Sig Hansen
Sig Hansen aboard the F/V Northwestern
Born April 28, 1966 (1966-04-28) (age 43) United States Occupation Captain

Sigurd Lille Hansen (born April 28, 1966) is the Seattle, Washington-based Captain of the fishing vessel Northwestern. Hansen has been prominently featured in all seasons of the documentary television series Deadliest Catch, where he also serves as technical advisor for the production.

Biography

Early life

Hansen, one of many Seattle citizens of Norwegian ancestry, is the first generation of his family born in the United States. His father and grandfather pioneered opilio crab fishing in Alaska as a way of giving crab boats a chance to earn money year-round rather than in short mostly late-year seasons. Sig began fishing at age 14, working on his family’s boat. After he graduated from high school, he began fishing year-round, spending on average 10 months per year in Alaska and the Bering Sea. Occasionally he would also fish mackerel and cod in Norway during the summer. In his early years he would cut school so that he could go fishing.[1]

Career

Hansen started as a deckhand on his father’s boat before his teenage years, working his way up the ranks and proving himself as a capable deckhand and steady presence at sea at an age when most young men his age were making their way through junior high and high school. At 22, he began relieving captains on the Northwestern as well as doing short-haul captain’s stints on other boats in the fleet. By 24, Hansen began running the Northwestern full time. Over the years, the Northwestern has been a top producer with an excellent safety record; the Northwestern has never had a single death at sea in the nearly 20 years Hansen has been at its helm, and its serious injury rate is significantly lower than other boats in the Bering Sea fleet as well. The Northwestern won the final derby seasons for King crab (2005) and opilio crab (2006), taking home the titles for both the highest poundage caught and the highest dollars earned between the featured boats in the Deadliest Catch. Hansen continues to be a force on the Bering Sea today.

Currently, Hansen serves as the full-time captain during King and opilio crab seasons as well as the Pot cod fishery on the Northwestern. His youngest brother, Edgar, works as the Engineer and Deck boss. Norman, the middle brother, returned to the boat as a deckhand.

Personal life

Hansen is married and has two daughters. The family lives in Seattle, near the rest of the Hansen extended family.

Hansen, like his brothers, speaks fluent Norwegian. He learned Norwegian long before he learned English because his Norwegian parents spoke the language at home. He follows the “Norwegian Fisherman’s Diet” while at sea: Coffee, Chocolate and Cigarettes. He is also a major supporter of the Seahawks and the Mariners, two pro sport franchises based in Seattle.

Hansen’s wife June and his two daughters Nina and Mandy.

Credit