Drug use by captains?

There was an article in Dockwalk and a certain percentage of licensed Captains failed the random drug test. I don't remember the percentage, but you might be able to look it up on their website. I think it was a rather small percentage......like around 4%, but do not remember.

I was talking with a mate I know the other day who was telling me about a captain he had worked for in the pasted that no sooner had they tied up from a trip one daythat he found the captain doing lines of coke, in the galley as I recall. He had to tell him to cool it as customs was about to walk on the boat!

More than once I've heard stories about this or that captain who works hung over a lot, drinks while underway, smokes pot aboard or who an owner has put through rehab.

When I first read this I was going to offer to sell you a bridge, but then I thought back. Although I've never run into a captain doing coke the rest I have seen (but not often). Hung over though I have seen way too often. Everyone should understand that "He had to tell him to cool it as customs was about to walk on the boat!" makes that crew-member complicit putting not only his job but his freedom at risk. Working under such a captain risks his life. That's a job to quit.

Hi,

I certainly hope that you are not implying that someone who has been unfortunate enough to need to undergo rehabilitation ( rehab) should be treated differently to someone who is drunk, stoned or both onboard?

Rehab is just that and for those souls that undertake it and pass out as success stories there should be no ongoing stigma about it at all.

I have a friend who went through a long and extensive rehab at his Owners expense, he is still with the Owner 5 yrs later and is a very successful big boat captain.

My hat goes off to this guy who can go into a bar and drink his non alcoholic drinks for a whole evening and have fun whilst those around him drink the normal stuff and get wasted.

He says he looks at it like this- you are allowed a certain amount of alcohol in your life, he just got to his limit at an early age.

Kudos to the boss who stands behind an employee through his troubles. Unfortunately this is where theory & reality often take different paths except in Hollywood and jobs with union protection. Like the song says "Never mention the word addiction is certain company".

Rehab. Have had to deal with this in the past. Alcohol rehab can usually be dealt with if the sick one is up for it. Purely from a business perspective dealing with the problem rather than resorting to dismissal can be very positive. One particular employee that was well liked fell in to that well and came through the process. Initially the other guys in the crew were a little nervous about trusting him but became very protective of him. Six months later his effect on the crew was that they were all drinking less and he was looking out for them. Might not be the "humane" way to look at it but it can work out very well.
Drug addiction is a whole other kettle of fish. Depending on the location the legal side can make this a nightmare. If there is an arrest involved, guilt by association can also come in to play. Recidivism rates are something that need to be considered as well.

"That's a job to quit."

Bingo! That is just what he did.

As to rehap. Of course I wasn't trying to say or imply there is anything wrong with an owner standing up for and doing the right thing for a captain by helpping him/her get throught it. Either with financial or moral support. Or both.

But you don't go to rehab unless there is a problem. And it can take years for that problem to fully show itself. Perhaps causing a lot of mistakes to happen along the way. Not to mention the covering up of those mistakes.

And sadly the rate of long term success of most rehab programs is low from what I've read.

"I certainly hope that you are not implying that someone who has been unfortunate enough to need to undergo rehabilitation ( rehab) should be treated differently to someone who is drunk, stoned or both onboard?"

Of course someone who has gone through rehab should be treated differently.

For one they aren't stoned, drunk or both anymore. Hopefully.

Or maybe I'm just not following you on this one.

This is why I consider it more important if a person can competently do his job than what he did on his vacation 3 weeks ago. The cause is less important than the result. A guy who drinks every night is legal, but I wouldn't want to work with him. On board you must be straight, sober and mentally fit.

After almost 35 years of watching and knowing Skippers from all over the world, they are no angels.

Yes they get drunk, smoke, snort and even shoot-up(I once found the skipper of a well known Sportfisher shooting-up between his toes in the owners cabin).

So where do you draw the line? Will the boat get in trouble? Sniffer-dogs in the galley going nuts may be a giveaway. Another skipper had the sniffer dogs go wild over a baggie of West System Microballs and the dockmob all thought 'Ah, a bag of white powder, he must use' which is complete B.S.

I've had my own demons and still fight them. At sea I never drink and am happy that way, its when you step ashore the trouble starts.

Girls and Rum.

Well at least you've got to keep a tradition going.

Hi,

What I meant that to mean was that there should be no discrimination against someone simply because they are a recovered pisshead or druggie if they have undergone a successful rehab and go their life track on track.

Fish- Knowing a couple of the Captains you have sailed with I am surprised that a toe ping is the worst thing you saw.

To be honest, yes, that was the most shocking. If you've met my Mom and Dad plus Aunt, P.D's Mom and Dad and all the Auntie Mafia in Antigua; drug education is nailed into you, with force.

Once I let out my Land Rover to a buddy to tow a spraying rig to another marina and didn't see it again for three days. When I found the truck it was full of Crack-pipe leftovers.

He is now happily married with two kids and a thriving business.

We all do daft things, just grow out of them.

Fish

Generation Gap??

To be quite honest, I'm pretty shocked by what I've been reading here. I'm starting to wonder when all of these (Fish in particular) instanced occured.
I ask this because the yachting business has certainly changed over the years. Yachting has become more of a business than it once was. There was a time when many yacht captains learned their trade while sailing the Caribbean on their own boats- they were more a social rogue than today's skippers and became Captains because they were in the right place at the right time. The Internet has made this more of a global business and expanded the pool of candidates. As such, things have become more professional (for better and for worse) and regulated on a whole.
Sure, I went to college and pulled all the typical college-kid shenanigans. But now I have a lucrative career which I protect with diligence. I would never consider risking the safety of my passengers or my license.

I personally have worked on research vessels with a captain that drank 1/2 a fifth of vodka every day ! When the crap hit the fan , he would always defer to what ever course of action I decided.It was stressfull at times but we have all been there. I'm sure that yacht captains are just as likely as any occupation to have substance abuse problems. Is it as bad as the NBA I don,t think so!

Sorry, but I'd have quit that boat the first time it came to near a dock.

I'm not assuming *all* captains are drug free. The statistics are what they are. It's a real life issue. I guess when I made that post I was more referring to our captain.