Giving Thanks For The Rivers

Life aboard a towboat is governed by strict rhythms—of standing watches, of regular duties, of the river’s currents, the constraints of locks and the demands of cargo movements. Most inland mariners live on their boats for six to eight months of the year. Those who ride their boats half the year typically work 28 days on and 28 days off, while those who work two-thirds of the year work 28 days on and 14 days off. Many work six hours on watch and six hours off watch.

Everyone working aboard a vessel automatically lives a “purpose-filled” life. It can’t be any other way. That in itself can be a great attraction for young people looking to find their way in the world, and it’s a benefit that goes beyond the good wages earned as a mariner and the fellowship and support found among crew members.

That’s not to say mariners can’t experience loneliness and isolation, particularly during the holidays. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s is a prime time for chaplains from organizations like the Seamen’s Church Institute to visit crews. What’s more, the Thanksgiving holiday highlights something psychologists have long said: expressing regular gratitude is essential for mental health. Family, crewmates and friends can help us remember that.

Those of us ashore can give thanks that maritime transportation remains the heartbeat of our economy. It’s all too easy to be distracted by the turmoil and conflict in the world, oftentimes served up and amplified by social media. Let’s give thanks for the rhythms of our waterways. Rivers still flow to the sea. Mariners make crew changes. Towboats make and break tow and push barges through locks, both upriver and down.

And in so doing, those waterways provide hundreds of thousands of American families with stable livelihoods, and millions more American consumers with the benefits that flow from lower-cost water transportation and the trade it enables.