Author Archive

Posted on December 23, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Merry Christmas from the FV Cornelia Marie

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas from the Cornelia Marie family. The FV Cornelia Marie is tied up in Dutch Harbor and the crew is home with their families. We are planning to fish Opilios in January. Our King Crab season was short, but we anticipate having a good Opilio season. Most likely we will have changes in our crew as we adjust to the activities which occurred during King Crab and prepare for the future.

As stated in an earlier email, the remaining Capt. Phil merchandise is being sold to pay the vendors. This will be completed by the end of the year and the link may be taken down as earlier as December 27th.

On Christmas Eve, Discovery Channel is presenting a “Best of Discovery” with a four hour block of “Deadliest Catch” episodes. I thought at first that these were compilation episodes but it’s hard to tell by reading the schedule below.

Posted on December 5, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Hillstrands provide a preview to Season 7

The Discovery Channel promised a preview to Season 7 of “Deadliest Catch” Friday night.  The preview occurred during the premiere episode of “Gold Rush Alaska”, a new show they are promoting.  Well, the preview wasn’t very impressive… I was expecting more.  So, in lieu of that disappointing “sneak peak” on Friday, I provide below an interview with Capt. Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand.  The brothers talk about what to expect from season 7 and the passing of our skipper, Capt. Phil.  The Hillstrand brothers spent the weekend touring with Sig Hansen doing their live talks.  Sometimes this video below plays great, other times not so well.  Definitely give it a chance to load and play – it might take longer than normal.

Posted on November 25, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Cornelia Marie Gear for Christmas

The Cornelia Marie crew is home with their families this Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This is reason enough to be thankful.  Since its the beginning of the holiday season, I am going to pitch you on our gear as great Christmas presents for those die hard Deadliest Catch fans.  Of course, nothing against the rest of the boats, but we hope the people you are shopping for are more “Cornelia Marie” fans.

Our family has been selling Cornelia Marie gear from our website for almost four years now.  We started slow by only selling one black t-shirt but have grown to offer t-shirts, hats, sweat pants, sweatshirts, coffee mugs and tumblers.  I have been personally wearing the gear and I am proud to say its held up very well throughout the years.

Unfortunately, there are people out there who copy our name and logo and illegally sell Cornelia Marie t-shirts.  Ebay.com has been very bad at not removing the imitation items even after I request for them to do so.  The CorneliaMarie.com online store is the ONLY place to buy official Cornelia Marie gear.  The only other exception is this site, where you can purchase the remaining Capt. Phil stock.  These items here are being sold at a close-out price by the estate of our late skipper Capt. Phil.  There’s a good chance that there probably won’t be anymore like it – so buy them now before they’re gone for good.

Lastly, the store has been updated with many new pictures from this year’s “Commercial Fishermen’s Festival” which took place in Astoria, Oregon.  Some of you may recognize yourself in some of the pictures.  There are no professional models in our online store – only our crew members and the good folks who support them.  Many images have been sent in by our dedicated fans – thanks for sending them and please send more!  If you have some good shots of yourself wearing our gear, send them to me at Morgan at this website address.  (I have to say my email address like this otherwise I’ll be bombarded with spam.)  Okay, so send them in!

Posted on November 9, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

CORNELIA MARIE CREW COMES HOME

The FV Cornelia Marie finished King Crab fishing for this year. The crew has for the most part returned back to their homes in Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

The King Crab season officially opened October 15th. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to leave until a few days after the season opened. Our boat had some equipment that wasn’t working properly. Once the equipment was working, we had to wait on the weather.

This King Crab season was different for many reasons. First and foremost, we didn’t have our Capt. at the wheel. The skipper was Derrick Ray, the same guy who came on at the end of season to help out and finish the season when Phil went into the hospital.

Second, we decided to fish Blue King Crab instead of Red King Crab. This was done essentially out of necessity. Capt. Phil had long term relationships that allowed our boat to obtain the amount of Red King Crab quota we needed to be successful. Also, when Phil passed away, the future of the FV Cornelia Marie was uncertain. Many things are still uncertain.

However, it was important for our crew to go back to the Bering Sea to give it a go. At the top of their mind was an obligation to return Capt. Phil to the Bering Sea. Jake and Josh completed the circle by scattering their Dad’s ashes from the Cornelia Marie.

I wish I could say things went great – that we filled our tanks quickly and everyone was happy. Unfortunately, that is not our story of King Crab fishing this year. We had our share of trouble and then some. But, on a positive note and more importantly… we left with six guys and came back with six.

Posted on October 8, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Deadliest Catch Captains Return

I am pleased that Discovery Channel and the Captains of the FV Northwestern and FV Timebandit have worked out their differences.  According to this article by the Hollywood Reporter, the Captains state, “We’re happy we worked everything out with Discovery.  A deal’s a deal. We’re heading up to Dutch Harbor to start filming the new season of ‘Deadliest Catch’ and hopefully it will be the best one yet.”

So, with that behind us, the fishermen can get on with doing what they know best – catching King Crab!

The FV Cornelia Marie is now in Dutch Harbor.  We have a tremendous amount of work to do before the King Crab opening on October 15th.  I’ll keep you update as we quickly approach the season opener.

Posted on October 4, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

FV Cornelia Marie heads to Dutch Harbor

My mother, Cornelia Devlin and our crew flew to Kodiak, Alaska on Saturday.  The FV Cornelia Marie is tied up in Kodiak, our home port since the boat was built.  The crew has been repairing the boat in preparation to go King Crab fishing.  This year’s crew is the same one you saw during the last couple episodes of season six.  Derrick Ray is the skipper, Steve Ward is the Engineer and Josh Harris, Jake Harris, Ryan Simpson and Freddie Maughtai are the deckhands.

Captain Derrick is eager to get to Dutch Harbor and may pull out of Kodiak this evening.  We have a tremendous amount of work before King Crab season opens on October 15th.

There was serious doubts as to whether the FV Cornelia Marie would be able to continue fishing.  Our boat and crew has faced many challenges this year.  After the death of our skipper, our collective families were in a tailspin.  Captain Phil was more than just a skipper.  He was part owner and responsible for everything having to do with the boat.  He has left a void which has not been filled.  But, his sons Jake and Josh have vowed to keep the FV Cornelia Marie fishing.

One thing that hasn’t changed since the beginning is the support we receive from fans of the FV Cornelia Marie.  We all thank you so much for your kindness.  I will continue to update you on our progress.

Posted on September 15, 2010 - by Morgan Howard

Cornelia Marie Crew at the Commercial Fishermens Festival

The entire crew of the Cornelia Marie will be at the upcoming Commercial Fishermen’s Festival in Astoria, Oregon.  You will have an opportunity to meet all of our crew members – Jake, Josh, Freddie, Steve, Ryan and our skipper, Derrick Ray.  They will sign autographs and sell a beautiful new t-shirt created  to memorialize Capt. Phil. I will also be there selling a few of our Cornelia Marie t-shirts – please stop by and say “Hi”.

Most everyone associated with the television show “Deadliest Catch” will be there, along with loggers from History Channel’s “AxMen,” Amy Roloff from TLC’s “Little People, Big World,” and chef/author Graham Kerr best known for his 1970’s hit TV show “The Galloping Gourmet.” According to the press release from Cyndi Mudge, Festival Director Ron Williams has brought together Captains and crew representing every boat from the “Deadliest” fleet. The Commercial Fishermen’s Festival takes place September 18 -19 at the Port of Astoria Tongue Point facility in Astoria, Oregon. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children. For more information visit www.CommercialFishermensFestival.com

“Captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand along with select members of their crew from the Time Bandit will be here along with Josh and Jake Harris,” noted Williams. In addition, from the F/V Wizard, Captain Monte Colburn, Gary Soper, Lynn Guitard, and Lenny Lekanoff are hoping to return to the Festival again this year. Bering Sea Brawn brings Mike Fourtner from the F/V Time Bandit, Crosby LaVeen from the F/V Wizard and Edgar Hansen from the F/V Northwestern. Others attending include Captains Derrick Ray (who recently skippered the F/V Cornelia Marie), Harry Lewis (F/V Incentive), Larry Hendricks (F/V Sea Star), and Rick Quashnick along with his wife Donna (F/V Maverick). “The Quashnicks will also have their boat, Maverick, at the Festival,” added Williams. ”This will be an action-packed weekend that “Deadliest Catch” fans won’t want to miss!”

Author Spike Walker whose book, Working on the Edge inspired the popular “Deadliest Catch” series, is also attending the festival to promote his new book – On the Edge of Survival – another thrilling true adventure tale in the Alaskan seas focusing on one of the most incredible Coast Guard rescue missions of all time.

“Deadliest Catch” Captains and Crew will be available for autographs during the Festival:
Saturday, Noon to 2 pm and 3 to 5 pm
Sunday, 11 am to 1 pm and 2 to 4 pm.

The highlights of the Festival are the brutal Captain Phil Harris Highliner competition and the tug-of-war between “AxMen” loggers and “Deadliest Catch” fishermen. “The tug-of-war was a huge hit last year,” added Williams. “The fishermen won, so I know the loggers are coming back wanting to take the prize this year.” Jay Browning is once again bringing a team of loggers for this year’s challenge.

Other noted personalities in attendance include Amy Roloff from TLC’s “Little People, Big World.” She is doing a cooking demonstration on Saturday at the Festival’s culinary stage. Chef Graham Kerr is making several appearances including a seminar at Liberty Theater on Friday, September 17 (cost is $10), shopping Astoria Sunday Market as part of the Scavenger’s Feast event for September, and a cooking demonstration at the Festival.

The Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is the biggest most informative fun-filled commercial fishing celebration in the region. Here fans will meet the Captains and crews from boats featured on “Deadliest Catch,” and cheer on the men that risk their lives to bring us seafood as they compete in the grueling Captain Phil Harris Highliner Competition for the title of Highliner of the Year. Witness a search and rescue helicopter demonstration by the US Coast Guard and see historic and modern fishing equipment worth millions of dollars. Festivities include demos, industry sales, food, music, crafts, culinary stage with celebrity chefs, and a beer garden sponsored by Astoria Brewing Company. There is also a kid’s area for a fun action-packed weekend the whole family will enjoy. The 2010 Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is September 18 & 19 at the Port of Astoria Tongue Point facility. Visit www.CommercialFishermensFestival.com

The mission of the Commercial Fishermen’s Festival is to offer fishermen and industry professionals an opportunity to bond and share information that will save lives, improve productivity, increase demand for seafood products, and promote job opportunities. The mission is also dedicated to educating the public about the fishing industry including the steps fishermen have taken to ensure a renewable resource for the future. The Festival will showcase American fisheries and the process of selecting, preparing and cooking seafood.

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.