‘Deadliest Catch’s Boldest Gamble Yet Isn’t the Crab — It’s Who Captain Sig Hansen Gave Captain’s Chair

Deadliest Catch Season 21 is already off to a fresh start as the fleet of crabbers is heading west to find the treasures within Adak Island, Alaska. The untouched terrain is proving to be worth the journey, even though the risks are higher than ever. Since this is a new frontier, another element comes with Captain Sig Hansen giving his daughter, Captain Mandy Hansen, the chance to take solo control of Fishing Vessel Northwestern for the very first time. As her father said to TV Insider, “She is a chip off the old block.”

With Sig initially heading out with Captain Johnathan Hillstrand on Fishing Vessel Time Bandit to scout, it meant that someone needed to stay at Dutch Harbor and begin the season on Northwestern. There was no better option than Mandy, who has risen in the ranks over the years. “The fact my daughter got to participate, and she was on the Northwestern for the first time on her own, was a real treat for me. Part of me really enjoys all this, and part of me is like, ‘Jesus Christ, I’m setting myself up for death.’ It scares me. It really does. She did great,” Sig teased. After the season premiere, he should be beyond proud. Like father, like daughter.

Mandy Played with the Big Boys on ‘Deadliest Catch’

It’s always a joy when your child follows their passion and dream. And it’s even better when that dream happens to be the family business. As Deadliest Catch fans know, Mandy has had her hand in the wheelhouse, with some issues along the way, but she’s had the best teacher possible. Now, Sig has entrusted her with his prize ship to lead the crew. A crew that happens to include her husband, Clark Pederson.

The season began with a prospect mission with the ultimate Deadliest Catch team-up fans could never have imagined. Sig told the outlet, “It was a blessing that I thought was going to be a curse being with the Hillstrand guys aboard the Time Bandit in the beginning.” It was successful on all fronts as it allowed both Time Bandit and Northwestern to be a step ahead, while giving Mandy the hands-on experience of leading without the guiding eyes of her father.

“She has run the boat with me and been inside the decision-making with me. She is on her own here and made her own decisions. That is what impressed me,” he shared. Now, some may question if Sig should be proud of some of the ambitiously bold decisions she made, including mocking Captain Keith Colburn and moving his ship from the dock so she could fuel hers. But when Sig and Johnathan did their own mocking of Captain Keith, it truly was the ‘like father, like daughter’ moment. Kids learn from what they see. Mandy going toe-to-toe with Captain Keith was important as he attempted to throw the “daddy” card at her, but her ability to hold down the fort on her own proved that she is not one to mess with. She is one of the boys.

Mandy Successfully Made It to Adak in ‘Deadliest Catch’

As viewers witnessed, the pre-Adak journey for Northwestern was partially to start fishing where they knew there was catch. But from there, Mandy had to navigate west to meet her father. “It was like another trip back in time. It reminded me of my own situation,” he revealed. “I can remember trying to ask my father, ‘What do I do? Where do I go? How am I going to fix this problem?’ He is yelling at me, ‘You have to make your own decisions, and that was it.’ I felt like it was a taste of reality I got,” he said. Not only was this a teaching moment for Mandy, but it was a learning experience for Sig. He is very proud of his daughter and how she handled her first major solo venture.

“At the end of the day, she made the right decisions. She had to be her own boss. If you’re not going to be your own boss, then get the hell out of the chair and let someone else do it. It’s just that simple. People don’t understand that until you’ve been there,” he shared. Even though there is high praise being given, she will be giving up the chair to her father to continue their journey. But now, should Sig be ready to retire, he knows he will be leaving the ship in capable hands.