Memories from the Captain
How I started my Career
So here I was in Prince Rupert BC working at Babcock Fish Plant. After a few weeks they wanted me to work on a Fish Packer Boat that went out to the fisherman to gather up their fish caught after a few days and return them to the fish plant. That way the fisherman wouldn't have to return back to port to deliver their catch all the time. I loved working on that fish packer. It was like freedom. Hard to explain.
Once I was finished working for Babcock, I learned there was an open house on a ship called the Coast Guard Ship Alexander Mackenzie. So off I went to this open house. I met the Chief Steward who told me there was an opening for a Waiter position, the job being the Waiter serving the Captain and his seven Officers in his dining room along with other various duties. So I thought that might be quite interesting and applied for the job. After a few days I learned I got the job. Wow, this should be interesting. Having worked in the Captains dining room for about a month, I one day serving the Captain I said to him "some day I'll have your job". That was not a good thing to say as Captain Wedgewood gave me shit. After a couple of months as waiter an opening came up on the ship for a deckhand. I got the job. To make a long story short things went like this. Started as a waiter, then deck hand, then leading seaman, then wheelsman, then bosun. (during this time I was studying like crazy to write exams in Victoria BC to hopefully become an Officer} I eventurally went to Victoria to study some more and then write my exams. It finally happened and I passed all my exams. I returned to my ship in Prince Rupert and after a short time became Third Mate and then Second Mate. I worked on that ship for 10 years less 2 days and quit my job and went hunting for work on the Great Lakes. The reason I quit there was very little oppertunity for future advancement,
During my time I sailed the entire BC Coast from Vancouver, all round Vancouver Island, all around the Queen Charlotte Islands, all along the Inside Passage, as far north as Alaska. So off I went to apply for work on the Great Lakes.
My very first ship was Third Mate on the Algocen where Capt. Reg Hatcher was Captain. Years later, I too became Captain on the Algocen. Thats it for now. Just wanted to try and tell a little story.
