On the Waterways, There’s No App Like Experience
In the February 17 issue of The Waterways Journal, we feature profiles of towboat and tugboat captains that underscore the many paths that have led them to this fulfilling, challenging and financially rewarding position. We hope you will share them with the young people in your life who might consider exploring a life on or near the rivers, canals and coastal waters.
Some of these captains have spent their whole careers with one company, while others have worked for several or “tripped” for many. Some came from families steeped in towboating and river work. Others arrived through a chance encounter or because a friend or mentor guided them. All fell in love with life on the rivers. Differing work schedules, rivers and constantly changing river and weather conditions guarantee that no day on our waterways will be like any other day. Dredges, towboats, tugs and passenger vessels each opened up horizons for our profiled captains.
One thing they all share and agree on is the need for personal mentorship and on-the-job training. Some companies require their crew members to work every job on the boat before ascending to the wheelhouse. In all the stories these captains tell, what emerges is the importance of personal connection in steering them toward this career and nurturing them as they made their way. They, in their turn, are passing on the fruits of their experience to new recruits.
All of these captains have seen great changes in technology that save time and benefit safety both on deck and in the wheelhouse. None of them rejects any of the new aids. All caution that nothing—no app or online lesson—can replace the on-deck experience and mentorship that molds and shapes crew members into skilled deckhands, engineers, tankermen, pilots and captains.
We applaud our pilots and captains who not only skillfully steer vessels throughout the nation’s waterways but also help steer the next generation of mariners through their wisdom and experience.
Editor’s note: We at The Waterways Journal also would like to applaud our senior staff writer and regular editorialist, David Murray, who got his start in the merchant marine. Following high school, he attended the seafarers’ school at Piney Point, Md. Upon graduation, David was assigned to the mv. Frank Rader, now called the Capt. Gregory Smith, and boarded the boat in Greenville, Miss. He later worked on the mv. Charlie Lehman before switching to blue water. David spent the better part of 10 years working aboard tankers and container ships, primarily shipping out of New York and New Orleans. Years later, he met Lehman in Point Clear, Ala., when he was being honored at an industry event. Each week, David lends his experience and insight to the pages of this publication, and we’re all grateful for it.
