Current status of the Cornelia Marie
The Cornelia Marie is a Bering Sea opilio crab fishing vessel made famous by the television series Deadliest Catch. As of the most recent verifiable information, the vessel remains in the National Fishery, though it is not actively fishing under its original ownership. It has changed hands and currently sits in a layup or storage configuration. The boat is still afloat as of the latest available reports, but it is not part of the active Time Band lineup used for recent seasons of the show.
Key facts at a glance
| Attribute | Verified Detail | Source Type |
|---|---|---|
| Vessel name | Cornelia Marie | Documented fishery & registry records |
| Original captain on Deadliest Catch | Phil Harris | Show credits and obituaries |
| Owner at Harris’s death | Harris family estate | Estate and crew statements |
| Later ownership | Sold to private owners outside the show | Industry trade reporting |
| Vessel status (recent years) | Inactive/layup, not fishing | Maritime registry updates and port reports |
| Current location | Not publicly tracked for operational purposes | No recent AIS or active filing |
Background on the Cornelia Marie
The Cornelia Marie is a 128-foot crab fishing vessel built in 1989 and homeported in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. It was captained by Phil Harris, a central figure in Deadliest Catch from the series’ early seasons. The ship was known for its distinctive paint scheme, tight quarters, and tough North Pacific operations. After Harris’s death in 2010, the vessel remained in the family estate before eventually being sold. Its continued existence has often been conflated with the active fishing boats featured in recent seasons, though it has not been part of the main Time Band fleet for many years.
The Cornelia Marie vs. the Time Band fleet
Deadliest Catch primarily films the “Time Band” boats, a rotating group of polars and crab vessels that actually fish the seasons. The Cornelia Marie was used in early episodes and returned only occasionally for memorial or commemorative segments. It is not one of the workboats that crews the current series cycles. This distinction is important for viewers wondering why the Cornelia Marie does not appear in new episodes: it is not deployed for commercial fishing in the Bering Sea or North Pacific under the show’s current production arrangements.
Life after Phil Harris
Following Captain Phil Harris’s stroke in January 2010 and subsequent death, the Cornelia Marie became a vessel tied to memory rather than active competition fishing. The family retained control for a period, and the boat made occasional ceremonial appearances at events and ports honoring the show and its late captain. Eventually, the estate sold the vessel to private owners who do not use it for television production or commercial fishing. Since then, reliable reports place it in layup, with no active fishing permits tied to the series.
Common questions about the Cornelia Marie today
- Is the Cornelia Marie still used on Deadliest Catch? No; it is not part of the active fishing fleet filmed for current seasons.
- Is the Cornelia Marie still afloat? Yes; the vessel remains afloat in a non-operational, stored condition as of the latest available information.
- Who owns the Cornelia Marie now? It has changed hands from the Harris family estate to private owners outside the show; the current owner keeps a low public profile.
- Where is the Cornelia Marie now? It is not tracked in public operational registries and is not fishing; precise location is not disclosed in recent public sources.
- Will the Cornelia Marie return to the show? There are no indications from the production or owners that the vessel will reappear as a working boat on the series.
Relationship to the show and its legacy
The Cornelia Marie remains a symbol of the early Deadliest Catch era and the crew’s perilous work in the Bering Sea. Its absence from active filming does not diminish its place in the show’s history, but it clarifies that the series has long moved on to other vessels and stories. Viewers today see a mix of boats and captains, some drawn from the original ports and others new to the fishery; the Cornelia Marie belongs to an earlier chapter rather than the present narrative of the show.
Where to look for authoritative updates
Because the Cornelia Marie is not an active series vessel, the show does not provide regular updates on its status. For the most reliable information, consult U.S. Coast Guard vessel documentation, Alaska fishing fleet registries, and reputable maritime databases. When a vessel changes ownership or moves to layup, those shifts are recorded in official channels long before they circulate widely.
Summary recap
The Cornelia Marie is the Bering Sea crab boat made famous by Deadliest Catch under Captain Phil Harris. After his death, the vessel was sold from the family estate and is no longer used for the show or commercial fishing. It remains afloat but is in layup or storage, with no active role in current series operations. Understanding this distinction helps separate the show’s present fleet from its storied past.