I remember watching Deadliest Catch and seeing Sig Hanson getting a call from another captain to tell him that the Destination had sank. Sig was good friends with Jeff, the captain of the Destination, and the news completely destroyed him. It was heartbreaking.

As is always the case, there is more to the story. The NTSB report discusses the lack of a current stability analysis and ballast considerations as well as the icing. The vessel was modified in the 90's and again in the early 2000's adding 3,500 pounds of steel which equal 5 pots. The added bait (beyond the normal bait load) taken on in Dutch equaled another 20 pots. There was also the fact the the actual pots on board weighed 840 pounds, 140 pounds more than the weight used in the stability report which would equal another 28,000 pounds or the equivalent of another 40 pots. So out of the gate, the boat was carrying 65 pots more than the initial stability report authorized when the skipper thought he was carrying 24 less. A effective net increase of 89 pots more than the crew thought they had. That alone was enough to cause problems in a rough seaway, let alone heavy icing conditions. Then if the icing caused the freeing ports to become blocked water would stay on deck and start to flood the stern tank adding to the free surface effect. Lastly, if the freeboard was compromised, down-flooding into the house would have been the final nail in her coffin. Bottom line is the the boat was loaded past her stability limits. If she had been able to make the transit to St. Paul in good weather and fair seas she would have most likely survived. The added pot load and ice was just too much for her already over burdened hull. NTSB REPORT: www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB1814.pdf Many will want to place blame somewhere - in the final analysis it rests with me as the master of the vessel. It is my decision whether the boat leaves the dock. It is my decision to put her in harms way with the elements. It is my decision as to how she is loaded. One of the most common phrases we in the maritime community hear is 'the prudent mariner'. The prudent mariner will according to the international maritime bureau, walk on water without getting his feet wet. All is great in theory but in the real world with schedules to meet, fish to be caught, bills to pay and families to feed, sometimes that prudence can wear thin. Not condoning anything. Not blaming anyone. I was not there and I do not know all.

I am a retired Soldier. I worked with the USCG on a couple occassions.. USCG are very professional members of the armed forces. Very unrated. These men and women are awesome professionals. God bless them

I remember watching the episode when Sig got the news about the crab fishing vessel Destination. It was truly sad to see him he looked like he totally wanted to loose it on camera. But he kept it in but you could tell that he was hurting bad. It was a truly sad moment that I'll never forget. I've watched this show on TV since the beginning and it was like someone close to was lost forever. So I'll end this with a God Bless all of the men and women that do that job for a living.I pray that all of you make it home safely every time.

I couldn't stop crying when I saw Captain Sig crying. Men are allowed to cry, it's better than bottling them up. Bless you.

“The destinations last known..” the worst thing you could hear about a vessel your friend is on.

Just watching the ROV footage, when they find the hull, and your heart just drops out. And it only gets worse when the camera pans over the name, and you know that yeah, it's the Destination.

I used to crab and my least favorite part by far was having to knock ice off the boat... sometimes it was never ending. You'd start at the bow and by the time you reached the stern the bow was already icing up and you'd have to start all over... that was hell. Forgetting to tie the fridge door shut and having to clean up an entire fridge worth of food & drink after the vessel rolled hard was also pretty crappy. I only let that happen once!

RIP, Crew of the Destination. Sending hugs to their family and friends may they find peace

I used to watch this show with my parents before they passed away. We all were fascinated with how these guys work in such dangerous conditions.

Imagine being in bed, and then suddenly you're in freezing water gasping and trying to get out. Absolutely nightmarish 😮 I remember watching this as it happened. Poor captain Stig Haanson was so distraught that he had to go home and take some time off. Horrible time. Rip to the crew of the Destination. 🚢

Sorry for the loss of the crew an Captain of the Fishing Vessel Destiny.... Rest In Paradise beautiful souls!!

Incredible shot of the crab pots with ice completely through them. As an Aussie it's hard to imagine how cold it gets up there.

I grew up on a fishing boats I've lost many friends that never came home. The ocean can be peaceful and beautiful. Then minutes later the sea turns into a roaring monster. Any person that goes to sea for a living are some of the bravest souls on earth.

Rip my Brothers you are always in my Heart we know the Risk every time we head out to sea but it doesn't make this any easier we lost 6 amazing guys 7yrs ago and it feels like yesterday for me they were friends of mine

RIP Jeff and the Destination crew. 🙏🏻♥️

Crabbing the Bearing sea used to be the most dangerous job ever. Now it's right behind being a security guard at Walgreens in San Francisco.

A very tragic story. Her home port deserves a memorial in honor of these brave fishermen.

My dad sandblasted the destination when he worked at vic ship

Over the years of watching this show you think you've seen it all & you hear the stories of tragedies of years past.. But never was their a ship gone in a instant where no radio mayday or any type of call for help was sent. This was truly a here one minute and gone the next. No warnings or anything. I remember watching Sig Hansen get emotional knowing this ship went down and he lost a good friend. The show really earns its name Deadliest Catch for a reason. Everytime they go out to sea 🌊 there is no guarantee that they will be coming home safely to their families and that's a scary realization for families & friends & fans to deal with... What they do is no joke. This is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet year after year season after season.

How very sad for the families to lose their loved ones. My heart goes out to all those involved with this loss. May your loved ones rest in peace. And those left behind find new hope and peace as well. God and your loved ones are still with you.

I couldn't even imagine. Even if they were all awake and alert there's nothing you can do. RIP to all crew

So very sad happy they were able to find the vessel though. It's almost been 31 years and they are yet to fine the andrea gail a swordfish vessel that sank back in 1991. Happy the families have a bit of closure knowing what happened.

May God Bless everyone and the families involved in this terrible tragedy.

Also for the fact that no sos was made by the destination also shows it went down so fast!

I remember this being showcased on an early season of deadliest catch.

I couldn’t imagine what these fellas gone through. The crew sleeping too?! Damn… I’m sure as they were tossed off their beds wondering WTF and then realizing they’ve capsized, their goodbyes to one another had to have been the saddest part. Rest easy Cap’n and crew

I have sailed the Bering Sea in weather like that when I was in the USN. Imagine standing watch in that weather? Normally the lookouts stood watch in 4 hour shifts. Even in the best foul weather gear we had wasn’t enough for that long. They would cycle guys through on 1 hour off/on. The guy coming in after an hour looked like a frosted statue. So stiff he couldn’t bend his arms.

Hard to understand how a Captain with that experience simply ignores the ice buildup? I think there was more at play then simply ice accumulation?

Still get a tear rip to the crew 😢😢😢

Rest in peace guys brave young fishermen putting their lives on the line to take care of family

So sad I know that boat and the owner Buddy Bernstein. Larry was the captain. And that boat was not from Seattle it was a Sand Point Alaska boat.

The story on the Scandies Rose was the same , ice build up , heavy seas , high wind . While the boat was listing 20-25 degrees to starboard with the 50 knot winds blowing from the starboard side , decievingly the wind was keeping the Scandies from listing even more , the wind was giving the captain a crutch . The captain decided to seek shelter and turned toward the island , when the boat came around the wind was blowing from the port , instantly rolling the boat over. Had the captain realized the 50 knot winds was the variable that was keeping his boat from rolling.....well who knows. If he didn't turn before letting his entire crew get into the survival suits and on deck ..... Well who knows.

This is all speculation. Crabbing vehicles are top heavy now bc the commercial industry pushes crabbers to haul more for more profit, making the most dangerous job in the world more dangerous.

I thought they were 3x's overloaded with Crab? And they were heading to the processor? So it was the weight of the Ice from Sea spray and the weight of all their gear/pots that overloaded the boat? That's got to be awful to sink before you even dropped a pot...

Just watched the perfect storm that's crazy R.I.P TO ALL OF THEM

My step father from Maine was a fisherman and he would come home exhausted. The work is brutal oftentimes and when people buy seafood…they really don’t understand what others go through to bring it to them. For my stepdad, it was in his blood and he knew no other way of life, but he paid a heavy price for it.

I heard about this sorrowful tragedy the fishing vessel Destination went down with all hands including her captain and his son the sea is unmerciful which is why this is one of the most dangerous death dealing jobs in the world

As I read the comments, I was taken aback by the “experts” who judge and have made their conclusions of where to lay blame - gather facts so others in the industry can learn from it, but otherwise, let the men rest in peace without judgement.

You cld feel the pain Sig had getting that call....😔... Absolutely broken 💔🙏

Icing is a natural process where the spray of the waves freezes in the cold air of the strong winds. This Bering sea in the north is only to visit in the 3 summer months of the year all the other months are too risky. A good captain should know that, February is after January the coldest month of the year.

my heart gies to the crew and all rhe crea family i uave beennip there and i know what its like my condolences my love and my prayers go to the families my heart is heavy

At least they didn't suffer long in the freezing water.

Any time you lose someone. That’s just trying support their family. It hits home hard. I also work on boat. But on the inland waterways Ohio, Mississippi River. And I know it’s nothing like Bering Sea. But we also have tragedies over the years. Crew lost and boats went down. I feel for their families. And any maritime member lost their lives. Rip to the Crew and others before.

This is high production value but you're lacking content. It took 8 minutes a doctor and a scientist to tell us they sank because of ice.

Sad story. All it took was heaps of ice and a rogue wave at a certain angle.....RIP.

It must have been so frightening for them. It has always been my biggest fear, to be on a sinking ship in the middle of nowhere. Mother Nature can’t be tamed or predicted, she does what she has always done and will continue to do so until the end of time. RIP Destination with captain and crew 🙏🏻

Always have a crew awake to knock off excessive ice buildup. Or install heat tape around the boat, not sure why they don't?

150 tons of ice is insane, it was dangerously overweight and they had no time to react.

300,000 lbs of ice accumulation in a matter of a few hours. wow. that's absolutely mind-blowing.

With the wife of one of the men, she stated that Captain Jeff would let the men sleep. He had the experience to know of the dangers of icing. First thing I thought, he should have had his men topside de-icing. At the point it becomes a losing battle, dump the pots, regain stability. Bottom line, it was the captain's negligence. A mistake any captain could have made. My deepest thoughts with the family and friends of six very brave men.

I've thought for many years they should have anti freezing abilities built into the crab boats to help keep the freezing spray down. They really need to invent something.

Modern crab boats don't use an old wooden wheel to maneuver. They use hydraulics. Give me a break. I was a crabber in the late 1970's to mid 1980's. They have wooden wheels, but only for emergencies

I was going to say so what they all overload. The Korean student ferry overloaded every day but the Cap let a rook perform a 15 degree turn when the max was 5. Caps get tired and blink all the time. Like a trucker falling asleep at the wheel.

This actually is replaying on TV right now & it reminded me of when it happened but then I never heard anything else as for what the cause was.

Rest in peace all lost at sea!This is so incredibly sad😢

Very sad . Rest in peace to the crew

I think we have to get to the bottom line. Greed. That boat was overloaded to begin with. That falls on that captain. Period.

Ultimately the captains have a responsibility to safeguard their crew. Which means having the knowledge & ability to operate in a safe manner. In the last 2 sinkings it was not the weather that killed these men, but owner& or captains not knowing or not following procedures for maintaining stability.

Deadliest Catch, most hardcore, tough crazy jobs in the world done by warriors. But after seeing them when a loss happens you know they are all heart and thats why we love them. RIP

You would think they would know about the icing ? I still think there was more to this…

Thanks for posting what happened with the icing.

Bless those on small ships in great Seas !

That was its final destination RIP guys 🙏

So sad, especially since there's a chance this could've been prevented. 💔😥 I'm thinking, freezing spray in the forecast? No sleep til the ice is chipped off.

There’s been ice proof paint coatings for years

God bless those dudes!

I’ve always wondered why they can’t fish through the spring and summer vs the winter

What a heart breaking nightmare.

I remember that day, My wife's, godmother's son was on that boat

That wife knows whats shes talking about. If it was a bit overloaded then iced up it likely just got hit my too big of a wave and tipped it, once it wasnt level it would have been a challenge to get out

If it's feasible, maybe covering the crab pots so they don't ice inside would help. Also, since these computer icing models exist, there should be a realtime program to calculate a boat's ice conditions and a warning when ice needs to be removed ,and how to change course to avoid peak ice buildup. RIP!

I guess the moral of the story is to start ditching crab pots when too much ice is accumulating. The captian has to make that call obviously.

I haven't watched this show in years.... geesh R.I.P to the crew I feel on water or air thats something you can't control and a sad way to loose your life

I heard them say the ship was too deep to dive to. Would they have been able to do any kind of recovery for bodies trapped inside?

I’m amazed how small these boats are

They never stood a chance . Those poor men trapped below deck that had to drown with out a chance to even fight

I was in the storm as a nmfs fishing observer that night of the storm. I remember my captain telling me it sank.

what makes things worse, is that the coast guard cant fly in conditions like this.

The engines use sea water for cooling. Wonder why no one has installed a bypass, routing a hose to the deck to use for melting the ice.

Why aren’t the crab pots tarped until ready to be launched ?

In emergency, the pots should have a quick release mechanism to save the ship from iceing

1 of the reasons why Sig kicked his daughter off his boat since it was her, her husband on board and they had a baby. She let ice accumulate during a storm for an hr before she ran down and woke him, He had to hurry up and toss his pots overboard.

With the name of the show, this disaster seems like the footage they would inevitably film and profit from. It’s really sad.

Very sad, very tough job!!

Same exact thing happened to the Scandies Rose

I wonder if they were heading the island to seek shelter so they could find a place to knock off some ice.

A boat with a full stack of pots full of fuel full of bait and full of ice in a storm is a death sentence for a boat and its crew whats shown here i dont think happened the captain had fished for 30 years before so he had seen it all i think the crew was asleep and worn out and the captain didnt want to bother them and he thought he could make it to his fishing spot and take care of it all then somethings missing here bit we will never know what was key to her demise maybe a deck hand was on wheel watch and its normaly a greenhorn and didnt know to look for ice build up

damn so close to shore, RIP to those lost souls

Brave men just trying to make a living. God please rest their souls.

I was a Trawlerman for years the sea is beautiful but she is a cruel. Mistress

This is interesting I first herd of this from Deadliest Catch captain Sig Hansen got a call that his buddy Jeff’s boat The Destination sunk

I have to ask why such an experienced captain would allow his boat to be so weighed down by ice.

If you go overboard in the Bering Sea in the winter even with survival suits you only got about an hour to live and that's if you're a very very strong man and have been in that cold water many times

Was tapping ever tried in freezing conditions to prevent icing?

As an Engineer, how about running the cooling water from the engines to a spray unit to melt the ice in those situations??

I have great respect for men of the sea. Abba Bless.

why didnt he drop all his gear ? He was not a beginner... maybe they were all asleep, even the person at the wheel ?

I hope there is an episode on the boat scandies rose

Due to no survival suits, and life raft deployment it must have happened extremely quick nature can be very cruel rest in peace