Between the Levees

Allison joins me again on the show to talk through the not-so-surprising numbers on my YouTube Channel since publishing our first visit, and she also addresses some of the feedback received thus far on Facebook in response to her episode.

Finally joining me on the podcast, Mrs. Allison Baley chronicles her journey through life and her exposure growing up to the water and the industries it supports. She later attended SUNY Maritime College and made her way into the industry first on passenger vessels that traveled throughout the inland rivers, the storied AMERICAN QUEEN among them, and more recently into the barging world aboard, pr...

Retired Capt. Ted Davisson joins me at long last on the show to discuss his maritime career. Introduced to the industry by a Summer job through college, Ted found himself working on passenger vessels for a decade, becoming licensed, and eventually finding opportunity with the NOBRA Pilots Association. We discuss his career progression as well as one fateful morning aboard the M/V BRIGHTFIELD passi...

Growing up on the waterfront in a family of longshoremen, Ken Eriksen became familiar with waterborne commerce in childhood. Finding his way through college and into graduate school and agricultural economics, his fascination and appreciation for the industry we all serve has grown over the years. He offers unique perspectives on issues facing the industry today, some global economic history, and...

John Esser joins Charlie and me on the show to chat about the years they spent on the water, having first met on the original M/V HARRY WADDINGTON (previously the LADY GLORIA) with MEMCO in the late 90s, the boys get caught up discussing Charlie's condition and opportunities for help, sea stories from the decades they floated down river, and a little bit more about this podcast.

Captain Jimmy Cheatham and Chief Engineer Tony Bowden from the M/V JOHN D NUGENT join me together on the show to talk through relationships built and experiences had out there on the water, to the present-day workforce, the substantial retirement of industry experience and expertise looming on the horizon, and the future of our industry just a few decades down the road.

Zack Doss joins me to discuss his young career, a recent incident in Port Arthur, TX, mariners' mental health, and the challenges inherent to the industry that can greatly affect life at home.

Captains Marcus and Ty Matheny join me on the show to share stories about some previous guests, their family history in the industry, their own experiences out there on the water, positive influences on their careers over the years, and a little bit about this podcast project.

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. If you enjoy this podcast, please subscribe on YouTube and/or follow on...

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...

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. As before, if you care, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE appears throughout.

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. For those concerned about such things, EXPLICIT LANGUAGE WARNING throughout the...

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 h...

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.

Captain Chuck Galer joins me on the show to chat through a career that's lasted over four decades. His career began in the early 80s at the National River Academy in Arkansas, landed a job on deck with Dravo Mechling in the northeast, followed his parents to Mobile, AL, found himself working for Compass Marine, and has been working in the Gulf ever since. A few changes over the years landed hi...

In this episode of Between the Levees, I'm joined by Ms. Taylor O'Brien, a SUNY grad that found her way across the Atlantic. With educational and professional tracks well outside the levees, she found herself in the barging world with a shoreside job that began in mid-2021. Her developing appreciation for the inland and western rivers has been supplemented, thankfully, by this very podcast...

Charlie and I take a deep dive into the conditions of his addiction over the years, his health now, and the ways in which the addiction has affected him on the job and off. We discuss too the specifics of an event that haunt him to this day, nearly 30 years later. As before, Explicit Content Warning If you have any questions or comments for him, please send them to me in an email at WhereYatStudio...

Charlie and I discuss the reactions and commentary we'e seen thus far from our previous meetings, cover in more detail his continuing battles with addiction, and finally, he shares a number of sea stories that had come to mind since our first few sessions. As before, Explicit Content Warning. *Note* I misspoke in the conclusion of this one. If you have any questions or comments for Charlie to be a...

A glance into Charlie's life these days and some of the effects of the adverse health conditions he's facing

Mr. Walter Lee Morris Jr. joins me on the show to talk through his career on the water, time shoreside, his academic journeys, and a recent health scare that he is working to overcome. He discusses his time on deck, his jump shoreside rubbing elbows with executives, a move to the Gulf, law school, legal implications for mariners these days, and beyond. If you enjoy this podcast, please rate, react...

Captain David Shirah Jr., a NOBRA Ship Pilot whose family has been working on the water for centuries, followed his father into the towboat and barge world after a short stint in college. He's followed a fair amount of career opportunities over the years, but it all started in Cairo, IL with ACBL. David landed in the Pilots Association in the mid-90s and never looked back. He discusses a rich...