On Sunday evening I switched National Geographic on to watch the latest episode of the excellent Wicked Tuna series. Seeing those guys hard at work is really something. But what about the boats on Wicked Tuna, what type of boat are they. I did a little investigation, here’s what I found.
What kind of boats do they use on Wicked Tuna? The boats on Wicked Tuna are a variety of fishing vessels from 35 to 48 feet in length. No one boat is the same, and some have even been custom designed purely for the tuna fishing season.
Get Wicked Tuna Merchandise: Did you know you can buy a wide range of Wicked Tuna gear on Amazon? You can catch up on previous episodes, buy t-shirts, and much more.
Wicked Tuna boats list
Below you can see a table with the most popular boats they use on Wicked Tuna. The middle column shows you the length and model type. Notice how the Wicked Pissah and the Fish Hawk were actually custom-designed.
In the final column, I’ve found some estimates on the price for how much the kind of boats on Wicked Tuna cost. To see more details on running costs, read this guide to tuna boat prices.
| Wicked Tuna Boat Bame | Boat Type | Guide Price Example |
|---|---|---|
| FV-Tuna.com | 44' Calvin Beal | $70,500 |
| PinWheel | 45’ Provincial Boat Builders | $280,000 |
| The Hot Tuna | 48’ Dixon Series 60 Detroit | $300,000 |
| The Wicked Pissah | Custom designed boat | Unknown |
| The Fish Hawk | Custom designed boat | Unknown |
| The Odysea | 32’ Blue Hill Marine | $118,900 |
| The Falcon | 43’ Torres | $170,200 |
| The Bounty Hunter | 35’ Duffy | $92,000 |
| The Lily | 36’ Northern Bay Harpoon Boat | $200,000 |
| Lisa and Jake | 40’ Young Brothers | $199,000 |
| Christina | Unknown | Unknown |
| Miss Sambvca | 48’ Ocean Motor Yacht | $180,000 |
| Kelly Ann | 35’ Maine Downcast | Unknown |
| Hard Merchandise | 36’ Daniels Head Novi Boat | $125,000 |
How big are the boats on Wicked Tuna?
I already mentioned the sizes briefly, and you might be surprised to hear that the Wicked Tuna boats are actually smaller than you might think.
How big are the boats on Wicked Tuna? The boats on Wicked Tuna range in length from 35 feet to 48 feet. The biggest boats on Wicked Tuna are the Miss Sambvca and FV Hot Tuna which come in at 48 feet.
What kind of boat is FV Hot Tuna?
The most successful boat in Wicked Tuna in terms of series wins is FV Hot Tuna. It’s won seasons 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019. It’s no wonder that so many viewers want to know what kind of boat it is.
What kind of boat is FV Hot Tuna? FV Hot Tuna is a Calvin Beal 44-foot custom built fishing boat built by SW Boatworks of Lamoine, Maine. It is estimated to have cost $70,500 US dollars and is the most well-known boat on the Wicked Tuna series.
Wicked Tuna boats: location and docking areas
Did you know you can actually see the FV Hot Tuna in real life? It’s docked up in the off season at a marina in Maine.
As a massive Wicked Tuna fan, I also decided to find out where the boats were all docked up and have put together a list of where you can see them all.
To see the list of Wicked Tuna boat locations, read this guide to where they all are in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
How much do the guys earn per episode?
It’s grueling and challenging work, but there is a lot of money to be made tuna fishing. The guys on Wicked Tuna not only earn money from what they catch but also get paid by National Geographic.
I did an investigation to the possible earnings for the captains, deckhands, plus cast and crew of Wicked Tuna. You can see what I found on the links below.
Want to know what the winners get?
Aside from what they can make in terms of tuna earnings and wages, another common question asked by viewers of Wicked Tuna, is what do the winners get?
Find out what the total prize money has been from season to season by reading this guide to Wicked Tuna winners.
The last word…
Since Wicked Tuna aired on National Geographic back in April of 2012, it has gone on to be one of the most popular reality TV shows about the fishing industry, rivalling the Deadliest Catch for viewing figures.
The kind of boats they use on Wicked Tuna has also generated a huge amount of interest, with tourists now flocking to Gloucester to catch a glimpse of their favorites. It’s even possible to book a charter fishing trip on one of the boats.
Deadliest Catch blog posts
You might also be interested in my blog posts about the Deadliest Catch. Here’s a selection of some of the most popular:
