Capt. Allison Baley, ARTCo

During a tour of the Delta Queen when she was 8 years old, Allison Baley knew she wanted to become a steerswoman.

“We managed to get a peek in the wheelhouse, and I decided, ‘Well, I want to drive the boat. I don’t want to work on them,’” Baley said.

Baley followed her father into the industry. After a friend got kicked out of SUNY Maritime College, Baley’s father decided to give it a shot. He graduated in 1959 with an engineering degree and a license in steam engineering. From there, he went into the Navy, where he continued into the industry, working on steam engines and later in nuclear engineering. Her father’s time at SUNY encouraged Baley, and she graduated in 2007. Her education was mainly focused on blue water, making the transition onto the rivers difficult.

“I was really great ocean-going,” Baley said. “River-wise it was a whole different animal. It was something I never really expected. The first day I signed onto the American Queen, they had me run a bow line to a tree to tie off, and that was something that would’ve blown the mind of someone ocean-going. It was definitely a different learning curve.”

Baley joined the crew of the American Queen after finishing her degree at SUNY. Operating with more than 160 crewmembers and a capacity for more than 400 passengers, the American Queen was the largest steamboat ever built.

“I loved everything about it,” Baley said. “It changed my life. Being around passengers brought me out of my shell. There were so many moving parts. It came down to creating a team with the people you were working with.”

Baley said that entering the job market after graduating in 2007 was one of the hardest moments in her journey, as well as working during the COVID-19 pandemic. After being off work for a year due to COVID, Baley was a crewmember of the American Dutchess.

After spending more than a decade on passenger vessels, Baley jumped at the opportunity to join the steersman program at ARTCo.

“I always wanted to go to towboats,” Baley said. “It was something I had always wanted to do. Steering the Queen was a great and unique experience, but the heavy tow life is the hardest thing I think you can do on the river, and I knew I could do it.”

Her favorite river? The upper Mississippi between La Crosse, Wis., and Red Wing, Minn.

“Between the elevation and the scenery, it’s breathtaking,” Baley said. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad day up there. It’s always beautiful. It looks like dinosaurs should be walking up to the riverfront.”

When asked about her experience as a woman in the industry, Baley said she’s been met with an overwhelmingly welcoming community, but the lack of other women is noticeable.

“My voice sticks out over the radio because it’s a different pitch, so people remember me,” Baley said. “I’ve worked in the industry for more than 20 years, and ARTCo was the first company I’ve been with that had women’s fitted clothing. Showing up and getting a uniform that fits correctly is great. It’s really the little things.”

When she’s not behind the wheel, Baley enjoys spending time with her family. She and her husband, a farmer, are known among the relatives as “Field and Stream.” Baley also enjoys taking photographs of the vessels and rivers she is on. Her social media pages are filled with photos capturing the beauty of the river.

“The pictures are how I figured out how to reach out to other captains and pilots,” Baley said. “I decided to start doing it regularly when I could get a nice photo. It’s something only a few other people get to see.”

Even after spending more than two decades in the maritime industry, Baley said piloting the boats she works on is still one of her favorite things.

“There’s a feeling of exhilaration,” she said. “The coordination, the chaos, the anticipation. I love everything about it. There are few art forms you have to learn from the bottom up. It’s just you and the river.”

Eight-year-old Baley aboard the Delta Queen all those years ago surely would’ve been thrilled.

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Featured photo caption: “Little known fact, the earth rotation is based on making sure the sun is directly in my face when I’m driving. Boat or car, any direction, every time.” –Allison Baley (Photo by Allison Baley)