In my maritime career I’ve worn many hats. I started out as a chain-slinging stevedore, then transitioned to warehouseman & longshoreman followed by a brief stint as a terminal superintendent; not long after that I stumbled into a rewarding career as a cargo surveyor with the occasional dalliance as a port captain, supercargo and cargo superintendent. No one particular hat is my favourite; I enjoy wearing them all. In fact, I firmly believe that wearing each of those hats has made me better at wearing each other hat. My company, MCI – Maritime Consultants Inc., also has a collection of hats. Some days we are doing cargo surveys on the Great Lakes, some days is supercargo work on the St. Lawrence, other days is terminal operations in the Arctic…. you get the point. I often (half) jokingly say that I want to be somehow involved in any and all shore interactions of ships calling the Lakes.
Well, the time has come to start wearing another hat. Around 2 years ago my dear friend Robyn from the Windsor Shipping Agency called to tell me she was planning to retire and to ask if I wanted to be involved in taking a more active role in agency operations. Naturally I jumped at the opportunity to expand MCI’s portfolio.
Over the years I’ve worked closely with Robyn assisting with agency operations when she needed help. This past year has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of time spend with her, doing as much agency work as possible. If I wasn’t working for an existing client, I’ve been shadowing Robyn and doing my best to absorb the intricacies of the agency business.
Windsor Shipping has been operated by members of the Waugh family since the 1950’s. To say I’m flattered to continue that legacy is an understatement. Effective February 1, 2024 I will be the owner /operator of the Windsor Shipping Agency. And the best part – Robyn has agreed to be available as needed to ensure a smooth transition and continued exceptional service!
I look forward to adding my many-hatted background to local agency operations, but I apologize in advance to the poor Captains that get to see my face on arrival when they were expecting Robyn!
ps: I apologize for any spelling/ formatting errors in this post. It was written on my phone while waiting outside my daughter’s swim practice – today’s hat is that of Dad&chauffeur.