Meet The Crews of Season 3 of Deadliest Catch:

The Northwestern

Sig Hansen revels in the strategy and competition of fishing. He has been a captain for the past 18 years, and is the eldest of the three brothers who operate the family-owned vessel. A fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, Sig tends to be very superstitious. The Seattle, Wash., resident operates the Northwestern with help and unsolicited opinions from his younger brother, Deck Boss Edgar Hansen, and his more reserved brother, Deckhand Norman Hansen.

Working alongside the Hansen brothers as deckhands are Nick Mavar Jr. and Matt Bradley, both of whom have been a part of the crew for several years.

Cornelia Marie

This season marks Capt. Phil Harris’ 16th year with the Cornelia Marie and his 30th year in the crab-fishing industry. As a co-owner, Phil was responsible for making the Cornelia Marie one of the top-performing boats last season, despite some major mechanical difficulties.

Phil, who resides in Seattle, will be joined this season by his two sons: Jake (who celebrated his 21st birthday while out at sea during king crab season) returns for his third year as a deckhand, this time earning full share. Taking his place on board as the greenhorn this year is his older brother Josh (23). This is Josh’s first season crab fishing on the Bering Sea, and Jake is eager to show him the ropes.

Joining the Harris clan is First Mate Roger Jensen, who has been Phil’s loyal and trusted deckhand since 1988; Deckhand Dave Millman, who is returning after suffering an injury last opilio season; and Engineer Mark Anderson, new to the Cornelia Marie this season.

Time Bandit

Brothers Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand share the skippering duties on board their family-operated vessel, the Time Bandit. Designed by the Hillstrands’ father and custom-built by the brothers, the boat features luxuries unheard of on other crab boats, such as staterooms with queen-sized beds, a four-person sauna and a dishwasher.

Johnathan is the captain during king crab season. He runs a tight ship and is not afraid to speak his mind. When he’s not embracing the elements at sea, the Homer, Alaska, resident enjoys a zest for life on the edge that includes riding a Harley that is rigged to rocket to 120 mph at the touch of a button.

Andy Hillstrand is skipper during opilio season and also runs the business side. During the off-season, Andy spends time at his ranch in Indiana, where he engages in his other passion — training horses.

The youngest of the brothers, Deckhand Neal Hillstrand is responsible for prepping the boat at the start of each season and serves as the cook. Deckhand Nathan Vandecoevering also returns to fish on the Time Bandit. New to the boat this year is Deckhand Russ Newberry, who brings with him nearly 20 years of crabbing experience.

Maverick

Greenhorn Capt. Blake Painter takes the helm of the Maverick while husband-and-wife owners Rick and Donna Quashnick take off this year’s king crab season. Rick and Donna return to run the boat for opilio season.

A second-generation fisherman from Astoria, Ore., Blake started fishing at the age of 3 and made his first professional fishing trip to Alaska when he was 13. Blake, now 26, has been fishing on the Maverick for the past six years.

Deckhands Mike and Marvin Johnson are Blake’s former roommates and long-time friends. The brothers are also second-generation fishermen who worked in the logging industry in Astoria prior to fishing the Bering Sea. They both credit Blake for getting them into the crab-fishing industry.

Greenhorn Ed Green played high school football with Capt. Blake. He has seven years of fishing experience and his captain’s license, and he spent several years skippering a charter boat but this is his first season on a crab boat. The crew’s most experienced fisherman by far is Deck Boss Scott Templin, who is entering his 18th year of crabbing. He has worked with Blake in the past on some of the Maverick’s partner boats, and fished last year with the Aleutian Ballad.

The Wizard

Capt. Keith Colburn of Redmond, Wash., took a huge risk this year purchasing the Wizard, a World War II-era Navy ship that was converted into a fishing vessel in 1978 and is one of the largest vessels in the fleet at 155 feet in length. Keith wasn’t fishing when rationalization took effect last year, so unlike other boats in the fleet, he wasn’t assigned a quota of crab — forcing him to lease his entire catch and making the stakes that much higher.

Joining Keith are his brother Monte, an experienced deckhand who takes over as skipper for the last half of opilio season; First Mate Gary Soper, a 20-year fishing veteran; and deckhands Art Peterson, Lenny Lakinoff, Crosby LeVeen and Nick Malar (who returns to fishing two years after surviving a car wreck that broke both his legs).

Farwest Leader

Capt. Greg Moncrief is called “the natural” by many of his fellow fishermen because he is naturally gifted at finding crab. He’s a 20-year veteran of the fishing industry and has spent the last five years on the Farwest Leader. Greg resides in the Harbor Point area of Washington with his Norwegian-born wife Ragnhild and their two daughters. This season, Ragnhild is taking some time off from her full-time job as a travel agent to join the crew as a deckhand and cook.

Joining the husband-and-wife team are Engineer Chris “Chilly” Anderson and deckhands John Mavar, who has been with the Farwest Leader for the past four years; Tico Tyson, a Seattle resident who has spent six of his eight years in the business crabbing on the Farwest Leader; and Ricky Lopez.

Aleutian Ballad

Capt. Jerry “Corky” Tilley of West Port, Wash., began fishing professionally during the summers at the age of 12 and got on a crab boat when he was 16. He made his first trip to the Bering Sea right after high school and has been fishing ever since. As captain and part-owner of the Aleutian Ballad, Corky says this will be his last season at sea.

But for now, Corky has a lot riding on his final season, including his daughter Nicole and son Matthew, who serve as deckhands. Twenty-six-year-old Nicole dropped out of beauty school to join the family’s fishing business, where she works hard to prove herself to the guys on deck. Matthew, the greenest deckhand on the Aleutian Ballad, has worked alongside Nicole on other fishing boats in the past, and the two have a good working relationship.

Joining the Tilley family for their final voyage together aboard the Aleutian Ballad are Engineer Brandon Krenz, Deckhand Allen “Kiwi” Brant and Deckhand Kenny McMahon.

Early Dawn

Capt. Allen Oakley, an intense and focused man, has served on the Early Dawn for the majority of his 21-year career, and has skippered the boat for 15 of those years. Allen saw the Early Dawn for the first time when he took a summer off from college to become a fisherman and knew that “Someday, I had to get on that boat.” Little did he know that serving as a deckhand on the Early Dawn would lead to his partial ownership, as well as command, of the craft. Allen, who resides in Blaine, Wash., also owns partial shares in three other fishing boats.

Accompanying Capt. Allen as a greenhorn is the co-owner’s son, Bryan Mezich. Standing 6?6? tall, Bryan certainly has the size to become a skilled hand, and he postponed his college career to try the family business. Bryan will be mentored by 20-year veteran Pat Quinn, who has worked the past five years for Allen. Rounding out the crew are Engineer Mike Fish and Deck Boss Rick Fehs.

Meet The Crews from Season 2 of Deadliest Catch

Cornelia Marie

The Cornelia Marie is a 128-foot house aft fishing boat that carries 180 pots and has the capacity to hold 312,000 pounds of crab. A partner boat to the Maverick, the Cornelia Marie was one of the top producing boats last year for king crab.

Captain Phil Harris (age 48) has been running boats for the past 15 years, and has been involved with the fishing industry for the last 29. A Seattle resident, Phil is the father of two boys, one of whom (Jake) is fishing on the Cornelia Marie this season. When he’s not fishing, Phil creates handmade bird feeders and enjoys riding his Harley with his friends.

Bait Boy Jake Harris (age 20), a greenhorn and son of Captain Phil, learned the ropes when he fished on the Maverick last summer.

First Mate Roger Jensen, has been fishing with Phil since 1988. When he first started, Roger fished solely for the money, but now he does it because he truly enjoys it. Roger thinks crab fishing in Dutch Harbor is worth the inherent risks because of the huge amount of money that can be earned in such a short span of time. When he’s not out at sea, Roger works for NOAA and drives vessels for hire.

Deckhand Dave Millman resides in Hawaii when he’s not fishing in the Bering Sea. Although his dad owns a crab boat (the Four Daughters), Dave chooses to work with Phil on the Cornelia Marie.

Deckhand Dan Gilbert owns his own seiner boat in Kodiak, Alaska, and fishes for herring and salmon when he is not on the Cornelia Marie.

Engineer Walt Dauderis (age 48) is laid back and enjoys pursuing a more holistic approach to life. When he’s not fishing, he enjoys Harleys and outdoor sports.

Maverick

Owned by husband and wife team Rick and Donna Quashnick, the Maverick is a 92-foot house aft boat that holds between 100-110 pots, and sleeps between nine and 10 people.

Captain Rick Quashnick (age 49) is the owner and current captain of the Maverick. A second-generation fisherman, Rick grew up in Astoria, Ore., where he started captaining his first ship when he was 13 years old. Rick admits to being a “very competitive person,” and he describes the fishing lifestyle as such: “It takes long hours to be successful, the money is good, and the competition is what keeps people in it.” The Maverick is one of the smallest boats in the fleet, but it catches just as much as the big guns. Rick is extremely devoted to his crew. Instead of selling his quota this year and putting his crew out of work, he chose to continue fishing.

Cook Donna Quashnick, Rick’s wife, is the “mom” of the crew. She buys the groceries, cooks the meals, and keeps her guys alive and well. Having a woman on a crab fishing boat is rare as the superstitious believe it is bad luck.

Engineer & Alternate Captain Blake Painter (age 26) is a young, hardworking second-generation fisherman born and raised in the Oregon coastal town of Astoria. Blake started fishing at the age of 3. His dad operates the Evening Star, and he has one younger brother who also works in the fishing industry. Blake spends 11 months out of the year fishing and has been skippering since he was 19 years old. This is Blake’s fifth season on the Maverick, and he’s going to take the helm from Rick during this trip. When he isn’t fishing, he likes to hunt, play golf, wakeboard and snowboard.

Deckhand Mike Johnson (age 27) is a second-generation fisherman who was born and raised in Astoria, Ore. Mike comes from a somewhat well-known fishing and logging family — his uncles Evan and Frank are fisherman. Mike has only been fishing for a couple years; he spent seven years in the logging industry before his good friend Blake got him into fishing. Mike has only been on the Maverick since last year. When Mike’s not fishing, he enjoys hunting.

Deckhand Justin Gifford (age 27) was born in Astoria, Ore., and currently lives in Cambridge, Idaho, with his fiancée and 4-month-old daughter. Justin has been on gillnetting boats since he was 4 months old. He has two gillnet boats of his own in Astoria. He’s a hard worker and earned his spot on the Maverick last year by word of mouth.

Deckhand Hiram Johnson (age 51) was born in Astoria and currently lives in Hammond, Ore. Hiram has been fishing the Bering Sea since he left high school; he currently has 33 years experience under his belt and is hunting down Benny Bay’s record of 63 years. Hiram comes from a long line of fishermen and is proud of his Norwegian fishing heritage. Hiram caught his first fish — a salmon — in the Columbia River in 1966.

Northwestern

The Northwestern is a Marco, house forward, 125-foot boat that carries 200 pots, with a capacity to hold 251,000 pounds of crab in its tanks. It is a Norwegian family-owned and -operated boat. Three of the five crew members (including the captain) are brothers, and have fished together for almost 20 years.

Captain Sig Hansen (age 39) has been a captain since he was 22 years old. As a fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, he is very superstitious but comes back with a large load of king crab every season. Sig revels in the strategy and competition of fishing. Check out the Northwestern’s Web Site. (Please note that by clicking on this link, you will be leaving the Discovery Channel Web site.)

Deck Boss/Engineer Edgar Hansen (age 33), Captain Sig’s younger brother, is a conscientious deck boss who works hard and plays hard. He’s married and is expecting his third child.

Deckhand Norman Hansen (age 38) is Sig and Edgar’s brother. He is a hard worker who is happy to stay out of the view of the camera.

Deckhand Nick Mavar Jr. has been working on the Northwestern for several years.

Engineer Rick Mcleod is a Seattle native who has fished on and off with the Hansen brothers for the past nine years. After dragging the Aleutian Isles for the past five years, Rick rejoined the dynamic crew of the Northwestern. Whether Rick’s taking charge in the engine room or working the hydraulics on deck, his versatility makes him one of the more valuable members of the Northwestern. Other than NASCAR, Rick’s true passion lies in his family; with two young girls and a third on the way, dreams of an early retirement and time spent at home are high on Rick’s list of priorities.

Rollo

The Rollo is a 107-foot house forward boat. Captain Eric Nyhammer is a Norwegian peer of Sig Hansen and his father, Svien, is the boat owner. The Rollo’s five-man team spans in ages from 21 to 44, with the vibe on the boat being that of an eclectic crew. The vessel carries 160 pots and can hold 160,000 pounds of crab.

Captain Stien Eric Nyhammer (age 44) has been fishing since he was a boy and now runs his father’s boat. Eric is an outspoken and proud fisherman who is very dedicated to his two young sons. In fact, he is participating in the show so his sons can view him in his natural element. Eric is also an artist who enjoys painting with oils and pastels.

Deckhand Corey Arnold (age 29) is a fun-loving guy from Southern California who started fishing with his father when he was 5 years old. He studied photography at the Academy of Art and College, and worked summers as a salmon fisherman in Bristol Bay. He chose to become a commercial fisherman for the adventure, love of the sea, hard physical lifestyle, and (of course) the money. He views the Rollo as an “artsy fishermen” crew.

Deckhand Matt Sullivan (age 21) ended up in Seattle after dropping out of film school and hitching his way around the country. Eric found Matt wandering the docks three years ago and offered him his first job jigging for cod — a difficult fishing technique used by Eric to test potential deckhands. Matt passed the cod jigging test and now works as a fisherman six to nine months out of the year. Matt plans to be on the ocean for the rest of his life.

Engineer Bryan Greer (age 44) has fished since 1980, and has been with Eric since 1989. When not fishing, he subcontracts various construction jobs, doing carpentry, welding and commercial maintenance in the greater Seattle area. Brian enjoys working and playing outdoors, loves animals, and cooks all sorts of different cuisines, which the Rollo crew oftentimes enjoys. Other hobbies include snow skiing, gardening, motorcycle riding and, most of all, tinkering in home improvement. Brian is divorced, but has a wonderful 13-year-old son named Alex.

First Mate Christian Kirk (age 44) is Eric’s brother-in-law. He is married and has three children. Christian has been crabbing and gillnetting for 20 years and is a fledgling longshoreman. He is also an avid Cleveland Browns fan.

Time Bandit

The Time Bandit is a 113-foot house aft boat owned by the Hillstrand brothers that was designed by the Hillstrands’ father. The five men helped custom-build the boat’s interior, including some comforts unheard of in a crab boat: a four-man sauna, state rooms with queen-size beds and a dishwasher. Three of the five Hillstrand brothers make up the six-man crew. The vessel carries 137 pots.

Captain John Hillstrand (age 43) has a love for life on the edge that doesn’t end when he gets off the boat. He rides a Harley Davidson that is rigged with a nitrous boost that will rocket him to 120 mph at the touch of a button. John runs a tight ship and is not afraid to speak his mind. John splits his shore time between Seattle and Homer, Alaska.

Andy Hillstrand (age 42) trades command duties with John between seasons; he is the captain of the Time Bandit during opilio crab season. Andy owns a quarter horse ranch in Indiana where his other passion is horse training.

Neil Hillstrand (age 38) is the youngest of the five brothers and is in charge of prepping the boat before each season. Neil cooks, cleans and operates the boat at night while the crew sleeps. Neil started fishing salmon and herring with his father when he was 12 years old. In the off-season, he runs a hydro-seeding company in Homer, Alaska. Neil is the father of two teenage kids.

Deckhand Mike Fourtner (age 25) has been fishing with the Time Bandit since he was 18 years old. Mike was raised in a fishing family in Homer, Alaska. He says there are only two jobs up in Homer: logging or fishing. He chose the latter. He started fishing when he was 9 years old with his uncle and fell in love with it. Fishing has been his only source of income his entire life.

Deckhand Tom Miller (age 32) owns a small, 32-foot fishing boat and fishes for red salmon in Bristol Bay, as well as for halibut off Kodiak Island, when he’s not crabbing. He is a professional diver and is working toward his dive master license. He loves to travel out of the country as much as possible.

Aleutian Ballad

The Aleutian Ballad is a 100-foot house aft fishing vessel. She carried 120 pots during king crab season and fished with 180. [i guess these figures mean they fished with 180 and filled 120? forgive my ignorance! mr] The boat can pack 150,000 pounds of crab in its holds. For the 2005 king crab season, the Aleutian Ballad’s quota was 320,000 pounds.

Captain Jerry “Corky” Tilley (age 50): Jerry has been a fisherman since he was 13 years old, when he went commercial tuna fishing with his father off the coast of Washington state. He has been a captain on the Bering Sea for 22 years, running the Aleutian Ballad for the past two. He is part owner of the Aleutian Ballad; part owner of another large crabber, the Watchman; owner of a 50-foot crabber, the Terry S; and owner of a 30-foot gill-netter, the Dotty. A third-generation fisherman, Jerry has three sons: Jesse (age 24), Matthew (age 22) and Jerry Jr. (age 16). He also has a daughter, Nicole (age 27), who was working on the Aleutian Ballad during the 2005 king crab season when a 50-foot rogue wave put the boat on its side. Jerry was born and raised in Westport, Wash. Single and available, he enjoys basketball, hunting, riding his Jet Ski, snow skiing and riding motorcycles with his youngest son, Jerry Jr.

Scott Templin (age 35): Scott has been fishing the Bering Sea for 17 years. Born in Tacoma, Wash., he is a first-generation fisherman who now resides in Roslyn, Wash. In addition to earning money at sea, Scott cuts timber and fights fires in the state of Washington. As a single man, he enjoys the outdoors by surfing and snowboarding in his free time.

Clayton Custer (age 18): Clayton is 18 years old and a first-generation fisherman. Born and raised in Anchor Point, Alaska, he started fishing when he was 14 years old and finally tried his hand at king crab in 2005. When not at sea earning a living, Clayton enjoys snowboarding, hunting, snowmobiling and living it up as a single man.

Nicole Tilley (age 27): A fourth-generation fisherman, Nicole is Capt. Jerry’s daughter. A seasoned deckhand, she has been fishing commerciallly with her father since she was 12 years old. When she’s not out fishing, she earns a living tending bar in Westport, Wash., where she grew up. When she’s not working, Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and doing outdoor activities, especially snowboarding, surfing and riding four wheelers.