The Wizard

Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm Patch

DEADLIEST CATCH FISHING VESSEL: Wizard

Deadliest Catch Seasons: 3 and 4

Type of Crab: King, Opilio, and Tanner

Years at Sea:

History of the F/V Wizard

Built by the US Navy The Wizard is a 155’x30’ vessel commissioned to be built by the US Navy in 1945 in Brooklyn, NY by the Ira S. Bushey shipyard. Her original name is an International Marine Organization (IMO) number, YO-210. She is one of the few remaining YO-153 class vessels.
Purchased by John Jorgensen
After the war, she was laid up in mothballs in Boston harbor. Some of the Oiler fleet was used as target practice, or for building artificial reefs off the eastern seaboard in the last few decades. YO-210 was eventually purchased and made one trip unsuccessfully as the Clifford K hauling molasses before being purchased by John Jorgensen in 1978 to be converted to a fishing vessel to fish crab in the Bering Sea. Renamed the Wizard after his grandfather’s Longliner, which was one of the premier cod and halibut boats in the Seattle fleet of the early and mid 20th Century. John’s father and grandfather were Norwegian immigrants in the pioneer days of the Alaskan commercial fishing industry, and John started working for them at a very young age.

Left: John as a boy was onboard his fathers vessel the F/V Majestic
Right: The Wizard was named after John's grandfather's Longliner
Outfitted as a crabber Bender Shipyard in Louisiana converted the Wizard to a crabber in 1978, from where John and his family sailed her through the Panama Canal and on to Seattle where Marco Shipyard finished the conversion. She originally had 8 tanks for carrying oil cargo and a capacity of 240,000 gallons. During the conversion, two of the tanks were eliminated to increase the size of the engine room to hold added generators and a salt-water circulation system. Four of the original tanks are used for live holding tanks for crab, and the two forward tanks are used for dry storage and refrigerated seawater unit. The house and living quarters were increased, and a substantial amount of hydraulics for the two cranes and crab pot hauling equipment were added.she can hold 420000 lbs of crab

Left: John Jorgensen clowning around in the crab hold
Right: John Jorgensen and family sailing the Wizard through the Panama Canal Note the absence of the crab pot launcher on the starboard rail .
Fishing in the King Crab Heyday The F/V Wizard (Fishing Vessel is a Coast Guard registered vessel) began fishing crab in 1979 during what is now known as the “King Crab Heyday” of the late 1970’s. She targeted primarily Bairdi crab (tanner) and the fledgling opilio (snow) throughout the 1980’s. In the late 1980’s, when king crab had recovered and opilio quotas surged to phenomenal levels, the Wizard routinely was one of the top 10 crab producers in the Bering Sea in a fleet that at times would be as large as 270 vessels. Under John Jorgensen’s tutelage while still active as a captain, Keith and Monte Colburn learned the ropes of many of the aspects of becoming proficient crab captains.

The Wizard loaded with crab pots, circa 1978 Working the stack Mike Rodgers "Bear" Keiths first deck boss onboard .
Wizard ranks in top 5 for King Crab allocations In 2005, when NOAA under the Dept of Commerce enacted the Crab Rationalization program, vessels of the Bering Sea were awarded IFQs (individual fishing quotas). The Wizard’s King and Opilio crab allocations were among the highest in the Bering Sea for an individual boat, ranking in the top 5 for Kings, and top 10 for Opilio, in a fleet in excess of 250 vessels.

The Wizard riding low with a big catch in the Bering Sea., anchored in Village Cove St. Paul Island Note the oily seas, probably 28* water temp
Vessel is sold to long-time Wizard Captain, Keith Colburn John Jorgensen and his partner Steve Soriano sold the vessel to Keith Colburn and his wife Florence in July of 2005. They maintain a close relationship with Keith harvesting John and Steve’s IFQ allocation, as well as that of a number of other IFQ crab holders, all by lease agreements. The Wizard is now working with another boat in the Alaska Crab Producers Cooperative.

The Wizard gets a new paint job under new ownership by the Colburns

Partner Vessels:

F/V Wizard

Deadliest Catch Fleet Profiles | The Wizard

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DEADLIEST CATCH CREW

Captain: Keith Colburn

Crew Members: Crosby LeVeen*, Nick Maurer, Lenny Lekanoff*, MonteColburn*, Gary Soper*, Art Peterson,
Jason Moilanen*, Lynn Guitard*, Travis Lofland*. Cooper Weatherby*
(* )Denotes S4 crew

Name	Position	Experience	Season 3	Season 4
Crosby LeVeen	Deckhand		X	X
Nick Maurer	Deckhand		X
Lenny Lekanoff	Engineer		X	X
Cooper Weatherby	Deckhand	Greenhorn		X
Monte Colburn	Deckhand, Relief Capt.		X	X
Gary Soper	First Mate		X	X
Art Peterson	Deckhand		X
Jason Moilanen	Deckhand	Greenhorn		X
Lynn Guitard	Deckhand	Greenhorn		X
Travis Lofland	Deckhand			X

Adjectives that describe this crew:
dedicated, hardworking, friendly

Name: Keith Colburn Position: Captain Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Keith considers himself to be an overly-prepared and meticulous captain who is more cerebral in his decision-making than most other skippers. Keith is a first-generation fisherman who grew up in Lake Tahoe, California, and who worked in restaurants from the time he was 14 until his early 20s. He decided to try fishing in 1985, at which time he went to Alaska with $50, a backpack and a tent. Now married with two children, Keith describes the fishing as being the greatest and worst lifestyle in the world.	Name: Crosby LeVeen Position: Deckhand Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Crosby, originally from Maine, graduated with a Natural Resources/Aquatics degree from the University of Vermont. Despite his parents’ wishes that he pursue a career in law or medicine, Crosby returned to fishing. Crosby always wanted to visit Alaska and realized that taking a job on a boat might be his only way to afford the trip. His lawyer uncle put Crosby in touch with some fishermen clients of his, and Crosby made his first fishing trip to Alaska when he was 20. His mother specifically forbade Crosby from crab fishing after she saw an earlier season of Deadliest Catch, so he had to lie to his parents about the type of working he’d be doing in Alaska. When Crosby is not fishing, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and camping. Learn More About Crosby	Name: Nick Maurer Position: Deckhand Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Capt. Keith Colburn calls Nick Maurar a “glorified greenhorn.” Nick first worked on a crab boat when he was 19. Nick suffered two broken legs from a car accident at the end of 2005. After spending a good part of the following year in physical therapy, Nick’s doctor wrote him a note saying that he was ready to get back on a boat. Nick is a native of San Diego, Calif, where he currently works on sport fishing boat.
Name: Lenny Lekanoff Position: Engineer Seasons on DC: Mini bio: A former deckhand on the Silent Lady, Lenny joined the Wizard in Season 3. Lenny's family has lived on Unalaska Island for generations. You're sure to run into a Lekanoff if you ever happen to visit.	Name: Monte Colburn Position: Deckhand; Relief Capt. Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Monte has been fishing since 1987. He is the brother of Captain Keith Colburn, and is expected to take the helm of the Wizard once his brother gets the operation fully running. Monte has been captain on several vessles including the F/V Sea Fisher, F/V Norseman and F/V Sirene.	Name: Gary Soper Position: First Mate Seasons on DC: Mini bio: A resident of Anchorage, Gary Soper has been with the Wizard, crab fishing for over 20 years. Soper fishes salmon in Bristol Bay in the summers. In the words of his young co-worker Nick Malar, “Gary gives everybody s*, but he’s a bad* on the deck. A real brute.”

Name: Art Peterson Position: Deckhand Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Art Peterson, formerly of the Silent Lady, has been fishing for over 10 years. Art is a former collegiate wrestler for Oregon State University. Art had made plans to work on a different crab boat in Season 3 until he got a call from his buddy Lenny Lankinoff, who had been hired by the Wizard. Art and Lenny had been fishing together on the Silent Lady for 7 years. Art spends at least 10 months out of each year on a boat, but still finds time to date when docked in a harbor town. All the money he makes from crabbing goes back into his own independent fishing ventures.	Name: Jason Moilanen Position: Greenhorn Seasons on DC: Mini bio: This season on the Wizard is Jason's or "Moi's" first. When not fishing, he's based out of Washington state. Moi has horses and enjoyes hunting, hiking and fishing when he is away from the boat.	Name: Lynn Guitard Position: Greenhorn Seasons on DC: Mini bio: Lynn hails from Washington state and has previously worked on the F/V Seahawk. This is Lynn's first season on the Wizard. Lynn is a huge Red Sox fan!
Name Travis Lofland Position Deckhand Seasons on DC: Mini bio:This is not the first time Travis has fished on the Wizard, but it is his first season with Deadliest Catch. When Travis isn't fishing, he's based out of the big island of Hawaii.	Name: Cooper Weatherby Position: Deckhand Seasons on DC: Season 4 Mini bio: Cooper Weatherby, the Wizard's latest greenhorn, starts his fishing career on Deadliest Catch. After a successful first season, he's definitely headed back to the Bering Sea next year. He admits it's "kind of addicting." When he's not at sea, he fights fires in Lake Tahoe during the summer and builds custom log homes. He also enjoys rock climbing, mountaineering and hiking. Cooper plans to return to school for a degree in Architecture at the University of Oregon. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, he currently lives in Lake Tahoe, Calif.

See also: Deadliest Catch Captains | Deadliest Catch Crew

ON TV

Captain and Crew Catchy Quotes

Memorable Moments on Board

"You've just basically admitted you're a quitter and you're not man enough to step up to the plate and do the task." -- Monte Colburn, Opilio Season:

"It only takes one bad wave to ruin your day." -- Keith

"He didn't even last 24 hours...you can do anything for 24 hours!" --Crosby

"Don't let the crew drive the boat."-Keith
the spray is freezing the ice is charging but the wizards rockin
als i see is a i dont give a d%$n crew working on a i dont give d%&n boat
no i dont want to ask anybody anything what i want out of you is a little quperation

Greenhorn "Guy" confronts Monte in the Wheelhouse

Monte throws Crosby a 1/2 percent of his earnings for his hard work

Keith and Monte switching hats at the beginning of Opie Season

Art's end of season Disco dance

Rogue Wave to start S4!

Moi pierces his fingernail and drains the infection from it.

Lenny suffers a smashed finger that requires the Wizard to return him to shore for treatment.

S4 Wizard pranks the North American by sending them a port-a -potty!

OTHER FLEETS ON DEADLIEST CATCH

jmaltby98	Latest page update: made by jmaltby98 , Jan 19 2010, 6:03 PM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by jmaltby98 2 words deleted view changes - complete history)
	Keyword tags: The Wizard More Info: links to this page

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wfields1966

Keith Doing Capt John Hillstrand right

May 14 2010, 11:52 AM EDT by nyokia

Thread started: May 4 2010, 10:44 PM EDT Watch

For Capt Keith to get back on capt John John Hillstrand;s good side he need to tell him and the entire crew of the Time Bandit that he is sorry and the crap will never happen again, This might work, You guys out there really need each other, I work in the trucking industry and only wish we had good feelings for one another.

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AprilCHolloway

The Wizettes!

May 7 2008, 4:06 PM EDT by Lhiiiz

Thread started: May 5 2008, 1:23 AM EDT Watch

The Mighty Wizettes have really helped make our learning come to life in the Deadliest Catch Classroom. Without your assistance and interest, we may never have had the opportunity to share all of the great things that the kids have learned. Thank you, thank you for everything!!

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AprilCHolloway

Captain Keith

May 5 2008, 1:10 AM EDT by AprilCHolloway

Thread started: May 5 2008, 1:10 AM EDT Watch

Captain Keith has been wonderful to my students and I here at the Deadliest Catch Classroom. He emailed us with information about his boat, plus a ton of real data that we could use to do math calculations for tanks, mileage, bait, and more. I can't thank you enough for taking moments of your time to help out with our classroom learning. I wish you and your crew all the best in the future.

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DEADLIEST CATCH PHOTOS
Happy Halloween! From Crabwizard	Riding the waves Thanks for the pic Crosby
Lights of Ice! Thanks again to Crosby	Lots of crab! Thanks Disco
Early Morning Thanks to Lynn	F/V WIZARD Thanks to Heidi

Keith Doing Capt John Hillstrand right	The Wizard	Lynn Guitard (Wizard)
The Wizettes!	Captain Keith

The Wizard

History of the F/V Wizard

OTHER FLEETS ON DEADLIEST CATCH

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