A Mariner’s Notebook – Professional Mariner

25,000 miles of mariners

On March 12, 2024, a 37-foot cabin cruiser with six people and two dogs aboard was severely damaged in gale-force winds and in imminent danger of capsizing near Decatur Island, in the inland waters of Washington state’s Salish Sea. The U.S. Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) about the vessel’s situation, which was picked up by watch…

It’s time to act, or we can kiss our independence goodbye

If you think that the “glory days” of the U.S. merchant marine have passed, there is good news on the horizon. But first, some context: After World War II, there were around 4,500 U.S.-flag ocean-going vessels — the world’s largest fleet. Today, there are a mere 180, about 0.2% of the world’s total. That’s happened because the U.S. merchant marine’s…

Two sides to every story

My first job in the merchant marine was at Crowley Maritime, working out of their Long Beach office. Assigned to the tug Saturn, we were heading back to the company’s home berth at pier 48. After we were secured, Igor, the mate on the vessel, told me to climb up to the dock and get the supplies and tools he’d…

An oath to the supreme law of our nation

The U.S. Maritime Service (USMS) oath of office: “Having been appointed in the United States Maritime Service, I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will take this obligation freely, without…

Don’t get burned

The merchant marine is a profession like no other, offering a myriad of options for anyone interested in working on a commercial vessel. For some, that might mean a tugboat handling barges in the Gulf of Mexico; for others, it could be a tanker running crude oil from Alaska or an oceanographic ship doing scientific projects off the coast of…

Lending a helping hand

It was a cold November night, and a warm fire burned brightly in our wood stove as my wife and I watched the Christmas special for one of our favorite British mystery series. After finding out who did it at the end of the show, we decided to watch the “bonus feature” on the DVD, which included interviews with the…

The time has arrived for safe, drinkable vessel emissions

My wife and I were planning to spend the day in Port Townsend, Wash., and were among the 20 or so passengers waiting for the Washington State Ferry to arrive when we heard someone calling our names. It was Garrett, a friend who makes a very good living putting in solar and wind power installations, going over to check on…

The maritime industry is no place for children

Imagine for a moment your 7-year-old son or nephew is working as a “cabin boy” on a ship. He’d be away from home for years slogging food and dirty dishes 16 hours a day, seven days a week, between the galley and the mess deck. And when not working in the galley, picture him climbing up 200-foot masts to help…

Chinese shipbuilding dominance threatens U.S. economic security

Before 1982, Chinese shipyards built only a few commercial vessels annually, and they were mostly small freighters used on inland or coastal routes. That year, things began to change. The government-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp. (CSSC) was created, and a few months later the CSSC made its first delivery to the international commercial vessel market with the bulk carrier Regent…

Maybe it’s time to retire the Limitation of Liability Act of 1851

In addition to the terrible loss of lives the containership Dali’s crash caused on March 26, it also resulted in a catastrophic structural failure of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which could cost $2 billion or more to replace. The vessel’s Singapore-based owner, Grace Ocean Private Limited, and its operator, Synergy Marine Group, could end up paying only a fraction…