The F/V Wizard makes its grand entrance on the icy Bering Sea in Deadliest Catch. Under the steady command of Captain Keith Colburn, this historic vessel has earned its place among the elite in Alaskan crab fishing. Built in 1945 as a US Navy yard oiler, the Wizard had a colorful past before it was transformed into a crab-catching marvel by John Jorgensen in 1978. After a brief stint as a molasses hauler and a few years docked in Boston, the Wizard was reborn as a crab fishing vessel.
Colburn took the wheel in 2005, and since then, the Wizard has become a driving force in the Bering Sea’s crab fisheries. Now a proud member of the Alaska Crab Producers Cooperative, the Wizard and its crew are at the heart of the action. Every ship’s success hinges on its crew. Get to know the crew members who keep the Wizard afloat and sailing against all odds.
Deadliest Catch (2005)
PG
Reality
- Release Date
- March 15, 2005
- Cast
- Mike Rowe
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 19
Keith Colburn
Captain
Keith Colburn’s journey to captain is not without huge gambles and risks. In the winter of 1985, Colburn was a Lake Tahoe bum yearning for a drastic change in his life. At just 22, Colburn made the trip up north to Kodiak, Alaska with no clue what lay ahead. Lured by the promise of adventure and fat paychecks, Keith immediately finds himself in the middle of the Bering Seas as a greenhorn on the Alaska Trader, a 135-foot crabber/tender. What started as a quest for excitement turned into a full-blown career.
Three years later, Keith had swapped his rookie status for a full-shared deckhand role on the Wizard, soaking up wisdom from the legendary John Jorgensen. Now a seasoned captain, Keith still takes his high-risk, high-reward mentality with him, the very same attitude he adopted when he was only in his twenties. But as Keith matured into a captain, he’s not just flying by the seat of his pants. Every decision he makes is calculated, with a leadership style that combines both a cautious approach and a daring edge.
Monte "Mouse" Colburn
Relief Captain
Monte "Mouse" Colburn, the younger sibling of Captain Keith, first got involved in crab fishing just two years after his brother arrived in the Bering Sea. His introduction to the realities of the relentless industry came on the crabber Juno, threading the icy waters off St. Paul Island in the dead of winter - an initiation that left no room for slack. By 1998, Monte was firmly aboard the Wizard, starting out as a full-share deckhand before moving up to deck boss as Keith took the wheel.
Monte’s impressive credentials include earning his Coast Guard mate’s license in 1992 and upgrading to a master’s license in 1995. As Keith and Monte run the Wizard full-time, Monte assumes the role of relief captain and mate. However, like any sibling dynamic, the two brothers would often butt heads over how the ship runs things. Despite their occasional squabbles, Keith trusts Monte and attributes him to the Wizard’s success.
Gary Soper
First Mate
Gary Soper is the very definition of a sea-weathered stalwart. Growing up by the ocean in Alaska, Soper jumped into fishing as a boy and never looked back. Having worked on the Wizard for more than two decades, he’s a powerhouse who knows the deck inside out, earning him the title of Colburn’s go-to guy for all things reliable. From his role as a deckhand to first mate, Soper has seen and done it all.
Though grizzled and quiet, Soper is famous for his sharp wit and infamous for his relentless hazing of greenhorns, often spicing up the workday with a dirty joke or two. More importantly, Soper’s in charge of driving the boat through the night and keeping the deck and cab pots in top-top shape. A mainstay on the Wizard, Soper has earned the respect of his crew thanks to his no-nonsense attitude.
Lenny Lekanoff
Engineer
Lenny Lekanoff was raised in the rugged terrain of the Bering Sea long before Dutch Harbor became a bustling fishing hub. With saltwater in his veins, Lekanoff seized every opportunity to fish professionally, having spent more than two decades tackling the fierce waters of the sea and the Aleutian Islands. Joining the Wizard crew after his vessel was retired through a government buyback program, Lekanoff becomes the Wizard’s go-to maintenance guy, overseeing everything from the engine room to the forespeak without missing a beat on deck.
Though he’s soft-spoken and easy-going, Lekanoff is tough as they come, consistently withstanding the toughest conditions. Having experienced both Monte and Colburn’s leadership as captains, Lekanoff respects both of them as master fishermen and enjoys the freedom he receives to pursue his life as a crab fisher, all while throwing some good-natured sass at the other crew members.
Freddy Maugatai
Deckhand
Freddy Maugatai has always been all gas, no brakes. Proud of his Samoan heritage, Maugatai shows absolutely no fear of the ruthless Bering Sea. Whether it’s covering his body with cod blood to celebrate the start of the season, to diving into the icy cold ocean to help hook a walrus carcass (out of his own sheer initiative), Maugatai doesn’t hesitate to go to extreme lengths. While his overzealousness can be helpful on deck, Maugatai isn’t completely scot-free. The type to act before he thinks, the deckhand sometimes finds himself in unwanted situations, including physical brawls with greenhorns and even getting fired for being drunk.
But as with age, as well as his family back home, Maugatai has grown into a more mature figure on the F/V Wizard. As the years pass by, Maugatai’s work ethic has become even sharper, and he ensures that his fellow crew maintains a high level of discipline at all times. He can be extremely harsh on the greenhorns, but that’s only because he wants them to be prepared for the worst outcomes that could possibly happen at sea. Always one to make his feelings known, both the good and bad, most of the time, Maugatai provides good vibes to the ship’s stressful work environment.
Roger Schlosstein
Deckhand
Roger Scholesstein’s rise aboard the Wizard first started when has taken on the role of greenhorn during the record-breaking 2012 Opies season. Manning the bait station with the skills of a pro, made an impression on the ship’s crew with his efficiency and drive. Receiving a nod of approval from Colburn and a sign of respect from the usually cantankerous Lenny, Roger immediately rose through the ranks from a mere rookie to one of the Wizard’s most coveted long-term assets. A former salmon fisher, his past experience laid the foundation for his work ethic. Whatever job that requires him, whether it’s tending to the engine room or counting crabs, Roger is willing to learn them all.
Robby Schlosstein
Deckhand
Robby Scholosstein joined the Wizard crew in 2013 after Captain Colburn decided to replace the struggling greenhorn Dane Tebo with a familiar face. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Roger, Robby stepped aboard with enthusiasm, though with limited crab fishing experience. Despite this, his physical strength and unwavering spirit quickly made a strong impression on Colburn and the rest of the crew.
Robby worked diligently during the Opie season, showcasing his solid work ethic and positive attitude despite the harsh weather conditions. After successfully surviving and tending to a full season of crab fishing, Robby finally earned his spot among the Wizard’s seasoned crew. To this day, Robby is still learning the ropes and honing his skills under his captain’s effective guidance.
Kevin Stafford
Deckhand
Kevin Stafford had his first taste of the world of crabbing during the 2011 Oplio season. While he’s experienced in other fisheries, he’s a relatively new face on the crab boats. But it didn’t take long for Stafford to get ahold of the ropes. Upon noticing Stafford’s quick learning abilities, Colburn took Stafford under his wing. When he’s not crab fishing, Stafford has been known to take on daring questions, including a solo voyage to Polynesia in a 28-foot sailboat. With his grit and guts, Stafford has the ideal makings of a future captain, but the deckhand is keeping things slow and steady in the meantime.
Tyler Gateman
Deckhand
Tyler Gateman is the epitome of grit and perseverance. After proving himself as a solid deckhand and a hardworking bait boy, Tyler’s now even more determined to earn the crew’s respect. Unfortunately, Gatemen’s life was almost put online when the Wizard was engulfed in chaos. Although Colburn usually maintains an impeccable safety record, the Wizard accidentally caught fire. More frighteningly, Gateman was nowhere to be found. The crew realized that Gateman was trapped behind a raging wall of fire.
By the time he was rescued, Gateman was coughing heavily and on the verge of losing consciousness. Despite accusations of the show being staged for dramatic events, this incident was far from reality. If anything, it is one of the show’s most shocking testaments to the realities these seafarers face daily, and how Colburn almost lost his best friend’s son over unforeseen circ*mstances.
Pascual Ganuelas
Deckhand
Pascual Ganuelas is a deckhand who encountered a shocking health scare during Season 19, Episode 15 of Deadliest Catch. While on deck, Ganuelas suffered severe chest pain, prompting an urgent trip to the clinic in Dutch Harbor. Upon evaluation, it was decided that he needed further medical attention, leading to his medevac transport to a hospital in Anchorage. While not much is revealed from the hospital to the production crew, Colburn has his suspicions that it could be a minor heart attack.
Although Ganuelas appears better by the end of the episode, his condition requires the young man to take as much rest as possible before he can ever set foot on the Wizard again. While Colburn is devastated that he had to let go of one of his crew members, luckily, the captain managed to find a seasoned replacement, enlisting Tracy Paola, a veteran with 20 years of fishing experience.
Robert Get 'er Done Sanders
Deckhand
Robert Get 'er Done Sanders stays true to his nickname. Whatever the weather, whatever the storm, Sanders always gets things done thanks to his hardworking spirit. Originally from Washington, Sanders has acquired all the necessary skills of an experienced outdoorsman, making him a reliable asset on the Wizard.
Todd Gateman
Greenhorn
Todd Gateman serves as a greenhorn for the Wizard. Just like the other crew members on the deck, Gateman experienced an unfortunate circ*mstance that nearly took away his opportunity to work on the boat. When a wall of water as high as 35 feet hit the ship, Gateman’s right leg was crushed by a 400 lb coiler that was ripped from its bolts due to the impact of the wave. What was supposed to be a promising season for Gateman, ended up being a dire situation that almost cost him his life.
