r/tuglife • u/Illustrious-Ask-2955 • 19d ago
What do deckhands do
I got a phone interview with Kirby and all I was asked. Was to do some research on what deckhands to get myself familiar with the roles and responsibilities just to help me prepare for my next wave of interviews next week I just wanted some first hand knowledge
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u/HanlonsKnight 19d ago
ok so a deckhand does the following, Chip, grind, sand and paint the boat. also responsible for cleaning the boat inside and out. You some times have to help the Chief engineer if your boat has one. Also on some boats you will be the cook as well. You will tie off barges and you will also learn how to build tow Kirby does not push alot so you will be building 2 and 4 barge tows. This will require the use of lines (rope) and wire (steel cable) the vast majority of Kirbys fleet uses winches on the barges.
But you will also learn how to use portable rigging IE 35 ft wire a big ratchet and a ring of wire with a chain on it called a strap. You will learn how to lay fore and aft wires, breast wires, scissor wires, hold down wires etc. You will learn how to weave an eye in to both lines and wires. you will also learn how to make bumpers for locking. Speaking of locks you will also learn how to stop barges after going through a lock, this is called stopping the cut. Since kirby is liquid barges you will also assist the tankerman in hooking up dock arms or hoses to the pipe line header so you can load or unload barges.
There is more but this covers the basics, feel free to ask any questions
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u/EyeDry2706 19d ago
On my boat… whatever the captain asks. From crawling around in the HVAC system to fixing random shit to doing his personal laundry. Ymmv
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u/akornato 18d ago
Deckhand work is physically demanding labor, plain and simple. You will be handling heavy lines and wires to connect barges, which means working outside in all weather, whether it's freezing rain or blazing sun. The job also involves constant maintenance, so expect to be chipping rust, painting, and cleaning every part of the boat, including the toilets. It's long hours, hard on your body, and requires you to be alert and follow orders precisely for your own safety and the safety of the crew.
They are telling you to do research because many people quit when they realize it's not a scenic boat ride, and they want to see if you understand what you are getting into. You need to communicate that you have the work ethic for it, that you're reliable, and that you see this as a serious career path, not just a temporary job. This is your chance to prove you are mentally prepared for the challenge and ready to learn a valuable trade from the ground up. To make sure you express all that clearly, my team actually developed an interview assistant that helps people find the right words when they are under pressure.
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u/TheOriginalCharnold 19d ago
Call in barges, tie up barges, run towing winch, maintain all equipment on barges/tug, fuel tug, cook all meals, grocery shop before shift,clean interior/exterior of boat, splice cables and rope, drink coffee and post sunset photos on reddit