Boat Captain

Description

Location: Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, 10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA 31411

Relocation: No relocation offered for this position

Worksite: NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Status: Full Time

Classification: Non-Exempt

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), home ported 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.

The vessels support the sanctuary and partner organization scientific research and long-term monitoring activities, resource protection activities (e.g., mapping, habitat characterization, marine debris, invasive species, response), and education and outreach activities as well as assisting with local emergency response situations. The vessels support activities including Scuba diving, glider and ROV deployment, and deploying and retrieving instruments from the sanctuary and along the South Atlantic Bight, from inshore to offshore waters generally not exceeding 100 miles or 200 meters in depth.

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.

The services and tasks require flexible schedules. This means weekday and potential weekend work, long days not normally to exceed 12 hours beginning early morning with irregular meal periods, and planned multi-day missions (returning to homeport, other ports or protected waters) with infrequent overnight operations.

• Piloting, maintenance, and upkeep of vessels and marine facilities on an as needed basis while serving as crew.
• Assisting the Superintendent and VOC in maintaining a marine operations budget and financial ledger of expenditures and obligations for all vessels and marine facilities.
• Helping develop and refine sanctuary marine standing operating and maintenance procedures for all vessels.
• Assisting the VOC with logistical details including arranging for fueling, pier space, and delivery of repair parts, galley stores, and supplies in harbors as required per the particular requirements of each vessel and port facilities.
• Ensuring that all vessels are properly docked or moored, and are left ready for immediate operation in the event of an emergency, and in preparation for the next mission.
• Helping maintain vessels in a clean and orderly manner including freshwater wash downs after every mission.
• Conducting unscheduled/unplanned maintenance and minor repairs on vessel systems and equipment, document all work completed in the online vessel maintenance log (DOCKSIDE), and update the preventative maintenance database after completion of maintenance activities.
• Helping coordinate, prepare for and participate in inspections of vessels, including an review risk assessment for each vessel.
• Assisting in the inspections as they require and maintain safety equipment in accordance with USCG and NOAA policies.
• As operator-in-charge, documenting all vessel-related activities in the boat’s log including safety drills.
• Ensuring the safety of all persons on board, including conducting or assisting with a pre-mission safety briefing for all embarked personnel prior to every cruise, and ensure that all safety procedures as required by the NOAA Small Boat Policy and other regulations, are understood and adhered to while underway.
• As required by the NOAA Small Boat Policy and other regulations, conducting periodic fire, man overboard and abandon ship drills on shore, or when underway.
• Ensuring the efficient contribution of the vessel and its crew to the accomplishment of the vessel’s mission.
• In preparation for, and during storm events, assisting the VOC and other sanctuary staff with the…