It’s unclear what exactly happened to the Cornelia Marie when it suddenly disappeared from Deadliest Catch, but some behind-the-scenes issues have shed light on the ship’s unanticipated absence. The Cornelia Marie is one of the most recognizable boats on Deadliest Catch, with its long tenure on the show, yellow and blue hull, and renowned captains. It’s a ship even casual fans would recognize. Until season 6, Cornelia Marie was helmed by the fan-favorite captain, Phil Harris, who also co-owned the boat. However, tragedy struck and created a mysterious ripple effect for the rest of the fan-favorite crew, leaving questions unanswered.
Phil Harris sadly passed away from an intracranial hemorrhage while onboard the Cornelia Marie, and while Discovery Channel crews were filming. The boat then passed to Phil’s son, Josh Harris, who bought it with Casey McManus. Together, they captained the boat starting in season 10. It remained a fixture of the series until season 13, when it disappeared, only to return in season 14. However, in Deadliest Catch season 19, Cornelia Marie is conspicuously absent, and it did not return for season 20. It’s not said what exactly happened to it, but there are some behind-the-scenes reasons for its disappearance.
With an exciting twist during the current season of Deadliest Catch airing in 2026, the disappearance of the Cornelia Marie was a surprising one, but it’s return has been even more of a shock for long-time viewers.
The Cornelia Marie Disappeared From Deadliest Catch After Josh Harris’ Legal Troubles
Cornelia Marie‘s last appearance on the show was in season 18. It simply did not reappear in season 19, with no explanation, nor did it come back for season 20. The reason for its disappearance is troubling. There are plenty of unsavory secrets about Deadliest Catch, and one of them came to light before season 19. According to Radar, Discovery uncovered that captain Josh Harris had gone to prison for nine months in 1999 for sexually assaulting a minor some years in the past. Harris pleaded to a lesser charge and underwent a psychosexual exam as part of his sentence.
Though Discovery pointed out this issue as to why Josh Harris was not invited back, Casey McManus was given a much more corporate reason. On X, McManus revealed that the show did not renew his, Josh’s, or Cornelia Marie‘s contract. It was likely easier to cut ties with the whole operation than to figure out how to have McManus and Cornelia Marie on the show without Josh while Harris still owned a part of it. McManus moved on to pulling tugboats and often posts on his Instagram page pictures from inside and outside his boat, keeping Deadliest Catch viewers updated.
How Did The Cornelia Marie Return To Deadliest Catch?
Despite seasons without the Cornelia Marie, there was always hope that the shipping vessel might one day come back. On June 17, 2024, former cast member Taylor Jansen posted a picture of him standing in front of a dry-docked Cornelia Marie. This was an exciting tease, leaving some hopeful that the vessel could return to Deadliest Catch sooner rather than later. While there was the possibility that Jansen could return to Deadliest Catch as captain of Cornelia Marie, there was a major update as the show’s 22nd season got underway when Jake Anderson was revealed to be the new captain of the ship.
Jake, who worked on F/V Northwestern throughout his early days on Deadliest Catch, eventually became the Captain of F/V Saga for nearly a decade. Operating the vessel from 2015 through 2023, Jake was hired as the Captain of F/V Titan Explorer, and eventually became a minority owner of the vessel along with its Captain. At the onset of Deadliest Catch season 22, Jake was shown to be the new Captain of Cornelia Marie, bringing the vessel back to the show. Though Jake doesn’t own the vessel, its return to Deadliest Catch was an exciting update for viewers.
- Release Date
-
April 12, 2005
- Network
-
Discovery
