHAND TOM MILLER (age 32) owns a small, 32-foot fishing boat and fishes for red salmon in Bristol Bay, as well as for halibut off Kodiak Island, when he's not crabbing. He is a professional diver and is working toward his dive master license. He loves to travel out of the country as much as possible.

Season 3
TIME BANDIT

Brothers Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand share the skippering duties on board their family-operated vessel, the Time Bandit. Designed by the Hillstrands' father and custom-built by the brothers, the boat features luxuries unheard of on other crab boats, such as staterooms with queen-sized beds, a four-person sauna and a dishwasher.

Johnathan is the captain during king crab season. He runs a tight ship and is not afraid to speak his mind. When he's not embracing the elements at sea, the Homer, Alaska, resident enjoys a zest for life on the edge that includes riding a Harley that is rigged to rocket to 120 mph at the touch of a button.

Andy Hillstrand is skipper during opilio season and also runs the business side. During the off-season, Andy spends time at his ranch in Indiana, where he engages in his other passion — training horses.

The youngest of the brothers, Deckhand Neal Hillstrand is responsible for prepping the boat at the start of each season and serves as the cook. Deckhand Nathan Vandecoevering also returns to fish on the Time Bandit. New to the boat this year is Deckhand Russ Newberry, who brings with him nearly 20 years of crabbing experience.

THE ALEUTIAN BALLAD
Season 2 (April 2006)

The Aleutian Ballad is a 100-foot house aft fishing vessel. She carried 120 pots during king crab season. The boat can pack 150,000 pounds of crab in its holds. For the 2005 king crab season, the Aleutian Ballad's quota was 320,000 pounds.

CAPTAIN JERRY "CORKY" TILLEY (age 50):
Jerry has been a fisherman since he was 13 years old, when he went commercial tuna fishing with his father off the coast of Washington state. He has been a captain on the Bering Sea for 22 years, running the Aleutian Ballad for the past two. He is part owner of the Aleutian Ballad; part owner of another large crabber, the Watchman; owner of a 50-foot crabber, the Terry S; and owner of a 30-foot gill-netter, the Dotty. A third-generation fisherman, Jerry has three sons: Jesse (age 24), Matthew (age 22) and Jerry Jr. (age 16). He also has a daughter, Nicole (age 27), who was working on the Aleutian Ballad during the 2005 king crab season when a 50-foot rogue wave put the boat on its side. Jerry was born and raised in Westport, Wash. Single and available, he enjoys basketball, hunting, riding his Jet Ski, snow skiing and riding motorcycles with his youngest son, Jerry Jr.

SCOTT TEMPLIN (age 35):
Scott has been fishing the Bering Sea for 17 years. Born in Tacoma, Wash., he is a first-generation fisherman who now resides in Roslyn, Wash. In addition to earning money at sea, Scott cuts timber and fights fires in the state of Washington. As a single man, he enjoys the outdoors by surfing and snowboarding in his free time.

CLAYTON CUSTER (age 18):
Clayton is 18 years old and a first-generation fisherman. Born and raised in Anchor Point, Alaska, he started fishing when he was 14 years old and finally tried his hand at king crab in 2005. When not at sea earning a living, Clayton enjoys snowboarding, hunting, snowmobiling and living it up as a single man.

NICOLE TILLEY (age 27):
A fourth-generation fisherman, Nicole is Capt. Jerry's daughter. A seasoned deckhand, she has been fishing commerciallly with her father since she was 12 years old. When she's not out fishing, she earns a living tending bar in Westport, Wash., where she grew up. When she's not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and doing outdoor activities, especially snowboarding, surfing and riding four wheelers.

CARL POWERS (age 37):
Carl lives in Kodiak, Alaska, with his wife, Sarah, and two sons, Daniel (age 2 1/2) and Kyle (age 1 1/2). He is a first-generation fisherman who has been fishing for 19 years, with only two years off due to a broken kneecap. With a father in the U.S. Coast Guard, Carl has lived all over the country. When he is not fishing for crab, he is fly-fishing and sport fishing. The fishing industry is said to be his second family. Carl came aboard the Aleutian Ballad to fill in for a deckhand who unexpectedly quit. However, he worked aboard the Cornelia Marie for nearly eight years.

Season 3
ALEUTIAN BALLAD

Capt. Jerry "Corky" Tilley of West Port, Wash., began fishing professionally during the summers at the age of 12 and got on a crab boat when he was 16. He made his first trip to the Bering Sea right after high school and has been fishing ever since. As captain and part-owner of the Aleutian Ballad, Corky says this will be his last season at sea.

But for now, Corky has a lot riding on his final season, including his daughter Nicole and son Matthew, who serve as deckhands. Twenty-six-year-old Nicole dropped out of beauty school to join the family's fishing business, where she works hard to prove herself to the guys on deck. Matthew, the greenest deckhand on the Aleutian Ballad, has worked alongside Nicole on other fishing boats in the past, and the two have a good working relationship.

Joining the Tilley family for their final voyage together aboard the Aleutian Ballad are Engineer Brandon Krenz, Deckhand Allen "Kiwi" Brant and Deckhand Kenny McMahon.

THE WIZARD
Season 3
Capt. Keith Colburn of Redmond, Wash., has served at the helm of the Wizard for the last 14 years. He took a huge risk in 2005 purchasing the Wizard without any of her valuable crab quota. A World War II-era ship that was converted into a fishing vessel in 1978, the Wizard, a perennial top five producer, is one of the largest vessels in the fleet at 155 feet in length. Being forced to lease his entire crab quota, Keith struggled in his first year owning the Wizard. This season the stakes are that much higher for his ship and crew.

VIXEN
Season 1 (April 2005, Opilio)

The 98-foot Vixen boasts a crew of men related to each other in one way or another.

Mike Wahl of Reedsport , Ore., is a second-generation fisherman and fleet owner. In addition to running Wahl Fisheries with his father, the adventure-loving Mike works as a deckhand on either the Vixen or the Arctic Fox whenever he can. He enjoys working with his crews and never takes a portion of the deck profits.

First-time captain Shaun Miles has 15 years of fishing experience, including one salmon season under his belt. Once married to Mike Vallad's cousin, he maintains a close bond with his ex, with whom he has two daughters and one son.

Bill Wahl, Mike Wahl's cousin, was brought onboard the Vixen by Shaun Miles in 1999. He's been an engineer for three years and enjoys being at sea. He is married to Mike Vallad's sister and is father to a son and a daughter.

This is the second Opilio season for the hardworking Mike Vallad, and he is very glad that his family invited him onboard the Vixen, saving him from a life as a hotel concierge. In his spare time he enjoys riding motorcycles and quads.

Also on the crew: deckhands Michael Jones and Kevin Turley, who is also a greenhorn.

WESTERN VIKING
Season 1 (April 2005)

The Western Viking is making its maiden king crab fishing voyage under new ownership this season. However, despite its recent refurbishment, technical problems remain.

Engineer-turned-captain Coleman Anderson is taking out the Western Viking on its maiden crabbing voyage for its new owners. The boat has been refurbished ... or so he thought. Coleman is a problem solver by nature, and the Western Viking will definitely keep him busy . Born and raised in Alaska, 40-something Coleman owns his own welding shop in Seattle, Wash., where he lives with his wife and kids when he's not at sea.