Sig Hansen Steps Aside: Who Will Take the Helm of the Northwestern on ‘Deadliest Catch’?
On Tuesday, Deadliest Catch sees Captain Sig Hansen squarely back out on the Bering Sea, out of Norway, and getting his son-in-law Clark ready to take the Northwestern helm as he expands his fishing empire.
Sig’s daughter Mandy is ready to deliver her baby girl, Sailor [born last November 10], and Clark has to be prepared to sit in the big chair and guard the F/V Northwestern.
And in TV Shows Ace exclusive clip, Clark is getting a masterclass from father-in-law Sig Hansen as they are 380 miles out.
Sig Hansen hands over Northwestern
In the tease, Sig is at the wheel and tells the camera that right at that moment, they are about to haul in that area that Clark picked out. He said: “If this pays off, we can get these crabs caught and hopefully see that baby born in time, and we got to get him to the cannery in time before those doors close.”
After five seasons on deck, Clark finally takes the helm for the first haul of his career while the skipper Sig checks in as his new first mate.
And with his strategies producing dismal results, it’s time for Sig to get out and get home. Mandy is waiting for her dad and husband as Sailor is due any minute. Captain Sig Hansen bets his son-in-law Clark’s fishing sense will guide them safely home.
Can we trust Captain Keith, and where are the bairdi?
Before we head out with the Northwestern this week, let’s discuss the season to date.
On the F/V Patricia Lee, run by Captain Rip Carlton, the boat continues to rack up injuries. In the last episode, Devon lost consciousness. Then another freak injury went down with Cameron, who rolled his ankle. Rip has had it with the bad luck on his ship.
The Cornelia Marie has two skippers, Josh Harris and Casey McManus, who have golden King crab in the rear view mirror and are racing to fill the coffers with bairdi crab. Brother Shane Smith is still working with Josh Harris, and the two are featured together on the spinoff Deadliest Catch: Bloodline.
Eternally optimistic Captain Johnathan Hillstrand is hanging tough hunting golden King crab with his wife Heather and the colorful Time Bandit crew. However, Captain Keith Colburn has the Wizard out looking for the bairdi motherlode too.
The twist is that Harris and McManus have been fishing for intel with both of these captains trying to forge partnerships. They hope to partner with Captain Keith, who is reticent to join forces. Johnathan is more malleable with Josh despite his regrets after a call he received to “partner up” a few clicks back this season. The takeaway from the last episode is that Colburn is exactly like Sig Hansen in keeping his fishing grounds information close to his chest.
Heavy on greenhorns and light on crab, Captain Harley Davidson of the Southern Wind isn’t faring much better between unrelenting weather and pots improperly tied down. This upside-down fishing season is wreaking havoc on everyone’s finances and prospects this season 18.
Tune in to see how the handoff on the Northwestern goes down as Sig lets go of a few more reins:
