Between the Levees

Capt. Brandon Phillips discusses the podcast and the impact our first visit has had on his network of friends old and new. Hope you enjoyed round 2 with Brandon that published yesterday.

From a shipyard in Paducah, Capt. Brandon Phillips joins me yet again on the show to talk more about his life and experiences on and off the water. Among other things, we hear about friends, foes, food, lock dogs, industry involvement, a safety and training opportunity, and good old cheesy beef and pork tenderloin sandwiches.

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Capt. Brandon Phillips joins me again on the show on Saturday, 3/30/24 to continue the conversation we should have had the first time. In this short video, he talks about his experiences as a steersman and his opinions on some common hazing techniques for new pilots.

In the final hour of round 1 with Captain Mike, he covers misunderstandings about our industry that he's addressed with the general public over the years, phone calls on the vessels, the marine operators of old, wheelhouse responsibilities, maritime incidents on the job and the nightmares that inevitably follow, Captains Dutch Clark, "Full Ahead" Ed, and Cliff Roberts, pranks on the boat, cooks (good and bad), and this little podcast project I'm working on.

The story continues. Captain Mike speaks freely about his wife, family in the industry, a certain steersman he trained that will appear on the show in April, his time on the M/V Cotton Queen, changes he's seen in the industry over the last 30 years, deckhands of today, and grocery deliveries out there on the water.

Captain Mike shares stories of his six decades on the rivers of the United States. He grew up on the water, began welding at a shipyard fresh out of high school, proved himself at the sticks soon after, and floated through a wealth of experience over the years with Inland, Blessey, ACBL, and these days, Western Rivers.

In this brief interlude, Captain Mike tells me about the M/V C. T. Jones. His full episodes begin publishing tomorrow in 3 one-hour segments. Thanks for staying tuned!

Capt. Mike discusses the M/V Cotton Queen. Three hours with him debut this weekend. They'll be released in hour-long segments. Enjoy the show!

Scott Jackson joins me on the show to discuss his upbringing in the midwest, a fascination with boats and barges since childhood, happening across Kyle Pfenning's YouTube channel (youtube.com/@marktwained) by mistake while researching fishing spots, and a young career that has brought him from Inland Marine to Western Rivers and, currently, offshore. His love for the industry is evident, and he's pursing the vessel engineering career track.

Our conversation continues. Captain Chuck shares another handful of stories accumulated over the years on the water, mentions a few names that I hope to one day host on the show, and his daughter's cat checks in with us.