Swords: Life on the Line
Upcoming episodes
Dec 28th
600a
Charlie Foxtrot
Bittersweet is the word on the Frances Anne. Lemmy’s injury forces them to the dock early, but they offload 16 thousand pounds, leaving each deckhand with a pretty penny to put in their pockets. Boat owner, Rick Mears, pulls Lemmy off the Frances Anne until his finger is healed. Lemmy is replaced and the boat and crew head out for their second trip of the season. On the Hannah Boden, Linda receives a lucrative offer for her catch if she can offload by the end of the week. With a deadline in sight, the crew to races to pull up their last 40 miles of gear. Though the price offered for her fish puts more cash in the crew’s pockets, it is little consolation for deckhand Carl Maxcy who has had enough of Kenny’s poor work ethic. When at the dock, the Hannah Boden offloads their catch and one crew member. Hoping to continue their good luck streak, the Big Eye steams to the beginning of their 40 mile mainline when all hopes of having a smooth day are dashed as the buoy that signals the end of the gear was placed somewhere in the middle of the mainline. Captain Chomps blames greenhorn Matt and takes his anger out on the rest of the crew as well. Because of the greenhorns mistakes the Big Eye is behind the eight ball once again. A costly mistake is made on the Eagle Eye II as deckhand Tommy Fox loses a day because of a rookie move. It’s halfway through the season and losing a fish could mean losing the top spot. Though Scotty is competitive, he is quick to remember that there is more to fishing than being number one. In the wheelhouse, Scotty remembers his friend, John Bachorowski, who took his place on the Hannah Boden a few decades ago and lost his life in an unfortunate event.
Dec 28th
700a
Foreign Relations
Unwilling to surrender, Chompers and the Big Eye rough it out on the Grand Banks with crew morale at an all-time low, an empty fish hold, low fuel levels, and a diminishing food supply. In addition to their list of ever-growing setbacks the boat is also out of bait. Chomps sends out a desperate email in search of help and it’s Linda to the rescue. But, as the story for the Big Eye goes, with every let up there is a letdown. Just as the Big Eye starts to pull in fish, they realize they are tangled up with a Japanese long liner. Though Hurricane Igor turned up the water causing dismal fishing, Scotty and the Eagle Eye II are still picking away at a season on the Grand Banks. With bad fishing reports flooding the radio, any hope of making a paycheck is slowly fading away. Feeling optimistic, Scotty sets in the hurricane tattered waters and hauls back. The captain’s optimism pays off instantly as a double marker is on the line, but the high hopes of the crew are soon dashed as they find themselves tangled with the rival fleet. Frustrated, Scotty turns the Eagle Eye II away from the Grand Banks fishing grounds for the season. On the Hannah Boden, Captain Linda is determined to put a trip on the boat and become the fleet’s top earner for the first time in 15 years. Before the crew drops their 40 miles of mainline, Linda steams towards Chompers’ to answer a distress call to transfer crucial supplies. The next morning, Linda and her crew are hoping to be on the fish after a successful offload. Unfortunately, they run into the same rival boat that has been setting and hauling across the rest of the fleets gear. Though they are away from the chaos on the Grand Banks, the Frances Anne crew finds themselves dealing with their own set of unique problems on Georges Bank. As they make it out to the fishing grounds for their second trip of the season, the captain and crew are looking to top the fish hold and head in—but they are stopped when the boats autopilot malfunctions.
Dec 28th
800a
Bested, Battered, and Broke
Forced to throw in the towel and leave the Grand Banks, Scotty and the crew of the Eagle Eye II head in to New Bedford to offload their second trip and steam for Georges Bank to finish their season. After striking out on the Grand Banks, Scotty and his crew are hoping that Georges will produce the paycheck they all are looking for. A stellar haulback welcomes the Eagle Eye II to Georges Bank as hook after hook brings the scent of money to the deck. The search for swordfish continues on the Hannah Boden as Captain Greenlaw refuses to leave until she is absolutely sure the fish are gone. Though Linda is optimistic that the fish are there, her crew thinks otherwise. To boost morale and keep things upbeat, Linda engages in a competition with her engineer Johnny Brewer—the loser of the show down has to eat blue dog for dinner. After being set back by a busted autopilot, Captain Slick and the Frances Anne are headed back to Georges to finish their season strong. As they leave Barnegat Light, the boat’s autopilot malfunctions once again, forcing the captain to turn the boat around and head back for the dock. Once they reach land, boat owner Rick is able to get the vessel to hold a steady course and the Frances Anne is able to head back out again to finish out their season. Chompers and the Big Eye decide to follow Scotty’s lead and turn south to Georges Bank. Out of fuel, Chomps is forced to stop in Sambro, Nova Scotia, putting them even further behind the rest of the fleet. To add to their misery, the Big Eye is greeted by 15-foot waves and winds up to 60 knots as they approach the dock. Once the boat is refueled, Chompers sets course for Georges Bank. On the way, Woody and Chomps pay their final goodbye to their father.