Schedules

One thing that a lot of people ask us about is Butcher's work schedule. The answer is simple, but still needs clarification most of the time.

Crescent Towing crews work a week on and a week off, with the exception of some engineers and I think one deckhand who travel a good ways to get here and work 2 weeks on, two weeks off to make things easier. This means they work 7 days on the boat, then come home for 7 days. This is where the questions usually start and they go something like this:

Q: You mean Butcher doesn't get to come home at night? Where does he sleep?
A: The crew sleeps onbard the tug. Each tug is equipped with either 3 or 4 bunkrooms. The Captain has a room, the engineer has a room, and either each deckhand has a room or they have one room with bunkbeds that they share. (see the next question)

Q: What hours does he work?
A: Each tugs varies it's shifts a bit, but each crew works the deckhand 12 hours on, 12 hours off. The 12 hours may be split into two 6 hour shifts, or one 8 and one 4 hour shift, or be 12 hours straight. In the 12 hours off-time, the deckhand can sleep, watch TV, read or socialize a little. Since each deckhand works 12 hours, one deckhand uses the bunkroom while the other works, then it rotates. Ships come up the river and need docking or have to sail and need undocking 24/7, so crews must always be ready.

Q: But what about holidays? Are crews off at least on Christmas?
A: No. Seven days on, 7 days off means you work straight through, no matter what day of the year. Ships come and go all hours of the day and night, every single day. Christmas? If it falls on your week to work, yes. Easter? Yep. Halloween? Yep. St. Patrick's Day? Yes, even in Savannah. :)

Q: So Butch is always working every holiday?
A: Although it seems like it sometimes, the answer is no. Since the year has 365 days and 52 weeks, with the occasional Leap Year, and the months have different numbers of days, the calendar changes each year. Remember how Christmas falls on a different day of the week each year, but New Year's Day always fall on the same day as Christmas? Well, that changes things up. Since the crews change out on Fridays, and that DOESN'T change, it gradually rotates to where you have different holidays off depending on which hitch you are on. (A hitch is the week on...the week you work) For example, this year (2012) Christmas falls on a Tuesday. Butcher goes into work on Friday, Dec. 21 and comes home Friday, Dec. 28. He has worked Christmas every year since he joined the company. Normally it is only 7 years straight that you miss Christmas, but he switched hitches a few years back and will actually work every Christmas until 2015, when he will come home on Christmas morning. Then he will be home every Christmas for 7 years. It works out ok though, because the way the days of the months fall, if you work Christmas, you are off every Thanksgiving and New Years. We just celebrate a day or two early or late, depending on his schedule. And sometimes, if the work is slow, each crew members gets to come home for an hour or so on Christmas.

Q: Where does the crew eat when they are working?
A: The crew eats onboard. Each tug has it's own kitchen and galley area to prepare and eat meals and watch TV. Trust me when I say they eat well. Each boat decided who is the cook. On Butcher's tug, the Captain cooks because he enjoys it. He is a very good cook too! The eat full meals like stews, roasts, pork chops, chicken, with sides and veggies. Lunches are leftovers or salads or sandwiches. Each crew is allotted grocery money and purchases their food for the week. TRUST ME when I tell you they eat better than I do! They also have grills and cook meat on the grill quite often.

Q: So what does Butcher do on his off week?
A: SLEEP, for one thing. In 7 days he works 84 hours straight and sometimes a LOT of overtime,so he is quite tired when he gets home. He also usually has quite an  extensive "honey-do" list waiting when he gets home.  :)

I hope I covered all the questions......I know I probably missed some,. If you have a question for me, leave a comment and I will answer it in a soon-coming post!