01x04 - Beat the Clock

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The vast Bering Sea.

Almost 2.5 million km2
of the world's most dangerous waters.

It's home to the famous daggertail.

For the fishing men

-heavy machinery, high seas
and bad weather equals danger.

Many people get hurt.

Some look death in the eye.

Several boats have struggled to
finding crabs.

Others are plagued by
technical problems

-and injuries.

The news of the
the end of the season shakes everyone.

All that's missing is a 24-hour

-and the fight continues
to the very end.

Success depends on
the pots in the water.

The captains are pressuring the crews.
The atmosphere is tense.

The risk is high

-but the rewards can be great.

The battle for the Bering Sea's
dagger tails continues.

For three days, Captain Sig Hansen has been
has been fishing 300 km from Dutch Harbor

-without having any luck.

The season ends in 24 hours,
so he needs to change his strategy.

Family meeting.



This kind of thing should be ill*gal.

Some of the other boats
have 130-140 pots on deck.

Think about them.
There's no point in complaining.

If we drop the pots in the water now,
we'll have time to pull them back up.

You'd better do the math.

If I wanted to reach them all,
I would do it...

-and stuff the tools
down your throat.

-We have to figure something out.
-They're going to be hard to get back up.

We can throw them in,
but we need to do it fast.

It's 32 km each way,
which will take four hours.

It's not going to work.
We're done for this time.

Let's try Long Tall Sally.

The Hansen brothers know,
time is short.

They're sailing north
and set their sights on a place

-Sig has christened Long Tall Sally.

The season is coming to an end and many
have worked 60 hours straight.

On every boat, people are exhausted.

People can get tired
at stupid times.

At the helm of dad's boat...


is Lucky Lady.

The sea is hard on the
the boat and the crew.

Damn it!
You need to avoid the railing.

Injured Kevin Davis manages the crane

-and it's not going so well.

A few hours earlier, he fell down
into a hole and injured his ankle.

In a small crew
no one is expendable.

Kevin needs to
to steer the crane.

It's a complicated machine,
that takes years to master.

The tarp has to go up.
I have to show them how.

Kevin.
It's going over the rail!

Damn...

It's hard when it's like this.
You get stressed.

Damn it, damn it, damn it! That pisses me off.

Put it down.

The old one is worn out.

Looks like it's going to be a long night
at the Lucky Lady.



-Fierce Allegiance is busy
pulling tethers on board.

The boat is experiencing
a historically bad season.

Fewer than 20 crabs per pot.

Size is often an advantage,
but not now.

Large boats are expensive to run,
which puts a strain on the crew.

Captain LaRussa has chosen to only
to only use the pots in the water.

In this business, luck is fickle.

Suddenly the pots are full.

That's the way it should be.

The pots contain three times
as much as before.



It's not over until the end.

Lots of crabs, lots of work.

The 42-year-old rookie
Eric Abrahamson was already tired.

I didn't think it would work.
But after coffee and four ibuprofen

-I suddenly feel fine.

It's a hectic night,
but it's going great.

It's so hard,
I'm almost seeing double.

We haul a lot of crabs on board.
Maybe it will work after all.

I wish there were more.

Captains are fighting hard

-so Tony doesn't give anything away.

How many do you end up with?

Enough to make
a single crab salad.

Saga's captain Roger Strong
also knows the season is coming to an end

-but they keep on working.

They've caught crabs worth


-and only 15 pots in the water.

But they can bring in an additional


The result is not flashy.

They have to make do with what,
they've already caught.

The last pliers are pulled up,
and the hope of success fades.

We don't have time for that.

Fishing is an uncertain industry.


of Dutch Harbor

-Hendricks and the crew of the
of the Sea Star are refueling.

I take a cup of coffee
in the Sea Star mug.

We have reached the point where we are sailing
back without bait.

By law, all bait must be removed.

We store them here
and pick them up when it's over.

A quick and easy method.

There is no more coffee.

Who drinks the last coffee
without telling me?

It's f*cking bullshit.



-1-7.
-17 is also fine.

The veterans at Sea Star are experienced.

They have to grit their teeth
and haul the last pulleys aboard.

By midnight, it's over,
so they can rest in Dutch Harbor.

We'll know more after
the next few pots. It's looking good.

A good number of crabs.



-Coleman Anderson and the
Western Viking are having a miserable season.

The last 30 pots
should be full of crabs.

What a load of crap.

There's still time to get lucky

-but the odds
are getting worse all the time.

A leak needed to be fixed
and the sorting table repaired

-and the accidents seem to
to continue.

One of the hoses is broken.
See it here.

Hopefully we can put a new
a new one on and keep going.

-These?
-These? -Yeah.

-Did it fit?
-Yes.

The hose is repaired.

The crew's hopes rest on
every rope they haul aboard.

Three crabs.

The timing was not right
for this boat's crew.


of Dutch Harbor

-Sig Hansen and Northwestern
have come to Long Tall Sally.

After a 70 km sailing trip
it's your last chance.

We need to move fast.
I'll shove them down your throat.

It's what we're trained to do.


an hour and a half before the end

-they have 10,000 crabs in the tank
and 30 pots in the water.

-It's going to be tricky.
-Increase your speed or leave the pliers behind.

Speed up or leave the pliers behind.
That's how you speed up.

You don't leave any tape behind.

Not when it comes to £80,000.

-Fine.
-72.

Sig's hunch was good.

If this keeps up, Long Tall
Sally gives them what they were looking for.





This is great.
It puts money in your pocket.


southeast of Northwestern

-Lucky Lady and the
crew are in the fight of their lives.


to haul the last of the pots on board.

But maybe your luck
is about to turn around.

They have overcome injuries and accidents

-and now it seems,
the boat is back on track.

Not a moment too soon.

The pots are full like never before.

Now the money is rolling in.
Is the table big enough?

-Beautiful.
-I've never seen anything like it.

-Now everyone is happy.
-I'm not. What do you mean, not me?

-More...
-Only when the money comes in.

In one hour, the season is over.

Captain Strong and his exhausted crew
crew are missing five pots.

It's something you can live with.

The time is 23:00.

They have worked for 79 hours
with almost no rest.

The signs are starting to show.

Where would you go,
if you were a crab?

Be like a crab.
Where would you hide?

Even though they are exhausted,
it's time to haul the last of the pulleys aboard.

The wounded warriors
need to watch their backs.

Towards the end of the season
serious accidents can happen.



It helps your mood that the last
last pots contain crabs.

A long winter is approaching,
and every crab brings more money

-to live for until spring.



The clock is ticking.
It's almost midnight.

Here comes the last pot of the season.

Slowly and gently pull it on board.

With $180,000 worth of crabs


-finishes the last tee
a fine performance.

Well done, guys.
We got them all on board.

It was a good season,
and everyone's on board.

It was a good ending
to a very good season.

The pliers are on board
half an hour ahead of schedule.

There's no time to celebrate.

The boat must be secured and sailed
back to the factory.

They are located 480 km from Dutch Harbor
and 30 minutes are missing.

Captain Hendricks and crew-

-will soon be
another season behind them.

-Are we missing four?
-No, just three.

We are missing two pliers.

That leaves just one more to go.

The last one.
Norm makes the Throw of the Year.

It's the last one of the year,
so don't expect much.

The old boys
are still in good spirits

-unlike many of their younger colleagues.

We finished 16 minutes before time.

The crabs are pulled in
until the end.

Let me take a look.

It's actually quite full.

I want to go.

Let's secure the tire.
I'd like to go back.

Sea Star finishes fishing
fifteen minutes early.

According to estimates, they have
caught $150,000 worth of crabs.

Not a bad catch
for the old, brave sailors.

Time passes on the Bering Sea

-and the dovetail season
is coming to an end.



-Western Viking's crew is getting
ready for the final touches.

We're here and I haven't slept.
Now it's all about this.

We're getting ready for
the final session.

Anything can make me happy,
as bad as things are going.

I need to get dressed.

After more problems
than any other boat

-Western Viking dresses up for the
for the end of the season.

It doesn't look like my glove,
but it'll do.

Mom always says: "If you're healthy,
you can always try again."

They keep trying
until the last pot.

These men are daggertail fishermen
and never give up.

But after four days of problems
and empty pots

-they have to push themselves
to the limit.

The last pots and pans
are the last hope of the season.

There is about one kilometer
to the last pond.

The last pots are on board. The season
is over eight minutes before time.

We're almost on time.

Unfortunately, more difficulties await the boat
more difficulties.


That's half the average.


is Lucky Lady.

Captain Vince and crew
are only missing two pliers.

The crew members
are tired and want to go home.

The last pot
is hard to get up.

Come on, man.

I can't find the tarp.

It probably won't be approved.



I can't find the tarp.

A buoy can easily disappear
in the darkness of the Bering Sea.

There it is.
I'm tired of these waves.

The last pot is hauled aboard,
and the season is over for the Lucky Lady.

The boat and crew
have defied all odds.

-36.
-And we're done.

We take what we can get.
It's time to go home.

For Kevin, it has been three and a half
days of courage and determination.

-Only your foot got hurt.
-That's it.

We gave it our all,
but the season was too short.

Well done, you've done a great job. I'm sorry we didn't get more,
we didn't get more.

You know what, guys? We did it.
The little boat did it.

It's half the size of the others.

Lucky Lady's crew
made a heroic effort

-But the crew of the Fierce
Allegiance never got off the ground.

Too little for a crew,
who are used to high wages.

-That was a bad thing.
-It's hard to smile...

...when you know it's over.
We never really got going.

The catch is worth a good 200,000,
but the boat is expensive to run.

Although the catch was great

-there's not much left over
for the sailors.

The final touch.
You've done a great job.

I appreciate your efforts.

For Eric Abrahamson
it wasn't about the money.

It's a chance to
to challenge my view of myself.

He made it through unscathed.
That's reward enough for him.

The last pot,
I'll ever see.

It didn't go so well,
but everyone's okay.

Everyone can go home to
their families without injury.

We didn't make much money.
That's just the nature of fishing.

I probably could have done
some things differently.

Hindsight is a good thing.

We'll be back.
That's for sure.


Fierce Allegiance

-Northwestern ends the
season in joy.



The crab tank is full,
so they can relax.

Time was running out and I told them to
rub their nails.

Captain Sig flies the flag
for the hard-working rookie.

Let the kid throw the hook in
on the last of the pliers.

-You mean the rookie?
-Let him throw.

Nice cabinet.

There is only one teether missing.

The superstitious Norwegians
need to be careful.

On the last sailing trip of the season
it's time to

-that if you miss the first or last
or last teether

-next season will be bad.

-Are you under pressure?
-Yes, a lot.

The last pot comes up.



The last daggertail.
Hopefully there's 80,000 pounds.

The season is over for Northwestern

-But for the rookie
it's not all over.

Keep up, junior.
There's something we need to take care of.

The guys and I
are going to have a chat with the boss.

The conversation can either
benefit or harm you.

-I'll keep an eye on the crabs.
-We'll come back and report.

The crew must decide,
whether Bradford should be paid.

Freshmen get less than


-in addition to the chance to
to show what they're made of.

What happens to the kid?

We've talked about giving him a bonus.

He was good at what he did.
His efforts impressed me.

-He didn't complain?
-Not once.

I can take them out of my own pocket,
if everyone agrees.

Bradford gets 1 percent of the catch
value of 350,000 dollars.

He earns 3,500 dollars
for three and a half days of work.

Not bad for
a 19-year-old student.

But perhaps the greatest gift
may come from the captain.

I'll print it later,
if you do a good job.

Aren't you going to shake my hand?

Edgar tells Bradford,
he exceeded expectations.

He earned the respect of the crew
and a share of the profits.

But it's a long way
home to the check.

The crabs must be delivered
live to the factory.

A lot can still go wrong.

It's past midnight,
and crab season is over.

One of the shortest ever.

Secure the tire before the return trip.

Everyone, except the coxswain,
gets a rest.

Another day of work...

Now it would be nice
a swim in warm water.

The sun illuminates the boats
heading towards the harbor.

At the factory, it's first come, first served.

No one wants to wait
to unload the catch.

For the past 72 hours I have
been awake for 68-70 hours.

If people say they love it here,
they're lying.

It can be so hard,
you want to give up.

It feels like
I've been boxing.

When you fill your boat with crabs,
it's worth the effort.

It's like winning the Super Bowl.
A wonderful feeling.

After 25 hours, the Northwestern
Dutch Harbor as the first boat.

We will be unloading to the Royal Aleutian

-which is a processing boat.

Dolphins don't live forever
in a cargo hold

-and you don't get paid
for dead crabs.

The processing boat comes with
some big curves

-which can carry around 900 kilograms.

The baskets are hoisted into the load,
and four men jump in.

Now it needs to be weighed.

It weighs 1,187 kg.
How much is that?

-10,000 dollars.
-That's the equivalent of a new car.

-No, the fastest motorcycle in the world.
-I wish I was 18.

Everything must be in order.

They have risked their lives,
so everything must be counted.

Are the crabs upside down?
they're dead. I haven't seen any.

Their season results in


That's 16,000 dollars
per man on deck.

The most unlucky boat in the fleet,
the Western Viking

-sails slowly towards the harbor.

A pump is broken
and is causing slippage.

I will try to remove the impact page.

Starboard is heavier,
so I'm moving 3,800 liters.

Coleman needs to
slow down.

Sea Star sails by.

She started far to the north,
but she's caught up with them.

-We'll come in sometime after you.
-We'll be in touch.

The crew is optimistic,
as they wait to unload.

We have always believed in
the achievable dream.

With 50 crabs on average
we have over 10,000.

Last year, the last 80 tees made the
made the season a good one.

There was an average of


Don looks after the valuable cargo.

I see if everything is okay.
They get sick after a few days

-so we keep the tank in good condition
with good circulation.

They can't be left for too long, so we
try to get them processed quickly.

The men at Saga are excited.



This season
has made most people happy.

But one boat is still in trouble.


the last boat arrives.

Western Viking overcame
many difficulties along the way.

We've done the maths

-and we've probably made


Half of,
of what they usually earn.

But it gets even worse.

This is going to be uncomfortable.

I have never seen so many
so many dead crabs.

Looking for answers
and trying to find a scapegoat.

This is probably because,
we didn't put the boards in place.

They prevent the crabs from
rolling around in bad weather

-and crush each other.

-Mike has a different theory.
-Look at that fish.

It's rotten.

The dead crabs
come from the same tank.

And who put it there?
Willie.

He k*lled it
and threw it in the tank as a joke.

I need to find a boat,
where I can make money.

We lost 600 crabs
and approximately 25,000 dollars

-on the dead batch.

The mishap continues.

Another dagger season has come to an end.

The 42-year-old rookie
Eric Abrahamson is proud.

He rose to the difficult challenge

-that most men
don't dare bring up.

The freshman at Northwestern,
Bradford Davis, is also going home.

-You did a great job.
-Thank you. -Thank you.

Don't forget this.
Your rain gear.

-Your mom should be proud.
-The airport is in that direction.

-Finally.
-Now it's time to party.

He was paid a salary and respect.

Now he can say he survived
perhaps the most dangerous job in the world.

While the fishermen go ashore

-the crabs are processed and prepared,
so they are ready to eat.

A few hours later they land
already on the dining table.

But most dolphin tail lovers

-recognizes the hard battle,
a few hundred men are fighting.

The crabs are weighed,
and the crews are paid.

Northwestern hauled $363,188 worth of crabs


About 16,000 dollars
per man on deck.

Fierce Allegiance
earned 271,121 dollars.

Around 10,000 dollars per man.

Saga earned 187,896 dollars-

-or $8,000 per man.

Sea Star earned 164,802 dollar-

-or $7,000 per man.

Western Viking
earned 149,584 dollars.



Lucky Lady earned 113,711 dollars.

Around 8,000 dollars per man.

In the next episode
a new crab hunt begins.

Season for
large Greenlandic crabs.

Temperatures are lower

-The waves are higher

-and fishing is more dangerous.

This is the Coast Guard.
Right now, five people are missing.

The hunt for large Greenlandic
crabs will cost lives.

-He's not answering the Coast Guard.
-It's all or nothing.

The battle for the crabs resumes,
and the stakes are even higher.