Question for guest from EU

[paulbeesley]

Fascinating bit of personal history. I'm glad you are so interested in the Great Lakes. Thank you.

[RCRVRP]

Very impressive, nice to know how it is that you know so much about ships and shipping. Thanks for the information and I hope you will continue to participate on this forum.
RCRVRP

[GuestfromEU]

Of course, I am always glad to share my experience and hope the knowledge is useful. I attended maritime college in my native Germany and have worked in the marine industry for over 25 years. I sailed for about 15 years on tankers, bulk carriers, and a few contracts on other ships like ro-ros. Since 2011 I started working on shore, starting out as Superintendent managing vessel daily operations of four ships, then promoted to a position in the commercial department and now Fleet Manager for eight LNG gas carriers. Aside from daily commercial and technical management I also attend drydockings and other shipyard repair periods as the owner's representative. I hold a Chief Engineer license and MSc in Maritime Technology and Management from National University of Singapore.

My knowledge of the Great Lakes is not as rich as many of the others on this board and every day I learn something new from this site. When I was a child I owned several books on the lakes and marine industry - Lake Boats We Remember, Know Your Ships, and others. Now my bookshelves are filled with thousands of books I collected over the years, though the Great Lakes subjects are some of my prized volumes. I find the history and traditions of the lakes quite fascinating. In all my travels, I have not met any other group of enthusiasts that have such passion for a local sector of the global shipping industry as a whole. Also, I have been fortunate to meet others working in the Great Lakes shipping industry and we keep in contact regularly. My favourite subject is history - the photos of old ships now gone, and the stories of working on the ships or just watching them pass by. I enjoy sharing my knowledge on subjects posted here when I can add value.

[RCRVRP]

I always enjoy reading your informative posts. It seems you must be involved in the shipping business in some way.
Would you be willing to tell us a bit about your occupation and experience? As much or as little as you feel comfortable sharing on the net.
I'm certain there are others here who as fascinated by the information you provide as I am.