01x09 - The Clock's Ticking

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Jandar on the mighty Bering Sea.

It stretches from Alaska to
Russia and is a treacherous sea.

There is a lucrative but deadly catch
deadly catch; Alaskan crabs.

In the Arctic winter
men risk life and limb for adventure.

- wealth and to get
their share of Alaskan gold.

This opilio crab season
has taken its toll.

Six men have died.

For the past four days, the
the fishing fleet has been baiting and setting pots.

The season is coming to an end soon, so
so the crew must give it their all.

Some go home with money,
many get hurt...

- and some don't come home at all.

The battle for crabs
on the Bering Sea continues.

DEADLY CATCH

Four days ago, 171 boats left


They are on the hunt for opilio crab
or the large Greenland crab.

Captains and deckhands have
fought under harsh conditions.

- with little to no rest.

Soon it will be over. You're waiting for
for the season to end.

The only question is when.

Listen to 4125.
They have some kind of message.

Now everyone turns on the radio.

- We'll be waiting.
- They said lunchtime.

Nothing yet.

I hope there's something in it,
I think I'm home.

I don't know; Friday night
or at noon on Saturday.

I don't think
the season is going to last much longer.

Now you've made me depressed.
Are you proud of yourself now?

Authorities announce,
that the season will end during the day.

Now it's time for everyone to make the
the best out of the last few hours.


is Northwestern.

Captain Sig Hansen and the crew
are hoping for a record catch.

The deckhands prepare
on a line with 20 pliers.

It's the hope of a lot of money,
that makes them bite the b*llet.

It's like warming up the car
in the morning.

This is a good day.
You know it's almost over.

We just need to fill the center tank.

We have one tank left.
We need to top up two more...

The middle tank fills quickly.

Two tanks on the Northwestern
are filled with nearly 70,000 lbs.

The last tank
can hold 28,000 kg.

If they continue to get full pots, it
pots, it will fill up quickly.

Things have been going well for Northwestern.

The crew wonders,
if their luck will hold.


is Retriever.

She's maybe three meters longer
than Sig Hansen's boat -

- but the boat has only
only caught half as much.

On the Bering Sea
there are no guarantees.

That's little comfort to Captain Jim,
who hasn't slept much.

I've been tossing and turning.
Back and forth.

I haven't slept much.
We have to pick up...

... ten-eleven pots somewhere,
where the crabs are.

Jim has laid out some pots
to investigate a new area.

He's aiming for a larger number.

Now it's time to pull them out
to see if he was right.

Back to work.

It's 2 a.m.
We've been asleep for two hours.

I'm waking up some guys,
who are coming with me...

- and pull
the probes up.

We put them out
a short distance from the other boat.

I wake them up,
and we'll get started.

Nothing, nothing, nothing.

We catch nothing.
There are no crabs here.

We don't give up.
We have to try a new area.

Crabbing is like the lottery.

You can make money,
or you can fall into debt.

The fishermen who risk their lives will
won't go home with empty pockets.

Considering this year's catch
I don't think anyone will.

DEADLY CATCH


is Maverick.

Rick Quashnick and crew
have had a fantastic season.

They have returned
after landing a big catch.

The trip to the canning factory
has given the crew a rest

- and a taste of the rewards.

They go through the paces quickly.
They want something to happen.

A check for 160,000 dollars
feels good in the captain's pocket.

Rumor has it,
the season is coming to an end.

The crew has to work hard
to fill the boat.

They hope,
your luck doesn't run out.

It looks great.

The best teether so far.

That's a good one.

These are nice.

We have caught a few crabs.

I was counting,
but I couldn't keep up.

With stop-filled pots, it won't be
filling the boat won't be difficult.

But the crew's confidence
makes them careless.

Someone has to take the hook.

A 360 kg pot
falls onto the sorting table.

They were lucky; it was
only crabs that got hurt.

We crushed a few hundred kilos
of crabs. These things happen.

As long as no one gets hurt...

... it doesn't matter.

It was a bit exciting.

- Why did it come off?
- We tried something new.

- I'm glad no one died.
- It wasn't my fault.

Wasn't it?
Who's operating the crane?

- Sometimes it comes off.
- That's right, it does.

Just make sure that no one
standing at the table when it happens.

You just can't help yourself, can you?

It's going way too smoothly.
I'm not green or stupid.

I know when I make mistakes.
I don't want anyone else to point it out.

When he points this out,
I get pissed off.

I'm happy with my crew.

A small mistake
can cause injury or death.

This is not safe,
so you have to be extra careful.

We work long hours and get tired.
A mistake can lead to injury.

Breakfast is ready.
Come in and eat.

The crew rests on the way to the
the next line of pots.

Food and sleep are a rarity
towards the end of a season.

We've been hauling in crabs.

I'm happy, but tired.
I'm hungry and just want to sleep.

I wish..,
I had someone to curl up with.

I want to spoon for two hours.

Thank you very much, Donna.

While the boy rests,
Donna takes the helm.

She thrives in the herd.

When I started fishing with Rick,
it was a challenge.

I provide four or five men.

Everyone gets something special because we
have been a family for a long time.

It is my job
to take care of them.

I am their nurse,
psychologist, surrogate mom...

You haven't eaten anything, Mike.
Do you want me to make you something?

I want to provide for them.
I guess it's the maternal instinct.


is Billikin.

Captain Jeff Weeks is hoping
that the new day brings good luck.

If the boat is to make a profit,
they need to catch more crabs.

A boat the size of Billikin
can take over 110,000 kg of crabs.

If the season lasts two more days,
they can catch up.

Always make the right choice.
Don't run away from the crabs.

Hopefully the crabs have
have stopped escaping from Billikin.


is the Lady Alaska

- and waiting for a message about,
when the season is over.

Things aren't going well for Pete Liske,
but they're picking up some good stuff now...

- so he posts new ones.

In 70 minutes
we'll have been here for four days.

We are waiting for a message
by noon.

Nothing new is good news. There is no
received a message about closing day.

So it looks like
we can work another day.

We might get a few more days,
and that's good.

The time is 12:17,
and we haven't gotten a message.

No one wants to hear anything, including me.

He'll be on in a few minutes.

The message will be coming soon.
I'll let you know right after.

Many boats are close to
a record catch.

- so the fishing authority
will probably announce that the season is over.

- 23:59 on the 20th.
- Tomorrow midnight.

We have 35 1/2 hours.

That's good.
That's 12 hours more than expected.

We lay out the gear,
and then we take it from there.


We got an extra twelve hours.

- The season ends at 23:59.
- Petey.

We have 35 1/2 hours left.
The season ends at 23:59 on the 20th.

We have 36 hours left to fish.

Another one has to bite the dust.

The message not only marks the end
of this season.

- but the end of derby-style fishing.

For the past 42 years, crab fishermen have
have been competing against each other.

Strategy, luck and hard work
have determined the outcome.

Starting next year
it has been decided that

- that the quota must be divided between
boats before fishing begins.

It will make work safer.

This year, six men have died,
so safety is a top priority.

There are fears that the rules
will hurt smaller boats

- and put fishermen out of work.

It's the end of an era.
I think it's unfortunate...

I like this style.

I don't want to work, I want to fish.

When the quota is distributed to certain owners

- they don't just get the right to fish;
they actually own the crabs.

It becomes something,
that we own...

... so it becomes a safety net.

It looks like this will be the last time
of open fishing.

It's sad.
It's wrong and amoral.

It's corrupt.
I hope we can change that.

If crab fishing
becomes quota based -

- I don't think we're going to..,
we're gonna slow down any more.

It's just who we are,
and it's our way of fishing.

I like it the way it is today.

Now you do it yourself and all that.

Sig loves to fish.
He loves the hunt and the thrill.

He loves to sleep standing up,
but that's his problem.

It won't be the same.

Competitive fishing is disappearing...

It's what I'm used to.

I'm in my prime.
It just keeps getting better and better.

It's as if
they're pulling the rug out from under me.

Even though I get a lot of crabs
and long fishing time

- I'll make it quick.
Why? So I can go home.

I don't exactly enjoy being here.
I do like the job...

- but I feel better
at home with my family.

It's going to be something completely different.

I am glad that I have been
heard here at the last minute.

It's been a great 30 years.
Thank you and God bless you.


is Northwestern.

The clock is ticking and Sig is trying to
to land his last 60 pots.

This is the art of
of cramming stuff down your throat.

One forward, one aft
and a table full of crabs.

This makes the skipper smile.
But the crew is not happy.

We hope to fill up quickly
and turn our noses home.

The crew on Sig's boat
are struggling to keep up.

The captain's pace disrupts
often disrupts the rhythm of work on deck.

Over the crane, over the rail.
Nothing but net.

The season ends
at midnight tomorrow.

Midnight on the 20th is the end.

The end is near,
but Edgar is not relaxing.

So you're turned on now,
when it's almost over?

We're almost done.
We're driving to the end.

It's not over until it's over.

Dad has always told me about
past generations and problems.

Boats that thought they were finished,
but never made it to port.

Edgar has many reasons to
to be worried.

On the evening of April 26, 1976

- the four-man crew of the Master Carl
of the Master Carl were on their way back.

The weather changed. The engineer Donny
Channel was woken up by the storm.

I was woken up by someone,
telling me we were in trouble.

By the time Donny reached the machine,
all hell had broken loose.

The boat was listing. The engine
was full of water and the power was out.

Master Carl was about to crash.

Tom Miller issued a mayday.

No one picked up on it.

The crew had no choice.

We had to jump into the sea
in the middle of the night.

We knew it was safer.
We were very scared.

They released the life raft
and left the fishing boat.

They were now at the mercy of the sea
in the middle of an Arctic storm.

Seafarers on the Bering Sea
know the dangers.

April 26, 1976.

The boat Master Carl
was sinking.

The crew had to abandon the boat
and clung to the life raft.

The waves were over 10 meters high,
and the wind was blowing hard.

Suddenly, the fleet was
was knocked over by a wave.

When the raft fell,
Donny and John lost their grip.

We knew we couldn't
could catch up.

I thought it was over.

Luck was on their side.
They got hold of a rope from the navy.

That fraction of a second
made the difference.

Back in the fleet
the Arctic cold was biting.

No one said anything.

Some shook uncontrollably
and chattered their teeth.

They drifted for hours in the dark.
At dawn, they spotted land.

They were on their way
towards the rocky coast of Kayak Island.

We could not have survived
the wreckage of the life raft.

They left the life raft
and fought their way to shore.

I turned around and saw
a huge wave coming towards us.

I was tumbling around in the water.
I was drowning.

I tried to
to get to the surface.

Eventually, Donny and John made it in,
but their buddies were gone.

The two men fell asleep in the raft,
they were using for shelter.

Then John heard a sound.

We heard a strange noise. We lifted
the raft and there was a bear.

The mouth opened,
and the eyes widened.

We were banging on the raft
and made a lot of noise.

He backed up,
and eventually he ran away.

Afterwards, we wondered,
what else could happen.

They had survived against all odds,
but were dangerously hypothermic.

I was shaking a lot. I didn't realize
I didn't realize I was hypothermic.

Donny lit a fire with a flare.

It was just what we needed.

We had a lot of wood and the fire
was burning. Then we heard the helicopter.

Malcolm Smith was approaching the island,
when Donny fired the flare.

"What was that?" It was something with
fire in it, and we were scared to death.

The two men arrive with the
the helicopter. Battered but alive.

Their eyes were so big here.
They were badly damaged.

He asked if I was hungry.
I had seen his lunch box.

He said,
I should eat slowly...

- but I swallowed it all
in one bite.

The joy of being rescued
was dampened by what they now saw.

Near their camp
lay the bodies of their comrades.

- It was tough.
- We lived a dangerous life.

It was part of life and work.

"How could you survive?"


Despite the danger, people are attracted
to life on the Bering Sea.

They seek adventure and money.


is Retriever.

Their search for better crabs
was a disappointment.

They return to the 30 pots,
that they laid out earlier.

Captain Jim left the area
after picking up empty pots and pans.

But things have changed.

The pots are filled to the brim
with crabs.

They remind them of the catch,
they could have gotten.

If only I had stayed
in this area...

- we would have at least
had 22,500 kg more.

It's only 100,000 dollars.

Jim made the wrong decision.
His rival made the right one.

Say at Northwestern stayed here

- and made the right decision.
I hope his mind is full.

I thought it would last.
Wrong!

Captain Jim and his crew
must hope for...

- that the season lasts long,
so they can make a profit.

If only I had one more day.

One lousy day.
They hear it every season.


Lady Alaska is on a steady course.

After four hard days, the
the deckhands are starting to get chomping at the bit.

There is dirt in the tank.

There is still work to be done and
Captain Pete is pushing his crew.

Buoy, last line.

Some say "shovel money in".
Here we sweep in the money.



- the Maverick's crew has been given
a short rest before heading home.

It's the final push
of this season.

Are you awake? Time to get up.

A two-hour nap,
that felt like five minutes.

Two hours is five minutes for me.
I'm sleepless for an hour.

I woke up earlier,
because I had to pee.

That's just the way it is. You don't make
no money when you sleep.

Now it's time to fill the boat.

Once the crew is under control,
Donna wakes her husband.

- Is everyone up?
- Yes, and the first pot is in sight.

The Mavericks' luck seems to be holding.

There is one day left of the
last open fishing in the Bering Sea.

I drive on a line,
which is on hard ground.

Either you get 300-400 or none at all
none at all. I don't like that.

Maverick catches crabs,
so they have a bountiful season.

They have already unloaded one load.

Now the question is whether they have time to
fill their tanks before the season ends.

There are quite a few crabs.
We'll see how it goes.

There are definitely crabs here.

We refill both tanks.

Hopefully we fill up the tanks.
There could be 13,500 kg ahead.

That brings us up to 90 tons.


is Retriever.

Captain Jim hopes,
he's not too late.

The crew measures
the excess space in the tank.

We attach a container to see,
how far it is to the hatch.

Then you can assess,
how much is left.

It seems like
Retriever has a long way to go.

But it seems your luck has changed.

We use the tubs...

This is the only way to move the
the crabs to the aft tank.

After 25 rivets, power outage
and most test drives inch by inch

- Retriever has found crabs.

Over 600 in each pot inspires
them to work harder.

They hope to fill the boat.

We're awesome!

The season is coming to an end,
and the men's thoughts turn to home.

They reflect on life at sea.

Nick. And this is Nathan.
This was taken on Christmas Eve.

A small piece
of home.

You miss the little things. I miss out on
fun things that my kids do.

No amount of money can compensate for that.

My wife and I
are very close to each other.

When I get the chance,
I call her.

She misses me and gets sad

- so it helps to hear my voice.

For me, too.

It was my wife,
that made me come up here.

She loves me,
but we need to make a living.

I would do
anything for them.

Bye bye.

Bye, Louise. I love you, Louise.

- Have you got the green light?
- Yes, I've got the green light. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

Just like being at home.


is Lady Alaska.

The crew takes a nap,
before the pulleys go up.

Captain Pete Liske wants to wake them up,
but hesitates.

He wonders how they will be
affected by the changing rules.



And so the
the 2005 opilio crab season is over.

It may be the end for many
crew members and skippers.

Hopefully, the others will get
fishing jobs, because they are good.

They have done a great job
with me. I am very grateful.

This is the final twist.

Gathering, gathering, gathering...
Good morning, boys.

Last turn, boys.

- Aren't you happy, Pete?
- No, it's over now.

Rise and shine, Bulldog.

That's Kyle.
He's called Bulldog.

He's an amazing tire man.
I love you, man.

The last 89 pots.

I can't believe it,
this is the last of the derby fishing.

Lord, we praise You and thank You,
for keeping your hand over us.

There are twelve hours to go,
and then it's time to head home.

We prayed that no one was hurt.
Bless Gary's soul...

- fishermen who have lost their lives
and our families.

Thank you for Kevin, Winona...
Hallowed be Thy name.

- It was.
- Last season.

It's the last day
and the end of an era.

They are exhausted, but the crabs
are part of the story.

Zero, five.

Sounds good to me.

Lady Alaska's final season
is shaping up to be a good one.

Perhaps the higher powers are watching
watch over them. The last pliers are good.


is Northwestern.

Captain Hansen pushes the men,
while the last of the pliers are hauled up.

The catch is growing steadily,
so Sig goes down to take a look.

I don't want to get wet.

Hold up. Oh, my God!

I can reach down
and touch them.

That's a lot of money.
That's crazy!

- You could use a bigger boat.
- Twice as big.

- You need to make it wider.
- I need a bigger boat.

They keep hauling up full pots
with about 600 crabs in each.

The success is intoxicating.

This is going to be a record-breaking catch.

We fill up the boat. The question is
is whether we need to get them on deck.

We can sail in with the pots as they are
as they are, or put 13,500 kg on deck.

They can't squeeze
more crabs into the tank.

- to open the hatch to the center tank
to push crabs down.

What do you think? The last few pots
have contained 600 crabs each.

We have pumped out the water
and pressed them down.

Now we just need to seal the tank.

The boat is full.

Some boats are overcrowded and
others struggle to fill their tanks.

- so the work continues.

They don't get paid if the crabs are
dead by the time they reach the cannery.

In the next episode of
"Deadly Catch".

Only a few pots are missing
of the opilio crab season.

The men push themselves to the limit.

Captains risk everything
for a bigger share of the wealth.

- Calm down, calm down, calm down!
- He didn't say that just now.

The fishing fleet is rushing
towards the finish line.

- trying to survive the last 24 hours