F/V Northwestern, Deadliest Catch boat announced spring of 2015 – the 11th season on Deadliest Catch. Right now the F/V Northwestern is up Crabbing in the Bering Sea of Alaska. Its a bit odd writing about Deadliest Catch the TV show, its boats and crew members – especially since as I type these words I look out my floating office window and see the Northwestern tied up across the fairway. As we sit on the deck in the afternoon sun, sucking down a cold beer – bearfoot and happy we can look across the canal to see lots of crabber, dragger, tender, seiner, gillnetters, NOOA, National Geographics, tugs, barges and god knows what the heck else we shall see on the water. Ballard Ship Canal is a haven for marine traffic and waterfront surprises – espeically when the sun comes out in Seattle – NW boaters are balls to the walls F.U.N! Freaking FUN!
F/V Northwestern, Flipped around by Fremont Tug, Spring sunny NW Day!
Fremont Tug – was busy this week doing a flip flop – flip around for the F/V Northwestern in the Ship Canal. The above video show the skill and calm boat handing of Fremont Tug – slow and steady. Fremont Tug is located in Fremont – Seattle, Washington and has been in business since 1915 providing tugboat service in Lake Union, Lake Washington and Puget Sound. They operate smaller tugs and provide service 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year round. The tugs range in size from the 15 foot, 135 H.P. “Jeep” to the 51 foot, 500 H.P. “Dixie”. (Dixie is darling!)
They are best known as the Mini-Tug Service. They tow vessels up to 250 feet; towing vessels in and out of dry docks, assist anyone that needs an extra tug, shift barges, pile drivers, crabbers, tenders, long-liners, fish processors, Navy ships, NOAA ships, floating homes, pleasure boats and yachts. You name it, they moved it.
F/V Northwestern, Fishermen’s Terminal, SH on the bow for: Sverre Hansen
Ugashik, Alaska 1997 – I was one of the few if not only girl on the water. Tending that summer was a blast as per usual with Captain BBQ – our home port of South Naknek, AK. We were a busy work boat that did a hell of a lot more than tender – lots of fiber runs from Clarks Point to Naknek, in the Naknek a typical day was running 8 plus barges from side to side, picking and setting, freight runs, rescues for sinking ding dong gillnetters taking on water but won’t get off the boat till we off load their salmon & much more….. Bla… Bla… what’s my point? Ugashik 97′ we came in hot to drop off god knows what to a crabber on the hook – well somehow the Northwestern landed up on a sandbar – the tide was going out and she has one heck of a V-bottom that doesn’t like to go dry. Of course lots of boats tried to pull them off…. who finally got them off? We did the F/V Sea Lion – the funnest, fastest, most hard working, tough crew from South Side!
After years in Bristol Bay AK, some seaseon in Dutch, Akutan (AKA: Craputan) – from Superyachts to worldly travels I find myself the past few years happy and excited to back in the Pacific NW! We truly have the country best boaters – most of which actually know how to drive and dock their boat – thank goodness! Visit any of our warmer southern states in the USA and most fuel docks are plenty of entertainment for hyper boaters – who yell at the dock when they can’t lay up to it!
F/V Northwestern, Fishermen’s Terminal, getting ready to shoot a commercial!
Last night on Deadliest Catch they did some extra personal coverage on the F/V Northwestern, her heritage, origin and family. I look directly ahead out the window and see the Northwestern, to my right I see the famous Marco Shipyard – today known as SBMC – the superyacht marina just west of the Ballard Locks. The Northwestern is the 44th vessel that MARCO has constructed for Alaskan fisheries since 1968.
It’s all about the boat is what we all hear the Hansen boys say a lot! The Northwestern was christened on November 5, 1977 by Snefrid Hansen, wife of then-captain Sverre Hansen and mother of the current owner/operators, Sig, Norman, and Edgar Hansen. Hearing and learning about the this families story and boat the boat – it nearly wrips your heart out. God knows the ups and downs of fishing, the pain and the victory when you land on the crab. There story leads by great example of ‘how when life gives you lemons at time – gosh darn it make lemonaid.’ We can’t cry over spilled milk – but we sure can go get some more!
F/V Northwestern off the Stern of Arctic Explorer, Fishermen’s Terminal Seattle
Sverre Hansen’s three sons worked aboard the Northwestern as deckhands throughout their childhood, and all three decided to make fishing their profession, joining in the long line of Hansen men making their living as fishermen throughout the generations. Sig Hansen, the oldest – 4th generation fishermen, took over as captain of the Northwestern full time at the ripe young age of 22. Under his leadership, the Northwestern boasts an astounding record of never having suffered a death at sea despite its home territory being the dangerous Alaskan crab grounds, where deaths average out to nearly “…..” (we don’t want to say it) fisherman during the heart of its productive fishing seasons.
For nearly two decades, Sig Hansen has seen to it that the Northwestern is one of the Alaskan crab industry’s top producers – a highliner! He did admit on camera – in his younger years starting out as Captain he was a bit of a hard ass to his crew, making them grind it out no matter what. We’ll most of us know – age brings wisdom – wisdom chills us out!
F/V Northwestern, Deadliest Catch Boat, Built like a bird see her stern tail feathers!
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