Knowing the Ropes

 Get yourself ready for a Steersman Interview.

 Are you ready for your steersman interview?  Many tankermen think they are but in reality, they have a long way to go.  How can you be sure you will make it through the interview process?

Each year, many tankermen make application to enter the Higman Steersman Program.  The process begins with gathering letters of recommendation from licensed wheelmen/captains and with the completion of the online application form.  Before the application is considered by the Higman Steersman Committee, the applicant must have at least 240 days of USCG required sea time and have at least six months of company service.

The next step is the selection of the applicants by the Steersman Committee.  The Steersman Committee is made up of representatives from the Personnel and Training departments, plus the Port Captains.  They meet at minimum of once a quarter where each application is reviewed and ranked.  A determination is made with the input from the Personnel Department on how many new steersmen are needed in the program.

 And interview is a process where seasoned veterans ask the person in the hot seat questions relative to the position they are seeking.  Their job is to probe and prod often times making you feel a bit uncomfortable.  They may dig until you give the answer they are looking for.

The interview process typically takes 45 minutes to an hour and is conducted by the Steersman Committee. 

So what should you expect? Here are some hints:

Why do you want to train for the wheelhouse?

You would be surprised on how many potential steersmen do not have a good answer to this question.  Going into the wheelhouse is a big step and should not be considered lightly.  Make sure you understand why you want to undergo the school process plus the two years of apprenticeship and then take on the responsibility of safely running a large operation.

What do you bring to the table?

Interviewers want to know how prepared you are to move into this position.  What have you done to positively stand out as a tankerman?  There may be questions about your decking ability and your role as a lead tankerman. 

Have you demonstrated your commitment to safety?

You may be asked for examples that show that you are committed to working with your crew in a safe and efficient manner.  What have you done to enhance the safety of your crew?    Examples of projects that you have undertaken to promote safety on your boat are highly regarded by the committee.  If you cannot demonstrate you were safe as a tankerman, how can you guarantee that you will demand a safe operation as the boss?

What is your leadership style?

We have all been around Captains that we admire in the way they run their boat.   I bet most of us can remember a Captain that we did not admire and rather not be around. 

It all comes down to leadership style.  How will you be perceived as a Captain someday in the future?  Before coming to a Steersman interview, it is a good idea to think about what kind of a Wheelman you would be.  How will you treat the crew?  How will you deal with discipline problems?  How will you reward a job well done?  How will you manage an operation that involves millions of dollars of equipment and the lives of those that serve as your crew? 

 To become a Wheelman, it is time to discover your style now.

Are you technically prepared to run the operation?

As a Wheelman, the phrase the "buck stops here", has a lot of meaning.  New tankerman will be coming to you once you become a Wheelman to get the answers.

Do you know every system in the engine room?

You may be asked specific questions about the engine room operation and barge operations such as:

• How would you pump the bilge in an emergency when the water is over your ankles? 
• Can you describe every step needed to fire off the CO2 system if you were ordered by the Captain in the middle the night when the engine room is on fire? 
• How do the shaft seals work?
• Describe how the sewage system works.
• What is be best way to keep from losing prime when stripping a light product barge?

Believe me, there are many questions the Steersman Committee can think of.

On the day of the interview be prepared to think on your feet.  We are looking for confidence, ingenuity, technical savvy and a commitment to the company. It also does not hurt to dress professionally.

Doing the prep work for your interview is a key to success!

2014 Maritime & Logistics Youth Expo

 The M/V SANDPIPER pushes to a win!

 On September 6, the Maritime Youth Expo and the Houston Ship Channel Centennial Celebration were held at the Bayport Cruise Terminal.   

 The day which marked the 100th anniversary since the opening of the Houston Ship Channel started out with the Maritime Youth Expo.  The Expo is put on to introduce high school students to the maritime industry. It was a day long affair with the morning session being held for more than 300 students from surrounding schools including those with their own maritime academies.

 The afternoon session had over 3,000 people signed up to attend the Centennial Celebration. The full day featured exhibits and presentations from various tow boat companies, on water demonstrations, Coast Guard helicopter water rescues, tours on Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant, and free food and snow cones.

The shoving begins!

 Without a doubt, one of the most anticipated presentations was the tow boat push off between Higman Marine's M/V Sandpiper and Buffalo Marine's mighty M/V Patrick J Studdard.  In a hotly contested first round of push offs the Patrick J Studdard held off Sandpiper to win. However, in the afternoon session after some tweaks in the engine room Sandpiper came back to win. 

All in all, a pretty impressive showing of horsepower by both boats.

The crowd cheers for the M/V SANDPIPER!

Higman Leadership Training Opportunities

Plan to Participate Next Month

This    year   we  are   providing   three   sessions  in   October   for   Higman Leadership and Management training, with the first one starting Thursday-Friday, Oct. 2-3. These meetings  are  specifically designed  to  train potential leaders  to  progress and  grow in   leadership   skills   and   participate  in   team-building   activities.   All  three meetings  will  be   held   in  the   Training Center   at   the   Peninsula  Blvd  office.

Oct. 2013 Leadership Training

Higman Leadership and Management training dates are shown below so you can choose the session that works best for you. (Please note, if you do not attend next month, you will have to wait until Fall 2015 when this is offered again.)  

Don't delay!  Call or email soon to register.  Click on either name to email Janis or Kelly to reserve your space and request hotel accommodations. Or, if you prefer, call Janis at 281-864-6010.  

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND You hear the fog signal of another vessel forward of your beam. Risk of collision may exist. You MUST __________.

a. begin a radar plot
b. stop your engines
c. take all way off, if necessary
d. All of the above

INLAND ONLY The masthead light may be located at other than the fore and aft centerline on a power-driven vessel __________.

a. less than 20 meters in length
b. less than 12 meters in length
c. which has separate sidelights carried on the outboard extremes of the vessel's breadth
d. engaged in fishing

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND The NAVIGATION RULES define a "vessel not under command" as a vessel which __________.

a. from the nature of her work is unable to keep out of the way of another vessel
b. through some exceptional circumstance is unable to maneuver as required by the rules
c. by taking action contrary to the rules has created a special circumstance situation
d. is moored, aground or anchored in a fairway

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND Which factor is listed in the Rules as one which must be taken into account when determining safe speed?

a. The construction of the vessel
b. The maneuverability of the vessel
c. The experience of vessel personnel
d. All of the above must be taken into account.

BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND You are underway and hear a vessel continuously sounding her fog whistle. This indicates the other vessel __________.

a. desires to communicate by radio
b. desires a pilot
c. is in distress
d. is aground

Nautical Trivia

The USS HELENA and Uncle Fred. 

Recently Port Captain Jerry Casagrand found in an old family album, the transcript of a radio interview from 1944.  The interview was done with his uncle, Fred Casagrand soon after he survived the sinking of the USS HELENA during the Battle of Kula Gulf in 1943.

 The USS HELENA was a St. Louis class light cruiser of the United States Navy. Completed shortly before World War II, she was damaged in the attack on Pearl Harbor, and participated in several battles in the Pacific War. She was sunk by a surface-fired torpedo at the battle of Kula Gulf in 1943. She was one of three U.S. light cruisers to be sunk during the war.

Here is the transcript from Uncle Fred's interview:

 Anchor:  Fred how long were you aboard the "HELENA"?

Casagrand:  Two years from the time I left Boot Camp until she was sunk last July.

Anchor:   Where was she sunk?

 Casagrand:  In the Kula Gulf and the date was July 6, 1943.

Anchor:  What hit her?

Casagrand: Three Japanese torpedoes.  It was a night battle and the "HELENA" went down in about 18 minutes.

 Anchor:  Where were you when she was hit?

 Casagrand:  In a gun mount aft.  When she was hit, I got out of the gun mount and ran out on deck.  There were hot shell casings all around on the deck and I tripped over them.  We looked over the side and saw there weren't any life rafts so we tried to get one loose from the top of the gun mount.

 Anchor:  You say "we", Fred.  Who were the "we"?

 Casagrand:  Three shipmates and myself.  Anyways we couldn't get the raft loose.  It was lashed too tight and we didn't have any knives so we jumped over the side.

 Anchor:  Did you have a life jacket on?

 Casagrand:  I had a rubber life belt.  We forgot about the fuel oil in the water, or maybe we wouldn't have jumped so quickly.  It got in our noses and throats.

 Anchor:  How long were you in the water?

 Casagrand: About 14 hours I guess.  The concussions scared the sharks away but they came back later.

 Anchor:  How were you rescued?

 Casagrand:  A destroyer picked us up and we were taken to a rest camp in the New Hebrides.  But that was a tough break for the ship.  She had been in 13 major engagements up to then that was her 14th.

 Of "HELENA's" nearly 900 crewmen, 168 perished.
 

 The "HELENA" was the first US Navy ship to be awarded the Navy Commendation Medal in November 1945.

 Jerry's Uncle Fred today is 90 years old and lives in Georgia.

© 2014 HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc.