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
Captain Profiles
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
Capt. Bo Tucker has worked aboard tugs—primarily in Mobile, Ala.—for the better part of 30 years. Tucker said he actually started out in construction, but he had some uncles and… Read More
Capt. Vince Bradford, captain of the mv. Frank T. Stegbauer, made his way into a career on the inland waterways almost by accident. He was raised in Los Angeles, Calif.,… Read More
Growing up on the banks of the Ohio River in Cloverport, Ky., Harold Newby was around boats, but he didn’t always see them as a career path. “My father always… Read More
