How Mandy Hansen's Husband Really Feels About Working With Sig On Deadliest Catch

For the deckhands on the featured boats of Discovery's "Deadliest Catch," just their job description is enough for fans to shake as if they just dipped their toes in the waters of the Bering Sea. Despite the inherent dangers of the gig, these daredevils set out to catch those elusive pinchers on a regular basis, all for a nice chunk of change in their pockets. As if dodging water-bound rope bundles, 700-pound crab pots, and massive rogue waves isn't enough, some of these brave fishermen take on this dangerous job alongside family members.

In "Deadliest Catch," working alongside a family member is nothing new to fans who've followed the show over its eighteen seasons. The Harris brothers teamed up with their late father Phil, the Hillstrands co-captained the Time Bandit, and brothers Keith and Monte walked the deck of the Wizard. These scenarios have all shown viewers at home what it's like to combine this type of work with family. Another example comes from the boat The Northwestern, where Captain Sigg Hansen now has plenty of experience working alongside his daughter, Mandy.

However, Mandy Hansen isn't the only member of Sig's clan who finds employment on his boat. Mandy's husband, Clark Pederson, also puts his life on the line to bring home the big bucks that come with a successful crab-catching season. But according to Pederson, one additional challenge, in tandem with avoiding any kind of catastrophic misstep, is simply working for his father-in-law.

For deckhand Clark Pederson, husband to Mandy Hansen, working on The Northwestern has unsurprisingly thrown terrifying obstacles his way. In an interview with WSU magazine, Pederson recalls prepping for a storm during a previous episode. "We have to put chains over the top of the pots to hold them down. You're on top of a 35-foot stack, and waves are 45 feet, and everything's frozen up there. It's a big skating rink on top of the pots, and the boat's in the middle of a storm. It's definitely scary," he said. However, moments like these may not be the toughest for Pederson.

Despite the dangers that come with working on a crab boat, how he's seen by his father-in-law, Sig, may be just as stressful — if not more. As Fox News reported, on Season 13, Episode 7 ("Poisoned at Sea") Pederson asked Sig for his daughter's hand in marriage. The reply was probably not what he had hoped for when Sig answered, "Now — when we're fishing? I know you're sincere, dude, but can we just, like, fish?" Well, eventually, Sig gave Pederson his blessings. However, even after the wedding, he told WSU that working with his wife and father still adds "another level of stress" to his day. "You want to perform at a high level so your wife is proud of you and your father-in-law is proud of you," Pederson explained. "It makes you step up."

Although adding pressure to an already terrifying job can't be recommended, there is something special about working with family. Speaking of family, People reports that Clark Pederson and Mandy Hansen welcomed a baby girl in November 2021, fittingly named Sailor Marie. Time will tell if Sailor will ever add to the growing crew of the Northwestern.