View full sizeDiscovery ChannelDerrick Ray, skipper of the Cornelia Marie on season 7 of "Deadliest Catch"
Tuesday night's "
" on the Discovery Channel was a drama-filled hour as the crew of the Cornelia Marie quit on Capt. Derrick Ray, a Seaside native.
Ray accused Jake Harris, who, with his brother Josh, owns a portion of the boat, of using drugs onboard. Ray went hunting for evidence and found some possible drug paraphernalia but no proof it belonged to Jake. Still, it was enough for Ray to radio police onshore and have an officer waiting when the boat arrived for an offload.
At one point, Jake, who has been to rehab in the past, agreed to take a blood test for drug use when the boat got back to shore, but when the Cornelia Marie arrived, Jake appeared to sneak away to a nearby airport. A police officer caught up to him but found no drugs on him.
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Aside from maybe a scene or two in a future episode -- and an "After the Catch" reunion special -- the episode marked the end of Ray's time on "Deadliest Catch." A new captain will take over the Cornelia Marie -- with Jake and Josh among the crew -- for the episodes that follow Opilio crab season.
For his part, Ray has stayed busy running a tour boat in Alaska. In December, he went on a 20-day rafting expedition down the Colorado River with a veteran "Deadliest Catch" camera operator who filmed on the Cornelia Marie this season.
At the time of this interview, Ray had not seen Tuesday night's episode.
In the May 24 episode you accuse Jake of using drugs on the boat, but it did not appear you found evidence that conclusively linked to him. Would you do anything differently if you had it to do over?
I know what was going on. This was not my first rodeo. I've had crewmen smoking marijuana before. It used to be accepted behavior. He was smoking dope in Dutch Harbor when we were shooting scenes prior to his father's funeral. There was a scene at night shot through the wheelhouse window and I was looking at charts and he was stoned to bejesus. I sat and had dinner with him and watched him drool on himself. He was filmed smoking dope on the boat.
Since viewers did not see that and did not see anything on the show that conclusively linked Jake to what you did find, some may wonder why you called the police.
The reason I made that phone call was to try to get him to snap out of it. (Jake and Josh) only own 25 percent of the boat, Cornelia (Marie Devlin) owns 75 percent. The Coast Guard has a zero-tolerance policy. Having drugs on the boat is against the law. I have a captain's license. I could lose my captain's license. There's footage of it and I knew he was smoking dope, and I was trying to get him to stop.
If the Coast Guard came on the boat and found (drugs), they could seize the boat and Cornelia loses her 75 percent. I sat 'em down and talked till I was blue in the face about that and they just didn't care. When you're a drug addict like Jake is, he didn't care and Josh was covering his (brother) for a TV contract.
Do you think your conflict with the Harris boys is just a matter of personality conflicts?
No. They didn't want to be there. They're not fishermen, neither one of them. ... They want to make TV. Josh is not a fisherman and never will be. I think he grew up with Velcro on his shoes, because he couldn't tie a fishing knot if you held a gun to his head.
I can only assume this was your worst crab fishing season, since you came back with little to show for your efforts.
It was the worst fishing season I've ever had in my life. And it was because we quit. It wouldn't have been if we'd finished. They quit. I didn't quit.
How did Cornelia Marie Devlin, the boat's majority owner, react to what went down?
The last time I talked to her was about a week ago and she's coming up to go on our tour June 1, and she's completely done with Discovery.
Why?
Because of what happened.
So will the Cornelia Marie not be on "Deadliest Catch" if the show is renewed for another season?
I'm 99 percent sure it will never be on "Deadliest Catch" again.
Even though Jake and Josh own a portion of the boat?
What they own is mostly debt. They don't have any equity. And the boat is in terrible shape.
Have you seen Jake and Josh since they left the boat? Any mending of fences?
No, none whatsoever. I'm gonna see them. They're gonna fly me to Hawaii on June 6 to film "After the Catch," which shocked me. They told me it's an opportunity for me to tell my side of the story. My take on it is they want some of the truth to come out but they don't want to deliver the message.
Who is "they"?
"Deadliest Catch"
When:
9 p.m. Tuesdays
Channel:
Discovery Channel
Website:
Discovery.
Why don't they want to deliver the truth?
Because of the fans, all the people that loved Phil. That way people can make their own decision.
Will you go out commercial fishing again?
I'll go back on the right boat with a good crew someday, maybe, but the problem is my body is kind of getting tired. That 18-year-old kid who left Seaside had no idea of the adventure he was in for and it's been a ... good life.
Would you go out on a fishing boat again if it's to be filmed for "Deadliest Catch"?
No, it's not worth it.
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FAQs
What happened to the captain of the Cornelia Marie? ›
Phillip Charles Harris (December 19, 1956 – February 9, 2010) was an American captain and part owner of the crab fishing vessel F/V Cornelia Marie, which is featured on Discovery Channel's documentary reality TV series Deadliest Catch. He suffered a stroke while offloading C.
Did another captain died on Deadliest Catch? ›Perhaps most famously, Captain Phil Harris suffered from a stroke in 2010 while aboard the Cornelia Marie. Shortly after, he died of a pulmonary embolism (via The New York Times). A few months later, deckhand Justin Tennison died in his sleep.
Why does Cornelia Marie have 2 captains? ›Following Captain Phil's unexpected death, the next few seasons saw the Cornelia Marie being captained by a variety of seasoned fishermen until Phil's son, Josh Harris, took over as captain during Season 10 — a duty he shares to this day with Co-Captain Casey McManus.
Do crew members get paid on Deadliest Catch? ›Kenny explained that it varies year-to-year, particularly because they get paid depending on what they catch, not by a salary. “For crab seasons, deckhands can typically make anywhere from $15,000 to $50,000 for a couple months of work,” Kenny said.
Who got hurt on the Cornelia Marie? ›29, Cornelia Marie engineer Steve Ward found Phil Harris on the floor of his room, unable to move. Harris called for son Josh, who in turn, got Todd Stanley to stay with him while Josh called 911. “The whole left side of his face was in paralysis, and that was hard,” Josh says.
How did Josh get the Cornelia Marie back? ›His sons, Josh and Jake, took over after his passing, and attempted to earn enough money to buy the Cornelia Marie, but did not immediately succeed. Eventually, Josh and co-captain Casey purchased the boat, and continue to carry on Phil's legacy today.
Has a cameraman died on Deadliest Catch? ›Todd Kochutin, who was featured on the Discovery reality series, died in February 2021 at the age of 30. Kochutin's obituary confirmed he sustained injuries while fishing aboard the F/V Patricia Lee, but new video footage shared by Discovery UK shows the intensity of the ship as the crew learned of his passing.
What ship sank on Deadliest Catch? ›It was F/V Big Valley's captain, Gary Edwards, who demonstrated the EPIRB for the show. The boat was also part of the pilot episode of Deadliest Catch in 2004. There were no known cameras or production crew onboard the boat when it sank in 2005.
Why did Deadliest Catch Get Cancelled? ›It premiered on April 19. In a statement last week, Alaska Fish and Game and National Marine Fisheries Service said the cancellation was due to the snow crab stock being “below the ADF&G regulatory threshold for opening a fishery.” The season typically opens Oct.
Is Josh part owner of the Cornelia Marie? ›Currently owned by Casey McManus, Kari Toivola, Roger Thomas and Josh Harris.
How much do captains and crew get paid on Deadliest Catch? ›
According to available job and employment statistics, captains on the Deadliest Catch make more than $200,000 dollars a year as a crab boat captain. But that figure does not include TV appearance fees, endorsements, and promotions which come off the back of appearing on a successful Nat Geo TV series.
Does the crew eat crab on Deadliest Catch? ›3. Does the crew ever treat themselves to crab legs for supper (or any other kind of fish they catch)? Yes, we sometimes (rarely) eat fresh-caught crab on board.
How much does a greenhorn make on Deadliest Catch? ›Greenhorns in the Deadliest Catch can make up to $7,000 per trip if a good catch is made. Greenhorns on Deadliest Catch will only get paid half of what a deckhand does and will be expected to pay in advance for their gear, food, and fishing licenses.
Do crab pots sit on the ocean floor? ›Answer and Explanation: Yes, crab pots sit on the ocean floor where they are more easily attainable to crustaceans. They are baited with different types of fish and squid to attract the crabs to the traps, which may be lowered 400 feet beneath the surface to settle on the ocean floor.
How much does a deckhand make on the Cornelia Marie? ›Therefore, people are well-paid for risking their lives. Like the captains, the crew members on the boats featured in the show work on their vessels for three months out of the year. On average, the deckhands make approximately $15 per hour, which is like a drop in a bathtub of water compared to their captains.
Why did Josh bring the Cornelia Marie to Hawaii? ›After discovering fishing charts on the Cornelia Marie, co-captains Josh Harris and Casey McManus go to Hawaii to find out what Josh's late father, Phil Harris, was trying to accomplish in the 1980s.
Who got married on the Cornelia Marie? ›Congratulations to Jake and Jenna Anderson! They were married Saturday in picture perfect NW weather. Looks like a lot of the guys were on hand to witness the event... and Capt.
Who owns the Time Bandit now? ›The F/V Time Bandit is a commercial crab fishing vessel co‑ by brothers Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand. It is featured on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. The Time Bandit is a 113-foot house aft boat owned by the Hillstrand brothers that was designed by the Hillstrands' father.
How much does Josh Harris make from Deadliest Catch? ›His experience in the fishing industry might be what sets him apart from the other captains. He has a net worth of $4 million, and this makes him the richest catcher on the show. His average annual salary is between $500,000 and $1,000,000.
Does Elliot Neese still own the saga? ›In 2015, the captain went AWOL after abruptly handing over the reins of his fishing vessel Saga to first mate Jeff Folk.
How scripted is Deadliest Catch? ›
"Everything that you see in the show happened,” he said. “Nothing is made up and nothing needs to be made up. The Wizard was struck by a big wave, and that wave caused the leak you see in the show. The show is 100% authentic."
Do Deadliest Catch captains get paid? ›Some 'Deadliest Catch' captains claim to have made millions from the gig. While one season can equate to hundreds of thousands for some captains, others have claimed that their hauls bring in millions. Jake Anderson, a captain of one of the boats on the show, claims that he's made as much as $2 million in days.
What happened to Francis on Deadliest Catch? ›An extremely daring rescue took place on Deadliest Catch, Tuesday, after a rogue wave caused deckhand Francis Katangan to be crushed by 2,000 pounds of steel crab pots. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew attempted to evacuate him but a vicious storm with winds over 30 knots made extraction almost impossible.
Did the Maverick sank on Deadliest Catch? ›MAVERICK sunk, while VIKING STORM suffered a dented bow and some scrapes in the collision. None of the VIKING STORM crew were injured, and that crew managed to pull three of the four MAVERICK crewmen from the water.
Did they ever find the crew of the destination? ›While sonar imaging found the Destination lying on its side on the ocean floor, the bodies of Captain Jeff Hathaway, Kai Hamik, Charles Glen Jones, Larry O'Grady, Darrik Seibold and Raymond Vincler have not been found.
Did Wild Bill overturn the Summer Bay? ›Keith searches relentlessly for the Wizard's lost pots, braving jagged ice. A beloved crewman sacrifices his life, and Wild Bill overturns the Summer Bay.
Does Josh Harris still captain the Cornelia Marie? ›Following Captain Phil's unexpected death, a variety of captains helmed the Cornelia Marie. Finally, in Season 10, Phil's grandson Josh Harris took over as captain. This is a duty he still shares with Co-Captain Casey McManus. Of course, the Cornelia Marie continues to play a major role in Deadliest Catch.
What is Jake Harris doing now? ›Unable to cope with his dad's death, Jake had struggled with drug addiction. After facing problems with the law, the 35-year-old is now reportedly working at the boats with his brother Captain Josh Harris. According to his brother, he is now well and "working through this stuff".