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Q: Phil, how many years did you work as a deck hand before becoming a captain, and how many years have you been a captain?
PH: I started in 1976, and I was on deck for about five years. The opportunity came on my 25th birthday to run a crab boat for the first time. I was the youngest skipper to run a boat. So I ran it a little bit, and worked on deck the rest of the time. Over the next four to five years, I got more wheelhouse time and less deck time until I became strictly a captain, and that's been 21 years now.
Q: Josh, would you like to follow in your father's footsteps and captain a crab boat?
JH: You know, the possibility is there. Each time that I go out, I learn a bit more. But I'm still undecided.
Q: How hard is it to work with both of your sons in such close quarters?
PH: It's hard sometimes, the kids are both so different. If he wants something, Jacob will bug you and bug you until it drives you insane. Joshua is more like his mother; he has to get the last word in and always has something to say. That drives me absolutely haywire too.
Q: Are you tougher on your kids than the crew members on your boat?
PH: I think I probably am tougher on the kids because I want them to be able to walk off that boat being a half share guy. Meaning I want them to be able to work on my boat and work for me, and I can teach them so if they went on another boat they'd be a full share guy. So yes, I am tougher on them than I would be on somebody else.
Q: Have you heard that your family dynamics are being compared to the Simpsons? What is your opinion of that comparison?
JH: Wow! That's definitely an interesting comparison, and I haven't heard that yet. But I guess with all the humour running in the family, it's definitely comparable.
PH: Well, I think that's a pretty good comparison. We have my dad, the more serious one that keeps us in line. Then there's me, and I'm a bundle all by myself. Throw Ding and Dong in there, and besides making my life a living hell, they gang up on me. You have to take it with a sense of humour or it would drive you absolutely batty.
Q: Josh, is it really that hard to work for dear old dad?
JH: When we're on the boat, he's not really Pop; he's the captain. I like working for him. The only other person I'd work for is my grandfather.
Q: Josh, what do you think you learned most from your father about crab fishing?
JH: How to stay alive. That's probably the biggest thing. A lot of old school stuff. It's all about being smart on deck, and staying alive. The man knows his stuff about dangerous fishing; he's been doing it for years.
Q: Phil, did you question your father as much as your sons seem to question you?
PH: You know, my father and I have a great relationship when it comes to fishing. I don't question him as much as try to pick his brain because he's so knowledgeable when it comes to fishing. He's already been there, done that when it comes to fishing, and he's exceptional when it comes to taking the time to teach me the right way to do things. I do try to learn and pick up some of his knowledge. He's forgotten more than I'll ever know about fishing, so I'm very lucky to have his input on things.
Q: Phil, what did you think about Jake and Josh's spending spree earlier this season? Did they get any more punishment than a tongue lashing from you?
PH: No, they didn't get punished. They've got me wrapped around their finger! But designer rain gear and all this fancy stuff they think they have to have, it's nonsense. When I worked on deck, we had one pair of boots and one set of rain gear. But they have to have several pairs of boots, several sets of rain gear, designer this, designer that. They can spend their money the way they want to, but when they're spending my money, it's a slightly different story!
Q: Phil, were you shocked by what the boys say about you when you are not around?
PH: I don't know what they say when I'm not around. I see the eye gestures and stuff, but I don't know if I've ever actually heard what they say when I'm not around. I know what they tell me. But I tried to raise them with some respect, and it's very important to me to spend time with my father, and it's important that the boys get to spend time with their grandfather. This family went to great lengths to make sure we could stay together. One of these days, my dad won't be with us any more and I want the kids to know they got to spend time with him and with me. I hope they raise their kids in that fashion.
Q: Do you guys feel like you're missing out on college life? Do you think you'll ever go?
JH: Yes, at one point I think most of us will go to college. But right now I don't feel I'm missing out on anything. There's great fishing, we come back and can vacation anywhere in the world that we want and have a great time. So I'm having a good time right now.
Q: Phil, what lesson do you most hope that Jake and Josh learned this season?
PH: I don't know if there's one lesson, but in general, if I died tonight and was gone, I hope they'd have the integrity to do what they say, be honest, and do honest work for an honest wage and not short change themselves or anyone else. To be honest about how they live and work. Don't sidestep things or try to cut corners. Do an honest hard job, and do it to the best of their ability.
Q: What is the process of finding greenhorns and what is the number one reason you would hire one?
PH: I don't usually find greenhorns, they seem to find me. But generally I'll take a guy that is referred to me. We don't do that very often, because we don't need to. We have the same guys on the boat all the time. But the few times I have hired a greenhorn, I'll try to get someone I've heard of or who has good references. If you get a guy off the harbour in Dutch, he may be up there looking for a job for a reason. He may have been discarded from another boat and generally those guys are sue-happy.
