01x03 - Lady Luck

[bunniefuu]

The vast Bering Sea.

One and a half million kilometers
of violent waters.

Home to the world's most
the world's most lucrative catch, the dagger whale.

Heavy machinery, high waves
and storms are a dangerous combination.

Almost everyone gets hurt.

Two out of three crab seasons
end in fatalities

-and sometimes the death toll is higher.

The season is 40 hours old,
and the pots are on deck.

The results are mixed.

One crab means they're not here.
A bad sign.

It's going to be a long 24 hours.

For the next 12 hours, the crew is pushed
the crew is pushed to the limit.

Some make it to the top

-some stumble and some fall

-in the battle for dolphin tail gold.

October 17, 10 a.m. 480 km northeast
of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

The battle is on on the Bering Sea.


of the dolphale riches.

The price is 11 dollars per kilo.
The stakes are high.

The Sea Star's crew has had good luck
over the last 16 hours.

The strategy is simple.

The boat must be filled.
It's the only strategy.

No cost plans and quotas.
Just fill the boat.

Captain Larry Hendricks
is happy with the catch.

There's no way of knowing.
You can get ten filled pots.

This can have a big impact
on the overall number.

They pull up pulleys
from a row of 80.

It seems,
their experience is paying off.

Drunkenness and adrenaline
helped the crew through the night.

In the short breaks
they try to rest.

Over 130 km to the south
is the crab boat Lucky Lady.

Vince Shavender and three men

-realize,
the smallest boats can't fail.

Large boats can fish
up to 250 pots

-and scour the area
for crabs.

Lucky Lady has only 88 pots.

They only get one chance, and the choice
of territory is crucial.

We pull up a lot of the good ones.

About 40 in this one.
Price Lord.


That's the way to go.

With so few pots
the crew has to be fast.

Once I've checked them tomorrow,
I'll probably put them back down.

At 17.5 meters, there is only
room for a small crew.

Everyone is important,
even the least experienced.


has only one season of experience

-and it almost became the last one.

Kevin worked on
another boat, Saga.

Back then, Vince was the tire manager.
Daniel Crabtree was Kevin's partner.

Slippery conditions and lack of experience
were a dangerous c*ck.

Kevin went overboard.

Kevin was pulled
over the railing

-towards certain death
in the cold Bering Sea.

Against all odds
the crew managed to pull him on board.

Let's get him in quickly.

Cut the boot open.

Sitting on the floor
his temperature dropped.

Kevin thought
he was done for.

Unbelievable.

Kevin's experience hit his
colleagues Dan and Vince hard.

Kevin was safe, but the
the gravity of the situation was overwhelming.

Kevin knows it's vital
to be able to trust the crew.

They have a special place in my heart.

On the high seas, cooperation can
can separate life and death.

After nearly drowning
Kevin Davis is back on board.

He's back
with new determination.

I am eager to learn
and hate making mistakes.

I make a lot of mistakes,
but I learn from them.

Maybe I need to learn things
a couple of times

-but I'm learning them.

I love it.

When you're not working, but traveling,
and you get out on the deck.

-you stop
and look around.

You see sunrises, sunsets,
clouds and birds.

You don't get that view from
a 72-story office building.

The fishery determines the strategy.

Some just want to haul
a lot of pots and pans on board

-but end up with fewer than expected.

I will leave them in the water.

The boat rocks

-and it's dangerous to handle
the 360 kilogram pulleys.

Daniel almost
into the cage.

The steel has made holes in the tire.

Did the crab bite him?

Captain Vince thinks Kevin
has been bitten by a daggertail.

But it's much worse...

He has hurt his ankle.

Kevin steps down
into a hole in the tire.

Something breaks in his ankle.

The sea has once again
been hard on Kevin.

Damn.

Did you just hit it,
or is it broken?

It certainly hurts.

The crew cannot
spare a man.

Lucky Lady's entire season
depends on Kevin's ankle.



-Northwestern has put 200 pots
in the ocean in just under two days.

Without crabs in the hold
Sig Hansen loses his courage.

I'm useless. The boats are either
south or west of me.

There are crabs everywhere.

But you get greedy,
when you're in a hurry.

Bradford Davis, 19 years old
is on his first trip

-and is constantly cutting
bait for the pots.

Tire manager Edgar Hansen
keeps an eye on him.

The rookie is doing fine.
But if you film his bait...

It looks empty.
Looks like he's a bit behind.

Yeah, it stinks in here.

That's all I can say...

The pots are not full.



There were 14 crabs in the last pot.
Our goal is at least mid-30s.

I've heard some people haul


I hope we're still in the game.

There are too many small female crabs.

By law, they must be
thrown back into the water.

Here's a male,
and here's a female.

They look similar from above.

But if you flip them over

-she has a leaf,
covering her stomach. Unlike him.

There's his genitals.

Underneath the leaf are the eggs.

There are probably a few million
baby crabs.

They should be treated with respect.

Legal males measure


We measure them
with this plastic ruler.

If the ruler touches the shield,
he's legal.

It's not record numbers,
but it's going to be okay.

Right now, I don't know,
what's good and what's bad.

Everyone is just getting started.

I'm getting a little paranoid.
Should we stay here...

-and are we doing the right thing?



The crew wraps up the season.

They have only earned 50,000 dollars

-of the big jackpot
of 70 million dollars.

The last row was not good.
Because of the area.

It's not too good.

I don't know why I'm laughing.

I laugh so I don't feel nauseous.

To not cry...

I wanted to buy
a motorcycle for my son

-but I don't think it's going to happen.


sails the Western Viking.

Captain Anderson and his crew
were experiencing mechanical issues.

Finally, they get crabs in the hold.

It's our second day

-and now we start
catching crabs.

They're going into the cargo hold,
but not fast enough.

Western Viking has caught crabs
to the tune of $70,000 dollars.


and the boat owner.

That's only about


Despite the problems, Captain
Coleman is happy with the crew.

-He gives them nicknames.
-Alvin and the Chipmunks.

Tim, Willie and Rob.

Hiring Rob was a good idea.
He's a great worker.

The bad start makes the young people tired
of the old crew members.

You guys are so slow,
you make me sleepy.

The problem with the older guys is

-They feel superior to us.
They give us orders.

But everyone wants to catch
as many crabs as possible.

It's not going so well,
but everyone is working hard.

We catch crabs with all pots

-so you'll be fine.

The tide is turning.
Now the pots are full.

Now they're picking up the pace

-but is delayed by
problems with the sorting table.

We make the sorting table.
It needs a bumper sled.

It doesn't get any easier,
none of us knew the boat beforehand.

The problem is more,
than young people can handle.

The sorting table's console plate
is located in the Dutch Harbor

-so now we have to improvise.

The 200-kilogram sorting table
is indispensable.

It is placed in front of the full pot,
which empties quickly.

A hydraulic shock sled
pulls the table

-so that the pliers can be inserted,
while still sorting.

They have to stop fishing,
while an anchor for the shock sled is made.

Once the plate is welded on,
we're ready to go again.

It costs us money,
because it costs us time.

Watch out, watch out, watch out. Lift it up.

I tried to find the hole
for the shock cord.

He was supposed to be
holding the crowbar.

I said I had it
and I don't know what happened

-but the crowbar went out.

The 90 kg shock sled
smashed my finger a bit.

The sorting table is working again.

But the mood on board
has been permanently damaged.

There's nothing worse
than a weakling

-whom everyone hates,
because they're lazy and stuff.

They are always there. They are dangerous,
because they hurt the good helpers.

The ones you need.

That's it, that's it.

Rob almost died.

We have not been lucky
with the last few pots.

Here's what we're going to do.

These kinds of problems affect
naturally affect the crew's mood

-because if you don't fish,
you don't make any money.

As it
occurring more frequently

-my mood gets worse,
including my own.

The mood on the Western Viking
is lower than the catch.

I don't know if the place is good,
but we had to try something.

Right now, I could be
saying the Lord's Prayer.



-is the Fierce Allegiance.
A big, efficient boat.

Usually the catch is big,
but not today.

The captain took a chance
in a rarely used area.

The opportunity didn't materialize.

We don't give up hope.
We keep working hard.

I chose to start lower
than normal

-in an area that has not been
used in recent years.

It ended up backfiring

-resulting in empty pots.


and limited catch.

The tired crew
doubting themselves.

We suck at this.

In all 21 tees...


career has just begun.

The oldest rookie in the fleet.

He is not on the same level
with the others.

He is too slow to
putting bait on.

It's hard for him.

It doesn't matter how little he's slept.
In and out.

No more drifting off.
Just get to work.

Come on, let's go.

I got anxious on day 2.

"What am I thinking?"

They're young, I'm 42.
What am I trying to prove?

I don't know if I'm good enough.

Eric isn't the only tired one.

Experience does not make up for
sleep deprivation.

I'm a little tired.

But we keep going anyway.

The season offers nothing
nothing but pain.

Everyone from the cargo hold to the wheelhouse

-wondering,
how the season will end.

I selected the wrong area

-But it's not over yet.

Tony knows from experience

-that luck can quickly turn around
on the Bering Sea.

The sun is shining, but crab season
has gotten off to a rough start.



-Lucky Lady hasn't raised her pliers
since Kevin fell.

Two hours ago, he fell
and injured his ankle.

The crew is still struggling
to survive.

He was already in pain,
but he hit it again.

It is not raised.

A man down at Shavender,
it's gonna be tough.

The rest of the season
depends on Kevin.

I don't want to pressure you.

I don't want to do that.

We don't want it to get worse.

Are you sure you're okay?
Shall we continue?

Kevin knows the stakes are high.
He jumps back into his clothes.

There's too much at stake for everyone.

-What's at stake?
-The lives of three other families.

Unfortunately, he can only
can only do a very difficult job:

To control the hydraulic crane.

Tim, who normally operates the crane,
has been fishing for twelve years.

Now he and Daniel must put their lives
in the hands of the least experienced.

They hope their efforts pay off.

Get a grip on the ramp, Kevin.
Or you're gonna get hit by the tarp.

All the way to the edge of the railing.
Stop.

So far, it seems to be
working.

But the sea doesn't make the job any easier.

You have to force it open.

-You guys ready?
-Let's go.

Maybe luck will finally
finally come their way.

The pots are full of crabs.



No matter how many there are,
it's going to be a dangerous night for Kevin

-and Lucky Lady's crew.


is the Western Viking.

They repair more,
than they do fishing.

The crew works hard
and expect the same from the captain.

A man with gray hair and glasses

-gets into trouble,
if he doesn't find any crabs.

We work hard
and expect you to do the same.

If this ends the way I think it will,
I'm gonna have to stay out here.

Captain Coleman Anderson
is working to save the boat's season.

I'm hoping to find
a litter of crabs somewhere out here.


at Northwestern

-Sig Hansen is still chipping in.

But the catch is not as hoped.

-What a piece of sh*t.
-Is that all?



-Bad news.
-14. One, four.



The mood is low.
Captain Sig knows something has to happen.

We need to move.

There's not enough here...

Here may be enough,
but we'll catch it all.

I had hoped for more.

One bright spot is the rookie
Bradford Davis' efforts.

I've been cutting bait all day
and will continue all night.

Bradford's efforts inspire
respect with Edgar

-who is hard to impress.

He really kicks a*s,
but he doesn't get to know that.

If he continues at this pace,
he gets an extra bonus.

Of my own share.

Bradford gets a lump sum.

He is not guaranteed
a share of the profits.

But the others
have reason to be nervous.

They won't catch more soon,
they're not making enough money.

I'm not worried yet.
Not until this time tomorrow.



-the Western Viking
is still struggling.

The pots have stayed
longer in the water.

Captain Coleman hopes,
it will save the season.

Didn't you say
you were good at that?

It needs to be thrown out the front.
Otherwise, you can stand there all day.

The row is done,
and two hours of rest await.

But the skipper is unhappy.

If it goes backwards,
pull it in and throw it back out.

Everyone wanted to try it.
"Okay," I said.

He says,
I failed every time.

I'm happy to take responsibility
for two of them.

-Weren't there three?
-No, just one.

Give me some love.

We trust you, Captain.

-Are the captains scolding you?
-It doesn't affect me.

Coleman doesn't just scold

-He also belittles people,
making them feel inept.

You're a pain in the a*s.

Instead of just saying:
"Hurry up. What are you doing?"

-he adds: "You idiot."

Get hold of the pliers. There are
lines drifting all over the ocean.

After a short break
they have to get back to work.

Sleep has helped.
Willie pulls in the laces.

That's the way it should be.

The first pot comes up.

It's completely full.

The best remedy for tension
is a good catch.

Don't worry about it.

Numbers like these add to the excitement.



Now we can concentrate the equipment
on following the path.

It's going to be exciting.

The crew forgets the problems
and get to work.



Everything used to go wrong,
but now they've found their rhythm.

They catch crabs and make money.

-19.
-Roger. Buoy.



Unfortunately, the joy is short-lived.

Captain Coleman interrupts
with an announcement.

Get ready for good news
and bad news.

It's over, it's over. It all ends
midnight tomorrow night.

The season lasted only 80 hours.

How big was the
was the average catch?

The average was 4,350 crabs.

We have 2,855.
It's over, but...

It's not much,
but we need to move on.

Let's see if we can't
we can make enough money

-until winter.

Shut up, something...



-Captain LaRussa of Fierce
Allegiance heard about the season finale.

It ends tomorrow at midnight.
It's a bad thing.

Some of our equipment caught crabs,
but there are none on board.

With only 24 hours to go
the pots should be full.

I'm disappointed,
but we'll keep fishing.

The closure came at a very inconvenient time.

The 68 pots
can't get into the water in time.

Remove the bait
and place everything in the freezer.

Hundreds of pounds of cod
had to be used for bait.

There's no need to cut them.

Herring goes in the freezer,
cod goes overboard.

You have to stand by your decisions.

That's the hardest part. You think:
"That's what I should have done."

No matter what happens...

He knows everyone here
is depending on him.

He did what he had to do.

A hero or a zero.

Tony knows the season depends
on the rows in the water.



Fierce Allegiance
hoping for a late success.

At Northwestern, Sig Hansen comes out on deck
Sig Hansen comes out on deck

-with the news no one wants to hear.

It's midnight,
and time is running out.

-What's the worst that can happen?
-A shutdown.

-You've got to be kidding me.
-We have until midnight tomorrow.

-Midnight tomorrow?
-Is that when the season ends?

You've got to be kidding me.

-It's unreal.
-I know, but it's true.

We'd better bring them in.

Get them up.

Everyone is disappointed, but they have
for 100,000 dollars on board.

It's less than hoped for,
but still a good catch.

Now it's time to get all the
the pots out of the water.

The rows are spread out
over 150 km2.

It's a race against the clock.

A lot can happen in 24 hours.



-We like those numbers.
-Tonight, it's on. I can feel it.

All the pots are in the water,
so the season depends on

-how many crabs are biting.


aboard the Lucky Lady

-hear Shavender
about the seasonal shutdown.

It's unbelievable.
Three lousy days.


Hooray...

In the last ten years
the numbers have dropped dramatically.

Quotas are getting smaller and smaller

-and shorter seasons.

Previously, the quotas were

-several hundred tons of crabs.

You would fish for two to three months in a row.

The seasons have gone from three months
to three days.

The numbers have been quite high.
We are still confident.

We still feel like we're on a roll.

Short seasons add to the pressure.

The boat's success now depends
even more on Kevin's ankle.

That's it, that's it.
Lots of babies and females

-but also many of the good ones.


is Western Viking.

The repairs
have become even more expensive.

Since the news of the closure
they've been fighting hard.

Coleman is asleep. I'm filling in for him.

We have hauled in a row
with 30 pots in

-with 707 crabs

-so things are looking up.

The last row was
worth over 20,000 dollars.

Now everyone wants to
to bring another one on board.

Just as our luck was changing
at Western Viking...

If hydraulic fluid enters the
in the tank, the crabs die.

Willie turns off the pump
and stops all the equipment.

The boat sails past the next buoy.

Let them pass.

-Why are we doing this?
-The hydraulics are leaking.

-Where?
-Under the sorting table.

Only two pliers are missing.

-We heard you.
-Give me a hand.

But ask me before you make
such a decision.

The oil cannot pass
through the valve.

But it did.

Let's drag it behind us.

The hydraulics were leaking.

Mike acted like a real captain
and played know-it-all.

Normally, the hydraulics cannot leak,
when you do not remove the lever.

Don't ask me why,
but it happened anyway.

Despite this, he claimed,
it couldn't happen.

The leak is repaired quickly

-but the mood has already
already hit rock bottom.

It's going to be
a frustrating day

-because the season ends in 20 hours.

Ninth inning, two outs.

Put your hat on, people.

Every crab counts
and is worth every risk.

That's it! That's it! Hold on tight.

Fatigue and pressure
lead to foolish decisions.

The battle for the dagger tails
continues in the next section.

It's not over until the final whistle.

There's still time to succeed.

Captains go to the limit.

Success depends on
the pace of the crew.

-We need to move through.
-And so do we.

-The pressure is immense.
-There's an hour to go. Let's go!

The risks are high,
and anything is possible...

...when we return
to the Bering Sea.