- Please return soon......

 I am the third born to a large family and the oldest son. My father being an auto mechanic, inventor, machinist, and service station owner/operator he was very excited to have a boy that he could mold into a his right hand mechanics helper position. Child labor basically.

I gained valuable hands-on mechanical trouble shooting and repair experience during my early childhood. I remember getting paid the high premium of $0.50/Flat Tire that I fixed. I also remember making my best money doing lawn mower repairs and maintenance jobs.  I continued on, by the fore of my father, up until 16 years of age. I had my driver’s license on my 16th birthday, of course had my own car ready to rumble. At that point I was a changed kid, I had FREEDOM! And boy did it take advantage of it.  Freedom will have to be another chapter.

Immediately after graduating from high school, my strong math and science grades qualified my for a Construction/Land Surveying job with the Oklahoma Highway Department. This strong mathematical based profession was challenging and interesting to me. I worked my way up from a Rear Chainman to an Instrument Man Position within one year. At 1.5 years of working there, I met a person named Gary Jay who worked in the human resources department. Through Mr. Jay’s mentoring and assistance with paper work, the highway department offered me a work study program to begin studying in Civil Engineering at Oklahoma State University.

After 2.5 years of full credit Civil Engineering studying at OSU, while working alongside upper classmen in a Civil Engineering Design Lab, I was beginning to be noticed by the major oil companies seeking young engineers. I was offered a few different scholarships that allowed me to attend the Private University of Tulsa, IF I switched majors to Petroleum Engineering. I did.

After 1 year of TU attendance, I had a unique opportunity to work in Alaska on the 800 mile oil pipeline as a chainman on a construction survey crew. I had enough experience to be a Party Chief of a survey crew now, but the money to be made as a rear chainman on this major Alaska pipeline, was almost unbelievable. With no costs of living expenses…………….. I said, Yes Sign me Up.

Working 9 weeks on and 2 weeks off surveying on the pipeline, I discovered the sea and small boats in Alaska during my weeks off. I became so passionate about boats and the sea that I begin trying desperately to get a job on a commercial fishing vessel. Being a green horn I hardly had a chance, except my strong mechanical skills and engineering training opened a few doors Albeit the doors were not the locked type and the first boats I worked on were far from being safe and the skipper was far from being social adept. But I would work a long as I could stand it and then find another boat to work more on. Soon I was out of money, because none of the boats could make any money fishing.

Being broke I would go back to the good money jobs surveying on the pipeline. After a couple of months I was flushed up on money again and would then go back seeking my passion…………… boats and the sea. Commercial Fishing was my path to get more time and sea experience with marine operations.

-----To Be Continued----