Hanging with the captains of 'Deadliest Catch'

By Peter K. Prybot

June 13, 2008 10:10 pm

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The Pigeon Cove Harbor boat owners and friends have already put on special festivities at the Cove for Big Brother/Big Sister, the Veterans, the U.S. Navy and even a victory celebration for the townspeople and themselves after winning the Battle for Pigeon Cove Harbor in the early 1990s.

They just added a big one to that list by hosting a lobster feast there last week for the "After the Catch II" — "The Deadliest Catch" TV series' superstar captains, their wives or girlfriends and crews, host Mike Rowe and staff from The Discovery Channel, Silent Crow Arts and Original Productions.

About 200 locals of all ages, including Jimmy and Debby Pratt, owners of the now-famous Pratty's CAV where the filming took place, Jack Magner, who helped make that bar connection, and several of the Gloucester captains in the show — Russell Sherman, Jim Gallagher and Billy Aaron — also got to enjoy the festivities and presence of the guests, who graciously posed for photos and signed autographs. Incidentally, Tom Turner (F/V Capt'n Jake) and Clark Sandler (F/V Sea Farmer II) are the other two local skippers in the show which will be airing Tuesday evening, June 17, on The Discovery Channel.

The idea of the lobster feast flowed last March, when I first met with Paul Gasek, the Executive Producer and Senior Science Editor for The Discovery Channel in Gloucester. Some special people at the Cove further helped make the event happen: Bob Morris, Jr., and his sons Bob III and Richard, Jack Ketchopulos, Tony Santo, John "Hucka" Knowlton, Buddy Silva and his wife, Barbara, Dave O'Leary, Larry Story and Capt. Fred Nelson.

They rounded up supplies, including several boxes of Fishermen's Ale donated by Cape Ann Brewing Company, cooked and served lobsters, crabs, hot dogs, hamburgers and sausage, set up serving and picnic tables, and lastly, cleaned up. The senior Morris coordinated this necessary grunt work, and he also took people out lobstering on his 35-foot boat, Spirit.

All of the guests and locals comfortably mingled throughout the three-hour, once-in-a-lifetime event that began late in the afternoon. The fishermen especially enjoyed talking "fish" amongst themselves.

These facts about the West Coast crabbers and their vessels emerged from conversations:

The captains' ages are — Sig (42), Andy (44), Keith and Jonathan (45) and Phil (51). Their vessels' dimensions, ages and propulsions are, respectively — Northwestern, 127 x 32 x 14 feet is 31 years old, powered by a 1,300 hp Cat; the Wizard, 155 x 31 x 13 feet, is 63 years old and powered by a 1,300 hp Cat; the Cornelia Marie, 130 x 30 x 14 is 18 years old and is powered by two 900 hp Mitsubishis; and Time Bandit, 113 x 28 x 8 is 17 years old and powered by a pair of 425 hp Cumins. The Time Bandit is also flat-bottomed. The Wizard is a former U.S. Navy yard oiler.

These additional interesting facts emerged: The worst conditions the Northwestern ever worked in was in 70-80 mph winds with 40' waves and a 48 degree F air temperature. That vessel's best single pot king crab catch, 250 crabs, was worth $10,000. The Time Bandit costs $6,000/day to operate at sea. That vessel was nearly lost on three occasions — one time to a big wave and twice to ice.

Besides the lobster feed, various guests — especially the captains and Mike Rowe — were also given at least four special treats.

Right off, lobsterman Tim Sullivan, also co-owner of Pigeon Cove Trap Company, wore a Scottish kilt and played bagpipe music to everyone. Even the seagulls at the Cove listened. Capt. Jonathan Hillstrand liked the notes so much that he ran up to Sullivan, snapped several photos of him performing and later shook his hand, while also thanking him. Secondly, Bob Morris, Jr., and his sons, Bob III and Richard, and sternman Rick Cluney took Jimmy Pratt, Mike Rowe and Captains Phil, Sig, Keith, Andy and Jonathan and several of their crews out lobstering in Sandy Bay aboard the Spirit.

The West Coast crabbers came to life as soon as the first pot broke over the rail, and they quickly opened its door and took out the catch. An ornery 5-lb "egger" (female lobster bearing eggs) then latched onto Mike Rowe's shirt.

Thirdly, at dinner time, while the guests were served lobster, Mike Rowe was given a separate entrée that would keep him in the right mindset for his Dirty Jobs show — a half a bucket of putrid, whole redfish, complete with all natural gravy (gurry juice).

Lastly, the captains and some of their crew were given humorous computer-altered print-outs of themselves authored by Tim Sullivan and Bob Morris Jr. These included Sign Hansen with a superman body and Phil Harris with a barrel belly drinking Red Bulls. The guests chuckled over these and took them along.

The Discovery Channel insisted on paying for the lobster event. Too proud to accept direct reimbursement, the boat owners and friends opted for the Channel to make a donation to The Gulf Fishermen's Relief Fund in their name.

"The guys felt the Gulf fishermen who were so severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina needed the money more than us and other fishermen in the northeast," said Bob Morris Jr.

Throughout the festivity, the locals repeatedly realized The Deadliest Catch people's stardom and success hadn't gone to their heads.

"We couldn't have worked with nicer people," said Jimmy and Debby Pratt.

Their son, Nick, a recent graduate of Wheaton College, who ferried many of the captains and their crews around during their stay on Cape Ann, added, "They are just normal guys."

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