Deadliest Catch’s New Boat & Her Captain Explained

Ever since Rick started in the business in 1997, he’s maintained an upwardly mobile career path. From his initial greenhorn position, he worked his way to a deckhand and engineer — and soon enough, he was the captain of the Aleutian Lady. That’s not all he is, though. In fact, he’s worked as the fleet manager for Shelford Fisheries since 2012, which means he’s the guy who’s responsible for overseeing not just the Aleutian Lady, but also the three other vessels in the Shelford Fisheries fleet: F/V American Lady, F/V Alaskan Lady, and F/V Constellation. Apart from his fishing, captaining, and management skills, the Shelford Fisheries website also lists hydraulics, refrigeration, and propulsion systems among his areas of expertise. 

Apart from Ricks Sr. and Jr. there’s also a third Shelford working for their family company: Shelford Fisheries Vice President Mike Shelford, who has worked in the company since 2005 and heads its marketing and sales. As such, Captain Rick is not only a capable “Deadliest Catch” cast member, but he also has plenty of family firmly in his corner.