Fans of Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch Season 19 know Johnathan Hillstrand well. The fisherman has been part of the series for years, and he once was the captain of the F/V Time Bandit. However, the series no longer features the Time Bandit. So, where is the fishing vessel in 2023? Here’s what to know about the crab fishing boat and what Hillstrand has mentioned about it in the past.
Where is the F/V Time Bandit from ‘Deadliest Catch’ in 2023?
Fans keeping up with Deadliest Catch Season 19 continue to see some of their favorite fishing vessels out at sea. But several boats that were once featured are no longer in the show. Johnathan Hillstrand’s boat, the F/V Time Bandit, no longer makes appearances in the Discovery Channel reality series despite having regular appearances from seasons 2 through 13 and then again in seasons 17, 18, and 19.
So, what happened to the Time Bandit? According to Hillstrand, the boat became too difficult to maintain. The costs associated with keeping the Time Bandit running, especially after the engine exploded, became too much for the captain, thus leading him to retire the boat.
Hillstrand announced issues with the boat back in 2018. “This is the first time in 38 years I’m going to miss a Bering Sea King crab season, besides the closer in the mid-80s!!” he posted to Twitter in October 2018. “Our main engine blew up, so no season!!!!!”
Nearly two weeks after this tweet, Hillstrand thanked fans on Twitter once more. He also announced that the Time Bandit was back in business. “Thank you everyone for all your encouraging posts!!” he tweeted. “God Bless you all! My wife and I have been busy moving to pierce county. The Time Bandit is all put back together and running Great :) Eddie Sr, Eddie Jr, and Axel are bringing it back to Homer. I’ll keep you posted.”
The Time Bandit was later put up for sale for nearly $3 million. It was still listed on Dock Street Brokers as of December 2020, but it likely sold since then. As of June 2023, it seems the Time Bandit was reportedly positioned in the North East Atlantic Ocean and sailed under the flag of Norway.
Johnathan Hillstrand rejoined ‘Deadliest Catch’ after initially calling it quits
The F/V Time Bandit captain was ready to call it quits on Deadliest Catch after season 13. Johnathan Hillstrand left the series briefly before returning. Andy Hillstrand and Sig Hansen also left, though Hansen later returned as well.
“We have been through a lot over the past year and unfortunately, given the current situation with Discovery, we are unable to continue participating in Deadliest Catch,” the three crab fishermen wrote, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “It has been a fantastic ride, and we wish the best to all of the amazing and supportive Catch fans we have met over the years.”
As for why Hillstrand returned, he noted he wanted to retain his “captain’s share,” which is a fishing quota. And considering he’d be out at sea, Hillstrand figured he’d get back to filming with the series.
“Captain’s shares, they’ll take ‘em from you if you don’t use them every couple of years, so I had to come back out,” he told Stuff.
Deadliest Catch producers hoped Hillstrand’s return would mean he’d be willing to work with Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski, but Hillstrand noted he didn’t want to work with Wild Bill. “No, you couldn’t give me enough money to go out with Wild Bill so I went out with Jake Anderson,” he noted.
Deadliest Catch Season 19 Episode 9 centers on Hillstrand and Keith Colburn teaming up as a storm approaches. “With a storm threatening his record-breaking run, Johnathan allies with Keith to triangulate the crab,” the synopsis reads.
Deadliest Catch Season 19 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel.
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