well here it is a year back on the river to me this is more than a job it is fulfilling a promise to my grandmother on her death bed that i would get back out here. over the last year i have met both good and bad people. this trip has been probably the hardest for me. there is alot of he said she said on this boat and enough drama to win an oscar. looking now i see there is no room for me to move up in this company into the wheelhouse where i want to get to. hence i have started applying at other companies cenac towing aep river artco ingram the list goes on and on. this is a bad time of the year to switch companies but with a little luck i will strike it with one of them that has a good tankerman or steersman program. i have come to find out that people out in this industry you cannot make friends with because the minute you go to another boat they talk behind your back. others feed off of this negativity and keep the pot stirred by constantly reminding you. i have made it clear to the mate and captain i will finish the next two weeks however these caterpillar boats are not for me they are too quiet and shove too many barges for my liking. i am a locking river deckhand not a heavy tow deckhand and 30 barges is just too many when your used to only 15. although another point was brought up to me that just all the more tells me to go else where is that i been here a year had 7 evaluations done not a one negative and am not making topped out deckhand pay yet the guys who come from job corps and ride 56 days who get hired on start out topped out. hmm sounds a little fishy. alot of issues are going to come to the surface this time off the boat as my intentions are to first talk to the crew dispatcher and if no satisfaction is given go to the company owner himself. to be continued after crew change.....
