Throttle Failure at Sea: Captain Keith Battles Mechanical Chaos and a Dangerous Tide
In the final days before offload, every second matters on the Bering Sea — and for Captain Keith Colburn, disaster strikes at the worst possible moment. With just four days left to deliver 31,000 pounds of red king crab, the Wizard faces a mechanical failure that threatens both the crew’s safety and their entire season’s payday.
Stuck in Forward Gear: The Moment Everything Goes Wrong
As the crew hauls their last string of 160 pots, Keith suddenly loses control of the throttle.
“I’m stuck in forward gear. My throttle controls just died on me.”
The Wizard surges ahead uncontrollably, the buoys begin slipping under the hull, and the crew is at risk of being dragged straight into the block or tangled in gear — a deadly scenario on any boat.
Joe rushes to the engine room as Keith attempts a wide loop to port, trying desperately to keep the boat positioned on the pots.
Fighting the Wind, the Tide, and a Dead Throttle System
With the tide pushing one way and the wind pushing the other, the Wizard becomes nearly impossible to maneuver.
Worse, Keith reveals the root of the problem:
“My throttle controls run on air. And I lost throttle control. Basically stuck in forward gear with no control whatsoever.”
In rough seas, without throttle, the boat can easily take water over the rails — or worse — broach sideways into a wave.
Improvised Survival: Hand Signals and Manual Control
With no electronic throttle, Keith and Joe switch to an improvised system:
- Joe controls the engine manually from below.
- Keith steers from the wheelhouse.
- Both communicate using quick hand signals:
Thumb up = slow ahead
Thumb down = slow astern
Finger up = increase throttle
Flat palm = all stop
It’s crude. It’s dangerous. But it’s all they have.
Hauling Gear With No Control: A Race Against Disaster
Despite the mechanical failure, Keith refuses to abandon the gear:
“We’ve got to get this gear on board right now.”
Waves slam the starboard rail, the crew struggles to stack pots, and the boat’s momentum becomes unpredictable with every swell. Without throttle, a single rogue wave could push the vessel sideways or send gear flying across the deck.
Manual Throttle… and a Little Luck
Joe works frantically in the engine room, trying to stabilize pressure in the system and keep the boat responsive. Keith steers through chaos as the crew hauls feverishly.
Gradually, the improvised coordination starts to work:
“Put it in forward. 800 RPM. Go!”
“Idle!”
“Neutral!”
Each command brings them one pot closer to getting the gear secured.
The Final Push: Survival Before Profit
As the last few pots come over the rail, Keith’s frustration is palpable:
“I can’t control the boat… but we’ve got to get this done.”
The clock toward delivery keeps ticking. With 31,000 pounds still needed to fill the quota, the Wizard has no room for failure.
Yet even amid chaos, the crew gets the job done — stacking the final pots, securing the gear, and keeping the Wizard alive for another day.
Conclusion: On the Bering Sea, Problems Don’t Wait — and Neither Can the Crew
Throttle failure. Dangerous tides. Gear still in the water. Delivery deadline looming.
This is the reality of Deadliest Catch — survival first, payday second.
But for Captain Keith Colburn and the Wizard crew, this near disaster is just another reminder:
On the Bering Sea, nothing comes easy — not even staying in gear.
