Rick’s career has been on an upward trajectory since 1997 when he first entered the field. From his initial greenhorn position, he worked his way to a deckhand and engineer — and soon enough, he was the captain of the Aleutian Lady. But that’s not the only thing he does. In fact, he’s worked as the fleet manager for Shelford Fisheries since 2012, which means he’s the guy who’s responsible for overseeing not just the Aleutian Lady, but also the three other vessels in the Shelford Fisheries fleet: F/V American Lady, F/V Alaskan Lady, and F/V Constellation. Shelford Fisheries lists his other areas of expertise, including hydraulics and refrigeration.
Apart from Ricks Sr. and Jr. there’s also a third Shelford working for their family company: Shelford Fisheries Vice President Mike Shelford, who has worked in the company since 2005 and heads its marketing and sales. Captain Rick, therefore, is not just an accomplished “Deadliest Catch’ cast member but also has many family members in his corner.