FV Time Bandit


The FV Time Bandit is a commercial crab fishing vessel co-captained by brothers Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand. It is featured on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. The Time Bandit is a 113-foot house aft boat owned by the Hillstrand brothers that was designed by the Hillstrands' father. The five men helped custom-build the boat's interior, including some comforts unheard of in a crab boat: a four-man sauna, state rooms with queen-size beds and a dishwasher. The vessel carries 137 crab pots.
In October 2018 the vessel suffered a major engine failure forcing the crew to skip the season. As of June 2020 the ship is still for sale at $2.8 million dollars by Dock Street Brokers.

Crew

Three of the five Hillstrand brothers make up the six-man crew. Manning the helm are either Johnathan Hillstrand, typically during the King crab season, or Andy Hillstrand, typically during the Opilio crab season, with their youngest brother Neal Hillstrand serving as engineer and Neal's sons, Axel and Phillip Hillstrand, working as deckhands. All three elder Hillstrands act as mechanics for the boat as well.
Justin Tennison, an engineer on the Time Bandit for two seasons, was found dead in a Homer, Alaska, hotel room on 22 February 2011. An autopsy revealed that his death was due to complications related to sleep apnea.

Additional specifications

The engine and prop upgrades were detailed in a special episode of Deadliest Catch about the history of the Time Bandit on 16 April 2013.