Q: When did you find out that you would be captain for the king crab season?
A: At the end of the last king crab season I was told by Rick that the captaincy would be mine from now on if I wanted it.
Q: What is the main difference between being a deckhand and a captain?
A: Being a captain puts 100% of the responsibility for the crew members, and their family's ability to survive, on you. You're in charge of everything. The safety of the crew, the boat, and whether the season is successful all rest on your shoulders. As opposed to being on deck, where you're only responsible for your own duties.
Q: Were you as nervous as you seemed on the show for your first time as captain?
A: It was nervewracking. Any time you are in charge of a boat always is, but it was also exciting at the same time. I don't believe I was quite as nervous as it seemed, but apparently some things come across differently on TV than they are in real life.
Q: How hard was it to gain respect from the crew in your first season as captain?
A: The crew on the Maverick this year are for the most part guys I've known for at least 10 to 15 years. We've grown up together. They know I've run boats since I was 18 and that I've been a fisherman all my life. So I think that along with friendship I earned their respect long before the season.
Q: How well do you get along with the other captains?
A: I've got tremendous respect for each and every one of the captains you see on the show. They are all good fishermen and aside from how anyone may be portrayed on the show, they're all a bunch of good guys. I've learned a lot from each and every one of them in the last season alone.
Q: What advice did you find helpful from the other captains this season?
A: I seemed to take something different from each one of them this season. They all have a vast amount of knowledge of the fisheries they've been involved with for a vast amount of years. Most of all, I would have to thank Corky on the Aleutian Ballad for sharing all of his knowledge and working so closely together with me. We kept a good handle on where the crabs were at all times.
Q: What do you enjoy most about running a crab boat?
A: Personally, I enjoy the responsibility and the pressure. I thrive on it. I know that my crew members rely 100% on me to put the money in their bank account that supports their family. Something about being the responsible one in the midst of the craziness that is crab season makes me thrive on it.
Q: Who operates the boat while you sleep?
A: Generally, while I'm sleeping it is because we're running in between streams and/or we have shut down for a certain amount of hours to allow our gear adequate soak time. So, when we are travelling between streams, one of the other guys on deck will come up and do a wheel watch.
