Since 2005, “Deadliest Catch” has been detailing the harrowing experiences of crab fishermen as they contend with backbreaking labor, long stretches away from home, and dangerous weather. To work as a crabber means finding some much-needed outlets to relieve stress. For Lady Alaska engineer James Gallagher, it’s skiing. Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski has an unexpected passion for horse racing. And deckhand Jacob Hutchins’ hobby of choice is music.

In a video uploaded to The Jacob Hutchins Band’s YouTube account, Hutchins and his band are performing live in Laguna Beach. “Give me a topic, I’ll make a song about it right now. Just give me a word.” When his buddy in the audience requests a song about crabbing, Hutchins delivers, improvising a “sultry jazz tune about crabbing,” he says with a chuckle. In the resulting five-minute song, Hutchins gives an impressive performance, cooking up inspired rhymes on the spot. “Product goes in the tank / We’re on a boat, soon we’ll be in town taking our checks to the bank.” A guitarist and drummer riff in the background, adding the aforementioned sultry swagger.

Fans of “Deadliest Catch” might recognize the deckhand’s musician proclivities. In several episodes, he can be seen noodling around on an acoustic guitar. In Season 19, Episode 20, he sings a song for Captain Rick Shelford on the F/V Aleutian Lady. “It’s just something that helps me with my therapeutic needs,” he says.

When he’s not jamming, Hutchins wants to captain his own ship

Jacob Hutchins first appeared on “Deadliest Catch” in Seasons 14 and 15 as a deckhand on Jake Anderson’s boat, the F/V Saga. He returned to the series in Season 19 aboard the F/V Wizard, captained by Keith Colburn. The two butt heads, and in Episode 2, they get into multiple screaming matches. Colburn thinks Hutchins is disrespectful, and that he caused a crab pot to snap. Hutchins, meanwhile, thinks that Colburn is unfairly blaming him. The captain ultimately terminates Hutchins.

Later in Season 19, Hutchins joins the crew of the F/V Aleutian Lady. He and Captain Rick Shelford have a much better rapport, as seen in their shared musical moment, but Hutchins is still beset by difficulties. In Episode 20, he learns that his mentor, Frances Miller, experienced a near-fatal fall. Hutchins is devastated to be out at sea, demonstrating the emotional stress of working such a physically isolating job. Shelford is incredibly empathetic to the situation, even leading the deckhand in a moment of prayer.

Shelford seems an ideal mentor to help Hutchins in his quest to one day captain his own ship. “I know that this industry is changing, and I’m not exactly sure about what’s going to happen but while the getting is good, I’m gonna try to be a captain,” he said in an interview with The Seattle Times. “I think I can bring an interesting and intellectual and spiritual flair to this coveted position. I think I have something to add, so I would like to add my flavor to this recipe.”