The Detective of the Docks: Sean McLaughlin’s Quest for Safety Solutions

McLaughlin’s journey to becoming what colleagues call a “horse whisperer” with machinery began in Watsonville, California. His parents would buy him broken motorcycles instead of working ones. “I really wanted a bike and they didn’t want me to have one, so they would buy me stuff that didn’t work,” he recalls. “And I got pretty good at making ’em work.”

That early persistence with failed systems proved invaluable when facing an elusive engine issue that stumped manufacturer engineers. The problem centered on new environmental technology causing engines to fail during critical ship docking operations—a potentially catastrophic safety risk.

“The boat wouldn’t have any brakes,” McLaughlin explains. “If the ship is moving through the water and you’re behind it with a line up and the ship asks for you to stop and arrest and you turn the drives backwards… the engine couldn’t accelerate anymore.”

Where others saw an insurmountable challenge, McLaughlin saw variables to be systematically tested. His breakthrough came when he realized traditional testing would put crew and vessels at risk during actual ship operations.

McLaughlin’s solution was elegantly ingenious: simulate real-world propeller loads using the tugboat’s own capabilities. “I came up with the idea of taking one engine and going transverse with it,” he explains. “So that’s got the boat spinning as fast as it will spin.”

By creating controlled circular motion, he generated equivalent water conditions that triggered engine problems, then used the opposite engine to test the failure scenario safely at the dock. “I took a GPS out on the back of the boat, and I stood over where the drives are, and it measured six knots that the boat was just sliding through the water.”

What sets McLaughlin apart is his refusal to accept temporary solutions. “A lot of people have an issue, and they do something that fixes it. And now that’s what they’ll always do when this issue comes up,” he observes. “But now you get into this repetition of not really solving it, just fixing it.”

This philosophy extends throughout his work—from studying manufacturer specifications to researching alternatives that offer lasting solutions. His innovations with specialized materials and techniques have prevented countless future failures across AmNav’s fleet.

McLaughlin’s leadership emphasizes learning over blame. “When I make mistakes, I like to tell the people below me that I did,” he says. “I want them to be comfortable telling me that they’ve made mistakes. And with that, I think it creates a lot of trust and a lot of mutual respect.”

For McLaughlin, safety means fostering a culture where people look out for one another every day. His advice is simple but profound: “You always got to put yourself first. Safety starts with you; you’ve got to take care of yourself.”

He teaches crew members to recognize hidden energy sources and slow down in confined spaces. “You can tell who’s going to be high risk based on how they walk in the engine room,” he notes. “If you’re still running through the engine room after you’ve hit your head, you’re not going to learn to be safe with anything else.”

McLaughlin’s 2024 solution didn’t just fix one boat—it created knowledge benefiting AmNav’s entire fleet and potentially other maritime operators. His systematic documentation means the solution can be replicated and improved upon.

Now 16 years into his AmNav career, McLaughlin continues mentoring the next generation while tackling new challenges. “I read a lot,” he says when asked about staying current. “You’ve got to understand why things are, don’t settle. It just is. Every time something breaks, you’ve got to know why.”

For McLaughlin, receiving the award validates an approach that puts persistence, systematic thinking, and genuine care for crew safety at the center of marine engineering. More importantly, it highlights how refusing to accept “that’s just how it is” can make the maritime industry safer for everyone.

“Every broken piece that comes off a boat, we take it apart,” McLaughlin concludes. “We don’t always figure it out. Sometimes we do. And when we do, you learn from it.”