Author: Capt. Kelly Sweeney

Working the holidays can pay — in more ways than one

We had just cleared the Panama Canal’s Miraflores Locks westbound on the Pacific side. I was the second mate on a tug pulling a loaded 450-foot petroleum barge from Lake Charles, La., and Beaumont, Texas, to Long Beach, Calif. It…

Pursuing your passions outside of the job

I was looking forward to getting married in a few weeks. My fiancée and I decided on a backyard ceremony at her Long Beach, Calif., home. Everything was going according to plan except for one thing — we had not…

Remembering ‘John’s rules’ when sharing a room at sea

After a series of fortuitous occurrences, and a frenzied trip from San Francisco to Long Beach, Calif., the cab pulled up at Pier 48 at 1800 on the dot — the exact time I was supposed to join the vessel.…

Tips for a trouble-free travel day

My wife and I pulled up at the ferry terminal passenger drop off area and parked our truck. I grabbed my bags and the lunch she made me for the trip, and after a short hug and kiss, headed down…

Offshore wind ushering in new era of opportunity for US mariners

My wife and I were at a late summer dinner party hosted by Martin, a retired civil engineer friend of ours. At our table enjoying the barbecued salmon, we were seated next to a well-dressed middle-aged guy and his wife.…

Drunks? Troublemakers? Time for mariners to set record straight

Following in the footsteps of my dad, who sailed as an able seaman and boatswain, I had made the decision to become a merchant mariner. One spring Sunday afternoon during a family dinner in Spokane, Wash., I announced my decision…

PPE awareness grows, but rules gap puts US mariners at risk

Our 890-foot oil tanker was underway from Tampa, Fla., for a planned passage through the Panama Canal, a stop for bunkers and stores at Long Beach, Calif., and then on to Valdez, Alaska, for a full load of crude destined…

Russia flexing its muscles, outflanking US as Arctic heats up

In 2020, temperatures in parts of the Arctic were an unbelievable 14 to 18 degrees above normal, with the region recording its second-highest yearly average since 1900. Readings were so extreme that a Siberian heat wave caused wildfires on the…

Cheap rain gear? Penny wise is pound foolish when going to sea

From painful rashes due to skin rubbed raw to life-threatening hypothermia, mariners have long been plagued by having to work in clothes wet from rain, snow, fog and ocean spray. In the days of sailing ships, sailors smeared tar on…

New year in a new world: Navigating COVID’s maritime realities

In a matter of days, the decorative time balls will drop, “Auld Lang Syne” will fill the air, and ships at anchor will sound their horns as the world welcomes in the new year. 2021 hasn’t even started, but it…

Technology helps shoreside eyes monitor every maritime move

During the summer between our sophomore and junior years at the California Maritime Academy, we were required to do an internship at a maritime company or organization to get a glimpse of how things worked shoreside. Being from Washington state,…

Sharpen your listening skills to avoid conflict and danger at sea

I had joined the 890-foot crude oil tanker at Swan Island, Ore., the week before, and since coming aboard had been busy as the ship neared the end of its scheduled yard period.

Mariners, Coast Guard adapting to coronavirus risks and realities

On my birthday in early February, my wife and I celebrated the day with a fish-and-chips lunch at a favorite local restaurant, followed by a pleasant hike along a waterfront preserve on the south end of the island we live on.

Sure as the tide, retirement is coming — don’t be caught short

The phone rang and when I picked it up, I was surprised that an old shipmate I had not spoken with in many years was on the other end.

Sitting down on watch? Tradition aside, it’s the smart option

I remember the day my letter of acceptance to the California Maritime Academy (CMA) arrived at my apartment in Spokane, Wash.

Upgrading your license? Check the CFR to get what you’ve earned

I had been working as an ordinary seaman with a large West Coast towing company out of Long Beach, Calif., my first job after graduating from the California Maritime Academy.

Mariners pay the price for being independent contractors at sea

I had agreed to take the mate’s position on a 350-foot ship transiting from a shipyard in Bellingham, Wash., to the destination port of Bath, Maine.

To save the Jones Act, know your enemies — and fight back

Just before graduation from California Maritime Academy, I had the chance to be in the audience for a debate on the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (Jones Act) held during an industry symposium at the school.

A Christmas sea story: Lessons from the past, present and future

I was a senior at the California Maritime Academy and one of only 10 cadets in my class who were chosen to go on a commercial ship for their senior cruise.

Put accent on respect, courtesy for effective communication at sea

I was working on a gasoline tanker running between Tampa, Fla., Lake Charles, La., and Corpus Christi, Texas, when a new third mate joined our ship.

Vulnerable sea mammals deserve our respect and protection

It was the end of January, and I was the 4-8 watch officer on an oceanographic ship working near the Hawaiian islands of Kahoolawe and Maui.

In age of seagoing specialists, plan now — later may be too late

It was Saturday, graduation day at California Maritime Academy (CMA), and a warm spring haze was just burning off the Carquinez Strait as we assembled for the ceremony.

Time to make nation’s shipyards, merchant marine great again

For almost 50 years, beginning in the late 1930s, our government actually helped get U.S.-flag merchant ships built, utilizing the Construction Differential Subsidy (CDS) program.

Hurdles abound, but merchant marine can pay off as second career

It was a sunny Southern California day, and I had been invited to speak at the Newport Beach Yacht Club, one of a number of engagements scheduled during my two-week visit to the area.

Author: Capt. Kelly Sweeney

Working the holidays can pay — in more ways than one

Pursuing your passions outside of the job

Remembering ‘John’s rules’ when sharing a room at sea

Tips for a trouble-free travel day

Offshore wind ushering in new era of opportunity for US mariners

Drunks? Troublemakers? Time for mariners to set record straight

PPE awareness grows, but rules gap puts US mariners at risk

Russia flexing its muscles, outflanking US as Arctic heats up

Cheap rain gear? Penny wise is pound foolish when going to sea

New year in a new world: Navigating COVID’s maritime realities

Technology helps shoreside eyes monitor every maritime move

Sharpen your listening skills to avoid conflict and danger at sea

Mariners, Coast Guard adapting to coronavirus risks and realities

Sure as the tide, retirement is coming — don’t be caught short

Sitting down on watch? Tradition aside, it’s the smart option

Upgrading your license? Check the CFR to get what you’ve earned

Mariners pay the price for being independent contractors at sea

To save the Jones Act, know your enemies — and fight back

A Christmas sea story: Lessons from the past, present and future

Put accent on respect, courtesy for effective communication at sea

Vulnerable sea mammals deserve our respect and protection

In age of seagoing specialists, plan now — later may be too late

Time to make nation’s shipyards, merchant marine great again

Hurdles abound, but merchant marine can pay off as second career

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Author: Capt. Kelly Sweeney

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