Features

Each February in The Waterways Journal, we take the opportunity to feature a few of the captains who helm towboats and tugs on the rivers. From harbor boats to line-haul vessels, these… Read More

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock operates the largest dredging fleet in the United States, with vessels at work all around the world. And during Capt. Chris Harvey’s almost 40 years… Read More

Capt. David Barchie looks for new challenges and opportunities every day. That’s why working on the river has always appealed to him. Barchie, 60, of Daphne, Ala., began working for… Read More

Capt. Ronnie Paul Stevens, 51, knew at an early age he was going to be the captain one day of a towing vessel in the commercial marine industry. He loved… Read More

Reached by phone shortly before taking his 5-year-old son, Kason, to soccer practice near Uniontown, Pa., where he lives, Capt. Mike Porter told of his career on the river, starting… Read More

Jayson Grimes was 19 back in 1990 when he went to work aboard towboats. He credits a few friends of his who’d already started out in the industry with introducing… Read More

When asked what he likes about being a towboat captain, Capt. Chad Fielder’s answer is “everything.” “I’ve met a lot of people,” he said. “It’s very family-oriented. Even with the… Read More

For inland towboat captains, probably the most basic difference in working conditions is between long-haul and harbor captains. Capt. Tom Hanes, long-time harbor captain for Upper River Services, has no… Read More

As a 19-year-old, Bretford Wildrick took a job right out of high school as a welder at Iowa Marine & Repair in Keokuk, Iowa. Wildrick, a native of Hamilton, Ill.,… Read More