Professional and Personal Website
| Vessels I served aboard |
| Name | Photos (Click for larger view) | Notes | Voyages |
| SS Old Colony
Mariner C4 Mariner class breakbulk freighter |
 |
Sailed to Japan and back at ages 4 and 6 as a passenger. These voyages were the origin of my love of the sea and ships. | Across the Pacific and back. |
| USCGC Jarvis 378 ft high endurance cutter |
 |
My first ship. Sailed as Seaman Apprentice up to QM3 | Nola to Baltimore to Panama to San Diego to Hawaii. 3 Ocean Station Novembers and 2 Alaska Patrols |
| USCGC Apalachee 110 ft icebreaking tug |
(Other vessel in class) |
QM3. I was assigned here for a few months and then transferred to the Edisto. | Chesapeake Bay |
| USCGC Edisto 269 ft wind class icebreaker |
 |
QM3. Served during two artic patrols on both sides of Greenland during both the winter and summer. | Iceland, Greenland Sea, Labrador, Scotland. |
| USCGC Northwind 269 ft wind class icebreaker |
 |
QM3. Helped recommision the vessel after a major refit in Baltimore. Completed my 4 year active enlistment in the USCG. | None |
| NOAA Ship
Surveyor 292 ft survey vessel |
 |
Served as Quartermaster. The vessel was engaged in a survey of the intertidal zones of Alaska in preparation for the opening of the Valdez oil terminal. | SE, SW, and Western Alaska and the Bering Sea. |
| NOAA Ship
Davidson 175 ft survey vessel |
 |
Served as Quartermaster. We conducted a chart adequacy survey of Northern San Francisco Bay up to Rio Vista and then conducted the first survey of Yakutat Bay, Alaska since the 1890's. | Seattle, San Francisco, SE Alaska. |
| R/V Hero 125 ft wooden hulled motorsailing antarctic research vessel |
 |
AB Seaman and Zodiac Skiff operator. The Hero was a historic 125 foot wooden hulled motor sailer conducting research for the National Science Foundation and carrying personnel and supplies to and from Palmer Station in the Antarctic as part of operation Deep Freeze. | Talcahuano, Chile, Ushuaia, Argentina, South Shetland Islands, Anvers Island, Antarctica. |
| NOAA Ship
McArthur 175 ft survey vessel |
 |
Served as Quartermaster. We conducted a tidal current survey of Northern Puget Sound and the Straits of Juan de Fuca. | Puget Sound |
| WT Preston 163 ft snag boat stern wheeler |
 |
Served as AB Seaman aboard this historic paddle wheel snag boat. We operated throughout Puget Sound and up several rivers removing logs and snags and debris. | Puget Sound |
| Puget 104 ft snag boat |
 |
Served as AB Seaman as we operated throughout Puget Sound removing logs and snags and debris. | Puget Sound |
| VLCC Maryland 1,115 ft VLCC oil tanker |
(Other vessel in class) |
AB Seaman. 265,000 DWT VLCC on the Valdez - Panama run. 1,115 feet long; 174 ft beam; and a 65 foot draft. | San Pedro, CA, Valdez, AK, Puerto Armuelles, Panama, San Francisco, CA |
| M/V Pribilof 220 ft break bulk freighter |
 |
AB Seaman. Freighter running between Seattle, Dutch Harbor, and the Pribilof Islands. | Seattle, Dutch Harbor, St George and St Paul Island, Bering Sea |
| Northstar III 455 ft break bulk freighter - Victory Ship |
 |
Served as AB Seaman preparing this historic vessel for what turned out to be it's last voyage. I signed off before it sailed in order to pursue studies for my 3rd Mate's license. | Dockside |
| Salmon Tender
Makaka 110 ft salmon tender |
(Other vessel in class) |
Chief Mate. My first voyage as an officer. We sailed the inside waters of SE Alaska and participated in the salmon fishery delivering fish to the NEFCO-Fidalgo cannery in Ketchikan, Alaska. | Anacortes, Ketchikan, Craig, Seattle. |
| ITB Sea Skimmer 450 ft integrated tug barge |
(Other vessel in class) |
Chief Mate. We were on a regular run carrying gasoline from Corpus Christi, Texas to Jacksonville, Florida. | Corpus Christi, TX to Jacksonville, FL via the straits of Florida. |
| Tug Barbara
Andrie 125 ft tug |
 |
Chief Mate / Relief Master. Towing hopper dredging barges, cargo and crane barges. Pulling and setting anchors. | Port Everglades, FL to Virginia Beach & Norfolk, VA. |
| Tug Viking 110 ft tug |
 (Other
vessel
in
class) |
Master. Towing a tandem tow of barges. | Montreal, Canada to Booth Bay Harbor, Maine. |
| Tug Portland 125 ft tug |
 (Other
vessel
in
class) |
2nd Mate. Towing tandem rail barges. A regular run. | Prince Rupert, Canada to Whittier, Alaska |
| R/V Robert D.
Conrad 209 ft seismic research vessel |
 |
3rd Mate, 2nd Mate, Chief Mate. I served here for 4 years, advancing my license and seeing much of the world. | Hawaii, Panama, Florida, Barbados, Bahamas, Bermuda, Halifax, St Johns, Greenland, Norway, France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Guam, Hong Kong, Singapore, New York, Mexico |
| M/V Sunmar Sky 257 ft break bulk freighter |
(Now M/V Coastal Trader) |
One voyage as Chief Mate, many voyages as Master. Freighter carrying general cargo northbound and frozen seafood products south. In addition to many other voyages, we made two voyages into the Bering Sea ice pack in order to conduct at sea transfers of frozen cod from a Polish mother ship. | Seattle, Ketchikan, Kodiak, Sand Point, Cold Bay, Dutch Harbor, St. Paul, St Matthews Island |
| Ocean Phoenix 680 ft fish processing factory ship |
 (before
conversion) |
2nd Mate, Chief Mate. Former container ship converted to a Surimi factory ship working with a fleet of catcher boats in the Bering Sea. | Dutch Harbor, Bering Sea |
| Cory Chouest 265 ft research vessel |
 |
Chief Mate. Vessel was conducting LFAA research and testing in the North Pacific near Japan. | Honolulu, Hawaii, Yokohama, Japan, North Pacific. |
| Cape Catawba 486 ft break bulk freighter |
 (Ex-Mormaccape) |
2nd Mate. The ship was part of the RRDF and was broken out for Operation Desert Storm. We sailed to Ad Dammam, Saudi Arabia carrying military cargo. We passed through Suez the night the bombing of Bagdad began and weathered a scudd missile attack in Ad Dammam and then sailed to Okinawa to load bombs. When the war ended, we anchored in Singapore. | Beaumont, TX, New Orleans, Mediterranean, Suez, Red Sea, Str. of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia, Okinawa, Singapore |
| Windward Sentry 190 ft aerostat vessel |
 (Sister ship) |
2nd Mate. Anti drug smuggling surveillance vessel working with the US Coast Guard. | Caribbean |
| Pacific Sentry 190 ft aerostat vessel |
 |
Chief Mate. Anti drug smuggling surveillance vessel working with the US Coast Guard. | Caribbean, Puerto Rico, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba |
| RVIB N. B.
Palmer 308 ft Antarctic icebreaking research vessel |
 |
2nd Mate. Maiden voyage of the Palmer. Departing Louisiana, we sailed south and went deep into the Weddell Sea resupplying a Russian - American Ice Research Station. | Port Fourchon, LA, Panama Canal, Valparaiso, Chile, Punta Arenas, Chile, Weddell Sea |
| Washington
Responder 208 ft oil spill clean up vessel |
 |
Chief Mate / Relief Master. Oil spill clean up vessel. Conducting drills and exercises, maintaining constant readiness. | Puget Sound, Straits of Juan de Fuca, North Pacific |
| Victoria
Clipper IV 115 ft high speed passenger vessel |
 |
Chief Mate. High speed passenger ferry running between Seattle and Victoria. | Seattle to Victoria, BC |
| Pembina 324 ft break bulk freighter - ammo ship |
(now - Spirit of Grace) |
Chief Mate. Ammo ship. We loaded shells, missiles and explosives in West Loc, Pearl Harbor and transported them to Concord, California. | Alameda, CA, Pearl Harbor, HI Concord, CA, North Pacific |
| Spirit of Alaska 143 ft small cruise vessel |
 |
Chief Mate / Relief Master. Small Cruise ship carrying 100 passengers from Seattle up the Inside Passage to Ketchikan, Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka, Juneau, and Glacier Bay. | Seattle, BC, SE Alaska |
| Moana Wave 210 ft survey vessel |
 |
Chief Mate. Conducting NOAA contracted chart surveys in the Gulf of Mexico along the Florida, Louisiana, and Texas coasts. | Mobile, AL, Pensacola, FL, Texas |
| DB-50 497 ft DP heavy lift & pipelay vessel |
 |
2nd Mate / DPO. Installing Spar oil production platforms and pipelay in the Gulf of Mexico off the Louisiana coast. The DB-50 has an air ballast system that is used to compensate for the swinging of the 900 ton derrick boom. | Mobile, AL, Louisiana, Gulf of Mexico |
| Pelagic &
Squito 35 ft & 50 ft whale watching vessels |
  |
Master. Operating whale watching vessels in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Taking passengers on voyages to observe Orcas, Humpbacks, Minkies, porpoises, seals, eagles, and other wildlife in the islands along the Canadian border. | Orcas Island, San Juans, Gulf Islands, US and Canada |
| DB-101 480 ft semi submersible heavy lift vessel |
 |
2nd Mate, Chief Mate, BCO. Installing oil production platforms in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. We carried around 250 personnel aboard, The vessel was over 30 years old but of a very innovative and effective semi-submersible design. | Ciudad del Carmen, Veracruz, Mexico, Bahia de Campeche |
| DP-MODU Ocean Confidence 320 ft DP semi submersible oil drilling vessel |
  |
DPO. Standing DP watch on Nautronics DP system. Assisting BCO. Rig was drilling a 29,000 foot well in 6,800 feet of water in the Walker Ridge block area. | Gulf of Mexico, Walker Ridge area. |
| Chloe Candies 280 ft DP ROV vessel |
 |
3rd Captain / DPO. Commissioning a new ROV vessel, we operated in the Gulf of Mexico supporting operations at the BP Thunderhorse PDQ platform. Equipped with Z-Drives and DP-II equipment, the Chloe is extremely maneuverable. | Port Fourchon, Houma, Galveston, Gulf of Mexico |
| Alucia 183 ft expedition vessel |
 |
Master. Vessel was undergoing conversion in Seattle. I was involved with Project management, ISM, operational planning, quality control, team building, procurement. The project was put into hibernation due to construction and funding delays. | Seattle dockside |
| BGP Pioneer 270 ft seismic vessel |
 |
Master. 3D Seismic Survey Vessel conducting survey operations off of the coast of Ghana. Upon concluding operations we sailed north to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands for a yard period. | Takoradi, Ghana, Las Palmas, Spain |
| Celia Candies Emily Candies 260 ft DP platform supply vessels |
 |
Mate / DPO. Sailing as additional mate to gain experience with z-drive vessels while awaiting the completion of a new ROV vessel to which I am to be assigned. | Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon, Grand Isle |
| Chloe Candies 280 ft DP ROV vessel |
|
3rd Captain / DPO. ROV vessel, we operate in the Gulf of Mexico under contract with Saipem America, carrying out subsea construction. Equipped with Z-Drives and DP-II equipment, the Chloe is extremely maneuverable. | Port Fourchon, Houma, Galveston, Gulf of Mexico |
| DSV Epic Diver 213 ft DP dive support vessel |
 |
Master. Vessel was carrying out saturation diving repairing pipelines off the eastern Mississippi River Delta damaged by submarine landslides caused by hurricanes as well as surface diving repairs on the Chevron Petronius platform in the Viosca Knoll area. | Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon |
| MPV Global Orion 300 ft DP dive support & ROV vessel |
 |
Master. Commissioned newly purchased, reflagged, and reclassed Multi Purpose Vessel equipped with ROV, saturation diving, and a heave compensated 150 ton crane. Vessel conducted post hurricane survey work, demolition of collapsed platforms, and capping of wells in the offshore Louisiana area working for Chevron. | Gulf of Mexico, Calcasieu River, Lake Charles, Port Fourchon |
| DSV Mystic Viking 252 ft DP dive support vessel |
 |
Master. Dive Support Vessel carrying out saturation diving doing inspection, maintenance, repair, and installation work all over the US Gulf of Mexico working for a wide variety of clients and oil majors. | Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon |
| DSV Kestrel 323 ft DP dive support & ROV vessel |
 |
Master. Dive Support Vessel carrying out saturation diving doing inspection, maintenance, repair, and installation work all over the US Gulf of Mexico working for a wide variety of clients and oil majors. | Gulf of Mexico, Galveston |
| MPSV Swordfish 340 ft DP dive support, ROV, and Subsea construction vessel |
  |
Master. Dive Support, ROV, and Subsea Construction Vessel
carrying out saturation diving doing
inspection, maintenance, repair, and installation work all over the US
Gulf of Mexico working for a wide variety of clients and oil majors.
Vessel equipped with a 150 ton and a 70 ton Active Heave Compensated
crane. |
Gulf of Mexico, Galveston |
| AMC Ambassador 216 ft IMR / ROV Vessel |   | Master. Carrying out ROV in the US Gulf of Mexico working for Noble and EMAS. 42 person crew. Employed by Gallatin Marine working in the US Gulf of Mexico. | Gulf of Mexico, Port Fourchon |
| Safari Voyager 172 ft Adventure Cruising Vessel |    | Master. Adventure cruising with UnCruise Adventures operating in Central America in the Pacific and Caribbean taking guests on expeditions to remote areas. Managing an international crew. Vessel carries four inflatable skiffs and a full complement of kayaks and paddle boards, engaging in Eco-Tourism. | Costa Rica and Panama and the Panama Canal |
| R/V Kilo Moana 192 ft SWATH Design Research Vessel |    | Master. UNOLS scientific research vessel operated by the University of Hawaii. Conducting National Science Foundation funded research expeditions around Hawaii and in the Pacific Ocean basin. | Hawaii, Alaska, US West Coast, Mexico, Oceania |
Copyright © 1999 - 2020 David C. Martin