JENNIFER: HAVE YOU EVER DRIVEN
THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER
BARGE?
YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE THEM ON
THE WATER AND EVER WONDER? WHAT
LIFE IS LIKE A BOARD ONE
PHIL CORTEZ HOPPED ON THE CROWN
POINT TOWBOAT TO FIND OUT HOW.
WE HAVE THE GREEN LIGHT.
OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HAVE A GOOD MORNING.
WE HAVE A GREEN LIGHT TO GO.
MY NAME IS DARREN SMITH AND I
AM A PILOT AND THIS MORNING WE
ARE LEAVING THE DOW'S.
TODAY, WE HAVE THREE
LOADED
GRAIN BARGES TAKING DOWNRIVER
AND DID EMPTY SOLID WASTE BARGE.
A TWO LIKE THIS IS 650 FEET
LONG.
REPORTER: THE LOCKS ARE 86 FEET
WIDE.
RIGHT NOW I AM TRYING THE
BOW
OFF-THE-WALL.
REPORTER: HOW MUCH PAINT DO YOU
LEAVE BEHIND?
MAYBE A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS ONE OF THE PARTS THAT IS
ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING,
MORE STRESSFUL OR YOU NEED TO BE
PAYING ATTENTION MORE, GETTING
IN AND OUT OF THE LOCKS.
AFTER THIS WE WILL BE CRUISING
FOR FIVE HOURS.
REPORTER: THE PILOT WATCH
STARTED AT MIDNIGHT AND IT IS
NOW SIX CAUCASIAN, THE CAPTAIN'S
WATCH, TIME TO HAND OVER CONTROL
OF THE BOAT.
SAW NO BOATS LAST NIGHT.
DID NOT TALK TO DISPATCH.
REPORTER: RYAN JONES TAKES THE
HELM, DRIVING THE BOAT UNDER THE
SUPERVISION OF THE CAPTAIN.
14, 16.
ALL RIGHT, NOTHING NEW.
NOTHING NEW.
PERFECT.
THAT IS WHAT WE LIKE.
REPORTER: HE LEAVES THE
WHEELHOUSE AND HEADS DOWNSTAIRS
FOR SOME MUCH-NEEDED REST.
I WORK FROM MIDNIGHT UNTIL
6:00 IN THE MORNING, HAVE SIX
HOURS OFTEN AND WORK TILL NOON.
I ROTATE SIX HOURS ON, SIX HOURS
OFF FOR 15 DAYS.
REPORTER: HOW ARE YOU GUYS
DOING?
GOOD.
I AM GOOD.
REPORTER: THERE ARE SIX CREW
MEMBERS ON THE CROWN POINT.
THE DECK MECHANIC, JUST COMING
ON WHILE DARREN AND THE OTHER
DECK MATES HEAD TO THEIR STATE
FOR A FEW HOURS OF SLEEP.
THIS IS A 24/7 OPERATION.
THE BOAT NEVER STOPS.
♪
REPORTER:
IN 1932, LOU RUSSELL
SENIOR STARTED TRANSPORTING
INDUSTRIAL COMMODITIES FROM PORT
TO PORT AROUND THE COLUMBIA
RIVER.
10 YEARS LATER, HE ESTABLISHED
THE TIME WARNER TRANSPORTATION
COMPANY.
IN 1960, TIDEWATER BECAME A
FULL-FLEDGED INDEPENDENT TUG AND
BARGE COMPANY.
TODAY IT IS THE LARGEST COMPANY
OF ITS TIME WEST OF THE
MISSISSIPPI RIVER, TRANSPORTING
CARGO FROM THE PORT OF LEWISTON
IDAHO ALL THE WAY TO ASTORIA,
OREGON.
THE DISTANCE, 465 MILES.
TIDEWATER OPERATES A FLEET OF
160 BARGES AND 16 TOTES.
BY LOOKING FOR MY LINEUP FOR
THE BRIDGE.
THAT IS YOUR GREEN LIGHT.
REPORTER: EARLY SATURDAY MORNING
TO APPROACH THE HOOD RIVER
BRIDGE.
THE STRUCTURE 84 B WIDE AND THE
BRIDGE OPENING IS 246 FEET, BUT
WITH A 650 FOOT TOW
, GETTING
THE RIGHT ANGLE IS CRITICAL.
NOT QUITE DEAD CENTER BY
CLOSE ENOUGH.
I WOULD RATHER BE HERE THAN OVER
THERE.
REPORTER: HOW DO YOU THROW THE
NEEDLE THERE?
THE IS DOING GOOD.
REALLY GOOD.
COULD NOT HAVE DONE BETTER
MYSELF.
REPORTER: BELOW DECK, JOHN MAKE
SURE EVERYTHING IS RUNNING
EFFICIENTLY.
I AM A DECK MECHANIC FOR
TIDEWATER.
EVERY WATCH HAS A CHECKLIST THAT
IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH AT ALL
TIMES.
FIVE YEARS ON THE BOAT, FIVE
ENGINEERS.
WE ARE ALWAYS MOVING AROUND,
SEE
WHAT HAPPENS IN INFORMATION THEY
CAN PASS ON.
IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF
LIFESTYLE.
TWO WEEKS ON, TWO WEEKS OFF,
PUNCH THE CLOCK WANTS FROM ME
GET ON.
WE DO TWO SIX HOUR WATCHES A
DAY.
IT IS A LITTLE BIT OF AN
ENDURANCE TEST.
FIVE HUNGRY MEN.
THEY LIKE TO EAT.
YOU HAVE TO GET UP AND WORK
LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
LIGHT GOING ON.
REPORTER: HE WAKES UP CREW FOR
THE NEXT WATCH AND LUNCH.
JOHNNY'S CHIL
E.
REPORTER:
REAL-TIME
CERTIFICATION FOR CREWMEMBERS TO
GET TOGETHER WITH CAMARADERIE,
SHARED INFORMATION AND TO SWAP
STORIES.
A SEA LION AND THE LOCKS THAT
ROLLED ALONG THE BARGES WITH
ONLY TWO FEET FOR ABOUT 200
FEET.
♪
I HAVE THE BEST OFFICE
VIEW
AROUND.
HERE AT THE BARGE IS FANTASTIC.
THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING
DIFFERENT.
YOU SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, YOU
DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT EVERY DAY
AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT MAKES
THIS JOB WHAT IT IS.
REPORTER:
DAY FIVE FOR THIS CREW
IS COMING TO AN END, ONLY 10
MORE LEFT IN 1500 MILES TO GO.
THAT WILL BE NICE TO BE AT
HOME AND SLEEP IN.