Swords: Life on the Line

***Swords: Life on the Line*** is an American reality television series documenting the events aboard New England fishing boats fishing for swordfish. The series, partially inspired by *The Perfect Storm*, was produced by Original Productions and aired on the Discovery Channel from August 11, 2009 to August 12, 2012.

## Synopsis

The series follows fisherman from New England who hunt swordfish in one of the most dangerous waters on the planet. The best time to catch these migratory fish is in the fall, when they can be found in the waters around the Great Banks off the Gulf of Maine. These waters are also home to some of the wildest storms on Earth. Cold fronts race in from Canada to meet hurricanes from the south, and the results are truly awe inspiring.

The series follows four boats that head out into these stormy waters, and the skippers use every ounce of experience and knowledge they have to find the fish. The risks are incredible; it costs $60,000 to make the month-long journey and they need to catch thousands of pounds of fish just to break even. One big fish can be worth as much as $20,000, so a trip can turn from disaster to success in seconds. Each skipper has his best spots and knows how to read the waters and temperatures to try and find the best fish. Once the fish are caught, it's a race back to market where the first back gets the highest prices. The job is exhausting, both mentally and physically, with twenty-hour days being the norm and six-inch hooks fly off the deck attached to a 40-mile-long line and can take deck hand down a hundred feet in ten seconds. Fishing gear can be dragged away and destroyed by monster trawlers with no respect for fellow fishermen. And even if the crew catches plenty of fish, they still have to make it home alive. The rewards are great, but the risks are greater. It's a gamble where lives are on the line.

## Captains and crews

### Eagle Eye II

* Port: Fairhaven, Maine
* Captain: Scotty Drabinowicz

Crew:

* Brian Durk, deckhand
* Kenny Puddester, deckhand
* Darryl Wallace, deckhand
* Lisa Natanson, NOAA biologist on board to tag and release sharks

### Sea Hawk

* Port: Fairhaven, Maine
* Captain: Linda Greenlaw

Crew:

* Archie Jost, deckhand
* Mike Machado, deckhand
* Tim Palmer, deckhand
* David Hiltz, greenhorn

### Big Eye

* Port: Wanchese, North Carolina
* Captain: Chris "Chompers" Hanson

Crew:

* Woody Hanson, deckhand
* John Weekes, deckhand
* Matt Carter, greenhorn

### Frances Anne

* Port: Barnegat Light, New Jersey
* Captain: Chris "Slick" Kleme

Crew:

* Bryan Masterson, deckhand
* Lemmie Eastburn, deckhand
* Bein Raimo, deckhand

### Other

Destiny - Billy Kingett: Destiny was seen giving directions to Big Eye (Season 1 only)

Eagle Eye: Eagle Eye dropped off crewmen for the Eagle Eye II (Season 1 only)

Alex Marie: The Alex Marie was seen giving mechanical parts to the Hannah Boden, tied up during Hurricane Igor behind the Big Eye, and eventually being towed in by the Big Eye when the Alex Marie became disabled (Season 3 only)

## Episodes

Main article: *List of Swords: Life on the Line episodes*

 1
 2
 3

## Home media

Main article: *Swords: Life on the Line (videography)*