The Deadliest Catch!

[excel]

Tour 'Deadliest Catch' chase boat turned gift shop

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/thebigblog/archives/140933.asp


If you watch the Discovery Channel series "Deadliest Catch," you've probably figured out that all those wet and wild off-boat scenes don't film themselves.


Camera crews filmed scenes from "The Deadliest Catch" onboard the Sea Star, shown here in Seattle before its retirement from the fishing industry in 2005. (Karen Ducey/Seattle P-I) Last season, most were shot from the deck of the Sea Star, a retired fishing boat where crewmembers will start giving tours to Seattle fans Saturday.

"We're not privately funded paid tour guides. We're the guys that actually did the job," said Michael Day, a retired crab fisherman whose main responsibility on the Sea Star was guarding cameramen from the predictable hazards. Namely, crippling, crashing waves and flying chunks of ice.

He's pretty sure he can handle a gift shop cash register and a couple curious sightseers.

"We're crabbers," he said. "We're good at multitasking."

The Sea Star, which was featured on the first season of "Deadliest Catch," was turned into a tourist attraction last May, when it opened to tourists in Ketchikan, Alaska, last year. Business suffered when cruise ships judged their operation too small to put on their passengers' agenda, Bay said.

He hopes Seattle gives a more welcome reception.

Tours feature a gift shop, video segments from the show, the opportunity to ask Bay and fellow tour guide Kenny Hendricks lots of questions and a life-size prop of a king crab.

"When they pick it up, they get an idea of weight of that crab," Bay said. "And they think, you throw 30,000 of these in a day -- your arms must ache."

You'll find the Sea Star at Dock 9 at Fishermen's Terminal. Tours start Saturday and go from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $7.50 for seniors and children. Kids under five are free. For more info, call [phone].

P.S. -- In other "Deadliest Catch" news, Bellevue company Liquid Dragon is working on a video game based on the show, "Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm," which is now available for pre-order for the Xbox 360 and the PC.