Garrett Leuly

I serve as a volunteer firefighter at the local fire department.

I spent my summers working on the Whalehouse Point ferry advancing from dockhand up to captain. The captain is responsible for transporting up to 45 passengers at a time from Bellport to Ho-Hum basin located on Fire Island. Daily operations consist of maintenance of the engines, mooring the vessel, fueling operations, loading and unloading of passengers and cargo, navigating across the Great South Bay in all weather and sea conditions. Putting the safety of the vessel and crew first.

As part of pursuing my 3rd mate unlimited tonnage license I had the opportunity to intern at Great Lakes Dredge and Dock. I worked for 90 days gaining experience as well as sea days. Throughout this time I navigated the ship under direction of captain. Developing ship handling skills while conducting channel work as well as transiting on offshore voyages. I aided officers in conducting routine checks of lifesaving appliances, firefighting equipment, and navigational devices for optimal functionality. Supported deck maintenance projects such as painting, chipping rust, greasing winches, or replacing lines as necessary for optimum ship performance.

I worked overnight shifts on the H20 water taxi as senior deckhand I was responsible for assisting with the safe and efficient nightly operations. Ensuring passengers and cargo are transported smoothly across various water routes. Navigating the vessel across the bay and mooring at many different marinas.

I worked as a mate on the 300 passenger ferry leaving Sayville traveling to multiple different destinations harbors on Fire Island. Mates assisted the captain with daily operations. Handled lines during mooring operations efficiently, securing the vessel safely at designated locations. Maintained deck equipment and supplies. At each port tasks such as loading and unloading passengers and other cargo we properly performed allowing to keep the scheduled departure times. At the end of each shift the interior and exterior of the vessel are cleaned and inspected insuring they are seaworthy for the next watch.