Tiger the Salty Dog Sailor
Atlantic / Caribbean / Great Lakes
1967-1976 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 |
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1973-1974 I received my RYA proficiency aboard her and added a gold ship's mast to me bloody sleeves. |
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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. |
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1977-1986 Around the headland is Point Udall, the easternmost point of the USA. |
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1990-1997 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. |
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(photo from
boatnerd.com) |
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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. |
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Never fear, Oddly, ships on the Great Lakes are called "boats" and referred to as she or her even though they are generally named after men..?!? |
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Up the Cuyahoga
in downtown Cleveland (photo from boatnerd.com) |
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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. |
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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. |
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ICE ON DECK ! All this to start a T-shirt Graphics business????? |
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Here's a shot seldom seen
by lubbers. Working the tugs in Calumet Harbor. |
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The only thing
I miss 'bout being a sailor. |
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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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