Objective
Seeking a position as Master, Chief Mate,Docking Master or DPO with advancement opportunities.
Experience
USCG Master Unlimited License, with endorsements as Master of Towing. Endorsements as First Class Pilot of vessels for any Gross Tons for the St. Johns River Jacksonville and Port Canaveral, Florida, for Brazos Santiago Bar, Pass and Ship channels of Port Isabel and the Port of Brownsville, Texas.
Additional experience includes documented sea time aboard DP 2 Heavylift Crane Constrution vessels, freighters, bulkers, tankers, container and heavy lift ships, harbor tugs, ocean tugs with I.T.B and Hawser experience towing Oil rigs and Ocean barges.
Well rounded maritime background as Ship Master, Federal and State pilot, GOM Construction & SUV, Harbor Assist Tug Captain, ITB Tug and Barge, Ocean tows, Jack up rigs and MODU, Bulkers, Tankers, Break bulk and Container carriers.
Currently employed, 2005 to the present with US United Ocean Services / TECO Ocean Shipping. Serving as Master aboard: The MV Tina Litrico & The MV Sheila McDevitt; both bulk ships in world wide tramp trade. We predominately carry PL-480 Grain to east Africa or North Korea DPPK, for the United Nations, World Food Program project cargos. Our back hauls include loads of Sugar or Phosphate from Mozambique, Morocco, Italy, Argentina, Brazil. Duties as Captain aboard ship are many with priorities to safety, security and environment. Managing 21 person crew and ship handling of a 641 foot bulk carrier ship in world wide merchant trade. Following the regulations of port state, USCG, STCW, SMS, SOLAS, as required. Proactive team leadership roll. Promoting and conducting the ship’s officers and crew as ambassadors to the countries we call on with foreign dignitaries and officials we encounter with USA Food Aid.
PILOT EXPERIENCE
2003 to 2005 Owner/Operator Federal Pilot business, Jax Federal Pilots, LLC. Jacksonville, FL St. Johns River. US Flag coastwise traffic. Ships, ITB’s, ATB’s and Tugs with hawser tows. I sold this business and went to work full time for my best customer, TECO Ocean Shipping; now called US United Ocean Services.
2003 to 2005 Relief Master and Federal Pilot, Port Canaveral, Florida aboard SunCruz, LLC., MV SURFSIDE PRINCESS “Ex New Yorker, US Flag, 6514 GT 1200 Passenger/Casino ship.
1997 to 2001 Texas State, Branch Pilot, Brownsville, Texas
Brazos Santiago Pilots Association, Inc., Brownsville and Port Isabel, Texas
A two-pilot association that, in 1999, directed 840 vessel movements - including 8 oil rigs and 7
dead ship tows - through a 16-mile long, 250-foot wide ship channel that has a project depth of 42
feet, terminating with a 1200-foot wide turning basin.
Piloted and docked/undocked vessels of up to 850 feet in length, with a maximum draft of 39 feet, to/from the sea buoy through a 300-foot wide channel entrance. Ships piloted include:
Freighters Chemical Carriers Jack-Up Rig Tows (540' air draft) RoRos
Ocean Tows Research Vessels Semi-Submersible MODU Tows Bulkers
Container Ships Passenger Ships Heavy Lift Crane Vessels Tankers
Responsibilities included: Conferring with Harbor Master, port authorities, shipyard and scrap yard personnel, towboat companies, and pilot association attorneys/CPAs on operational matters and association issues. Monitoring weather conditions for movements of vessels into and out of ports. Maintaining logs of vessels moved, continually up grading training in the profession.
• Routinely made public relations presentations to USCG Outreach Program, Ports, Rotary clubs, civic organizations, the Rio Grande Valley Power Squadron and the Rio Grande Coast Guard Aux. Speaking on Piloting vessels and oil rigs into and out of port.
ADDITIONAL HARBOR TUG EXPERIENCE
9/2001 to 7/2003 Ship Assist Tug Boat Captain, 3500, 3000, HP single screw tugs with flanking rudders and 1800 HP single screw open wheel tug for McAllister Towing of Jacksonville Florida. Ship Assist in docking/undocking ships and ocean barge tows along a 23-mile stretch of the St. Johns River. Close quarter boat handling in strong Flood and Ebb river currents. At times the current moved at up to 3.0 Kts. along with docking pilot and state pilot transfers underway in the River and at Sea
.
ADDITIONAL SEA-GOING EXPERIENCE
9/94 to Deck Officer. S.S. LEADER (37,807 DWT Tank Ship - Ex OMI LEADER)
5/97 Chief & Second Mate with Kirby Tankship, Inc., (SABINE) Groves, Texas
4/94 to Operations Officer / Deputy Commandant. TEXAS CLIPPER (Training Ship)
9/94 Texas A&M University, Galveston, Texas (Summer Training Cruise)
5/92 to Master. S.S. FRED G. (Break Bulk / Container Ship - Ex ZOELLA LYKES)
9/93 Pacific Gulf Marine, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
11/90 to Master. S.S. GOPHER STATE (Auxiliary Crane Ship - Ex EXPORT LEADER)
11/91 Interocean Management, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Served aboard 12 consecutive months with
Extensive war zone exposure during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm / Desert Sortie
8/87 to Chief Mate. M.V. SUGAR ISLANDER (Bulk Carrier) Now the MV TINA LITRICO, as Capt.
11/90 Pacific Gulf Marine, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
7/85 to Chief Mate, M.V. SEA TRADER (Multi-purpose Break Bulk Ship - Cayman Island Flag)
5/87 Pacific Gulf Marine, Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana Served aboard 22 consecutive months.
6/81 to Captain & Mate M.V. GAUCHO / PAMPA (ATB) now Penn, Marlin / Gulf Stream
6/85 International Transportation Management, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9/80 to Mate, M.V. TORRENT / PONCIANA (Ocean Tug with LNG Tow)
5/81 Bludco Barge and Towing, Inc., Houston, Texas
Education
South Houston High school Diploma 1977
Louisiana Marine and Petroleum Institue 1980
Page Navigation School 1982
UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY, KINGS POINT, NY
1995 National Sealift Training Program
Defense Communications Course
Maritime Security
Master Mariners Readiness Course (CAORF Ship Handling Simulator)
1995 Global Maritime Distress & Safety System
1995 Tankship Dangerous Liquid Cargo (PIC)
OTHER ACCREDITED MARITIME TRAINING :
1994 Alcohol Breathalyzer Test Administration Certificate, Texas A&M Extension Institute
1993 STAR Master's Advanced Ship Handling Simulator Course, STAR Center Dania, Florida
1993 HAZM AT, HAZ WOPER and Health & Safety Course, Dania, Florida
1992 Shipboard Medical First Aid Training, MAS , Medical Advisory System, Owings, Maryland
1990 Basic and Advanced Computer Operation and Programming for Shipboard Use, Dania, Florida
Certification
TRAINING & CERTIFICATIONS
2009 Dynamic Positioning L3 Communications
Houston, Texas
2009 ABS NS5 Computer program training
Tampa, FL
2009 VSO Security Training for STCW
Norfolk, VA
2008 New Horizons Time Management Training Houston, TX
2008 AMA Successfully Managing People, Personnel Management Dallas, TX
2007 ISPS Ship, Company and Port facility Officer Security Training, MPT Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2006 DNV Practical Loss Control Management, Det Norske Veritas Atlanta, GA
2005 Bridge Resource Management Seaman’s Church. New York, NY
2005 Confined Space Rescue, A&M College Station, TX
2005 DOT Qualified Alcohol and Urine Collector, ASAP Tampa, FL USA
2004 Marine Radar Re-certification, Marine Professional Training, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
2001 S.T.C.W. 95 Compliance Training, Texas A&M University TEEX Including:
• Advanced Marine Fire Fighting, Fast Rescue Boat, Personal Safety, Survival Training, Medical P.I.C. Automatic Radar Plotting (A.R.P.A.), Texas A&M University at Galveston. and College Station, TX
1997 Kirby Tankship HAZWOPER Hazmat Training, Port Arthur, Texas
1996 Shipyard Competent Person, Marine Chemists, Inc., of Texas
1996 Bridge Team Management - RTM STAR Center, Dania, Florida
1995 Inert Gas, Crude Oil Washing & Vapor Recovery Systems, Hazmat and first Responder Training School of Marine Engineering and Navigation, STAR Center Dank, Florida
1995 Global Marine Distress & Safety System - Element 1, Dania, Florida
1995 Kirby Tankship HAZ WOPER Training, Port Arthur, Texas
1995 Employee Assistance Supervisory Education & Training, Dania, Florida
1995 Recognizing and Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Dania, Florida
Skils
Shiphandling in close quarters situations in shallow water.
HONORS & AWARDS
1999 United States Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award
1999 State of Texas Senate Proclamation No. 61 for Outstanding Public Service Contributions
1992 MARAD Certificate of Participation in Operation Desert Storm
1991 Certificate of Achievement for Service during Operation Desert Shield / Desert Storm, from Brigadier General Edison Schools, Deputy Commanding General, 18th Army Airborne Division.
PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERSHIPS INCLUDE:
CAMM, Council of American Master Mariners
Maritime Society of New York
Boston Marine Society
US Propeller Club of Brownsville-Port Isabel, Texas
(Past: President, Vice President and Treasurer)