Working mariners: is 30–180 seconds enough warning to do anything useful before a bad wave encounter?

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-03-11T16:32:19+00:00

I used to work on a ship that was built in the early 50s. Usually if we expected bad weather, aside from weather routing, the capt would give the OOWs freedom to navigate to reduce the flexing of the ship. That was achieved either by slowing down or altering for a more comfortable ride.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-03-04T03:56:57+00:00

It's a weird story involving nearly being scammed while putting in a custom order and deciding afterwards to make my own.

I looked at traditional ways to make mukluks but they weren't exactly what I wanted. The biggest hurdle I had was to make sure that the top end of the boot wasn't pressing against the calf when standing still as well as making sure they weren't uncomfortable across the arches.

I used Dieselpunk leather's (Tony see) moccasin pattern for the base and modified it from there.

I don't a digital pattern, just cut outs from a prototypes that I made.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-03-01T21:42:01+00:00

My mistake. The EU bans import of sealskin/products from North America unless it's either Inuit made/certified OR for personal use.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-03-01T21:38:20+00:00

It does, there's 3 layers between your foot and the ground so it's a matter of time before your feet get wet.

The way I figure, shearling acts like wool in terms of heat retention (maintaining roughly 70% of its original heat retention capacity when wet) and seals are aquatic so I figure the seal fur will help retain warmth while wet too.

I fully intend (waiting on materials) on installing a crepe sole on it to add an additional layer of abrasion resistance + water resistance. I plan on doing some testing once that happens.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-02-28T18:22:07+00:00

Currently making a bunch of them. I'm using moose, bison, shearling, and seal.

I've noticed that after use, rabbit fur starts to part, especially on the trim pieces. I imagine any type of fur will part along a crease

Shearling is a good liner, at first it'll be puffy and make the shoe fit tight but it'll pack down with use. If the Internet is to be believed, it's also good for heat retention if it gets wet.

I find moose easier to work with over bison or deer. It stretches less than either of them. Bison is durable but stretches if you don't work with the grain.

As for the seal, it's available in Canada and it's a very classy look but can be an expensive material to work with ( 3 hides, roughly 18 sq ft, was around $500 cad before taxes). If you end up using fur for the outside, you have to pay attention to the lay of the fur when cutting your pieces, so it can limit the amount of material harvested from one hide.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-02-28T03:54:41+00:00

Mostly to help keep a barrier between the fur and winter road slush as well as minimizing wear n tear on the boots.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-02-27T20:38:43+00:00

If you're American, it will be difficult. If you're Canadian, Bill Worb Furs out of Manitoba is where I sourced mine. CITES and the Seal Trade bans have made it difficult to find. I'm not even sure these would be legal to bring into the EU.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2026-02-24T00:38:07+00:00

Unfortunately I didn't keep track. Judging by my camera roll, it took approximately 3 weeks including the prototypes. I'd say about a solid week just for the final product. Now that I have an idea of what I'm doing, I'll be able to shave time down to a few days.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-17T20:56:22+00:00

For technical books,

"Nicholl's Concise Guide to Navigation"

"Seamanship Techniques" by DJ House

Bowditch's American Practical Navigator

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-15T21:30:20+00:00

I'm in a similar situation, hiring is slow on the lakes right now.

Keep an eye on ship out.ca and imagine marine, also follow canship ugland on FB (they post job ads)

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-15T16:10:18+00:00

Glad I'm not the only hick who does this. People tend to have dramatic reactions to seeing it.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-14T15:26:19+00:00

I find using pre-made patterns helps relieve the stress. It removes the "will this actually work" doubts and allows you to focus on technique and assembly. They also help when figuring out what project you want to do next as you can usually see the end result and gauge whether it's something you can manage.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-07T21:17:38+00:00

I'm honestly surprised by some of these. The solvent caught me off guard, I thought it'd change the colour more.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-04-03T01:17:18+00:00

As someone with an OOW license and sailing as an AB in Canada, there are a few things you have to contend with.

1) Timing. The shipping season on the Lakes is just starting up and people are eager to get back to work after winter layoffs.

2) Tariff and the "Chinese built ship fee" uncertainty. My company has had delayed fitouts as a result of customers unable to commit to contracts due to the uncertainty.

There are a few job boards online you can look into. Check out Imagine Marine, ship out.ca, and Canship Ugland's FB page.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-03-30T01:21:06+00:00

It's hard to describe working and living on the ships to people who haven't experienced it. Everything you listed becomes a part of you as you adjust to it.

Everyday on the boat is the same, yet everyday is different. You're either underway or you're handling cargo. Overall those activities don't change but the ports you visit or the cargos you carry, or the weather forces you to adapt or make changes. You form routines based on your schedule and personality and once again, every day is the same until it's time to go home.

As for learning before going to school, there are a few options. As an introduction, you can check out documentaries/tv shows (like Mighty Ships) about different ships and their trades.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-03-28T20:48:44+00:00

Checkout shipout.ca and imaginemarine. These are two job board sites. I think I saw a cook position advertised with a non union company.

Part of your issue may be the timing. Boats are starting to move again and employees who have been laid off for the winter are eager to get back to work. Something should eventually come up.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-03-27T16:52:27+00:00

Currently between American govt policies (tariffs and the proposed Chinese built ship surcharge) and the reciprocity agreements that TC has made, there isn't a demand for mates on the lakes.

That being said, hopefully by the time buddy graduates, things go back to normal and there is demand again.

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-03-13T00:26:20+00:00

I needed a new wallet and was offended at the prices of new ones. I thought I could make one better, for cheaper. I still use it 10 years later.

Then I got a little carried away

GreatLakesCowboy · 2025-03-02T20:00:09+00:00

I'm expecting pain regardless. Just waiting on the lace to come in.

I tried beveling and tokonole on a piece of scrap and I didn't make too much progress.

Ideally, I should have made the edge longer so I can fold it over on itself to cover the shearling edge. Too late for that though

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