Small Boat Captain

Description

Cardinal Point Captains, Inc. (CPC) is seeking an experienced and well-qualified boat captain to provide vessel support to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS), homeported at the University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SkIO) at Skidaway Island, Savannah, GA. GRNMS operates and maintains a newly built 52’ aluminum catamaran research vessel, R5202, and a 36’ rigid hull inflatable boat, R3601, to support scientific research and long-term monitoring activities, resource protection activities (e.g., mapping, habitat characterization, marine debris, invasive species, response), education and outreach activities, and assistance with local emergency response situations. The vessels support activities such as scuba diving, glider and ROV deployment, and deploying and retrieving instruments from the sanctuary and along the South Atlantic Bight. Missions may require extended transit and temporary mooring from Cape Hatteras, NC, to Cape Canaveral, FL.

CPC is looking for a boat captain with experience with missions in the field of marine sciences. Our ideal candidate will not only be a capable boat handler but also experienced in the maintenance of small boats.

Tasks

• Ensure the safe navigation and mechanical operation of the vessel in which assigned, at all times, in accordance with all NOAA, National Ocean Service (NOS), Office National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) policy guidelines, vessel operations manuals, vessel standing orders, and specifically NOAA Small Boat Standards and Procedures Manual (NSBSPM), NOA 209-125, MARPOL, and COLREGS.
• Exercise prudent judgment at all times. Be willing, able, and capable of responding to shipboard emergencies and actively participate in drills. Conduct periodic fire, man overboard and abandon ship drills on shore or when underway.
• Help maintain vessels and marine facilities on an as-needed basis. Ensure vessels are maintained in accordance with the NOAA Small Boat Program requirements. Document all work completed in an online vessel maintenance log and update the preventative maintenance database.
• Help develop and refine sanctuary management documents, including marine standard operating, maintenance procedures for all vessels, guidance documents for partner organizations, and education and outreach materials.
• Assist the Vessel Operations Coordinator with logistical details including arranging for fuel, pier space, and delivery of repair parts, galley stores, and supplies in harbors as required.
• Conduct an Operational Risk Assessment with crew members prior to getting underway. This includes assessing weather and sea-state forecasts for the mission area.
• Coordinate and support emergent repairs to small boat assets as required. Provide oversight during shipyard and repair periods. Help coordinate engineering work requiring certified technician assistance from engineering contractors, naval architects, electricians, and marine surveyors if required.
• Verify cruise and float plans and communicate with the shore-side point of contact frequently when underway.
• Conduct the vessel pre-departure checklist, hold a safety briefing for all embarked personnel at the start of every cruise day, and ensure that all safety procedures are understood and adhered to while underway.
• Help coordinate, prepare for, and participate in annual inspection of vessels, including an annual review risk assessment for each vessel.
• Help maintain the GRNMS warehouse and vessel equipment lockers in a clean and orderly manner, including the inventory and control of supplies and equipment.
• Attend required training on an as-needed basis.
• Document all vessel-related activities in the ship’s Log.
  
  

Requirements

• Possess an active USCG license (100 tons or above). No candidates will be considered for this position without a 100-ton license.
• Current Frist Aid, CPR and AED certifications.
• At least 2 years of experience working on NOAA vessels, or similar research or law enforcement vessels embarked with scientific personnel.
• Ability to work collegially with scientists, natural resources managers, and educators.
• Experience operating overhead load handling equipment such as winches, cranes, A-Frames, and small cranes.
• Experience operating small boats to support scuba dive operations, including operations at anchor and live boating.
• Experience with deployment and recovery of scientific equipment and divers.
• Experience performing maintenance and troubleshooting tasks on marine systems.
• Physically able to lift and carry 75 pounds to assist with mission mobilization and maintenance.
  
  

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

AAP/EEO Statement

CPC is an EEO employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or covered veteran status.