‘Deadliest Catch’ Captain Josh Harris Takes Full Command Of The Cornelia Marie

For the past 12 seasons, viewers have watched the veteran captains and their crews of Deadliest Catch as they risked it all. Fishing for crab in the Bering Sea means battling one of the worst working environments in the world. Besides the grueling work involved, the captains and their men also brave the freezing temperatures, high seas, sleet, ice, and snow. These are just a few of the difficulties the fishing vessels face with every fishing trip they take.

Recently, there has been a change to the fleet, with several new captains stepping up and taking command of their own boats. For Josh Harris, it was especially important for him to get the Cornelia Marie back under Harris control. Once commanded by his late father, Captain Phil Harris, Josh was finally able to claim what he saw as his birthright, and got the boat up and running again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSwZWz3dk3U

Josh Harris has remarked that he thinks of his father every day and that Phil’s sayings always replay in his mind. Gone but definitely not forgotten, he and his crew often find themselves repeating things the Harris patriarch used to say. Now, with the help and guidance of Captain Casey McManus, Josh Harris was able to honor his father by getting the Cornelia Marie fishing again, but there were problems.

The boat needed a complete overhaul, and Josh Harris was forced to make a very difficult decision. Harris had to sell a majority of his beloved Cornelia Marie to new investors, who now hold controlling interest, in order to sink $1 million into the aging fishing vessel. If he isn’t able to turn a profit, the investors have the ability to fire both Harris and co-captain McManus, but it was something that had to be done.

You know what B.O.A.T. stands for right? #TheBait pic.twitter.com/b5PAbAWuPJ

— Deadliest Catch (@DeadliestCatch) March 30, 2016

According to Star Pulse, after years of getting by with only patch work done, the Cornelia Marie now has new electronics in the wheelhouse, a large crane, an upgraded engine room, and a shiny new galley. Josh Harris has stated that he is happy with the changes and that obviously the boat looks better, inside and out. Equipment failure was stressful, and mechanical failures are very dangerous out on the Bering Sea, so that is one thing Harris doesn’t have to worry quite so much about. Now Josh and his co-captain can focus on bringing in the crab and keeping their jobs.

Josh Harris will be put to the test in the next episode of Deadliest Catch. After a satisfying king crab season, Harris finds himself struggling to find the elusive bairdi crab. To make matters worse, in the middle of pulling up one empty pot after another, a nasty bout of the flu takes Casey McManus out. Josh Harris now finds himself at the wheel alone, the welfare of the boat and his crew strictly under his control. He has to find a way to step up and find the crab, or risk losing everything.

Oh boy… no amount of crab farts can fix this one. https://t.co/5YsI56EOOS #DeadliestCatch

— Deadliest Catch (@DeadliestCatch) April 8, 2016

As Josh Harris struggles to hold on to the Cornelia Marie, does he and the other young captains have what it takes to be successful and to perhaps someday become a Bering Sea legend? This season will be a good test in regard to navigating the boat in bad weather, which Harris has mentioned can be the toughest part of his job. Spotting bags at night, driving fast and keeping his temper in check are also other areas he needs to work on. TV Series Finale shared that Sig Hansen has expressed doubt as to whether the younger generation can do the job.

“When I look around at the new guys, there is a lot of opportunity but not a lot of promise… I don’t see as much fear as I would have hoped to see. They don’t seem fearful because in their mind, there is nothing to fear. At sea, you find out what a guy is made out of. Not everyone makes the cut.”

Do you think Josh Harris can handle running the Cornelia Marie by himself? Leave your thoughts, comments and opinions below. Deadliest Catch airs on Tuesday’s at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery.

[Image via Deadliest Catch/Facebook]