What happened to the Time Bandit on Deadliest Catch? Here’s why the boat isn’t on the show anymore

What happened to the Time Bandit on Deadliest Catch? Here’s why the boat isn’t on the show anymore

Fans of Deadliest Catch have noticed that one mainstay vessel is MIA. The F/V Time Bandit is a 113-foot houseboat owned by the Hillstrand brothers, who were lucky enough to have it designed by their own father. The ship had been part of the series since Season 2 on Discovery.

But tides have turned and the ship was listed for sale with Dock Street Brokers in the spring of 2019 for $2,888,888 million. Since then, the ship got a paint job and the price has dropped a bit.

The Time Bandit first appeared on Discovery show in season 2, but some legal woes hit the Hillstrands hard, read on.

Why is the boat for sale?

Financial woes seemed to have created a “perfect storm” for the three Hillstrand brothers, Neal, Johnathan and Andy.

Divorce was one of the factors, as Neal Hillstrand needed cash in early 2019 to give to his estranged wife. He was an equal share owner of Tine Bandit along with his Captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand.

Also, an accident aboard the ship was litigated in 2019 and the jury found for David Zielinski, a deckhand who was severely injured. He was awarded $1.35 million by a King County jury in Washington state.

According to SeattlePI.com, “Having deliberated for a week, the Seattle jury determined Zielinski was due $2.7 million in compensation for his injuries. That amount was effectively halved, as the jury found Zielinski to be 50 percent responsible for his injuries.”

Using Twitter, Johnathan Hillstrand also announced the Time Bandit was out of commission for the series.

Johnathan also posted a motivational video on Twitter not long after:

The Hillstrands still sell Time Bandit merchandise and it is available here.