Transcript continued on pages:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
Rodrigo: I read that your boat is a WWII ship. How did you convert it into a crab boat?
Keith Colburn: This is a great question. The Wizard is originally a WWII ship, a yard oiler. You can find out all about the history of the Wizard on my website, www.crabwizard.com.
Ftenelson: Captain, what's the most dangerous situation that has ever happened to you on a crab boat?
Keith Colburn: There's a lot. The worst wave I ever saw was probably only a 30 footer, maybe 35 feet. But at the time, it sprung up in front of the boat and curled right over the top of the sodium lights on the bow, which are 25 to 35 feet off deck. It took 20 crab pots stacked forward and much of the deck's equipment and threw it all onto the back deck. The water on board after the wave had passed was at least 6 to 7 feet deep. When I looked down, the entire boat, except for the bow, was under water. I immediately threw throttles into full ahead and prayed. And the Wizard , being the tough old gal that she is, slowly dispersed the water and went right back up with decks clear.
Maryfargo: Besides the Bering Sea, where are some of the other places you've fished?
Keith Colburn: That's it. I've fished in Alaska waters and only in Alaskan waters commercially.
Toddlisle: Do you have another occupation during off-season?
Keith Colburn: No, being the captain and owner of the boat the Wizard is a full-time, year-round job. Although the boats only work 7 months a year, the remaining 5 months are dedicated to shipyard work and administrative work. I'm also very active in the politics surrounding the Bering Sea crab fisheries.
Shoop04: What is the best prank you have seen on the sea?
Keith Colburn: There's a lot of good ones. The best prank I've played recently is convincing a greenhorn that we needed to adjust the radar, and dressing him up entirely in aluminum foil and having him jump up and down from the forward part of the crab pots back. This was actually done on another television show that the Wizard participated in for a British film crew.
Skarz: How long has your crew been working with you?
Keith Colburn: My brother Monte and I have worked together off and on for twenty years. Soper, my mate, has been with me twenty years. The remainder of my crew has been with me just in the last one to two years.
