Being a crab fisherman is no walk in the park and Discovery’s Deadliest Catch captures just what life is like for the people who spend their days trawling the Bering Sea to make a living. While the reward of a big catch equals a lot of money, the risk involved in being a crab fisherman is extremely high.

Deadliest Catch star Sig Hansen had his fishing skills passed down from his father, and during the Discovery show, he passes on his knowledge to his daughter, Mandy. The two run all operations aboard The Northwestern. So, what happened to the Northwestern on Deadliest Catch? Let’s find out more…

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The Hansen family is famous throughout Alaska

A well-known fishing family in Alaska, The Hansens, have fishing in their blood. The family originally moved over from Norway to Seattle, Washington and Sverre Hansen passed down his fishing knowledge to his sons Edgar, Norman and Sigurd.

The family’s fishing boat, The Northwestern, was constructed in 1977 at Marco Shipyards in Seattle.

Edgar Hansen said: “I don’t think my old man knew what he was leaving behind. To him, it was just a job, but to us, this is our world. It’s a legacy to be proud of.“

The Northwestern has been on Deadliest Catch the longest

Of all the vessels featured on Deadliest Catch, the F/V Northwestern has appeared on the show the longest, since season 1.

While the Discovery show has had some tragedies in its time, including Todd Kochutin’s tragic passing on the Patricia Lee, there’s never been a death on the F/V Northwestern which is quite the achievement considering the danger involved in the Alaskan crab fishing industry.

The boat has been used to fish red king, tanner and opilio crab as well as pot cod.

What happened to the Northwestern on Deadliest Catch?

The Northwestern was purchased by Sig, Norman and Edgar’s father after his fishing boat sunk. Since being built in 1977, the Northwestern has gone on to appear on Deadliest Catch since 2005 and the boat is still being used to this day.

As per Distractify, The F/V Northwestern has been modified twice since it was built.

A crew of seven runs the Northwestern including Mandy and Sig Hansen.

The fishing vessel’s length is now 125 ft (38 m). The Northwestern was lengthened from 108 ft (33 m) to 118 ft (36 m) in 1987 and again to 125 ft (38 m) in 1991.

Many fans of the Deadliest Catch have a love for the Northwestern and the family even has an online shop where fans can purchase all kinds of Northwestern themed items including T-Shirts, mugs, water bottles, flip flops, pyjamas and more.

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