Whoa!

Greetings Fishies!

I finally got a response from Blake's family and permission to post this from the family website:

Season Two - King crab filmed October 2006, aired April 2006

I don't necessarily blame Discovery Channel for the editing that was done on this series. That finger I point at Original Productions. Why they chose to present the story line they did is beyond me, perhaps they felt they needed a human piñata in order to help with the ratings. As you will see, they knew the truth. Maybe they need to preface the show with something like "dramatized for effect".

First let me ask you one question. How did you react when you had the biggest disappointment in your life handed to you?

Contrary to public opinion thanks to some very creative editing, Blake did not leave. He was upset, he swallowed it and he went on back to work. Despite being denied what he had been promised, he remained on the Maverick and completed the season. Justin threatened to leave the boat if Blake was made captain. What many do not know is that would have left the boat short handed with no way to replace the crewman. Blake could have done that, I think that there are some who would have. He could have got off in St Paul and left the Maverick high and dry, but what would that have accomplished? Instead he acted like a man and he stayed and finished the season.

Justin was the only one on board that did not want Blake in the captains seat. Blake has been running boats since he was 18, he is now 27. As far as we know, no one has ever refused to go to sea with him.

Now about that Opilio season and the real reason Blake was not there.

Blake's father was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer in 2005. He endured a 6 hour surgery and a very long and difficult recovery. Blake was running the Maverick for herring tendering at that time, but he flew down to run the Evening Star for black cod and halibut for us.

It was during the king crab season that Jeff had to have a second surgery. That left him totally unable to run our dungeness crab operation and Blake committed to handling it for us. Dungie season traditionally begins Dec. 1, and runs for several months. The states did not allow it to open as the crab had not filled out their shells from the earlier molt. In fact, the season did not open until mid-January, six weeks late.

The opilio season was in full swing at that time and with the new ratz rules, the Maverick had to catch and deliver by a certain date. The intention was to have Blake up to Alaska by that time, but due to the delay in the dungeness season, that was not possible and Rick fished the boat.

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My God, just how callous are these pukes?

They said they will have an update to their site soon and you can find that at:

F/V Evening Star

Stay tuned

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