Archive for the ‘Remembering Capt. Phil’ Category
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 February 21, 2010 - by Morgan Howard
Capt. Phil: A Celebration of Life
Discovery Channel hosted a memorial service for Capt. Phil’s family and friends today. It was an event most agreed Phil would have loved. F/V Cornelia Marie crew members flew in from the Bering Sea to join former crew members and other Bering Sea captains. Many of the “Deadliest Catch” boat captains were in attendance to pay their respects to their friend and fellow fisherman. The Alaska Crab fishing fleet is close knit and many fishermen know each other.
Everyone always said Phil enjoyed “playing with his toys”, so it was fitting to have a beautiful Harley Davidson in the corner. On the walls hung many images of Capt. Phil and the Cornelia Marie crew.
After some words from Josh, Jake and other close friends and family, Discovery showed a specially edited video highlighting the best of Capt. Phil. The video was very well done, narrated by Mike Rowe himself.
One of the most emotional speeches was from Todd Stanley, long time Cornelia Marie camera person. Todd spent “hundreds of hours” and “hundreds of days” side by side in the wheelhouse with Phil. During that time, Todd and Phil became very close friends. Crew members even described their relationship like “an old married couple”. When Phil had to leave because of a blood clot two years ago, Todd was there. When Phil had a stroke and was medivacked to Anchorage, Todd was again there by his side. Todd was assigned to cover the Skipper as his job, but came away with a good friend and years of great memories.
Thank you to Todd and all the other “Deadliest Catch” camera operators. It’s a difficult job with little recognition. Learn more about Todd here.
This was a private memorial for friends and family, but many of you have followed Capt. Phil and the Cornelia Marie since the beginning and are like extended family… so I wanted to share a little of this day with you. Thank you to everyone who has sent in beautiful letters, emails and comments.
A public memorial will most likely be held during the annual “CatchCon” hosted by Discovery.
Posted on January 20, 2010 - by Morgan Howard
Capt. Phil Quotes
Seas 2/Epi 13:
“We cheated death one more time. I feel like a one legged man in an ass Kicking contest!”
Seas 3/Epi 2:
“This ain’t a hamburger stand out here, y’know? This is the real deal and people really die.”
Seas 3/Epi 5:
“You’re not a man ’til you’ve pulled a tooth out with a pair of pliers.”
Seas 3/Epi 7:
“In drastic times you’ve gotta do drastic things.”
Seas 3/Epi 9:
“This is big-time weather and anything can happen.”
Seas 3/Epi 219:
“You go through a couple marriages, smoke cigarettes like it’s going out of style, your body aches from the time you get up to the time you go to bed, and you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about where you’re going to put the next pot. Yeah, it’s a great lifestyle.”
Seas 4/Epi ?:
“Big tough guy that ain’t so tough.”
Seas 4/Epi 1:
“Now you know why lions eat their young.”
Seas 4/Epi 7:
“Everybody wonders why I smoke like a g*@$*#n choo choo train.”
Seas 4/Epi 8:
“Now my advice to anyone that wants to do this… is stay in school. Learn to be something, cause this will kill ya. This isn’t for everybody, you gotta be a little bit twisted to do this job.”
Seas 4/Epi 10:
“Today is a spend some money, smoke some cigarettes, drink some caffeine day today.”
Seas 4/Epi 14:
“There’ve been some developments since last night that’ll just blow you away.”
Movietome.com
On the Sig’s promoting of Russian King crab
“This whole thing stinks to high heaven. We are madly trying to get consumers to buy American seafood.”
On his on camera performance
”We don’t do anything that we wouldn’t do if the cameras weren’t there. What you see is what you get.”
“That’s the deal with crabbing. Every day you’re going to encounter something where somebody almost gets smashed (or) thrown over the side. The stories you hear, you think, ‘Well, maybe they’re exaggerating.’ It isn’t an exaggeration. These guys are the toughest guys there are.”
“Nothing on these shows is scripted whatsoever. What you see is what you get no matter what.”
“This is big-time weather and anything can happen.”
On what he did with his $130,000
“You want the honest answer? I bought a car, I bought a house, and I bought a couple of hookers.”
On the demands as being a captain
“It’s like, if you make a mistake in your job right now — say you screw this interview up — what’s gonna happen? Your boss is gonna say, ‘Hey man, you really fucked this thing up, why don’t you do it again?’ I go make a mistake and somebody gets either hurt or killed. There is zero room for error. You have to really, really concentrate and know what you’re doing. You don’t have the luxury of screwing up.”
On crab fishing
“I keep doing this and doing this and my number’s going to come up. I’d just as soon quit in one piece.”
On what is shown on the series
“I have enough integrity, for all the people who taught me and people who know me. I wouldn’t do this show if they told me one thing to say or one thing to act.”
Right before he plays the prank on the Northwestern
“Retaliation, Cornelia Marie style.”
On the show
“It’s kind of neat that people want to know what we do and the conditions we do it in.”
On his son
“As a father I’m really proud of him and as a captain I’m proud of him. He’s really working his ass off.”
Q & A from Capt Phil Website:
Q: What would most people be surprised to know about you?
A: “That I have a quiet, soft side, I really do.”
Q: What was your dream as a child?
A: “To try and be successful no mater what. I always had this idea that I could very easily just become a bum and homeless. (Laughing.) That idea still keeps me motivated.”
Q: What is your dream now?
A: “To be the best I can be professionally and personally. To look in the mirror and know that things are okay.”
Q: If you could change anything about your life, would you?
A: “Probably not. (pause) I wouldn’t change anything, I don’t think… take the good and the bad.”
Q: What important lesson have you learned in your life?
A: “To always be a man of your word.”
Q: If you could change anything about your life, would you?
A: “Probably not. (pause) I wouldn’t change anything, I don’t think… take the good and the bad.”
One liners:
“This ice goes up to the place where Santa Clause lives.”
Talking about the day his son Jake was born
“I picked him up to see how cute he was and he pissed all over me!”
“Opies is my forte.”
“I figured I’d lose everything, my cookies”
“You’re that low below whale shit.”
“There’s fart bubbles, there’s crabs.”
“Was that plain enough?”
“I’d rather see you than Jesus right now.”
“When the weatherman issues a hurricane warning, there’s a pretty good chance you’re going to get your ass kicked.”
“That’s bad juju.”
“It’s like taking your kids out at 11 o’clock at night, giving them a couple of flashlights, and tell them to go play in the middle of the freeway … this is big time weather and anything can happen.”
“Don’t make this harder on me than it already is.”
“That is one full crab pot.”
“How do you tell your sons goodbye since you’ve just been given two weeks to live and they’re leaving to go fishing for several weeks.”
“Now my advice to anyone that wants to do this… is stay in school. Learn to be something, cause this will kill ya. This isn’t for everybody, you gotta be a little bit twisted to do this job.”
Posted on January 12, 2010 - by Morgan Howard
Conversation with Capt. Phil and Josh (5/22/07)
The following is a Discovery Channel transcript from a live internet chat with Capt. Phil and Josh on May 22, 2007
Discovery: Welcome to this week’s Deadliest Catch chat. Our guests tonight are Phil Harris, Captain of the Cornelia Maria, and his son Josh Harris. Jake Harris isn’t able to be with us tonight, as he’s out working on the boat. In Phil’s 30th year of crab fishing, he is joined by his sons on the Bering Sea and it’s a bumpy ride in more ways than one. Ask the Harris clan about life aboard the Cornelia Marie.
Phil Harris: I’m very happy to be here, and hopefully I can answer everyone’s question who wants to know what we’re up to.
Kaiaa: Hey guys, thanks for being here tonight! Phil, what has been your scariest moment at sea.. and what was your best prank besides the pipe on the NW’s pot?
Phil Harris: I’ve been scared on the water about 3 times in my career, and every one is a bit different but equally scary. We were at the Pribilofs and it was blowing in the area of 150-175 knots, maybe 100 foot seas. We came off a comber and there wasn’t any water on the other side and the boat just free fell about 100 feet. The boat weighs around 700 tons, so it just blasted all of us. It just ripped things off the walls inside the boat — the microwave and stereo went flying, dishes all over the place. We blew off one of our rudders too, and all the alarms were going off. We didn’t know if we’d punctured a hole in the boat or what. We were sideways at this point in 100 foot seas, We got it spun around and I knew I’d done something to the boat because it wouldn’t steer properly. It took a few minutes to get all the alarms shut off. Guys were checking the engines in the engine room to find out if there was structural damage. At that point we were going the same direction as the seas and the waves were so big that I was just terrified. A friend called to see how it looked and for 4 hours, I didn’t even turn around to look. I knew if I did, it would probably give me a heart attack. It was just too big. The pranks – they’re all good, it just depends on who you’re doing them to! The one we did with Sig was funny because he’s Norwegian and I was trying to think of something rare. We’ve put toilets in pots, we’ve dressed a mannequin in rain gear and put him in the pots. It just goes on and on – it’s just endless that we do back and forth. That was probably one of the funniest ones though.
MesoB: Phil, what lesson do you most hope that Jake and Josh learned this season?
Phil Harris: 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.
Rwalter: Phil, when are you going to quit smoking? Your cough sounds terrible. Come on boys you want your dad around for a while don’t you?
Phil Harris: You know, I’ve actually thought of quitting smoking recently. I have slowed down considerably. My divorce is over, and the girl I’ve been dating is really pushing me so I’m at least giving it some heavy duty thought and have cut it down quite a bit.
Sswanson: Hey Captain Phil, how did you break your back twice?
Phil Harris: I didn’t exactly break it twice – I broke it in two places at one time. I was in the wheelhouse and we were loading some big hose. The guys looked like they needed a hand, so we all picked up this hose and I heard a snap. I went back to the wheelhouse and sat down, and 10 minutes later I tried to get out of the chair and couldn’t. I could barely walk. The guys had to help me get into bed, and then I couldn’t get out of bed. Some guys thought they knew what it was – they thought it was a kink in my back, so they walked on my back to straighten it out. That didn’t do any good, so I flew to Seattle. A buddy who’s a surgeon gave me some good pain pills, and I wound up in the hospital and they did an MRI. The guy at the hospital started laughing and said, “You’re a crab fisherman?” I said I was, and he said “Man oh man, you guys are tough! Your back is broken in 2 places!” I was afraid I’d be paralyzed, and in fact 95% of people with that injury do end up paralyzed. I was just lucky.
DealJay: Josh, would you like to follow in your father’s footsteps and captain a crab boat?
Josh Harris: You know, the possibility is there. Each time that I go out, I learn a bit more. But I’m still undecided.
Concentrate: 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?
Phil Harris: 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!
Twp20: Do you guys feel like you’re missing out on college life etc.? Do you think you’ll ever go?
Josh Harris: 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 we want and have a great time. So I’m having a good time right now.
Kitten007: Hi Capt. Phil, Jake and Josh. I wanted to know what your favorite memory on board is?
Josh Harris: I’d have to say just hanging out with the family and continuing the family tradition. All the Harris clan together – it’s quite something.
Phil Harris: Wow. You know, I really don’t have a favorite one. To me, it’s all work. There’s some fun things that happen, but it’s not a situation where you can really relax and enjoy things. A good memory to me is when it’s calm out and you’re hauling pots and they’re full. Having my kids on board is a fond memory. But things are just way too intense to just sort of sit back and think about what’s fun.
Itcusn: Josh, is it really that hard to work for dear ole dad?
Josh Harris: (laughing) 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.
FishNRings: Josh, what do you think you learned most from your father about crab fishing?
Josh Harris: 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 this stuff – he’s been doing it for years.
Whitelion: Josh did you ever get the hang of the opilio season?
Josh Harris: Oh yes, I got it very well. It ended up working out pretty good. It was confusing at first, but the season lasted so long – longer than king crab – that I got the hang of it.
Flipper: Do you have a girlfriend and what does she think about your job?
Josh Harris: I had a fiancée, but unfortunately the job has kind of taken precedence right now, so that ended just recently.
JakeisMyMan: Hello Phil, Jake, and Josh! I absolutely love you all. You make every episode hilarious! Have you heard that your family dynamics are being compared to the Simpsons? What is your opinion of that comparison?
Josh Harris: Wow! (laughing) That’s definitely an interesting comparison, and I haven’t heard that yet. But I guess with all the humor running in the family, it’s definitely comparable.
Phil Harris: 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 humor or it would drive you absolutely batty.
Gcgrad05: How hard is it to work with both of your sons in such close quarters?
Phil Harris: It’s hard sometimes. As you’ve seen on tonight’s episode, 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. So between the two of them when they get going, I don’t know whether to shit or go blind, to be honest.
Rwalter: I know the TV show covers the season for king crabs and opies, but is there a tanner season or what other crabs do you fish for?
Phil Harris: The Cornelia Marie mainly fishes for king crab and opilio. In spring we tender herring, and that’s what the boat is doing right now. In summer, we catch salmon with the boat.
Tgilstrap: Do you guys watch the show? Is there anything that you are embarrassed of on the show?
Phil Harris: I don’t watch every episode. I’m kind of embarrassed about my language at different times. But this is real. They don’t script us on the show. Everything you see is really what’s going on. So I’m embarrassed about my language at times – I think it could be a lot better.
Josh Harris: Yeah, sometimes we have time to catch an episode or two. I’m not really embarrassed. But it’s funny to watch sometimes – it feels like a dream to be watching something that happened months ago.
Tgilstrap: Do you ever go fishing with a rod and reel for fun?
Josh Harris: I haven’t in a long time, but I enjoy it as long as it’s a big fish. It takes the fun out of it when you’re fishing for trout, I can tell you that much.
Phil Harris: I love sport fishing. I used to take the boys out as kids. I just love fishing all the way round.
Crabby Mom: Evening guys, thanks for being here. Josh, I’d like to know if the pressure is a little more intense being the skipper’s son.
Josh Harris: Yes. When you first step on the boat, you’re a marked man. Not only do you have to be good, but you have to be really good. You get harassed by the guys. If something goes wrong or if my dad says something to me, I’ll get harassed on deck because of it. But it’s all part of the learning process, I guess.
Mystic: Howdy Harris family. Capt. Harris, does having your boys on board affect your decision making in any way, i.e. are you more cautious when it comes to weather, for instance?
Phil Harris: No, having them on the boat doesn’t change my thinking process. I have my 2 boys, but the other guys on the boat have been with me for years and years. I kind of relinquish my power over the boys when we’re on the boat to make it fair so no one can say they’re the skipper’s kids. I leave it to Roger and Murray to leave them alone. I don’t play favoritism at all – it wouldn’t be fair to the guys or to the kids. I just have to go with whatever I’m dealt with and treat them the same. I dearly love everyone on that boat.
Kdewberry: Are you tougher on your kids than the crew members on your boat?
Phil Harris: 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.
Patty: Is it tough to train a greenhorn?
Phil Harris: Training a greenhorn is probably one of the toughest things on a boat. 99.9% of the guys can’t do it in the first place and they get scared. And seasick, of course – I think a lot of that is just being scared. They’re out there and away from mom and dad and family and friends, and nobody can help them. They’re alone out there in the real world of crab fishing and they have to make it or break it. A greenhorn will do a lot of squirrelly things because he’s scared.
Bassga831: Hi Phil, are you still building custom bird houses since your big TV success?
Phil Harris: They are bird feeders, and I haven’t had a chance in the last couple of years since my divorce because I don’t have space to do it. But it’s very relaxing for me to go in the garage with the dog, turn some music on, and create something from wood. I’m not a carpenter inclined type of guy, so I’m amazed at how they turn out.
Drerab: How many months are you out to sea per year?
Phil Harris: For the last few years, we’ve been spending a lot of time because of the way the seasons are structured. Right now, it’s probably 8 months out of the year.
Fulbright: Hi Captain Phil, why would shaving bring better luck?
Phil Harris: I have a thing — I’m superstitious. I’m not fanatical, but I never used to shave in the middle of the trip because I believe that shaving brings bad luck. We were in at dock when I shaved my beard and things were going so haywire that I figured what the heck, it couldn’t hurt.
Patty: We’re from New England and we were wondering if you have ever visited or fished here before?
Phil Harris: No, I’ve never been east of North Dakota. Tomorrow morning I’m flying to Charlotte, NC for the NASCAR race, so I get my first visit to the east coast and I’m really looking forward to it.
Jim: Capt. Phil, did you question your father as much as your sons seem to question you?
Phil Harris: 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.
Shmaw: Do any of you have a MySpace page or other site where you post updates?
Phil Harris: I have a personal MySpace page, and the Cornelia Marie has a website, www.corneliamarie.com. I think there’s one floating webpage for me – I don’t know, because I’ve never been to it. Joshua and Jacob have their own MySpace pages too.
Bonnie: Josh, I know your dad drives a pick up. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Josh Harris: All sorts. Import cars, and a Four Runner SUV. An interesting collection!
CaliGirl: Hey Josh, how old were you when you first started fishing?
Josh Harris: I was ten years old. Summertime, to earn money for my school clothes.
Kelz: How has your life changed since “Deadliest Catch”?
Josh Harris: I go to the supermarket now, or if go to have a beer at the bar, everyone’s, “Hey, I’ve seen you before.” It’s kind of funny — I’m just an ordinary guy, a crabber with a serious case of boat mouth!
Phil Harris: You know, we’re recognized a lot for what we’re doing, and it amazes me that people are interested. I’ve been doing it for so long, and I’ve tried to explain to people how close we are to living on the edge all the time, but people couldn’t understand unless they ‘d been there. And now, BANG — we’re a big deal and people are interested in it. I get to meet a lot of people that I normally couldn’t. A lot of doors have opened up to me through the show. I like meeting people. I like the fact that people come up to me on the street and want to introduce themselves. I think it’s important to talk to them and visit a bit, because if it wasn’t for the fan base, we wouldn’t have anything. They’re sweet people, and I try to treat them with respect. I guess that would be the funnest part of this.
Rhoberta: Phil, were you shocked by what the boys say about you when you are not around?
Phil Harris: 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.
Dee: What is the process of finding greenhorns and what is the number one reason you would hire one?
Phil Harris: 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 harbor 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.
Taz: The last two seasons the Cornelia Marie seems to have had a lot of mechanical problems. Is this typical what with the weather conditions, etc. or just bad luck?
Phil Harris: When you think about it, we actually haven’t had that many problems. There were engine problems on Season 2, and the second time it happened was because it wasn’t quite fixed properly the first time. The propeller problem we had: we’d taken the propellers off the boat and had a gentleman work on it intensely to make sure they were in top shape and properly tuned for the boat. That gentleman made a mistake, and did the whole procedure wrong. The propellers on that boat are very high tech, and he obviously wasn’t in tune with the kind of metal that they’re made of. So it wasn’t the boat’s problem; it was a problem with the guy putting in his two cents’ worth. Generally we don’t have problems like we did that second season.
Krystalseer: You are involved in a lot of rescues. Have you have ever lost a crew member of your own?
Phil Harris: Yes, I lost a guy about 20 years ago off my dad’s boat. I have been in a number of rescues. One year I picked up 22 guys, I think, out of the water. I’ve been in numerous situations where I’d have to grab hold of a boat to keep it from going on the rocks, or involved in a search and rescue, looking for survivors or bodies.
Bamagirl73: When you were approached about doing this show, did you really think America would be so hooked on watching you fish for crab?
Phil Harris: Absolutely not! I was surprised that anybody would care what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. To this day, every day that goes by, I’m just amazed that people are interested in what we do and how we do it.
BKelly: What tastes better in your opinion, opie or Alaskan king? Or are you so sick of crab by the end of the season that you don’t even bother?
Phil Harris: I don’t like crab, king or opies. I think it’s because I ran a catcher processor once and I had to eat crab every day. There are machines to control the salt and get the taste right, but we still had to taste it to make sure everything tasted OK. So now I’m so sick of crab. Give me a steak any day!
Chico2007: I know fishing is your life. Has there ever been a thought of doing anything else, like when you were younger maybe?
Phil Harris: One time about 25 years ago, I decided that I wasn’t going to fish any more, so I got a job in construction for about a month and a half. It was a real job where you get paid every Friday like a big person. After that month, a friend called me up one morning and asked me if I wanted to go sport fishing on the Sound. I jumped on the boat, and at that point decided that it’s too hard to have a normal job. The thought of having to be someplace every morning at 7am and doing the same thing over and over, I just didn’t think I could do it. I don’t think I could have a real job.
Joyce: Capt. Phil, how many years did you work as a deck hand before becoming a captain? How many years a captain?
Phil Harris: I started in 1976, and I was on deck for about 5 years. The opportunity came on my 25th birthday to run a 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 4—5 years, I got more wheelhouse time and less deck time until I became strictly a captain and that’s been 21 years now.
1mddcfan: Josh, what do u guys do in your spare time?
Josh Harris: I meet people. I just go out and have a good time. You fuckin’ gotta live life to the fullest, so that’s what I do.
Drinkr23: Who’s the toughest of the 3 of you? LOL
Josh Harris: Describe “toughest”! I don’t know — we’ve all got our parts. Jake is tough and you can’t break his spirit. Dad will take a bite out of a shot glass to show you how tough he is. Then there’s me — I’m sort of in the middle. I get a bit wild and crazy, and we keep the Harris thing going, that’s for sure.
Flygoddess: How long can the crab stay in the holding tanks, before you have to offload?
Josh Harris: They can be in the holding tanks for up to 3 weeks, although we try not to make it more than 2 weeks. We have to deliver live crab. Dead crab does not equal money.
Julie8193: Do you guys ever blast music over the deck while you are working, to break up the monotony?
Josh Harris: Insanely loud! It’s beyond insane. The music is so loud you can’t even hear yourself think and your ears could start bleeding at any time. But it keeps us awake. We listen to everything from Paula Cole to anything but county and opera. I tell you, a 60 gig iPod can barely hold enough music for the season. It’s madness, I tell you!
Firedawg: Phil, I’m in the USAF and fly the GPS Satellites. It’s really cool to see how you use the positioning from them to not only navigate but I’m sure that’s what you use to determine where your pots are. Just wanted to tell you that after being deployed to the desert a few times I still think what you do is a heck of a lot dangerous. Hats off to you guys.
Phil Harris: For starters, my hat is off to you and my thoughts and prayers are with you guys in Iraq. The guys that are the real heroes are the guys that are over there defending our freedom. I really mean that. We use the GPS like people use food. That’s our main everything. We have GPS for the radar, GPS for all four computers that are in front of me, and we have a tracking system that goes straight to the government so they can follow every move we make. If there was one piece of equipment we lost, the most devastating would be to lose the GPS. We’d be out of business.
Tblaise: How do you set up the pots to catch different species of fish or crab?
Phil Harris: Interesting question. The pots generally are the same: 6 1/2 feet by 7 1/2 feet, and 33 inches deep. There’s a tunnel ring in each side where the crab can come in, and hopefully not come out. We can change the size of the tunnel ring. For king crab, the tunnel rings are wide open. When we fish opies, we block part of that opening so no king crab can get in. The opening is 2 or 2 1/2 inches high so an opilio crab can scamper in there, but a king crab couldn’t.
MesoB: Phil, what lesson do you most hope that Jake and Josh learned this season?
Phil Harris: 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.
Discovery: Thank you for being here tonight to answer all our questions about life aboard the Cornelia Marie! Do you have anything to add, before we have to close tonight’s chat?
Phil Harris: I’d like to thank everyone for their participation, and for watching the show and being interested in what we’re doing. It’s probably the most flattering thing that will ever happen to me in my life — to have people come up and shake my hand and tell me they’re interested in what I’m doing. That’s as flattering as anything could be, and thank you very much everybody.
Discovery: And, don’t miss the next episode of Deadliest Catch, Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
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Copyright 2007. All rights reserved.
