Tiger the Salty Dog Sailor
Atlantic / Caribbean / Great Lakes

       
 

1967-1976
This is the Wind Song hauled out for winter in Burnam, IL. She's being prepared for the salty environment of the ocean sea. And her 1930's black hull days before the Gray Goose.

I started sailing on her under Capt. Fred Rowley, CCA.

I have plans to build a 3D model of her from the blueprints and add it to this portfolio... I sorely miss my old D20

     

1973-1974
"Roit mate" this is the T.S. Royalist. She's a brig rigged British Sea Cadet Corps training ship.

While I was at Pangbourne, I got a chance to spend time on her with Capt. Peter Morgan in command. We sailed out of HMS Dolphin in Portsmouth and sailed from Pompey to Land's End, France and the Channel Islands. She's an all sweat brig and the only winch on her is a small windlass.

I received my RYA proficiency aboard her and added a gold ship's mast to me bloody sleeves.

 
 
BTW, the U.S. State Dept. had a real hard time with me in a British naval officer's uniform, especially when I'd show up at the embassy in London from 1970-1974.
 
 

1977-1986
Yacht racing north of St.Croix aboard the Primavera.

Around the headland is Point Udall, the easternmost point of the USA.

 
 
 

1990-1997
SS S.T.CrapoWhat a workhorse she was. She was my second lake boat. I started out as a wiper in the engine room. When the auto coal stokers went out, guess who had to shovel. I later found out that although the part had come in weeks before, the Chief kept the parts at home in his garage; wanted me to get a taste of what he went through when he came aboard as part of the first crew in 27.

While I was aboard on my first deployment, the Smithsonian was there acquiring the triple expansion steam engine and doing the photography for an article on the last steamships on the lakes

Oddly, perhaps justly, she was the last vessel I worked on, this time as wheelsman (quartermaster) and I drove her to the yard for conversion into a floating dock.

(photo from boatnerd.com)
 
   
   
While job searching, I often get asked, "What can you do? Do you have a heavy equipment operator's license?" and my reply is, "No. Is a ship heavy equipment in your vernacular? I'm a registered Able Bodied Seaman. I don't drive much heavy equipment under 300ft long, and the only time I use something as small as a bulldozer is when I pick it up with the ship's crane, lower it down in the hold and use it to clean up what's left of the bulk cargo, sand, bauxite, rock etc. We merchant mariners do EVERYTHING while at sea: Engine repair, plumbing, electrical, firefighting (blind even), emergency rescue, first aid, janitor, painter, laundry, cooking as well as navigation and moving 30,000 tons of material. The only thing we don't do is go home at night." Somehow it just doesn't get through and the assumption is that it's like the navy where all you know is your job and gray paint. Not many people even know that there is a merchant marine, and when they hear the term marine they immediately assume its OOH Rah! Semper Fi Paris Island types. Shipmates occasionally call and ask me how's its going ashore, and if I am ready to ship out yet.
 
       
   

Never fear,
Tiger's at the helm.

Oddly, ships on the Great Lakes are called "boats" and referred to as she or her even though they are generally named after men..?!?

   
   
Up the Cuyahoga in downtown Cleveland (photo from boatnerd.com)
 
   
Loading cement in Alpena Michigan
March on Lake Michigan and we are rescuing the Medusa barge. The ice put a hole in her and she was full of dry cement. Her Hannah tug close by and other ships using our channel cut in the ice to get by.
   
     
 
     
Using a steam lance (pipe and lots of duct tape and rags) to clean out the boiler tubes. A weekly chore for the Wipers on a steamboat.
 
                   
     

ICE ON DECK !

All this to start a T-shirt Graphics business?????

   
 
Here's a shot seldom seen by lubbers.
Working the tugs in Calumet Harbor.
         
     
 
The only thing I miss 'bout being a sailor.
   
A design I created in Corel Draw. There actually isn't a USMM logo except at the MM Academy. Notice the anchor... Its exactly the same one used on the cover of British Naval Regulations and yankee doodled up. ;-)

 

 
 
   
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