S10.E09: Skipper Harris In Training

[formerlyfreedom]

Blood is spilled on the Cape Caution, when a brutal storm rips across the Bering Sea. Rookie boat owner, Josh Harris swallows his pride. Captain Sig fights to keep the Northwestern from going up in flames and captain Keith battles boat-sinking ice.

 

[merylinkid]

Not so easy to find the crab is it Josh?   Maybe it wasn't Captain Derrick's fault.    Having said that, I believed Josh when he said it's different when you own the boat and are the responsible one.   It might have started as a way to keep the fame coming, but the reality is hitting him that there is a lot more to running a boat than showing up for filming.   If he continues to step up and do what needs to be done, I will applaud his efforts.   He might be growing up after all.

 

What the hell is going on with the Northwestern?   She used to be the most reliable boat.   While the others were breaking down right and left, she just sailed on.   Now two weeks in a row, there is a big problem.   Sure Edgar can juryrig something to keep her going but it might be time for a major overhaul.   Sig might get his wish to enlarge the boat since it is going into drydock anyway.

[OSM Mom]

I thought Sig said they just overhauled it or put a ton of money into it a couple years ago? And Edgar is the man again.

[OSM Mom]

And the best part was no Elliott.

[walnutqueen]

I was briefly distracted - just how did Keith let the ice get so thick?  That looked pretty dangerous.

 

Bill's new guy is going to have a really sore face come "morning" (or whenever his nose thaws!).

[gryphon]

I really hope that greenhorn doesn't have a concussion and works out on Bill's boat.  He seemed to be doing ok....

Very surprised that Keith let the ice get that bad.  Did it just happen too quickly?  

Edited June 18, 2014 by gryphon

[Linderhill]

I was kind of surprised that the Time Bandit didn't have more/any time last night.  I don't recall whether they were part of the crab count or not.  

 

it was striking how different Josh was on "The Bait" this week than he was last week.  Just a hair more humble, for the first few minutes.  I could tell that wasn't going to last.  I think he was thrilled to be one of "the Captains".  I got a big kick out of Edgar running out to Sig when they were describing their best moments.

[TommyD]

What was up with Keith when they were pulling up that first pot?

I know that the captains and crews have rituals and do other things for "mojo".

 

For a minute there, I was expecting Keith to take off his shirt and start rubbing his nipples!

 

I was glad to see that the Wizard was on the crab, as it was a risky move going that far out.

[sigmaforce86]

I really hope that greenhorn doesn't have a concussion and works out on Bill's boat.  He seemed to be doing ok.... 

 What a difference between him and Kelly.  Kelly did everything he could to get off that boat, this guy has a broken nose, bleeding all over the place and he's the one apologizing to Bill, then later saying he wants to be back out there not sitting around.  He might just have what it takes.

[kassa]

 

it was striking how different Josh was on "The Bait" this week than he was last week.  Just a hair more humble, for the first few minutes.  I could tell that wasn't going to last.  I

I'm pretty sure the Bait was shot on the same day or 2-3 days of filming.  They all know how everything turned out - they're acting when they pretend "we'll have to see!"

 

I think Josh was different partially because this was the segment where they had to reveal how bad the weather was and that he gave up the chair, and also because Andy wasn't letting him skate on ANYthing.  Last week Andy underscored the co-captain thing several times, and this episode when they were talking about his ownership Andy explicitly mentioned "your partners." 

 

I don't think he was referring to Jake.  

 

That said, this is a much improved Josh.  I always enjoyed his interactions with Phil, especially when he was the voice of reason about Phil making poor health decisions, and have never doubted how much he loved his Dad.  He stepped up in a time of personal crisis when Phil was dying and Jake was AWOL.  He definitely has some very strong points, even if I slag him a lot for other things.

 

Sig and his wife cracked me up.  Go, Mrs. Sig!  She refused to be the bad guy and Sig just... meekly accepted it.  Yes, dear!

[Linderhill]

I forgot all about Mrs. Sig calling him out on passing the buck about Mandy fishing.  Good for her.  If he really doesn't want his daughter fishing, he needs to be the one to tell her.  But then if he said no, she said she'd just go to another boat. Better he can keep an eye on things with a crew he trusts and boat he knows and trusts. 

[merylinkid]

I knew as soon as Sig said "let's see what your mother says" that Mandy would be back.    

[SweePea59]

What was up with Keith when they were pulling up that first pot?

I know that the captains and crews have rituals and do other things for "mojo".

For a minute there, I was expecting Keith to take off his shirt and start rubbing his nipples!

I was glad to see that the Wizard was on the crab, as it was a risky move going that far out.

Keith was prompting Freddie to do his crab dance.

[millennium]

For a minute there, I was expecting Keith to take off his shirt and start rubbing his nipples!

 

I think that's more of a Cape Caution thing, when the crew needs to get to sleep.

I forgot all about Mrs. Sig calling him out on passing the buck about Mandy fishing.  Good for her.  If he really doesn't want his daughter fishing, he needs to be the one to tell her.  But then if he said no, she said she'd just go to another boat. Better he can keep an eye on things with a crew he trusts and boat he knows and trusts. 

The only woman I've ever seen working the deck was that one captain's wife several seasons back, I forget her name, she was Dutch or Swedish or German.   And she didn't work out as I recall.

 

Generally speaking, women don't have the physical strength to do that job.   Most men don't have the physical strength to do that job.  

 

Wouldn't it endanger the rest of the crew to put someone physically incapable on the deck?  

[Lonesome Rhodes]

What a great ep!  

 

Hate that Josh is taking up any air time, but the rest of it was really, really, something.

 

Bill's son was being stupid.  If everything is is the most important with the same level of yelling, then nothing is.  The horn had no real way of knowing the two or three things he had to always keep in mind - especially about handling pots.  Loved this horn's 'tude.  Loved the regard Bill hd for him as he was speaking to him and the horn was humble.  That, my friends, was respect from the good captain.  When he came back with the insult about dude's face being ugly, I knew Bill liked this guy.  That kind of ribbing is reserved for those who have earned it.

 

Now, super serious question...was the deck boss yelling at the horn and distracting him as the pot which cold cocked him was coming around, or was this a sound edit by the edit monkeys?   If it was not an edit, Bill's son takes a chunk of the blame, imo.

 

Boy, did Keith blow it with that ice buildup.   He was fortunate to have such a top crew save his behind.  Then, as he is saying he is an hour's steaming away from the grounds he wanted, he dropped the pots right away.  So, he was wrong twice and he got rewarded anyway.  To be fair, it was a seasoned move to make that decision to just fish where he was and not compound his error on the ice.  Have any of y'all seen "captains" who just plow right through with a plan no matter the consequences?  I sure have.  I appreciated Keith's narration as to his mistakes.  He does have some genuine humility in my eyes.

[millennium]

 

Hate that Josh is taking up any air time, but the rest of it was really, really, something.

 

 

I find myself perturbed by the title of the episode, "Skipper Harris In Training," as though the episode was about Josh.   It wasn't.   Not even close.  He was just a sidelight eclipsed by the bigger stories of the Wizard's ice peril and the accident aboard the Cape Caution.

Edited June 20, 2014 by millennium

[SweePea59]

It was refreshing to see an episode about what actaully hapens on those boats when they are working.

I couldn't hate Elliot and Jr. any more than I already do, so it was wonderful not to be subjected to them. Yes, their personal problems are sad. But that's not what I want to watch as the focus of a show about crab fishing. I will be watching a rerun of this episode. Can't wait.

[Lovecat]

I find myself perturbed by the title of the episode, "Skipper Harris In Training," as though the episode was about Josh.   It wasn't.   Not even close.  He was just a sidelight eclipsed by the bigger stories of the Wizard's ice peril and the accident aboard the Cape Caution.

Could be they were trying to be clever by invoking their newly-minted acronym, because S.H.I.T sure did go down in this episode!

[kassa]

 

The only woman I've ever seen working the deck was that one captain's wife several seasons back, I forget her name, she was Dutch or Swedish or German.   And she didn't work out as I recall.

Ragnhild.  I think she was there as company for her husband, but I think she sorted crab a time or two to help out and make some tv.  I think she also set a string that beat the string he set, didn't she?   I enjoyed their banter

 

Donna Quashnick on the Maverick was prominently featured in early seasons.  She didn't work on the deck, but it seems like she worked pretty hard cooking meals and making sure they ate and mothering everybody and keeping Rick company in the wheelhouse.  She probably did wheelwatch, too.

 

And while we didn't see her on camera much, the daughter of the captain of the Aleutian Ballad was shown briefly as she was injured when the rogue wave hit that boat in an early season.  I believe she was in deck gear as she showed her injuries, but I don't know what she did.  

 

I remember Sig saying in an interview years ago that over the years he had met a few women who worked on crab boats, but they tended to be pretty...masculine.   I think he said there was a female crab boat captain, too.  

 

My guess is that no, she won't be pulling her weight as a deckhand, or even a greenhorn.  On the other hand, she could earn her keep by keeping the bait jars filled (which would keep her in a somewhat sheltered area of the ship), help Sig spot buoys in the worst weather (something Jake was called up to the wheelhouse to do when he was a greenhorn, because he was of more use to Sig up there than to the deckhands on deck),   She can help sort crab in the calmer weather.    And she'll probably have to cook because that's low man on the totem pole work and they'll be able to get away with it without her claiming it's because she's a girl.  

 

They've all known her since she was a child.  I imagine she'll sleep in Sig's room and the only change they'll really have to make is getting the porn out of sight.  And maybe showering  more.  

[Curious5]

I fast forwarded right through Josh - that is why I record and watch later.  Even his face makes me sick.

 

And Keith letting the ice build up was stupid.  How many years has he captained a boat? Was he hitting the bottle or drugs?  I don't trust any of them except Sig.

[millennium]

Keith said the ice build-up was at 80,000-90,000 pounds.   How can a 4-man crew clear away even one-fourth of that using axes and shovels?   It just doesn't seem humanly possible that they could physically remove enough ice to alleviate the problem.

And THEN start working the pots.

Edited June 20, 2014 by millennium

[kassa]

A lot is on the railings, so if they can break through one spot (with sledge hammers/drills) they can loosen its hold and the dead weight will pull it down the side of the boat.  If the small pieces of ice they've shown us falling to the deck before weighed 80  lbs, I imagine some of the gigantic chunks they knocked off the side of the ship were thousands of pounds.  

 

Plus a lot of it was on the pots.  They have to knock the top pots loose from one another, but then the crane can move them, and all they have to do is crack the doors open (not that that's not plenty), break the ice off the lines, put the bait in and dump it in the water -- that's 300 lbs of ice on a 1000 lb pot -- a lot of weight.  They don't have to get the ice off the pot itself except to get the door open - the water will do that.