The ocean doesn’t care about you. There are rough seas, wind, and rain.
And if you’re prone to getting seasick, as Drew Kerlee is, it’s a good reason to work on a tug on protected water, rather than a ship on the open ocean.
Kerlee, who signed on as port captain for Foss Maritime in Tacoma, Wash. in late 2023, took a meandering path to his current career. He grew up in Bellevue, Wash. and tried studying computer science at the University of Washington, but dropped out. A move to the University of Hawaii Hilo, then to a community college, was also unsatisfying. He finally found a home at Cal Maritime in Vallejo, Calif., graduating in 2012.
A series of jobs on the water, including as a tug captain for Foss’s sister company, AmNav Maritime in San Francisco Bay, finally landed him at Foss.
“I was lucky enough to find something I enjoy,” he said. “Then it’s a matter of just staying happy.”
A new challenge
As Port Captain, Kerlee is responsible for daily administrative tasks like reviewing invoices, keeping track of maintenance schedules and ensuring Foss boats are carrying up-to-date equipment.
He schedules needed work and — when necessary — does it himself. He likes expanding his “brain bandwidth” working behind the scenes, keeping things organized. But he’s also happy to take a break from the computer screen, put on work clothes, grab a set of tools or hop aboard a tug that needs to move to a new home in port.
“I find this position rewarding — it’s next to the water, and related to the water. But it’s a challenge,” he said. “I really enjoy it.”
Safety is Job 1
Safety is one Kerlee’s priorities. He organizes a weekly safety meeting, where he and others review needed tasks and try to anticipate how to avoid problems.
“In our line of work, safety is huge,” he said. “There’s a thing called ‘stop-work’ authority, and if someone feels like something is dangerous, they don’t do it.”
He notes that the nature of the work is inherently dangerous.
“We are out there on boats, and we purposely run into ships all day long,” he quipped. “Normally when you run into a ship, that’s a bad day. But that’s part of our job.”
He urges crews to think about how find a balance: “Does this amount of risk make sense, or can we service the customer and get the job done by doing it some other way?”
One of Kerlee’s other passions is working to interest the next generation in maritime careers. He frequents career days at local high schools, inviting students to tour the port and explore the job opportunities it offers.
“Foss gives me latitude during the day to do outreach, and I appreciate Foss for letting me do that,” he said. “It’s good for the company and for everybody in the community.”
He gets excited thinking about future crew members who sign on for a maritime career “because I heard this dude talk about it at my high school.”
Drew Kerlee, tinkerer
Kerlee’s interests outside of work can best be described as eclectic. He enjoys geocaching with his family, flying drones, launching model rockets, and building custom speakers for his fledgling side business.
He cherishes a regular morning run — with running distance often determined by how stressful the previous workday was.
Does he miss life aboard a boat? Not really.
“Some people tell me, ‘You should have a boat.’ I know too much about it. I’ve got a nice little house and a nice little car in Tacoma. If I had a boat… Nope. Not doing that. It’s way too much work.”