About Me
I'm Doug Richards- Captain on the ATB Coho and previously Chief Mate on the ATB Randy McCraney. I’m happily married to my wife Katie and we have four beautiful daughters.
I began elementary school in Dayton, TX before moving to Boerne, TX. We lived deep in the Texas Hill Country and I spent many of my younger days climbing oak trees and swimming in the Guadalupe River with my siblings.
Childhood
Born
06/03/1991
Age
34
My teenage years consisted of focusing on school, sports, and working on a nearby ranch. I was the starting wide receiver and back up quarterback for the football team. In track, I qualified in the regional men’s 4x200 meter relay and also competed on the power lifting team.
High School
As a senior, I put a lot of thought into my future and what career path I’d pursue. I knew I didn’t want to be behind a desk and wanted to do something extraordinary. In my research of colleges I discovered the Texas Maritime Academy at Galveston.
School
Boerne Samuel V. Champion
Graduation
Spring 2010
Texas Maritime Academy
At first, I had no idea what I had signed myself up for. But as time went on my interest soared and friendships bonded. I became deeply intrigued by this world I previously knew so less about.
In maritime school, I worked various jobs—barbacking at the Float, bouncing at the Spot, and valet/bellhopping at the Tremont House and Grand Galvez hotels—to cover expenses beyond room and board. During that time, I met Katie, a Maritime Administration major. We married in 2016. After she was laid off from a subsea company in Houston, we moved back to San Antonio when our first daughter was born to be closer to family while I worked offshore. She’s now an insurance broker at her family’s company.
Cadet Shipping
During freshmen cruise, I visited the Pacific on Cal Maritime’s TS Golden Bear where I earned a Golden Shellback (Simultaneous International Date Line and Equator crossing).
The next summer was spent on a Maersk Containership running from the U.S. to the Middle East. My name was no longer Doug Richards- I was simply, “cadet”. I witnessed poverty in third world countries, worked long days and endured authoritarian type leadership. But I rolled up my sleeves and grew into a young deck officer that summer.
When I returned to school in the fall, I scored one of the highest grades on my summer sea project. And on request by the University Intermodal Transportation Professor, I proudly gave a presentation to his students on containership operations.
During my junior-to-senior summer cruise aboard the TS General Rudder, I visited ports across the Gulf and focused on developing as a navigational watch officer. With time left before school and a growing interest in harbor tugs, I reached out to G&H Towing about a cadet internship. They welcomed me aboard, and I headed to Freeport, TX to experience tug operations on the Juno.
Graduation
The day I received my Third Mates License, I began applying to every company I could find. I contacted union halls, completed dynamic positioning courses, and drove throughout the Southern United States to introduce myself in person. Eventually, I received a call back from Kirby Offshore Marine.
Graduation
May 2014
Degree
B.S. Marine Transportation
Minor in Maritime Admin.
Career
Working at Kirby has been an incredibly rewarding career. I’ve had the opportunity to call on ports in each state from Texas to Maine and work my way up from the deck to Captain. I’ve been able to grow as a tankerman and deck officer by working on manned barges, tow wire boats and ATB’s. My favorite 6 hour watch is the one where I top off cargo on the barge, disconnect hoses, run over and fire up the boat, shift into the notch and get underway with the help of the pilot and assist tug. The dual mode experience of light boat and ATB mode has inherently improved my ship handling skills exponentially.
There’s more beyond this waypoint- sail up to the menu button to keep exploring.