♪♪
♪♪
I had sweats
a little while ago.
[bleep]
Yeah, that'd be
great, huh?
The coronavirus.
Reporter: The novel coronavirus
has infected
Thousands of people in china
And has spread
to other countries
In just a little
over a month's time.
How worried should
people really be?
It's the unknowns.
We didn't even know what it was.
We didn't even
know how to say it.
Coronavirus? What the heck?
Narrator: In the final week
of the 2020 winter season...
Reporter: Many countries have
restricted travel from china
Or closed their borders.
Narrator:
...Governments across east asia
Threatened to shut down
ports and trade.
Bill: There's a big panic.
They're talking about
affecting the entire planet.
Do we stop global travel?
Do we stop global commerce?
Narrator:
And with market closures,
Putting downward pressure
on demand...
Jake: The whole world's market
right not is being stifled.
Price could possibly tank
at any moment.
Narrator: ...The alaskan fleet
scrambles to fill their quotas
And deliver
before crab prices plummet.
Scott: No year is a good year
to have a price drop,
But, definitely, I do not
need it this year.
Casey: This has been a season
from hell.
Crab management
changing in russia.
Three gnarly storms.
Look out!
Whoa!
This is it.
This is the push.
Doesn't matter
how you start the season.
What matters is
how you finish it.
Watch yourself!
Watch out!
Narrator: After nine weeks
racked by winter's fury...
...And fraught
with human hardship...
Are you okay?
...For those captains
still in the fight...
Harley has got his whole load
right on top of us here.
[ chuckling ]
Narrator:
...It's not about victory.
You want to fight
or what, dude?
Act like [bleep] adults!
-Grab the line!
-[ groans ]
Narrator:
...It's about survival.
Watch out!
Captions paid for by
discovery communications
Narrator: 510 miles northwest
of dutch harbor...
[ jerry coughing ]
-Cover your mouth, jerry!
-Yes, sir.
...On the 138-foot
lady alaska...
[ coughing ]
Get away from me.
[bleep]
terrifying, man.
Everyone's sick.
Man.
Scott: The biggest fear is,
Is they can be affected
by this coronavirus.
You know,
we've been hearing about it.
I have no idea what it is.
And if we get sick out here,
We can't get the proper
medical attention that we need.
And we're our own little
petri dish right here.
[ coughing ]
If one person gets affected,
they're all gonna get affected.
If it's not one thing,
it's another. [bleep]
Narrator: After scrounging up
enough cash
To expand his fleet...
Scott: The lady alaska.
We're half
a million dollars in debt,
And I've got to make some money.
Narrator:
...Captain scott campbell jr.
Endured a season
of breakdowns...
[ electricity crackles ]
Man: No power!
...Injuries...
-Watch it!
-Ow!
Narrator:
...Even a near sinking.
Scott: Figure out where
that water's coming from
Or we're gonna roll
this [bleep] boat over.
Man #2: Son of a b*tch!
[ woman coughing ]
Narrator: Now the skipper faces
a new menace --
One he can't even see.
Scott:
It's affecting everything.
Ports are being shut down
because of this coronavirus.
If my crab can't be delivered,
I can't get paid for my product.
♪♪
Man #3: Roger!
Scott:
Got a tank full of crab,
And we're moving to the north
because I believe
The crab are right
alongside the ice.
We got one trip left.
Knock on wood.
[ knocking ]
Okay. Let her go.
Narrator: Adding to his list
of concerns...
His full share of deckhands
Are showing
half-share tendencies.
Just as always,
we're waiting on hunky.
Scott:
I got a solution for that.
We wait for nobody.
I'll run the [bleep] crane.
Alright, let her go.
[ yells indistinctly ]
♪♪
♪♪
Oh, look, there's hunky.
Man #4: There he is.
Hunky, where you been?
The reality is,
is we're here to do a job.
Freezing my a*s off.
I was getting worried!
It doesn't take six guys
to [bleep] move a pot.
Don't know [bleep] jack [bleep]
[bleep]
[ sighs ]
There appears to be a pattern
that keeps building.
I'm seeing bad attitudes,
And it's dragging the entire
mood of the boat down.
It's got to be addressed.
Narrator:
180 miles southeast...
On the cornelia marie...
Casey: Oh, this is gonna be
a trip from hell,
And I don't get to share it
with my partner in crime.
If a guy was gonna choose
a week to take off...
...He picked the right one.
♪♪
Global demand on opilio
might be a little screwed up.
The coronavirus came in
and some guys
Are not sending their big
cargo ships over to china
Because they're afraid they'll
get quarantined or something.
Narrator:
Captain casey mcmanus races
Impending government port
closures due to the coronavirus
On the one hand...
Casey:
We already managed to get
Our gear out of the way
of the ice once this season,
But is that gonna happen
a second time?
Narrator: ...And the descending
200-square-mile-wide ice pack
On the other,
Heading straight
for his 75 pots
In the far northern reaches.
[ satellite phone ringing ]
Yo, homey.
Uh, we're trying
to get our gear
And get out of the way
of the ice
Because the ice
is coming down on us.
Well, thanks again
For letting me make
my kid's birthday, dude.
Oh, you're welcome.
You're welcome.
Really?
♪♪
If he's got
his stuff together
And he's living
a clean life,
Well, you know what?
Then definitely
give him a shot.
Narrator: A decade ago...
We have to keep
the boat running.
...After the passing
of their father,
Captain phil harris...
You better shut
[bleep] your mouth
Right the [bleep] now.
...Josh's brother jake
fell prey to addiction,
Frequently landing him
on the wrong side of the law.
He won't get
any special treatment.
He's got to work
his way up the ladder again.
That's for sure.
His latest debt
to society paid,
Josh contemplates bringing jake
back into the family business.
Well, it's a step
in the right direction
If he shows up there
and he looks good to me.
Alright, bro, keep up
the good work.
Alright.
Josh:
It's been a hell of a year,
So hopefully casey
can finish up the season.
It'd be great to have all three
harris guys back on the boat.
It's been lonely having just one
harris on the boat.
So we'll see what he does.
♪♪
Narrator: 25 miles
from the russian line...
...Aboard the saga...
Jake: Holy cow.
That is huge.
I want to go home
so bad right now.
To miss that is just...
It's making my brain
just fried.
Bye, I love you.
I'm gonna go.
I love you, too.
Alright, bye-bye.
♪♪
-Holy hell!
-Hey!
Jake:
I'm all the way out to russia.
I got nothing but bad weather.
Man, my wife...
She's gonna have
the baby any day now.
I also am trying to beat
the coronavirus' damage
Of the market,
so this is an important time.
I need everybody firing
on full cylinders.
Alright, it's the first pot.
Alright.
Let's see what she's got for me.
♪♪
Narrator: Aiming to offload
before his wife's delivery date
And before more ports
shutter across asia,
Captain jake anderson
discovers the fate
Of his move to the russian line.
♪♪
Man #5: Coming up!
♪♪
That's --
that's not that good.
That's not that good.
Let's see what the count is.
[ sighs ]
♪♪
Oh, man.
What is this crap?
You want a table or no?
Nah.
That's terrible.
All the way up.
♪♪
Alright, fellas...
Roger!
Narrator: Heading towards
the best sign of life,
Jake makes a move
toward deeper water.
By my numbers
and calculations,
These crab are moving way west.
We're gonna find out
if I'm right or if I'm wrong.
[ yells indistinctly ]
[ fairlead snaps, metal clanks ]
[bleep]
Broken block!
We are out of commission.
Narrator: On the saga...
[ yells indistinctly ]
[ fairlead snaps, metal clanks ]
[bleep]
[bleep]
Hydraulic guy not [bleep]
paying attention
Ripped off
my brand-new fairlead.
Man #6: That's what
[bleep] snapped.
Ripped the horn
right off.
Narrator: Hydraulic operator
clayton gore
Fails to notice a tangle.
[ yells indistinctly ]
...Sheering the 2-inch-thick
steel fairlead from the block...
We're out of the block.
We won't be able to haul.
[bleep]
Narrator:
...Stranding captain jake
Until he can get it fixed.
I'm not making excuses.
I [bleep] up.
I should have been
paying more attention.
Hopefully we can get it fixed
and get back to hauling.
Jake: That is the most important
piece of equipment
That we have on the boat.
Fix that [bleep] [bleep]
Roger!
Hold this on that side.
♪♪
I will never finish
my season like this!
[bleep]
♪♪
Narrator:
60 miles down the line...
On the southern wind...
Harley: Roger!
Objective today is to get these
crab stuffed in these tanks
And get out of here.
♪♪
Harley: Been a long
opilio season already for us.
You look over the shoulder
And now it's the damn
coronavirus.
We need to get this stuff
to the market
Before this affects it.
It's time to put a close
on this b*stard.
Narrator:
In the far northern grounds,
Captain steve "harley" davidson
searches for the 40,000 pounds
He needs to cover his quota
before market closures
Snuff out demand for crab
and any chance of profit.
We're gonna finish it off
with a bang, you know, a bang.
♪♪
We got to do it
a little better than that.
Maybe it's gonna get better.
Damn.
Right now, we're getting
one and a half totes.
We need to get three totes
to really make some damage.
The big tank.
Watch your head.
This is -- it's not enough.
It's a pretty easy decision
to find another pasture
As soon as possible.
Narrator: Struggling on
a dismal crab average,
It will take the captain
And interminable six days
to fill his quota.
Man #7: Roger!
In a last-ditch effort
to turn the tide...
Harley: I need a pal.
I need somebody.
I see the...
The wizard's in the area.
That piece of work.
Narrator:
To accelerate production,
Harley considers
an unlikely option.
Harley:
We just don't get along.
We never have.
But there's nobody else around.
Probably worth giving keith
a call.
[ chuckles ]
it might work.
♪♪
[ satellite phone ringing ]
Narrator: But at the helm
of the wizard...
Hello, wizard.
This is monte.
Oh, hey, monte,
how are you doing?
Narrator: ...A colburn
harley doesn't expect.
Harley: I was wondering
if I could talk to keith.
Is he available?
No, he's not.
He went home.
Probably a good thing.
[ chuckles ]
Yeah.
How you been, harley?
I see you over there.
I was wondering if maybe
we could share some info.
How are you doing?
Well...
[ men cheering ]
You know, honestly,
it's just --
It's super patchy.
-There we go!
-Oh, yeah!
You know, there's a lot
of blanks running around.
Right.
-Dump it right here.
-Alright.
Oh...
Whoo!
Alright, monte...
Be safe, bud.
You too. Bye.
Ah. Phbt.
Whatever, monte.
Monte: [ sighs ]
Harley, southern wind
is struggling to find something.
Whoo!
I'm not gonna say anything
Because it's not a person
I could trust.
♪♪
[ harley chuckling ]
Monte's running the wizard.
I'll be damned.
I had no idea keith was gone.
Nothing cooking,
and your big-a*s boat's
Gonna sit there
for days at a time?
He just told me more than
you need to tell me
Right there.
Narrator: Fully aware
that the wizard's on the hook
For a whopping 1.6
million pounds of quota...
Harley: I think he's holding
out on me.
And I'm gonna go find out
right now.
Narrator:
...Harley's not buying
That monte's grinding on
anything less than big numbers.
I'm gonna go see how well
mouse protects his cheese.
[ chuckling ]
Narrator:
205 miles southeast...
Bill: We're almost there.
...On the summer bay...
Bill: I just plan to finish
this -- the last trip,
But that would have
made life easy
And that's not the way
our crab season is gonna go.
I'll tell you.
Narrator:
After dollars and days burned
On a barrage of breakdowns,
Captain wild bill wichrowski
Takes one final trip
to the south,
Looking to claim
His last 15,000 pounds
of opilio quota.
Bill: This virus is affecting
crab prices,
Be it for the russians
or the u.S.A.
The quicker we get this stuff
into town, processed,
Shipped out, the better off
we're gonna be.
And it's gonna take
a lot to slow me down.
Narrator: As more governments
across asia and europe
Weigh foreclosures to stave off
the spread of coronavirus,
Bill faces fewer markets
and fewer bucks
For his 10-legged bounty.
Bill: That's coming up.
Ready to wrap
this season up.
Whoo!
Hoping we got a bunch of crab
in the gear.
We had tremendous fishing
when we left.
But as you know, crabfishing
in the winter,
Anything can happen, so...
[ men yelling indistinctly ]
Look like
some crab down there.
Alright.
I like the way
this one's laying.
280. 2-8-0.
-[ chuckles ]
-whoo!
Oh, yeah!
[ men cheering ]
I'm not counting any chickens,
But I hear a lot
of clucking going on.
♪♪
Coming together.
♪♪
[ alarm blaring ]
Landon, nick, see if it's a leak
or what's going on.
Go, go, go.
-Whoa.
-Look out.
Landon: Hey, nick!
We got a hole
in the side of the boat.
♪♪
[ alarm blaring ]
Landon:
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Narrator:
On the summer bay...
Landon: Whoa!
Hey, nick!
Hand me that shop vac.
Shop vac?
♪♪
So landon, what's going on?
Alright. Well, I'll just --
I'll just jog in our direction
While we're getting it together.
Well, we got a little
vertical crack on the hull
Where the pots come up
and hit.
Almost every pot hits it.
It's leaking to a void.
It's scary, downright scary.
Narrator: Years of slamming pots
into the starboard hull
Rips a fissure in the steel,
Letting in the sea
where it don't belong,
Leaving a hole
they can't reach.
The rising water could alter
the summer bay's stability
And claim the vessel
for the deep.
I'm not doing that.
This virus is affecting
all sorts of crab prices.
I kind of just plan
to finish this.
There's no way in hell
I'm going back to town.
So...
We're gonna have
to get up every few hours
And hope we get rid
of that water.
Narrator: Weighing a costly trip
to town against the danger
Of fishing through
a deluge of seawater,
Bill throttles down.
Bill: Keep an eye on it.
It may have a happy
ending after all.
Once upon a time,
there was a crab boat.
The crab boat is
tied up safely,
And bill's
in warm salt water
With his a*s in the sand.
♪♪
Narrator: 95 miles east...
Pulling in to offload
right here.
Narrator:
...In st. Paul harbor...
Scott: Ready?
Narrator: ...After a grueling
9-day trip,
Captain scott campbell jr.
Exchanges opilio for cash.
That's it.
We're tied up.
Guys are gonna come in
and get some breakfast
And then we'll get started.
-Roger.
-[ coughs ]
-oh, god.
Scott: It's already starting.
I can feel it coming on myself.
I think this flu that's going
on through the boat.
-It's the coronavirus, dude.
-No way.
I don't believe it.
Okay.
Narrator: While his crew battles
flu-like symptoms...
Scott: Big staff meeting.
Narrator: ...There is
one contagion
Junior must eradicate
immediately.
Scott:
Quite honestly, it's attitude.
The attitude of the deck
is the problem.
I figured once we got
on crab, it would lighten up,
But it's not.
It's getting worse.
So if you don't want
to be here, don't.
Jerry: I'm just too old
for this [bleep]
That's what I needed
to know, jerry.
I mean, I'm freaking miserable.
I can't do [bleep]
Well, that's fine.
And you know what?
The reality is that's fine.
You're miserable.
He's just as [bleep] as you.
Jerry's leaving.
Are you leaving, too?
Yes or no?
Yeah.
Okay, well, let's do it.
It's time to go.
Go on to new and better things.
I gave them an ultimatum.
Now it's all out there.
Jerry wants to go home.
And hunky,
he had a bad attitude.
I left it up to him.
I'm done.
It's time to go, you know.
Man #8: Coming up!
I need to get this crap off
and get out of here.
Narrator: As the lady alaska
cracks her tanks
To unload 100,000 pounds
of opilio...
I'm out of here.
...She also loses 40 years
of experience
And a bilge full of saltiness.
Scott: Hopefully the morale
will be better.
-Yeah, buddy!
-Look at that tank.
Scott: Now we're short handed,
but, uh, you know,
It is what it is.
Make it work.
We'll just continue forward.
That's all we can do.
Finish it off strong.
♪♪
Narrator:
325 miles northwest...
...On the russian line...
What in the hell?
♪♪
Oh, for [bleep] sake's.
♪♪
Narrator:
...Aboard the cornelia marie...
Casey: Look at that.
[ groaning ]
♪♪
Narrator: ...Gunning for his
final 11,000 pounds,
Captain casey arrives to find
The 200-square-mile-wide
ice pack
Farther down than expected...
On top of his gear.
These chunks are
three and four feet thick.
They're the size
of midsize automobiles.
♪♪
This is thick ice.
Ice this thick,
You could easily punch a hole
in the front of the boat.
This is kind of stuff that will
grab pots and move 'em, too.
With josh not here,
It especially
puts the pressure on me.
This is gonna be
very slow going,
Getting up to the gear.
Narrator: Arctic floes
often snare buoys
And drag the pots below,
Forcing casey to locate his pots
Amid a veritable minefield
of razor-edged ice.
[ groans ]
Every pot that I don't grab
Is not only $1,000
worth of steel,
It's also how much crab
we're missing out
By not getting that pot.
The first pot of this string
Should be right here off
our bow somewhere.
Hey, if you guys see any
of these,
Feel free to let me know.
♪♪
♪♪
Son of beach.
-Right there.
-There it is.
Casey: Good eyes, man.
[bleep]
When you have those
really big chunks,
Wait till they go by.
♪♪
That's your gap.
Throw in front of that thing.
Let's go, live her rip.
-There it is.
-Get it, get it, get it.
Casey: You got her.
Just pull back.
I am!
Oh [bleep]
[ yells indistinctly ]
[bleep]
Get the heavy hook.
Hook into that [bleep]
with the heavy hook.
[ men yelling ]
Narrator:
On the cornelia marie...
Casey: Pull it in.
I am!
...Captain casey and his crew
fight to rescue their gear
From south-bound arctic
ice floes.
Casey: Get the heavy hook.
Hook into that [bleep]
with the heavy hook.
[ men yelling ]
Damn it.
D.J., you just put it
in the crab block
And pull it out.
Muscle that thing
out of there.
-Alright.
-Yes, sir.
♪♪
-You got it?
-Son of a b*tch.
♪♪
Got one in the block.
It's good.
♪♪
Dear lord, please let there
be some crab in these pots.
Oh, man.
That was another worry.
A lot of times
when you drag these things,
They flip over,
the crab crawl out like this.
Narrator: After an agonizing
search and a treacherous haul,
Casey has his reward --
A pot somersaulted by the ice,
letting its crab fly the coop.
-Right there.
-There it is.
This is gonna be
a long-a*s day.
♪♪
♪♪
Reporter: The coronavirus is a
global public-health emergency,
According to the world
health organization.
Reporter #2: People want to know
what's happening
As things change quickly
with covid-19.
Narrator: 10 weeks
into opilio season...
...A complete freeze of china's
three biggest ports --
Shanghai,
ningbo and shenzhen
Force the majority
of the russian fleet to idle.
Sounds like the russian boats,
they're tied up.
They're not even going in
to offload.
China is now not buying
crab from russia.
It's not buying crab
from america
Because of the coronavirus.
That means prices
are gonna now plummet.
Narrator: Now, with demand
for crab
Collapsing internationally...
Harley: If you're dealing
with a strain of a virus,
It doesn't know any borders.
Narrator: ...The pressure is on
domestically to catch
And offload their quotas
before they suffer the same fate
As their russian counterparts.
It's time for us
to make our move.
♪♪
Narrator:
30 miles southwest...
Alright, let's look alive
down there.
Narrator: ...On the wizard...
-Over!
-Whoo!
Narrator:
...Captain monte colburn
Returns to gear
he set back just 24 hours ago.
♪♪
Real strong fishing
all through here.
It'd be nice
to kind of finish this off
With the highest market price
you can get for 'em.
Narrator: With his
1.6 million-pound quota
Under siege,
The veteran skipper
is running out of time
To bank his last
70,000 pounds of crab.
It'd be nice to fill this boat.
Let's do it.
♪♪
That's gotta be pushing 300.
Okay.
Let's just put on
to the screen...
[ beeping ]
[bleep]
Man #9: Going over!
Keyboard is not working here
for some unknown reason.
Plotters -- almost worthless
without it.
Narrator: Monte's
state-of-the-art plotter
Gives him instant command
of the exact location
Of his vast spread of gear.
That's a drag.
I'm gonna have
to go back to this book
And enter a bunch
of information.
Narrator: But without
a working keyboard,
The skipper is sent back
to the speed of pen on paper.
[ men cheering ]
As if we didn't have enough
going on.
It's one more thing
to deal with.
Narrator:
Just 5 miles north...
...On the southern wind...
Wait till he comes back
And sees my gear
all through here.
[bleep] that, wizard.
-Haul that.
-Yeah.
Narrator:
Captain steve "harley" davidson
Doesn't need a plotter
for this set.
He just follows his instincts
and the scent of a mouse.
Harley: Yes, sir.
He's been sitting here
eating all alone.
I'm gonna come and set
my own plate right here.
Mind games -- a lot of years
of that happening.
That's all I got to say.
Harley:
Monte isn't deceiving.
I know who's behind that.
He's sitting in the chair
or he's sitting at home,
He's still fricking
keith colburn.
Narrator: 90 miles northeast...
...On the saga...
♪♪
Clayton:
Got some good welds here.
I think we're golden.
Jake: [ sighs ] finally.
Alright, fellas,
we're stacking them on.
And we're gonna go
farther west,
Try to intercept them.
Narrator: With his block
back in working order...
I don't need anything
but to be at the hospital
With my wife right now.
I just want to go home.
That's it.
Narrator: ...Captain jake stacks
on all 140 pots
And moves west
to find the biomass
Before his wife gives birth
to their third child.
Grab it, mike!
-Watch that pot.
-[bleep]
[bleep] man.
[bleep] me up.
Mike, ross,
I'm watching you right now.
I've got to get home.
♪♪
As soon as I get these guys
on an airplane home
And I don't have to be
responsible for them anymore,
I'll be very, very relieved.
-Look what you're doing, man!
-Watch out!
Ugh!
Whoa!
-Are you alright?
-Oh!
You alright?
Narrator: On the saga...
-Look what you're doing, man!
-Watch out!
Ugh!
Whoa!
Oh!
You alright?
Okay, ross?
[bleep]
♪♪
Ross not paying attention.
You alright?!
Ross! You good?!
Narrator: Greenhorn ross jones
turns his back to the pot
Right in the danger zone.
He pays the price
when deck boss joe gomez
And 800 pounds of swinging steel
slam him to the deck.
Ross has been caught
standing in a place
Where a pot can
flat-out k*ll him.
That means he's not thinking.
[bleep]
[ speaks indistinctly ]
Listen, relax.
You can't have your back
to the [bleep] pot like that.
Relax.
I'm relaxed.
You act like I did it
on [bleep] purpose.
I thought you did.
It's good.
You got to stand
right here
Or wait until it's landed.
You know what I mean?
I'm giving everybody
the opportunity right now
To fish like a highliner.
And if you don't want to fish
like a highliner,
Then you've got no business
on this boat.
I don't...
I don't know
if I can haul like this.
Go ahead and stack them all on,
every one.
I do not care
what's in this box.
I just want them on my boat
and get the hell out of here.
♪♪
I know I can find these things.
I know I can find better numbers
than this.
I will find a way.
Man #10: Coast guard helicopter
6041, channel 16, over.
There's someone on 16.
Sounds like, uh,
They're sending
a jayhawk helicopter out.
Sounds like somebody
got really badly burned.
Oh, god.
I can't imagine
how that could happen.
They cook on that boat.
They process and cook 'em.
They're one of the few
catcher processors
On the grounds here.
Oh, boy.
Narrator:
325 miles southeast...
...A rescue team races
to a burn victim
On the 165-foot
catcher processor bountiful.
Accounting
for the rolling 20-foot seas
And 35-knot winds...
...The rescue team scouts
For the ideal place
to lower a swimmer
In less than ideal conditions.
Narrator:
Across the bering sea...
There's a medevac
on a catcher processor.
Somebody fell
in a crab cooker.
Narrator: ...Word spreads of
a coast guard rescue mission...
...To retrieve a burn victim
Off the fishing vessel
bountiful.
I mean, it's blowing 35.
You know, there's probably
20-foot seas.
You know, for that helicopter
to fly in these conditions,
You got to be a badass.
Narrator: Fighting high winds
and rough seas,
The jayhawk crew attempts
to land their swimmer,
Chris lynch,
on the swaying deck.
-Watch out!
-Whoa, whoa!
Narrator:
A tangle in the tether
Reduces the slack in the line.
...Threatening to jerk
the jayhawk downwards
As the vessel below bucks
in 20-foot seas.
You guys did a great job,
by the way.
That was great.
He's in some pain,
it looks like, so...
-Yeah.
-We'll be there soon hopefully.
♪♪
Narrator: 60 miles
from the russian line...
...On the southern wind...
Okay, guys,
this is the stuff
We set down on the wizard.
-Yes! I know.
-Oh, my god.
Narrator: After setting down
the wizard pot for pot,
Captain harley bets mouse
Still has enough cheddar
in his hot spot
To deliver the 35,000 pounds
he needs to finish the season.
He's looking at me right now,
Going, "that son of a b*tch
is right on my string."
Oh, yeah, I'm right
on your string
Because you told me
this was no good.
Nothing you were protecting.
Let's see.
-Whoo!
-Whoo!
Oh, man.
I'll be damned.
♪♪
Yeah, baby!
340.
Nice.
Mama didn't raise no fool.
Oh, yeah!
Ow!
That's what we wanted.
They could have went
into the freaking wizard pot
Or they could've went
into our pot.
They made a smart choice.
Come on, baby!
[ yells indistinctly ]
whoo!
520? Yes! Smoking!
-Oh, my god!
-Whoo! Whoo!
Oh, yeah!
Me and my crew need crab just as
much as him and his crew.
I want it for me.
[ chuckling ]
[ men cheering ]
Narrator:
While harley feasts all night...
Monte: Oh, man.
What the [bleep] is this now?
They set right on top of us,
Narrator: ...The wizard
has a rude awakening.
Man #11: Set down
by the southern wind.
[bleep]
The southern wind's
right on that pot.
I don't know the next one.
Yeah, he's right on us.
You know,
I talked to harley briefly,
And I don't know
If I kind of
let the cat out of the bag.
But I know there are
some crab around,
But I didn't imply to come
and blast your gear
Right on top of mine.
Narrator: Monte catches on.
Harley's playing
a game of cat and mouse,
Pouncing when monte
least expects it.
Monte:
We are in a serious hurry.
I got enough problems.
♪♪
Harley came in here and dumped
his load right on top of us.
I got kind of suckered, really.
I'm not really sure how
to adjust to this.
Kind of sucks.
Aw [bleep]
We've got
to get them on in a hurry.
Every minute is critical.
Narrator: His honey hole
pilfered by harley,
Monte faces an uphill climb
to tank his crab
Before port closures tank
the global crab price.
[ satellite phone ringing ]
Monte: Who is it?
It's my brother.
Hello, wizard.
Keith:
Mouse, how's it going?
Well, it was going alright,
But now I see that harley's
thrown his whole load
Right on top of us here.
Aw, you're kidding.
No, we're trying
to finish this thing off here
And we've got
a lot of other problems.
I don't need harley
on top of it.
It sucks.
No, for him to just come
rolling into the area
And dump everything
right on your hot spots,
You know what?
I'm gonna give harley
a call myself.
Okay, right on.
Get the rest of the gear
and go move away from him.
Captain beach commander's
got this one under control.
Okay, right on.
I'll let you go.
Bye.
My brother, he's gonna give
harley a call.
The phone squall.
It, uh...I'm sure
he'll ruin harley's day,
Which is good.
Oh, man.
We're just
gonna keep chugging along.
Narrator:
Back on the southern wind...
[ men cheering ]
Oh. That's some --
that's some cheese,
Little mousy, huh?
Thanks for leaving the cheese
without the trap.
Narrator: ...A colburn
phone squall is imminent.
Harley: Filling tanks.
I smell the finish line,
you know.
[ satellite phone ringing ]
Yeah, southern wind.
Southern wind,
wizard.
It's keith.
Hey, keith, what's going on?
You tell me
what's going on.
All of a sudden,
You're right in the middle
of my [bleep]
[ chuckles ]
Nobody owns the ocean.
I'm just trying to find a place
I can put my pots,
Trying to make a living.
I'm tired of this.
I got bigger fish to fry
than dealing with you.
I'm in seattle.
Monte is doing
the best he can
To try and find a way
to fill that boat.
Oh, cut it out.
Now, come on, keith.
It's every man for himself.
Just stay away
from my gear, alright?
Yeah, whatever.
I'm out.
Fat [bleep] guy.
Sick of his [bleep]
Yeah! Whoo!
If old monte or "mouse"
has a problem,
Why don't mouse call me?
Narrator: 180 miles southeast
on the summer bay...
For all intents and purposes,
we are in the homestretch.
Narrator: ...Captain wild bill
grinds through his final pots...
Oh, yeah!
...Come hell...
[ alarm blaring ]
...Or literal high water.
Bill: I made these guys,
when it goes off,
Go down and pump it.
Watch it.
When it's dry, turn it off.
And keep doing it.
That way, I know there's not
gonna be a problem.
It's gotten worse,
So we have to stay on top
of pumping this bilge out.
Or else this whole entire floor
Is just gonna fill up
with water,
And the boat will sink.
Narrator:
With landon on bilge duty,
The rest of the crew soldiers
through a bering sea squall.
It's really tough.
We're doing these high rolls
And making sure
that nobody gets hurt.
Get through it one way
or another.
Positive attitude.
Attitude makes the difference.
Bill:
With this whole virus thing,
I'm on a tight timeline here.
It's gonna take
a lot to slow me down.
Whoa! Whoa!
Are you okay?
I'm alright.
Dude!
Can you walk?
Get him inside.
Narrator:
On the summer bay...
Whoa! Whoa!
Are you okay?
I'm alright.
Can you walk?
Get him inside.
He needs to sit down.
What happened?
It looks like kenny
just hit him in the head
With a pot.
Kind of hard --
I couldn't see exactly
where it hit,
But obviously hit him
in the head.
Narrator:
As dave "big bird" sheets jr.
Changes bait, kenny jensen
hits the wrong lever
On the hydraulics,
slamming 1,000 pounds
Of steel
into the back of dave's skull.
Yeah, I hit
the wrong lever.
You press the wrong button
out here, somebody gets k*lled.
Sorry, bird.
Everybody is at their worst.
They're fatigued and tired.
But we're getting down
to the wire.
He's part of the crew, he's part
of the machine out there.
We need him.
Don't stand around, davey.
Come on back, dave.
Come on back, dave.
We need you.
♪♪
♪♪
I got to thank you.
I got a job to do.
I'm not bleeding.
I'm not knocked out.
My hands and feet work.
That means I work.
This was a good testimonial
on the effort
These guys can put out.
It was kind of haywire
at the end there.
Still a lot to do to get --
get this thing wrapped up.
Narrator:
180 miles northwest...
[ men cheering ]
On the southern wind...
Put the k*ll on it now.
We got two more strings left to
do and we're out of here, man.
Narrator: ...His remaining quota
in his gear,
Captain harley grinds
through his final 75 pots
On the way to the finish line
of opilio 2020.
Kid stuff for me, monte.
It's like taking candy
from a baby right here.
[ chuckles ]
Narrator:
Using stealth and cunning
In the face of unprecedented
challenges to the fishery.
[ men cheering ]
This is gonna get us set.
It's a good -- good feeling.
With all the uncertainties
Of what's gonna happen here
with the coronavirus,
We gotta get this crab
to the market.
♪♪
Guys, let's just stack
this stuff
And call it a season.
[ men cheering ]
Last batch.
[ static ]
Monte:
Fishing vessel wizard.
Quick question.
I've got a keyboard that's down,
Which makes my plotter
about worthless.
You don't have a keyboard
on there, do you?
We'll figure it out.
One thing after another
out here, you know.
Man #12: Yeah, I hear you.
I hear you.
Well, I got to get
these things moved.
You know, I'm hauling
a dud here now.
Brutal.
Alright. Get everybody
home safe.
Appreciate it.
♪♪
[bleep]
Yeah, monte says
he needs a keyboard.
Without it,
he can't mark his pots.
He can't do anything.
He's got a lot of crab
to catch.
I have an extra keyboard.
Southern wind
helps wizard, huh?
Maybe...I don't know.
Narrator:
80 miles northeast...
Scott: Alright,
first pot's coming up.
Narrator:
...On the lady alaska...
First pot of the day!
Scott: Hopefully you got your
popcorn and your chocolate milk.
We're ready to see
if my hunch paid off.
I really, really, really hope
I made the right move.
Narrator: Short-handed after
losing two veteran deckhands...
Scott: This is center location
of our gear.
Narrator: ...And with the rest
of his crew sick,
Exhausted or both...
So if this string's good,
everything's gonna be good.
If this string's bad,
everything's gonna be bad.
Narrator:
...Captain scott campbell jr.
Bets on this 220-pot town soak
to get him back to port
Before the crab prices collapse.
Come on, crab!
We need
no mechanical breakdowns.
We need the crew to stay
healthy.
And we need big numbers.
Oh, come on.
First pot!
Oh, yeah.
[ men cheering ]
Oh, yeah.
Yeah!
Oh, it looks pretty good,
Looks pretty good.
Nice, big crab.
They look clean.
Yeah, baby.
230. Oh, baby.
Yeah.
Butterflies in my stomach.
Half-full pot right there.
Boom.
Nice!
They're big.
I don't even need this.
I don't even need this.
Well, let's not get
that carried away yet.
Yeah!
Ooh, baby.
Keep pushing them babies
right in the tank.
Yeah! Whoo!
350?
Are you kidding me?
Oh, oh, oh.
Holy [bleep]
look at this pot.
Just as full.
♪♪
Mnh, mnh, yeah!
Yes!
Put a smile on my face.
[ sighs ]
I mean, the crew's clicking,
the crab are clicking.
I think it's because
we got rid of the old guys.
They were bad luck.
[ alarm blaring ]
♪♪
♪♪
[ alarm ringing ]
Narrator:
On the lady alaska...
...Junior discovers the source
of the alarm.
The $70,000 main engine
suffers a coolant leak,
Spiking the temperature
to nearly 300 degrees.
Always something.
We can't have the main
shut down right now
Because I need two engines
to be able to haul here
And get this crab put on.
Worst-case scenario,
you run the engine out of water,
You burn it up
and there's $70,000, toast.
Narrator:
The skipper's solution...
Maybe we just [bleep] have to
keep adding water to it.
Right.
...Replace the leaking
coolant with h2o
From their fresh-water supply.
Maybe just have it
at a trickle.
Then there's water
in it.
We can see
if we can maintain it.
His band-aid is to have
the fresh-water hose
Barely leaking in there,
So it's a gallon
every five minutes.
If I have to sit there and burn
a bunch of fresh water
To keep it going,
That's what I'm gonna do.
Narrator:
75 miles northwest...
We're finally
out of the ice.
Narrator:
...On the cornelia marie...
Casey: Now we're down a little
bit farther south.
These strings here
in open water,
The main ice pack
didn't make it this far down.
Man, I've got high hopes.
Narrator: Now free
from the arctic floes...
Casey: Dear lord,
please let there be
Some crab in these pots.
Narrator: ...Casey bets
his remaining gear,
Set below the ice edge,
Will deliver his final
10,000 pounds.
Knock on wood,
tickle the crab.
Everything I got, pray.
Pray.
♪♪
[ men cheering ]
Thank god! Ha!
[bleep] this.
[ cheering continues ]
Wonder why crab fishermen die
of heart attacks too early.
Whew!
That's the [bleep] right there
that causes is.
[ laughing ]
[ men cheering ]
250.
-Yeah!
-Whoo!
They just keep coming!
Casey: I think we're on track.
I think we're gonna --
we're gonna make our number.
Narrator:
Casey caps off their season,
Hauling a total of 411,000
pounds of opilio...
-Yeah!
-Bada!
Narrator: ...Worth a handsome
$1.4 million.
Alright, guys, good.
We're done.
-Yeah!
-Whoo, baby!
[ cheering ]
Geez. Thank god.
[ satellite phone rings ]
Casey: Hey, buddy.
Yeah, we went through
some ice.
[bleep] fricking gnarly.
Alright, thanks, man.
Josh: Congratulations.
I appreciate it.
[bleep] bye.
Sounds like josh is real excited
And wants to push getting
his brother back on the boat,
But it's gonna take a lot
for him to prove to me
That he's cornelia marie
worthy.
If he wants to come back here,
It'll be because he's sober,
he's living the right way,
And he wants to be a deckhand.
I'm gonna hold his feet
to the fire.
Narrator:
130 miles southwest...
...On the wizard...
Monte: [bleep] damn it.
Another challenge
that we have here.
I don't know.
[bleep] all these things.
Narrator:
...Continuing to stack pots
After being set down
by the southern wind,
Captain monte colburn
is still 30,000 pounds short
Of his 1.6-million-pound
opilio quota.
It's hard to say, you know,
where to go from here.
That's why a keyboard
would be nice.
Narrator: Without a working
plotter to access
35 years
of invaluable fishing data,
Monte must search for crab
Using only information
from the past few days.
Monte: I'm gonna have to go back
through this book,
Keeping track of all the scores
and what I'm seeing.
This is gonna take forever.
No! [bleep]
The last pot's coming aboard.
Time to start looking.
There's light
right in front of us.
[ satellite phone ringing ]
Answer the phone.
Hello, wizard.
What -- what -- what --
what do you want?
[ harley clears throat ]
I heard you're looking
for a keyboard.
I got a keyboard.
You do?
Yes, siree.
It's all brand new,
everything's still wrapped up.
Okay, god,
I could really use that, man.
I can't do much of nothing
without a keyboard
As far as keeping track
and marking pots.
Appreciate it.
You betcha.
If you come on in,
I'll throw it over.
Alright. Sounds good.
Thanks again.
Okay, harley's got a keyboard.
That's huge.
Harley: We took their crab.
We're gonna give monte
and wizard a little gift.
Narrator: Realizing that monte
is in distress...
Harley: Can we throw that
over now?
Man #13: Yeah!
We got
a keyboard for monte here,
So we got to deliver it
at sea.
Narrator: Harley sticks
To a time-honored
bering sea tradition...
...Always help a fisherman
in need,
No matter who it is.
Come on!
Oh, yeah.
-What do we got here?
-Boom!
[ men cheering ]
Alright, we got it.
Alrighty.
Cool.
I'm happy to help.
Narrator: As a bonus...
...The veteran skipper
donates a little crab
To test out the keyboard.
Monte:
Oh, you're kidding me.
Alright.
Alright, baby,
get ready.
Special delivery.
I hope this one
he sent me is gonna work.
Shazam.
We are back in business.
That's a huge relief
Because this plotter is,
it's how you catch crab.
That's big.
Harley's kind of
saving our bacon.
Monte, he's had a tough go.
When you're out here
in this kind of environment,
Whatever you can do
to help a guy,
You put everything else
behind you.
♪♪
Narrator: 80 miles north...
Alright, fellas...
Man #14: Yeah!
Narrator:
...Aboard the saga...
Jake:
By my numbers and calculations,
These crab are moving west.
We're gonna find out
if I'm right.
I've got a lot of pressure.
My newborn child
could be born at any minute.
So I had better hurry,
and I had better not stop.
Narrator: To make it home
Before his wife
gets a visit from the stork,
Captain jake needs a visit
from roughly 25,000 crab.
♪♪
[ men cheering ]
[ laughing ] oh, my god.
Oh, my god.
We got crab!
290! 2-9-0.
-Yeah!
-Holy hell!
Yeah! Whoo!
Oh, my god, dude.
I'm ready to set right now.
You guys start
getting ready, quick.
Come on, hustle up!
Go, go, go!
Watch your feet!
Jake: Yeah, you're not supposed
to set it 10 knots
With three greenhorns,
but I'm in a hurry.
Narrator: Desperate to scoop up
his final 40,000 pounds
Before governments implement
further foreclosures,
Jake leans even more on
his rapidly fraying crew.
Mike, get this pot ready!
Let's go!
♪♪
[bleep]
Okay, just run away.
[bleep]
What?
All you do is [bleep] walk
around and cry!
[bleep] idiot!
[bleep]
[bleep]
What,
you gonna hit me?
Call me --
What,
you gonna hit me?
Do you want to fight
or what, dude?
Why do you
[bleep] cry, dude?
Go get the [bleep]
off the deck.
Hey.
Get off the [bleep] deck.
Narrator:
This week on "salty takes"...
Yeah, keith -- who calls
your brother "mouse"?
He's a grown man.
You call him mouse?
Narrator:
Harley ponders the origins
Of keith's unique moniker
for his little brother monte.
Keith is 14 months older
than me.
He was born in March.
I was born
the following year in may.
I think that's about as close
as you can get to a sibling.
When we were little kids,
me and keith
And our older brother greg,
I was kind of timid and small.
My friends nicknamed me "mouse,"
and it's pretty much stuck.
I've had it pretty much
my whole life, 50 years anyways.
Works for me.
Narrator:
Not to get too cheesy,
But the nickname works
for us, too, mouse.
Narrator: On the saga...
What,
you gonna hit me?
Call me --
you gonna hit me?
Do you want to fight
or what, dude?
Why do you
[bleep] cry, dude?
Go get the [bleep]
off the deck.
Hey.
Get off the [bleep] deck.
Act like [bleep] adults!
I got places I got to be.
These guys are [bleep] morons.
He's a [bleep]
crybaby, man!
[bleep] get back to work.
I got these two [bleep]
Crying over a full
table of crab.
Look at it.
Narrator: ...As tempers run high
on the homestretch...
Ross: [bleep] clay.
Narrator: ...Hydro man
clayton goads greenhorn ross
To the boiling point.
I'm starting
to get pissed off now.
What?
"be careful"?
Yeah.
People should be getting fired
right now.
Hey, ross, I'm not
gonna tell you, bro.
But I don't have time
to fire anybody
Because...I need to get home.
[ indistinct conversation ]
Just to turn three guys
That had no business
being on a boat
Into fishermen...
I'm trying to think
what john hillstrand,
What he would do.
I wish he was here right now.
Johnathan: You know
what you're doing.
Just keep going.
Don't crack, don't quit,
don't crack.
Keep your head up.
Eye of the tiger.
If it was easy,
grandma would be pulling gear,
Coming by
in her rocking chair.
[ laughing ]
Get your magic wand out.
We're almost there,
right?
You know what I learned
from john hillstrand?
He taught me, as a captain,
to lead by example
And show them
how I would like them to be.
It might be time for me
to go on deck.
I concur.
Yo, why don't you
come up here now?
I'm gonna go outside.
♪♪
Captain's coming on deck.
Man #15:
The clock's ticking.
Whoo!
[ yells indistinctly ]
What is he wearing?
Man #16:
Go ahead, brother.
♪♪
♪♪
Holy [bleep]
Hang on!
All the way!
Narrator:
To whip his crew into shape,
Captain jake
joins the front lines
And leads his men onwards
to victory.
Jake: Hurry up. I'm ready.
I got to go.
I got to get home to my wife.
She's gonna k*ll me.
Narrator: And with any luck,
to the birth of his son.
It's really cool to see
a captain get down and dirty.
He's like three guys.
Booyah.
[ yells indistinctly ]
♪♪
Narrator: As jake makes a mad
dash to reach his wife's side...
Reporter #1: Meanwhile,
the coronavirus
And what impact it may have...
Reporter #3:
...A sudden covid-19 outbreak
In multiple alaskan communities.
As things change quickly
with covid-19...
Narrator:
...Governments continue
to implement restrictions
To staunch the spread
of the coronavirus.
Reporter #4: Why are we seeing
empty grocery-store shelves?
People are simply buying up
some products
Faster than usual right now
with covid-19.
Narrator: But the rush to stock
up holds crab prices steady...
...Letting the americans
Streak past
the sidelined russian fleet...
Harley: Okay.
Here's that pot
you've been dreaming about.
Narrator: ...And win the race
Before the pandemic
tanks their opilio payout.
Oh [bleep]
Hey.
Narrator: Captain harley
rounds up $1 million,
Netting each crewman
45,000 bucks of their own.
Good job.
Call it a season.
I'm done, I'm done, I'm done.
Narrator:
While on the wizard...
Whoo!
That'll do it.
I know the guys are excited,
so am I.
Narrator:
...Repping the brothers colburn,
Monte caps off
a 1.6-million pound,
$5 million season...
Yeah, benny.
That's what I'm talking about!
...Earning each deckhand
$100,000.
Monte:
We've caught a ton of crab,
And we're gonna make
a lot of money.
Thank god.
Oh, show me the money!
We've been able to burn
a little bit of fresh water
And just keep that engine going.
Stay on task, finish strong.
Narrator: And with his portside
main barely hanging on...
Yeah, boy!
Put them in the tank!
...Captain scott campbell jr.
Rakes in 787,000 bucks,
Enough to return
his family boat...
We made it, dude!
...To fleet highliner
And land $30,000
in each deckhand's pocket.
Scott: There were several times
this season
Where I thought
I was gonna lose it all,
But the end of the day, just
barely made it to squeak by.
♪♪
Mason: This hole is sucking up
a lot of water.
Every like 30, 45 minutes,
we have to come up here,
Dump it out.
Narrator: As the summer bay
fights to stay afloat...
This will be the last crab pot
I harvest in opilio season.
That's all we need.
Narrator:
...Captain wild bill plugs
His 226,000-pound opilio quota,
Squeezing out 712 grand
With $25,000
for each hand on board.
Bill:
It's been a long season.
Never seen anything like it.
Hope I never see anything
like it again.
♪♪
Jack: Just getting done.
I'm about to leave the dock
and head to dutch. I'm done.
Narrator: And captain jake
banks $1.3 million
With 47,000 bucks
for each of his crewmen.
I am so sorry.
I tried so hard.
But the responsibilities
of the helm
Cost him
the first joy of fatherhood.
Yeah, go ahead
and toss 'em.
Toss 'em.
Let's get the hell out of here.
I love you, too.
I'm so sorry.
-Alright, bye.
-Alright, bye-bye.
[ jake sighs deeply ]
Devastated.
These are big moments
you don't want to miss in life.
But it's not about me.
It's about all of us
getting home safely.
Life of the fisherman.
Narrator:
As life on the water
Steals crabbers
from their blood...
-Hey.
-Hey.
-Hi.
-Birthday girl.
Josh: That is --
this is your uncle jake.
There she is.
Happy birthday there.
-This is mark.
-Mark.
Narrator:
...Sometimes the sea
Gives family
the fresh start they need.
Josh: This is kensley.
High five,
birthday girl.
Look how big he's getting,
though.
My -- he's as bi--
he's just a couple poun--
I'm just a couple pounds
heavier than him.
That's kind of intimidating.
You might be
a couple of pounds heavier.
You got a couple more.
Okay, enough.
I'm gonna put this cake down.
Still doing
a little catching up to you.
Yeah.
Happy I made it
before the cake slice.
Yeah, dude, hey, man.
It's good to see you.
[bleep] dude, I can't
believe how big you are.
Yeah, yeah, doing
a little bit better.
Yeah, you're looking good.
Looking really good.
You've got a beard now.
You got a lot of weight.
Yeah, it took me
34 years, but...
It's coming in.
Dude, that is crazy.
Sig: You're getting bigger.
Coming inside.
Come see grandpa.
Hey, hey, hey.
Hey, how are you?
Jake: Can I get a smooch?
Oh.
Covid-19 has been tough.
You know, everybody is going
through a rough patch.
There's been a lot
of frustration
And a lot of grief.
We've seen tougher times
and we're tougher than this.
Everybody stay strong.
Love life, get a hobby,
do your part.
Stay safe, everybody.
There's gonna be
some brighter days.
There's got to be brighter days.
Just got to keep
our chins up
And stay the course.
That's all we can do.
Isn't that right, addie?
Hmm?
Good luck.
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16x23 - Everything Changes
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Follows crab fishermen aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and snow crab fishing seasons.
Follows crab fishermen aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and snow crab fishing seasons.