You remember that light blue hull. If you’ve spent any time on the couch watching the Bering Sea swallow ships whole, the Cornelia Marie feels like an old friend. It was the heart of Deadliest Catch. Between Captain Phil Harris’s legendary cigarette-and-coffee fueled runs and the rollercoaster drama of his sons, it was the one boat everyone rooted for.
But then, it just... vanished.
If you’re wondering is the Cornelia Marie still fishing, the short answer is yes. But honestly, it’s not the same boat you remember from the Discovery Channel. The legacy of the Harris family has been scrubbed, the ownership has completely shifted, and the "Big Blue" is living a much quieter life away from the Hollywood spotlight.
The Scandal That Erased the Cornelia Marie
Television is a brutal business. One day you’re the star, and the next, you’re edited out of the archives. In 2022, the world of Deadliest Catch was rocked when court documents surfaced regarding Josh Harris. The details were heavy—a conviction from over two decades ago involving the sexual assault of a minor.
Discovery didn’t hesitate. They severed ties immediately.
Because Josh was a part-owner of the Cornelia Marie, the boat became "guilty by association" in the eyes of the network. They didn't just stop filming it; they basically tried to erase it from the timeline. Episodes were pulled, and the ship was effectively banned from the airwaves.
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Who actually owns the boat now?
For a long time, the dream was for Josh and Jake Harris to fully own their father's legacy. It was the central plot of several seasons. But reality isn't a scripted drama. Following the scandal, the ownership structure underwent a massive overhaul.
As of 2026, the Harris name is nowhere near the paperwork. The current ownership group is a mix of veteran fishermen who have been around the vessel for years. We’re talking about names like Roger Thomas and Kari Toivola, who have actually been involved with the boat since long before the TV cameras showed up.
Interestingly, Taylor Jensen, a familiar face to long-time fans, stepped up as a co-owner recently. He’s been posting updates about shipyard work and prepping for the Bristol Bay season. Along with Captain Jake Albinio, these guys are trying to give the Cornelia Marie a fresh start—one based on actual fishing rather than reality TV ratings.
Current Ownership Breakdown:
- Roger Thomas: Long-time veteran and stabilizer of the operation.
- Kari Toivola: Part of the core management for years.
- Taylor Jensen: The "new blood" who recently bought into the partnership.
- Jake Albinio: Often seen at the helm, keeping the ship profitable.
Is the Cornelia Marie still fishing right now?
If you look at AIS (Automatic Identification System) tracking data, you'll see the Cornelia Marie is far from retired. In late 2025 and early 2026, the vessel has been spotted moving between Dutch Harbor and various fishing grounds.
She isn't just sitting at a dock gathering rust.
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The boat still participates in crab seasons when the quotas allow, but like many vessels in the Bering Sea, it has had to diversify. With the recent collapses in certain crab populations, the Cornelia Marie often spends her summers salmon tending in Bristol Bay. It’s less "glamorous" than what you see on TV, but it pays the bills. Tending basically involves acting as a giant floating refrigerator for the smaller salmon boats, taking their catch and hauling it back to the processors.
Why you won't see it on Deadliest Catch again
Fans keep asking if a "redemption arc" is coming. Honestly? Don't hold your breath.
The ship’s former co-captain, Casey McManus, was pretty blunt about it on social media. He mentioned that the network chose not to renew contracts with the boat or the captains. He’s since moved on to work with tugboats, and by all accounts, he’s happy to be out of the "smoke and mirrors" of reality television.
The Cornelia Marie is a 128-foot piece of history, but to Discovery, it’s a liability. The new owners seem perfectly content to stay under the radar. There's less pressure when you don't have a camera crew tripping over crab pots or a producer asking you to "look more stressed" for the B-roll.
Life after the Harris legacy
It's kinda sad for those of us who watched Phil Harris build that boat’s reputation. But maybe this is what the ship needs. For thirty years, the Cornelia Marie has been through engine failures, massive storms, the death of a captain, and a PR nightmare.
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Now, it's just a working boat again.
The new crew has put serious money into it. They’ve done a full "repower," swapping out the old engines for new Cummins QSK19s. They gutted the galley. They fixed the steel. It's probably in the best mechanical shape it's been in since 1989.
If you want to keep tabs on the boat, your best bet isn't the TV guide—it's following the crew on Instagram or checking marine tracking sites. She’s still out there, fighting the swells of the North Pacific, doing exactly what she was built to do.
What to keep an eye on:
If you’re a die-hard fan, watch the Bristol Bay salmon season reports in the summer. That’s where the Cornelia Marie is most active these days. While the "Deadliest Catch" era is officially over, the "Big Blue" remains one of the hardest-working boats in the fleet.
To see where she is this second, check a live AIS tracker like VesselFinder or MarineTraffic and search for IMO 8852538. You'll likely see her pinging near Saint Paul Island or making the long trek back to Seattle for maintenance. The cameras are gone, but the work never stops.