Author Archive

Posted on August 27, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Keith Anderson Fundraising Event

Keith Arthur Anderson has been missing since Jan. 6^th 2010. He was last seen in the Sultan, WA area and his vehicle was found on a remote logging road near Darrington, WA.  Keith Anderson is the father of Jake Anderson, one of the deckhands of the F/V Northwestern.  The CorneliaMarie.com website first reported on this January 13th of this year.  You can view the details here.

Jake Anderson is good friends with the deckhands on the F/V Cornelia Marie, especially Jake Harris.  In fact, during Season 6 of the Deadliest Catch, Jake and Jake switched boats.  You can see part of that episode here.  The Jakes hey even did a fun promotion for a video game together you can watch here.

So, now Jake and his brother Josh are going to help out their friend Jake tomorrow.  The “2 Bit Saloon” in Ballard, Washington is putting on a fund raiser to help raise funds for the Search for Keith Anderson Fund.  Some of the Deadliest Catch crew will be there sitting in a dunk tank and ready to get wet. There will be a barbecue, Raffel, and music provided by Dragstip Riot.  Suggested Donation is $5.  I talked to Jake Harris today and he said he’s bringing his swim trunks and ready to get wet.  His brother Josh will be there as well.

A couple of weeks ago, my mom Cornelia, along with Jake Anderson, Nick Mavar, Matt Bradley, and Jonathan Hillstrand showed up to sign autographs in Anacortes for the Search forKeith Anderson Fund.  There was also Deadliest Catch items sold at silent Auction, and the family cooked up some food for everyone donated by The Market.  All proceeds went toward the efforts needed to find Keith Anderson.  The picture above was taken from the event and the searchforkeith.com website.

Jake Anderson has been through so much – if you can come out and support the cause – that would be great.

Posted on August 25, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Cornelia Marie at Emmys

F/V Cornelia Marie crew walked down the red carpet at the 2010 Creative Arts Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.  The event will air as a two-hour special on Friday, August 27, at 1:00 p.m. (ET/PT), on E! Entertainment Television.   Jake, Josh and Derrick Ray, our relief skipper joined Thom Beers and Todd Stanley from Original Productions.

The boys actually presented a couple of awards with “Deadliest Catch” creator Thom Beers.  You can see the three of them here posing for the cameras.   Derrick Ray was invited to attend as a guest of longtime Cornelia Marie cameraman Todd Stanley.  We have written about Todd Stanley before, (click here) and think highly of him at the CM family.  Of course, we think that Todd and his crew should have won for best cinematography but unfortunately they did not.

The Deadliest Catch did win one Emmy  – I believe it was nominated for a total of four awards.  “Deadliest Catch” won for outstanding sound mixing for non-fiction programming. The award went to Bob Bronow, re-recording mixer.  DC was also nominated for outstanding picture editing for non-fiction programming but did not win.

Deadliest Catch lost to HBO’s “By The People: The Election of Barack Obama.”  I haven’t seen this doc – it’s probably of high quality but seems like it should be in a different category.  Deadliest Catch is unique show with different limitations and challenges than traditional documentaries.  Thom Beers has often commented on how he thinks the Emmys need to work on their categories.  Click here to read why he calls some of their decisions “ridiculous”.

The Creative Emmy Awards have concluded, but there’s still no answer to whether the Cornelia Marie will be back on the show next season.  We have received a lot emails from many of you and are always grateful for your support… even from thousands of miles away in Europe.  Check out what Nick from the Netherlands is up to on Facebook!

Posted on July 27, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Season Finale of Deadliest Catch

Tonight is the last episode of this season of “Deadliest Catch”. Discovery is calling this one “Endless” and provides the following description. “Tension runs high on the Northwestern. Edgar Hansen is fed up with the 22 year marathon of pain, and confronts older brother Sig. Josh Harris returns to the Cornelia Marie and the Opilio Season ends with a harrowing mayday.”

We were the last Bering Sea crab fishing boat fishing Opilios this year. We almost ran out of time – I think we only had a week left in the season when we finally finished catching our quota. After our skipper passed away, the boat suffered an enormous amount of breakdowns.

Did you watch the “Behind the Scenes” episode on Sunday night?  According to EW.com author Mandi it was just as emotional as the past few episodes of Deadliest Catch:

“Foolishly, I thought the toughest episodes of Deadliest Catch were behind us, but watching last night’s behind-the-scenes look at the filming of season 6, I actually beat my sofa with a pillow and shouted, “[Creative expletive that it's a shame I can't share] I. Cannot. Take it. I Cannot. Take it.” — on two separate occasions.”

Mandi goes on to give full detail of the episode and why she thought it was so good.  Phil’s cameraman Todd Stanley was featured in the episode.  He stated on his facebook page that the article was “dead on” accurate.  I wrote about Todd recently when he gave a radio interview about his relationship with Capt. Phil.

Prior to the last episode at 9 pm, Discovery Channel is showing back to back episodes from this season starting at 9 am.

Posted on July 23, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Fishermen’s Festival honors Capt. Phil

In the video above, Capt. Jim Wilson talks about being stuck in St. Paul with Capt. Phil and the Cornelia Marie this year while crab fishing. Jim was on of the guys Phil wanted to take his place when he had his stroke in February. Jim is currently the skipper of the F/V Cornelia Marie while our boat finishes its salmon tendering contract in Alaska. This video features Phil’s good friends telling stories about him and was made specifically to raise money for the “Commercial Fishermen’s Festival”.

I recently watched the short tribute DVD honoring Captain Phil Harris.  Besides the round table discussion, it also includes exclusive photos of Phil’s memorial and other pics submitted by his friends and family.  The DVD does not compare to the tribute show produced by Discovery Channel, but the DVD sales go toward a good cause.  Josh  told Johnathan  and Harry Lewis that he really enjoyed the tribute honoring his dad.  If you donate $20 to the festival, you will receive a copy of the DVD – check out the online store.

The “Commercial Fishermen’s Festival” takes place in Astoria, Oregon on September 18-19, 2010. Astoria is a working fishing community and the home of many Alaska fishermen. The mission of the festival is to help commercial fishermen – from educating the public about the industry to educating themselves so they can save lives. The guys behind the festival and on the board are friends of Capt. Phil. In fact, Phil was scheduled to attend.

The festival organizers decided to rename their signature competition to the “Captain Phil Harris Highliner Competition”. I plan on attending with my family as well as (hopefully) Josh and Jake.  Johnathan, Andy (and maybe Keith and Sig) are also going to be there. There’s a great write-up of the event on the F/V Time Bandit’s website. I guess you can even win a ride with Johnathan on the “Time Bandit Harley”.   The organizers are adding more cool events, so check back with their website for updates.  If you’re a Deadliest Catch fan, I’m guessing you’ll have a great time.

Posted on July 20, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Remembering Capt. Phil – Todd Stanley

Discovery Channel is calling tonight’s episode, “Valhalla”. The description reads “Captain Phil Harris loses his battle for life while the boats – unaware of the news – battle the biggest storm of the season. Eventually, eldest son Josh breaks the news to the fleet and reactions are intense and unforgettable.”

Derrick Ray, the relief skipper for Phil also had the difficult responsibility of telling the news. Our crew is close, both Freddie and Steve have fished for Phil for too many years to count. The guys on the boat aren’t just deckhands – they are more like family. If you watched “After the Catch” last week, you got a chance to see Freddie and how much he cared for Phil. Also, in the Cornelia Marie family is Todd Stanley. Todd was Phil’s cameraman in the wheelhouse for three years and became one of his closest friends. Recently, Todd talked about his relationship with Phil on the radio (KNCI). Here is an excerpt from that interview.

[Pat] I remember you telling me that, that, um, you’d never had anybody close to you die before?

[Todd] Not like that. I haven’t ever spent that many days in a row with somebody, you know. So, uh… Phil just… you know, he and I were real good friends. I mean, he’s the kind of friend that would call me at 3:00 a.m.… (in Capt. Phil’s voice) “What’re you doin?”
“What do you mean, what am I doin? I’m sleeping.”
(Phil’s voice) “Oh, man. I’m watching this coin show and I just bought some gold coins.  You won’t believe it, these things are amazing.”

Wow. (Pat continues laughter) So, you know, I mean, we were close, you know. One of the things, you know, not too many people, probably really nobody even knows about, is that, uh, Phil, about an hour before he passed away… he gave me, uh, he gave me his gold ring. It’s got a diamond and a couple of rubies in it. These crabbers, you know, they all have… They all wear some kind of bling, whether it’s a golden, diamond-encrusted king crab on a necklace or something. But he bought this, this was the first piece of jewelry he bought as a teenager, as a young crab fisherman, you know. Something, you know, I tried to give back to the boys, and Josh wouldn’t, wouldn’t take it. But that… you know, I wear it proudly on my hand today, and I… it reminds me of him every single day.

Todd also goes on to talk about some behind the scenes moments such as the arguments between Josh and Jake.  For the full transcript, go here.

Posted on July 20, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Capt. Phil’s Cameraman: Todd Stanley Interview

In this unedited interview available only on the Pat and Tom Show, KNCI website, Producer/Cameraman (and Coloma resident) Todd Stanley talks about the heart wrenching season finale of Deadliest Catch, and remembers his friend, Captain Phil Harris.

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[Pat]  Yeah, and it was really tough to watch, but at the same time, I’ve told you this before, you guys handled it with such dignity, that, you know, it didn’t feel voyeuristic.  You know what I mean?

[Todd]  Yeah.  You know, that’s everybody, I mean, that’s everybody saying it.  I’ve never gotten an email after a show.  I think I got like 10.  You know, nothing big.  But people actually sought me out, you know, to tell me that very thing.  And, you know, it played on TV just like it was.  You know, there never was this…  I mean, we…  The one thing that people probably don’t understand, you know, we were a big, tight family.  And those guys, you know, we had full and complete trust in each other.  That’s why I was even allowed to be there in the first place.

[Pat]  I think the roughest part, other than Phil’s actual passing, was the two boys going at it in the hotel room.  And I found myself wondering, how could those guys, at that moment, allow you to be rolling tape?

[Todd]  That just broke my heart.  That just broke my heart.  I don’t know if you remember, you know, I end up setting the camera down on the dresser…

[Pat]  Yeah, there were a couple of shots where…

[Todd]  …and intervened, and that really just got out of control, right then at that moment, and, it was all I could do to keep those guys from fighting, you know.  It was a tough time.  And those two were going… they were at each other’s throats, you know.  And I constantly had to remind them that…  “You guys, come on!  Your Dad’s in the hospital right now, and the last thing you guys need to be doing is to be doing is fighting.

They go, “I know, I know…”  Yeah, they…

[Pat]  So, did you talk to them, after the fact, about airing that video?

[Todd]  No.  No, I didn’t talk to them.  They knew that… they knew that was part of the deal, you know.

[Pat]  Okay.

[Todd]  You know.  I mean…  Even the… you see Jake in there, he says, “Come on.”  Actually, I’m not sure if they showed that part on TV, or whatever, but Jake definitely said, “Come on Todd.  Is this what you want?  You want to keep filming this?”  And I think that’s when I set the camera down.  And I said, “No.  This is not what I want.  And that’s not why we came in this room.  We came in this room so we could call the Cornelia Marie, and find out how the guys are doing.  But you two are starting to act like jackasses.”

[Pat]  Yeah.  They did edit that part out.  That wasn’t in there.

[Todd]  (Laughs)  Yeah.

[Pat]  But, at the same time, there was a reality to that moment, and in Todd’s reality TV, but it went beyond that.  Once again, it wasn’t exploited.  I mean, you saw the pain of these two kids, and the struggle that Jake is going through, and, and the torment that addiction can cause.

[Todd]  Oh, it’s really, really…  It’s yeah, yeah…  I’ve lived with it.  It’s a scary thing, you know?  Again, you know, it just breaks your heart to see somebody fumbling like that.

[Pat]  And the number one question from our listeners, and, I’m sure, you’ve been getting it, too, is, “How is Jake doing right now, because that was months ago?”

[Todd]  You know, what…  Jake…  I saw Jake recently, and Jake seemed to be doing real well.  He’s…  Jake’s a real shy, quiet guy, you know.  He didn’t seem to have a lot to say, but, his… his eyes and actions speak loudly.  I’ve talked to Jake quite a bit, and he… his… he’s hands down, without a doubt, doing… doing great.  Great.  So, you know…  I just love that kid to death.  And, his brother, Josh, is, you know…  Josh is the talker.  He does all the talking for Jake, so, you know (laughs).  And Jake hates it.

[Pat]  (Laughs)  Yeah, you can kind of see that.  But, a lot of folks are wondering, “Will Jake go back next year?”  It sounds like Josh is going to take over the boat?  Or, have they settled that yet?

[Todd]  You know what?  There’s a lot of things up in the air right now.  Now, I think the idea is to have the Cornelia Marie return.  But, you know, I…  I’m out of that right now.  Now…  I don’t…  You know, I’m not really in a position to talk about it.  But, you know, everybody wants the boat back on the show.  Jake and Josh want to continue fishing on that boat.  They want it to work out.  It’s just coming down to, um, what’s possible.  You know, so, I think that there is some negotiation going on, but I’m not real privy to it.

[Pat]  …  The overarching story line of Captain Phil, um, really superseded another what would have been, I would guess, as powerful a story line almost, and that was the other Jake, from the Northwestern, and his missing father.

[Todd]  Oh, God.

[Pat]  I mean, that was almost lost in all of this.

[Todd]  Again, man, I’ve never been in such a position where, I mean, you’re so emotionally attached to these guys…  And Jake, you know, Anderson, he’s another, just a great guy, man.  I… he…  I can’t say enough good things about him.  And to see the pain and torment that that poor kid has gone through in the last couple of years is…  God, you just wonder… you’re…  myself, I wonder how, how the heck is he able to continue, you know, existing on that boat while all this is going on in his life.  It’s just remarkable.

[Pat]  Has he…  Have they found out what…  I never did hear what happened with his Dad.  Do they know?

[Todd]  He…  Well, you know, you heard it.  And that was that his truck was found, and that… on some remote logging road… and that was it.

[Pat]  That’s been it?

[Todd]  That’s it.

[Pat]  Uh!  Wow.

[Todd]  It’s just gone.  He’s gone.  So, Jake, you know, he’s left with his sister and his mother, so…  Yeah, it’s really, really, just tragic.  Just incredible.  I mean, you know, I mean everybody is… is reaching out to me, which is great.  And, you know, I have so many mixed feelings over this whole thing.

[Pat]  What about you?  Are you going to go back next year?  I know you were hesitant to go up this year.

[Todd]  Well, it’s not so much that I was hesitant, it’s just that, you know, it’s a long, enduring season, you know.  And, God, it’s really going to be tough to go back, but I really feel strongly that, you know, I really need to go back, especially if the Cornelia Marie’s going to be back on the show.  I just gotta…  I really need to find some closure to this whole thing.  I think that’s the best way.  Just to go back out there, you know.  I mean, the plan is to take Phil out and bury him at sea, so, I mean, I gotta be there for that, regardless.

[Pat]  I remember you telling me that, that, um, you’d never had anybody close to you die before?

[Todd]  Not like that.  I haven’t ever spent that many days in a row with somebody, you know.  So, uh…  Phil just… you know, he and I were real good friends.  I mean, he’s the kind of friend that would call me at 3:00 a.m.…  (in Capt. Phil’s voice)  “What’re you doin?”

“What do you mean, what am I doin?  I’m sleeping.”

(Phil’s voice)  “Oh, man.  I’m watching this coin show and I just bought some gold coins.  (Pat laughs)  You won’t believe it, these things are amazing.”

Wow.  (Pat continues laughter)  So, you know, I mean, we were close, you know.  One of the things, you know, not too many people, probably really nobody even knows about, is that, uh, Phil, about an hour before he passed away… he gave me, uh, he gave me his gold ring.  It’s got a diamond and a couple of rubies in it.  These crabbers, you know, they all have…  They all wear some kind of bling, whether it’s a golden, diamond-encrusted king crab on a necklace or something.  But he bought this, this was the first piece of jewelry he bought as a teenager, as a young crab fisherman, you know.  Something, you know, I tried to give back to the boys, and Josh wouldn’t, wouldn’t take it.  But that… you know, I wear it proudly on my hand today, and I… it reminds me of him every single day.

[Pat]  And there really was…  And I don’t know if you guys edited it together to make it look like it, but in preceding episodes, there was definitely a sense of something coming.  Did Phil really have a… you kind of addressed on “After the Catch” a little bit…  Was there, I don’t know, a feeling that, that you really couldn’t recognize until afterwards?

[Todd]  There was a feeling that I, uh, that I definitely suppressed, and I realized I did afterwards, because, yeah… no, he definitely talked to me, like, “Oh Todd, you know, if I’m not…  You know, if I died tomorrow, you know, I could say that I’ve led a good life.”

And I’d be, like, “Why are you talking like that?”  But, you know, he constantly was talking like that.  It was as if he was really giving up.

[Pat]  The part that got me was when he was going through the photo album, with his boys.  After the blow up with Jake, and they kind of resolved that a little bit… and…  And it went right back to that place of love that those three shared.

[Todd]  Yeah.  You know what?  There’s one thing that nobody will understand.  I’ve heard all the stories.  Those two boys, and their father, have been through more than most people could ever imagine.  And because of the triumphs, you know, the trials and tribulations that they’ve experienced together, they had a bond that you just don’t have with a lot of people.  And so no matter what, you know, people talk about unconditional love, well, there it was.  It was right there.

You know, I’ve seen these guys fight, over and over, about stupid things, and I mean some real serious knock-down fights, but you always knew at the end, it didn’t really matter.  That the love they all had for each other was, was undoubtedly true.

[Pat]  Let’s talk about something a little more cheerful, although it could be just as alarming to people.  And that’s this rumor I heard that Sig is trying to lobby to get on “Dancing with the Stars?”  Do you know anything about that?  (Todd chuckles)  Is that true?  Is there any truth to that?

[Todd]  All I know is, I think he came out public with that, and was on Jay Leno…

[Pat]  (Chuckles)  Is that where he was?

[Todd]  …is where he announced it.  Don’t quote me on that, but…  I don’t know much.  But I was with Sig at a party at his house a couple of months ago, and I asked him about it.  He actually had a band playing, and stuff, and was…  he actually put a little dance on for us.  (Laughs)

[Pat]  We saw the little dance he did on “After the Catch,” that didn’t turn out so well.  And, I’m just thinking…  you know…

[Todd]  He’s excited about it.  Who would have thought?  (Laughs)

[Pat]  And the other thing about Sig is, you know, he’s got the Viking hair, when he’s out on the boat.  And then when he’s on “After the Catch,” does he use a curling iron?

[Todd]  (Laughs)  There’s a lot of makeup and stuff that goes on in between the scenes there…

[Pat]  He looks like a blonde poodle…

[Todd]  Yeah.

Posted on July 14, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Deadliest Catch’s Farewell to Capt. Phil

Discovery Channel and Original Productions handled the passing of our Capt. Phil Harris with compassion and respect. The show never wavered too far from their established format, look and feel. I’ve read some great articles on how the Deadliest Catch surpasses all other reality shows. You can read one here and here.

But, more importantly how does Phil’s family feel about how the show’s been edited this season?  Josh gave this answer when asked by Entertainment Weekly:

I think they have done a wonderful job, I’m actually kind of shocked.  /  The old man wanted to go out big. The only different way he had in mind was to be 70 years old, popping about 50 Viagras and having a 21-year-old Vegas hooker. That was the original way he wanted to go. But I think this way will suffice for him.

And how did Josh feel about watching the scene where his dad says he loves him?

That f—ed me up a little bit. It’s a process, I’m working through it. He was pissed. He thought he was a failure and that he f—ed up. That irritated me so much. He’s such a good guy, and he had such a big heart. To be in the last moments of your life and think you are a failure, just broke my heart. It absolutely crushed me because he wasn’t a failure at all. He produced two good kids and did the best job he could with the cards he was dealt. We weren’t born rich. Everything we’ve got, we earned. It’s not like Discovery has handed us a house full of money. I think I got $1,000 and a fruit basket that I have never seen. They say they sent it!

Here is the schedule for the rest of the season (via Deadliest Reports)

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 15 – Tuesday, July 20 at 9PM ET/PT
The news of Phil’S death reaches the rest of the fleet. Captains Keith, Johnathan, Andy and Sig all struggle to come to terms with their friend and colleague’s passing.

CAPTAIN PHIL HARRIS REMEMBERED – Tuesday, July 20 at 10PM ET/PT
A special one-hour look back at the life of Captain Phil Harris, skipper of Cornelia Marie. The special includes interviews with fellow captains and deckhands, memorable “Phil moments” from the past six seasons of DEADLIEST CATCH, never-before-seen footage from behind the scenes and fan remembrances recorded at CatchCon 2010 and Phil’s public memorial service in Seattle.

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 16 – Tuesday, July 27 at 9PM ET/PT
On the finale of the sixth season of DEADLIEST CATCH, the fleet is still absorbing the news about Phil. But the stormy waters of the Bering Sea never take a break, and the Captains and the crew must soldier on in the race to make their quotas, as the Opilio season comes to an end.

BEHIND THE SCENES–Sunday July 25th at 10pm ET/PT
A Deadliest Catch cameraman faces every grueling hour with his subjects. In this behind the scenes special, one cameraman battles life-threatening seasickness, while another is forced to produce the story of his life.

Posted on July 13, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Farewell to our Capt. Phil

Tonight we say “farewell” to our skipper, Capt. Phil Harris of the F/V Cornelia Marie.  I expect Discovery will use great sensitivity in telling the story of Phil’s last hours.

I guess in one respect we’re all in the same boat together.  We all have similar feelings in regard to tonight episode of “Deadliest Catch”.  My Mom and even Josh don’t really know what to expect on the show.

However, Josh and Johnathan were on the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” last night and provided an idea of what is to come.  During their segment of the interview, they did show a very emotional clip of the show.  I guess this gives us some idea of what to expect.  Also, before the Tonight Show, they spoke to a reporter from the LA Times:

Josh Harris, in Los Angeles this week for an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” hasn’t watched Tuesday’s episode yet but says he will because he wants to make sure he said a proper goodbye. He was in shock during those last few days, he said, and doesn’t remember details that he now considers vitally important.

“It was hard to live it, and it’ll be really hard to relive it,” he said, lighting a steady stream of cigarettes on the rooftop of a Hollywood hotel. (He’s promised to kick the habit soon, but he’s too shellshocked at the moment, both from the death and the media attention now swirling around him). “I want to see those final moments of my father.”

Johnathan Hillstrand, co-captain of the Time Bandit and a close family friend in town with Harris for “The Tonight Show,” was at Harris’ bedside up to the end and said he hasn’t decided if he’ll watch the episode.

Josh is flying back from L.A. today and will watch the show here in Seattle.  According to Johnathan’s twitter account he made a decision and will “be watching Deadliest Catch tonight”.  Johnathan’s a great guy and has been a true friend to the Cornelia Marie family.  Thank you Johnathan for all of your support.

Discovery Channel has set up a platform for Live chatting during the show here.  Of course, we’ve always had the ability for real strong supporters of the Cornelia Marie to chat live at http://www.deadliestcatchfan.com - just scroll down to the bottom of the home page.  I do hope they edit carefully and provide honor and justice to a good man.

Posted on July 9, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Filling in for Capt. Phil – the toughest job

The still shot above is from a video showing Josh on the phone looking for a captain to take his dad’s place.  This scene was not aired on “Deadliest Catch”.  This video clip comes from the an internet only series of videos called “Chasing the Catch”.  These videos were all taken from and include the chase boat, the “FV Aquila”.  This boat is owned by some great folks who have been good friends to the FV Cornelia Marie, thank you Kale and Anji.

As viewers of the show, it was really hard to watch a relief skipper come aboard the FV Cornelia Marie at the end of the last episode.  That new skipper is Derrick Ray and he’s an old family friend of my mother, Cornelia and Capt. Phil.  When Derrick landed in St. Paul to captain the FV Cornelia Marie, we thought Phil was going to make a long but full recovery.  So, it was up to Derrick to step in and finish the Opilio season.  This was a tough situation – to step on board during that time.  Derrick said the crew was very upset and that they “were a train wreck”.

I couldn’t think of a better person to step in during that time than Derrick Ray.  He’s a well known Bering Sea Captain with a big heart to match his talent as a great skipper.

Derrick started making money on the sea at a very young age.   He was a deckhand on charter boats that plyed the waters off the Oregon Coast.   Once high school was over he headed north to Alaska.  Here, he worked on several boats before landing a job as a deckhand on the F/V Milky Way.  The 76 foot Milky Way was then owned by my folks Ralph and Cornelia Collins.  Derrick and I were both deckhands at the same time.

Derrick quickly established himself as a great fisherman.  At the young age of 23, he skippered his first King Crab opening in the Bering Sea.  An enormous undertaking for a young man, but one that Derrick handled well.

A lot happened on board the FV Cornelia Marie after Phil left.  Most of it will not make it to television because of the limited time.  I will write more to try and fill in the gaps.  We appreciate everyone’s continued support of the Cornelia Marie family.

Posted on June 29, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Capt. Phil’s Story Continues on Deadliest Catch

The hard to watch story of our skipper continues tonight on the “Deadliest Catch”.  Tonight, Phil gets medevacked to Anchorage.  It’s at this point that my Mom, Cornelia M. Devlin joins the family at the hospital.  We also call up good family friend Derrick Ray to fly into St. Paul to take over as skipper of the FV Cornelia Marie.  Derrick is a well known Bering Sea Captain and Phil’s friend as well.  I will write more about Derrick later in the week.  Josh has been speaking to news agencies this week.  You can view his interview with People magazine here.  Deadliest Catch will focus on the passing of our skipper for the remaining episodes.  Here’s a look at what’s left for the season (from Deadliest Reports).

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 12 – Tuesday, June 29 at 9PM ET/PT

The rest of the fleet begins to hear the unsettling news of their friend and fellow skipper.  Captains Sig Hansen, Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand and Keith Colburn all react with stunned disbelief while still keeping an eye on the turbulent waters, as the Bering Sea stops for no one.

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 13 – Tuesday, July 6 at 9PM ET/PT

Josh and Jake Harris continue to watch over their dad at the Anchorage hospital.  They are joined by Johnathan Hillstrand as well as Phil’s inner circle of biker buddy friends.  Ever the stubborn fighter, Phil rallies in the ICU.

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 14 – Tuesday, July 13 at 9PM ET/PT

Despite small signs of encouragement, Captain Phil loses his battle.  He passes away surrounded by family and friends.

AFTER THE CATCH: Episode 5 – Tuesday, July 13 at 10PM ET/PT

The fleet wraps up its time at the French Quarter’s Blue Nile bar in the season finale of AFTER THE CATCH.  Captain Phil Harris is remembered in true ‘Nawlins style as fans pour onto Frenchmen Street for a traditional, raucous Jazz Parade.  The celebration brings together all the captains to pay tribute to their friend and colleague.

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 15 – Tuesday, July 20 at 9PM ET/PT

The news of Phil’s death reaches the rest of the fleet.  Captains Keith, Johnathan, Andy and Sig all struggle to come to terms with their friend and colleague’s passing.

DEADLIEST CATCH: CAPTAIN PHIL HARRIS REMEMBERED – Tuesday, July 20 at 10PM ET/PT

A special one-hour look back at the life of Captain Phil Harris, skipper of F/V Cornelia Marie.  The special includes interviews with fellow captains and deckhands, memorable “Phil moments” from the past six seasons of DEADLIEST CATCH, never-before-seen footage from behind the scenes and fan remembrances recorded at CatchCon 2010 and Phil’s public memorial service in Seattle.

DEADLIEST CATCH: Episode 16 – Tuesday, July 27 at 9PM ET/PT

On the finale of the sixth season of DEADLIEST CATCH, the fleet is still absorbing the news about Phil.  But the stormy waters of the Bering Sea never take a break, and the Captains and the crew must soldier on in the race to make their quotas, as the Opilio season comes to an end.