Professional Mariner – American Mariner Training Directory 2023

‘Their opportunities are limitless’

Training - Maritime High School Seattle-area maritime high school introduces students to marine careers Puget Sound is home to the nation’s largest ferry operator, a vibrant tugboat and barge sector, and busy ports that handle cargo from around the world. But in a region increasingly dominated by technology firms, the maritime industry can be something of an afterthought. Maritime High…

Offshore wind training capacity ramping up to meet rising demand

Training - Offshore Wind Up to 25,000 trained workers needed by 2025 America’s offshore wind industry took some giant leaps forward over the last 12 months, and 2023 should bring even more activity. This progress has reinforced the need for a robust training infrastructure to prepare thousands of workers to safely build and maintain these turbines. There are no…

Boot Camp program jump-starts a maritime career

Training - Boot Camp Success at Norfolk training center spurs creation of similar program in San Diego Breaking into the maritime industry can be challenging. Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy (MAMA) has developed a program to help prospective mariners navigate these waters. The training center, based in Norfolk, Va., launched its Maritime Boot Camp in 2016 to give job seekers an accelerated…

A problem-solver and road warrier

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Jullian Woods Vane Brothers, AB/Tankerman Years ago, while serving on a U.S. Navy ship docked in Singapore, Jullian Woods chatted with a mariner aboard another vessel berthed nearby. The conversation turned to the pay and autonomy that are possible working in the merchant marine. That conversation stuck with Woods, 41, who now works as an…

‘Don’t let inexperience hold you back’

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Hunter Williams Moran Towing, Mate Hunter Williams was working on a career in the nursing field when she heard about an opening at Moran Towing in her native Baltimore. She had no maritime experience but grew up on the water and worked at her family’s marina in Middle River, Md. Williams, 24, applied and was…

From the U.S. Marines to the merchant marine

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Jonathan Eitz Crowley, Able seaman Jonathan Eitz served in combat with the U.S. Marines, an experience that showed the true meaning of “esprit de corps.” After leaving the service, he sought a career with similar characteristics and structure. “I found it as a mariner,” he said recently. Eitz currently works for Crowley as a maintenance…

‘All issues go through the captain’s office’

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Doug Fisher Pasha Hawaii, Delivery captain As a captain for Pasha Hawaii, Doug Fisher’s primary job involves delivering cargo from Long Beach, Calif., to Honolulu, some 2,500 miles away. Delivering a brand-new ship required a whole different set of skills. Fisher, 60, was delivery captain for George III, Pasha Hawaii’s new 774-foot containership that runs…

‘I feel like I am constantly learning’

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Kirsten Buccigrossi, The Great Lakes Towing Co. Training captain & marketing director Some days, Kirsten Buccigrossi focuses on marketing and communications for The Great Lakes Towing Company. Others, she’s out on one of the company’s tugs assisting ships on the Cuyahoga River. Buccigrossi, 36, grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio. She began her maritime career in…

‘Pride in the work and in the company’

Profile - Becoming a Mariner Nick Parks Western Towboat Co., Engineer Nick Parks first got to know Western Towboat Company crews while serving on security boats at Naval Base Kitsap, where he would inspect tugboats and other vessels entering restricted waters. With his four-year naval term winding down, he joined Western crews on a voyage towing a cargo barge between…