I’ve been watching the Deadliest Catch. It’s been widely reported that crab boat captain Phil Harris died a few months ago. He stroked out. Fortunately for the crew it was at the docks while they were off loading.
A day earlier they were in the Bering sea, covered in ice, and battling 15 foot waves. That’s not a good time to lose the captain of your ship. You really don’t want a deckhand taking over in those conditions. The boat has to navigate back to the dock somehow.
I’ve wondered how closely the Coast Guard regulates small boat captains. I’m pretty sure a commercial captains license is required? Are there requirements for experience and some sort of tests? What about a doctors physical?
Phil had a blood clot pass through his lungs (at sea) two seasons ago. He missed almost a year’s crabbing. I’ve wondered if the coast guard required extensive physicals for a person with that serious a health history? It’s disturbing to think a person in poor health is captain of a fairly large boat.
I’m also shocked that these crab boat captains go thirty or more hours without sleep. Hell, truck drivers can’t drive that long without rest. It’s too dangerous. Why are commercial captains allowed?
Is the Coast Guard regulating commercial fishing captains at all?
All the crabbers in the Bering Sea have a first mate who relieves the captain when he is sleeping. Following Captain Phil Harris’ stroke, the Cornelia Marie continue fishing for opelio crab, with relief captain Derek Ray in the wheelhouse.
I realize a reality show hypes the drama. But it doesn’t seem like the captains of these boats are regulated very closely. It’s scary seeing these guys chain smoking and staying awake for extended times.
In contrast, a truck driver is required to keep a driving log that tracks his time behind the wheel. He must take the required rest breaks. Those logs can be audited at any time. Truckers with health problems have to be re-certified to drive. My uncle had a heart attack and spent a long, long time getting his commercial license back. He literally was stocking shelves at a grocery store just to pay his bills.
Just a little nit pick. The Harris’ said he had a blood clot in his lung, and that he had a stroke. His symptoms said something different. The lung incident sounded more like he blew a bleb.*
His demise was preceeded by severe back pain and palor. That is more indicative of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, that could indeed, lead to a stroke before the final event.
Remember, medical information is private, so he or his family can say anything they like.
*A damaged alveolus blew out allowing blood to enter the lung.
Liciences for deckies are regulated by tonnage. Being a snipe I am not sure what the lowest tonnage that requires a licience. But I think most fishing boats are small enough that they do not require a licenced captian or mate. Most of the boats have experienced deck hands that could take over for the captian.
I’m not sure which license the crab boat guys fall under. Their boats are a lot bigger than a typical Florida fishing boat.
The tonnage of the boat and where it is operated determines the type of captains license.
This article briefly describes the various licenses.
Truckers are more closely regulated because a momentary lapse of concentration can easily lead to a crash. Out at sea, things happen more slowly. Especially in the Bering Sea, you can probably go days without seeing another vessel, let alone worry about hitting it. Further, all ships over 300 tons are now required to carry [AIS](Truckers are more closely regulated because a momentary lapse of concentration can easily lead to a crash. Out at sea, things happen more slowly. Especially in the Bering Sea, you can probably go days without seeing another vessel, let alone worry about hitting it. Further, all ships over 300 tons are now required to carry AIS transponders/receivers, which are easily set to provide advance warnings of potential collisions.) transponders/receivers, which are easily set to provide advance warnings of potential collisions.
Highways present oncoming vehicles a few yards/meters away with the combined speed of impact likely to be in the 100-150 mph range. Moving trucks can’t be left unattended for more than a few seconds (and sometimes not even that) without grave risk of collision. Even if there were another driver in the truck, he couldn’t realistically assume control while the truck is in motion. Boats, on the other hand, hardly ever face oncoming traffic, can often sit uncontrolled for extended periods of time, and can easily have control assumed by another pilot in seconds. It’s an apples to oranges comparison – the situations aren’t even remotely similar.
On the show, most/all crew members have been shown taking a wheel watch, where they drive the boat while the captain & crew sleep. From what I remember though, it’s always the captain driving while they’re actually pulling up or dropping pots.
any one can take the wheel that a captian asigns. When they are pulling pots each man will have an assigned job. The captian’s as the man in charge will be at the helm.
Just a nitpick but your link has some errors. The biggest is that the Captian manages all the personel on a ship. He only manages the deck crew not the engineering crrew.
In the Navy they all belong to the Captian. Fishing vessel probably does not require a licienced engineer so they would all belong to the captian.
But the article was about responsiblities of a wide open captian. On a ship requiring an unlimited captian’s ticket is going to have an engineering department.