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Edgar Hansen of the fishing vessel Northwestern—as featured on Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch," is coming to St. Michaels, MD and the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Sunday, August 14 for the 2nd annual Watermen’s Appreciation Day.
Hansen agreed to attend the event after learning of some of the parallels both Alaskan fisherman and the Chesapeake’s watermen are facing. "With fishing being my livelihood for over 25 years,” said Hansen, “it is a pleasure any time I am able to help others in the industry and support them in the challenges they face."
“I was floored when Edgar personally returned my phone call,” said Talbot County Watermen’s Association’s event coordinator, Lisa Gowe. “He is really looking forward to coming to the museum, and getting on a couple of boats during the docking contest.”
Watermen’s Appreciation Day is scheduled for Sunday, August 14 from 10am to 5pm along the waterfront campus of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, MD. The event cele ates the Chesapeake watermen’s heritage and features the days catch of crabs in a Maryland crab feast; live toe-tapping and get-up-and-dance music with Bird Dog & the Road Kings; and a spirited “Watermen’s Rodeo” boat docking contest which begins at 11am.
“Edgar is planning on being with us the entire day,” said Gowe. “He’ll be participating in the boat docking contest, eating crabs, handing out trophies to our winners, helping with items for our silent auction, and signing autographs for a couple of hours that day.”
Edgar Hansen is the youngest Hansen other on the fishing vessel Northwestern, which fishes for Alaskan king crab and opilio crab out of Alaska’s Dutch Harbor. The boat and crew are featured on Discovery Channel's #1 show, Deadliest Catch.
Edgar is one of the most talented men on deck, according to his other, Captain Sig Hansen. On the show since the series started airing seven years ago, Edgar began fishing at age 18 and came into his own on deck after only a few seasons. He is known as the “deckboss”—an informal title given to the senior man on the fishing deck.
The August 14 event is sponsored by the Talbot County Watermen's Association in cooperation with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, with proceeds benefitting both organizations. Museum members receive free admission. Otherwise, admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-17, and under 6 free. Crab feast tickets will be available on site and are $15 each, or $10 each with a commercial fishing license shown. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.
