'Deadliest Catch' Crab Boat Time Bandit for Sale for $2.8 Million

Fans now have the chance to have a piece of Deadliest Catch history all for the small price of [...]

Fans now have the chance to have a piece of Deadliest Catch history all for the small price of nearly $3 million.

The Time Bandit, the crabbing boat first featured on the Discovery series in Season 2, is retiring from the show and headed to the auction block, with Dock Street Brokers listing the starting bid at $2.8 million.

The 113-foot-long vessel can hold 175,000 pounds of crab and 365, 000 pounds of salmon in its refurbished fish holds, according to the ship's listing description. The Time Bandit also boasts an approximate 20,000-gallon fuel capacity.

"Slattery 5-ton and 2-ton articulating deck cranes. Complete deck setup for crab and tendering. Full electronics package," the description reads. "Updated galley, (10) berths and (4) staterooms. Many recent upgrades."

The vessel is listed at $2,888,888.

Built by Giddings Boat Works in 1991, the ship would make its TV debut in 2006 during Season 2 of Deadliest Catch captained by the Hillstrand brothers, Andy and Johnathan Hillstrand. It made an appearance in most seasons of the Discovery series up until the Hillstrands left the cast of the series at the end of Season 13, with Johnnathan typically helming the ship during the King crab season and Andy typically during the Opilio crab season. Their youngest brother, Neal Hillstrand, served as engineer, and his sons Axel and Phillip Hillstrand worked as deckhands.

During its time on the series, the Time Bandit was witness to some massive hauls, and also a number of more somber moments.

On February 22, 2011, Justin Tennison, an engineer on the Time Bandit for two seasons, was found dead in a Homer, Alaska, hotel room just four days after returning from sea. His cause of death was later determined to be a result of complications related to sleep apnea.

"It is with great sadness that the Time Bandit family announces the death of crew member Justin Tennison," the ship's crew posted on its website at the time. "Justin died peacefully in his sleep."

"Justin was tough as a bull and was an all-around good hand," they continued. "The captains and crew appreciated his hard work and many contributions this past year. We will miss him terribly and wish his family all the best during this most difficult time. Justin is survived by a son, daughter, sister, father and grandparents."

Deadliest Catch Season 15 premieres on Tuesday, April 9 at 9 p.m. ET only on Discovery. For extra content and exclusive interviews, check out the Discovery Go app and discovery.com.

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