Capt. Jacob Garcia, Blessey Marine Services

For Capt. Jacob Garcia, a bond with the river didn’t begin until he stepped on a towboat for the first time in his mid-20s. Before starting his maritime career with Brown Water Marine, Garcia worked two jobs to make ends meet. It was a coworker and Navy veteran at his restaurant job who first told Garcia about the maritime industry.

“At the time, I’d never even noticed a towboat,” Garcia said. “I didn’t even know what they were. And I’ve always had a love for the water, whether it’s lakes, swimming or fishing. And I heard it was good pay and consistent.”

Garcia began his maritime career as a tankerman at Brown Water Marine. A few years later, in 1999, a captain from Blessey Marine recruited Garcia to the company. Back then, securing a position at Blessey was competitive.

“It was a smaller company then and really hard to get into,” Garcia said. “But I got the job.”

27 years later, Garcia is still working for Blessey.

“A lot of companies throw around the ‘we’re family’ thing, and it can be used in the wrong form, but here it really is that way,” Garcia said. “They show it all the time with the things they do for us. I could call anyone at any time.”

Garcia recalled that while work on the river feels like second nature now, it was difficult at the start.

“The people trying to teach me weren’t doing a good job,” Garcia said. “I had to take things upon myself and just observe. The pilot told me I’d never make it out here. But I’m still here, and he’s not. I had other people down the line who helped me more, and then it took off quickly. I just took to it. “

As difficult as the work can be, Garcia recounted that the biggest challenge to overcome was learning to work with people as his responsibilities increased.

“The people were the biggest struggle,” Garcia said. “Responding to everyone’s wants and needs, all of that. It could be personal things or things related to the vessel. You can’t just ignore those things. You have to keep a crew together, functioning and happy. Over the years we’ve been tasked with more and more paperwork, too, so you’re trying to do your job, which is already difficult enough, so it’s challenging. It goes pretty smoothly, though. We have a good support team. Especially shoreshide, everyone is so dedicated to what they do.”

While the goal of becoming a captain is common for many mariners, it took several years for Garcia to pinpoint which direction he wanted to take his river career.

“I spent more time on the deck than I really wanted, but I didn’t really consider what I was working towards in the industry,” Garcia said. “Ten years is a long time to be thinking about it, but eventually I figured out that I wanted to get off the deck and be a captain.”

Once he decided the wheelhouse was where he wanted to be, it didn’t take Garcia long to get there. This year marks his 18th year as a captain with Blessey Marine.

“I like the challenges behind it,” Garcia said. “You always have a boss above you, but it’s almost like your own self-sustained business with the way you’re running everything. It has its challenges, but it’s rewarding, I think. As stressful as it can be, there’s this great sense of accomplishment. And I love the camaraderie out here. They’re my coworkers but also your family. Some of these guys I’ve known for over 15 years.”

Garcia’s tenure at Blessey Marine was celebrated in September 2025 with the christening of his namesake vessel. The mv. Capt. Jacob Garcia is equipped with twin Cummins QSK-38 engines with a combined 2,000 hp.

“That was exciting,” Garcia said. “I’d known that this company does that over the years, and I wondered if it would happen. It’s an honor. There are so many great captains out here. To have one named after me is special.”

The christening was bittersweet for the captain, whose mother passed away a few months prior. Garcia described how special it was to have his dad at the ceremony, who had never been on a vessel before.

“My dad had seen towboats but had never been on one,” Garcia said. “It’s like a spaceship with all the radars and computers. He didn’t want to touch it.”

Garcia advised new mariners to stick with the industry for at least a year and to approach the job with an open mind. Pay is the biggest motivator for new deckhands and tankermen to join the maritime world, but the work isn’t always glamorous.

“It’s not just about the money,” Garcia said. “This isn’t an industry where you can just come out for the paycheck because it’s so challenging. Whether you’re a tankerman or a deckhand, things could go wrong, and you need to have a good mindset. You’re gone from home a lot, so that can be a struggle for some, and they need to understand what that’ll be like and the support system that’s there.”

Garcia noted that mentors such as Rusty Hill, Wayne Mosley and Joe Morgan helped him become the captain he is today as well as countless others.

“Whether it’s just one little trick to maneuver a vessel a little easier or just for advice, there’s no way you can become a captain or do what any of us do without support.”