Joining me from the wheelhouse of the M/V MARK STAAB on the lower end of Memphis, Captain David Raines shares stories about life on a boat, his 33-year career, family, training, Mother Nature, and Old Man River. As night falls on the boat, we discuss his transitions to new companies over the years, the positive change of culture he's seen over the last seven, and the importance of morale and good food out there.

Growing up in New Orleans and chasing a career in car stereo sales and installation, Matt Lagarde found himself aboard a yacht as a deckhand on the Tombigbee River. That first step into the industry gave his life an order he hadn't known before. We hear about his ascent to the wheelhouse, running the New Orleans Harbor, and eventually coming shoreside where a whole new world of opportunity opened up to him. We touch on his experience with Compass, Memco, AEP, ACBL, and Ingram Barge, the countless industry organizations he's been involved in, and a number of stories from his time between the levees. A handful of previous guests are mentioned, and maybe a couple of future visits can now be arranged.

Growing up in East Texas and chasing a dream of professional baseball, Clark Todd met another student athlete at UT Austin who just so happened to be a blonde girl from New Orleans whose father owned a little company called Blessey Marine. Retiring early from professional baseball after being drafted by the Chicago Cubs, Clark rose through the ranks at Blessey after training in every aspect of the business - from the deck to purchasing to VP and CEO. We chronicle his 22 years with the company, his time with AWO, and an appreciation for this quaint and quiet little industry tucked away between the levees.

Born in industrial Pittsburgh, Del Wilkins grew up to join the ranks of Dravo Corporation as a 3rd-generation employee. We discuss the origins of his family connection to Dravo with his grandfather and great uncle in the late 1800s, his journey against the odds from deck to wheelhouse, and a jump to shoreside roles that led him to executive teams of some well-known barge lines, his involvement overseas in South America, Europe, China, and Africa bringing the American way abroad, and a passion for industry that carries on 43 years into an extraordinary career.

I sit down with Retired Captain Hank Pouliot to chat through the usual questions and hear more about a 40 year career on the water.

Captain Kory Cafaro joins me on the show to chat about his upbringing in Mississippi and on the West Coast, his introduction to the industry and his journey to the wheelhouse, experiences with Kenny Brown and the Maritime Throwdown, and his appreciation for the opportunities the river provided him.

To support this podcast, please check out our sponsor: https://www.riverviewboatstore.com/

Noel Anderson, Fleeting Director for Zito's Mile 95 (Algiers) and 105 (Huey P) fleets, joins me on the show to share a bunch of stories about his life on the river and beyond. From the mid-80s to today, he's been on deck, in shipyards, dispatch, and fleet management, and through hurricanes, rescues, and salvage jobs in the Greater New Orleans area, and we close the episode discussing his brief career in local music. It's well worth the listen. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Mr. Frank Morton joins me on the show for a third time to share what he knows of the history of the barging industry in the US, the development of the grain export market over the last 50 years, and a number of mergers and acquisitions that shaped the industry of today.

In this episode, I'm joined by Chuck Sanford, a now-retired mechanical sampling cargo inspector that spent a great deal of his career in the Greater New Orleans area working between Baton Rouge and Myrtle Grove. The eldest of seven children, he keeps busy in his retirement by... well... working... when he feels like it.