Between the Levees

We hear more about the industry from Captain Greer again. In this one, we cover the Inland Waterways Commission, Federal Barge Line, the development of industry in wartime, the Herman Pott Collection at the St. Louis Mercantile Library, the good old days, barge designs, and executive management in the business today.We hear also about the navigational challenges below Baton Rouge, the late Captain Simpson Kemp, the M/V SEMINOLE WARRIOR, Mac Hester, the Shirahs, and his brief experience working in fleets.Here's to the next one!

Retired Captain David Greer joins me again on the show to share his thoughts and perspective on the industry and his experiences over 4 decades. We discuss a bit on the history of humanity, old mariners, his place in history, books, his life and career, the last episode I published with Captain Sam Schropp, "The Great River" by Boyce Upholt, the Jones act, crew pay back in the day, and more.

Retired Captain Samuel Schropp joins me again on the show - 110 episodes after his first visit a few years back. He retired from the river in 2020, served as an expert witness in legal proceedings as a representative of industry, served his community, and has since moved away to paradise with his wife, dogs, and a cat to enjoy the retired life away from the chaos of the mainland. He recounts briefly his career (see episode 54!), and we dive into a bit of history that may well have gone unrecorded if not for this podcast. We banter a bit about the old days and what the industry has become, and we close on his involvement, analysis, and expert opinion in the case of the ill-fated M/V R.C. Creppel. *The opinions expressed herein are those of Captain Schropp alone and are in the public record at the time of this recording.*

Captain Sam Schropp joins me again on the show tomorrow night. It's been 2 years and over a hundred episodes since our last visit. Among other things, we discuss 50 years of history out there between the levees.

Captain Kevin Ferezan joins me on the show for a quick visit to chat through early life in New Orleans, a move to Corpus Christi, Tx post-Katrina, and an attraction to the maritime world that has grown into a career over a few short years.

Director of Maritime Education and Training for the Seamen's Church Institute's Center for Maritime Education, Capt. Stephen Polk joins me on the show to discuss life growing up in the Houston area, adventures into the maritime world in civilian and military functions spurred by his maritime studies at Texas A&M Galveston, and a long journey with the Seamen's Church Institute that continues through today.Check out our episode sponsor:https://seamenschurch.org/

From down da bayou in Dulac, Louisiana to frigid Indiana, Selena found a new home in the industry with ADM/Artco. A graduate of the Nicholls St. Maritime program, she found herself interning in St. Louis across a few of Artco's business units and is now Landside Operations Manager for them in Mt. Vernon. She is active in an array of industry organizations including WiMOS and the local Propeller Club. The sky's the limit, it seems.

Selena shares a bit about the podcast to preview this week's episode.

Coming out of a Summer break, Captain Rusty Ball joins me on the show to talk through a life lived on the water. Since the mid-60s boarding boats with his father as a young child through today, Captain Ball learned a great deal and made a life out there working for many companies over the years, but most notably, he is proud of his time spent developing safety programs for the industry. Down but not out, Captain Ball hopes to be back behind the sticks one day soon.

Preview clip for the Tuesday, July 15th release premiering at 18:00 CST.