By Rob Alway
Growing up, Sam Bouchier thought he might follow in his father’s footsteps and become a truck driver. Instead, he found a career that allows him to travel thousands of miles hauling cargo, not on highways, but on the Great Lakes.
Bouchier, 33, is the third mate aboard the 508-foot Canadian freighter Northern Venture, which recently visited Ludington.
“My dad did trucking for 20, 21 years, and I always thought that was pretty neat,” Bouchier said. “As a kid, you idolize whatever your parents do, right? And he always told me, ‘Not in a million years.’”
Bouchier laughed about how his career ultimately turned out.
“Joke’s on him. I’m now an aquatic trucker.”
Bouchier grew up just outside Niagara Falls, Ontario, and moved to New Brunswick about five or six years ago. He began his maritime career in 2014, although working aboard a Great Lakes freighter wasn’t necessarily part of his original plan.
After his father left trucking, he worked in heavy industrial construction, including projects involving tunnels for hydroelectric plants and subways. Bouchier saw that while the construction projects could last for years, there could also be long layoffs between jobs.
He wanted something with more financial stability.
He considered a career with the Canadian Coast Guard, but that didn’t work out. Then, through an unlikely source, he discovered another option.
Online advertisements began appearing for the Marine Navigation program at Georgian College in Ontario, which offered a path toward becoming a deck officer.
He decided to give it a try.
“Yeah, 12 years later, I guess it stuck,” he said.
Today, Bouchier is part of the crew aboard Northern Venture, a Canadian-flagged, self-unloading bulk carrier operated by McKeil Marine of Burlington, Ontario. The vessel carries bulk materials to ports throughout the Great Lakes.
Capt. Paul Easton commands the ship, which normally operates with a crew of 17.
As third mate, Bouchier is one of the ship’s deck officers, responsible for navigation, cargo operations and safety.
His navigation watches run from 8 a.m. to noon and again from 8 p.m. to midnight.
During those watches, when the vessel is underway, he is in the wheelhouse monitoring the ship’s course, other vessel traffic and changing weather conditions.
When the ship is in port, his responsibilities shift to supervising cargo operations, following the loading or unloading plan established by the first mate.
He also supervises crew members to make sure they are following proper safety procedures and wearing the appropriate protective equipment.
Another major responsibility is maintaining and inspecting the ship’s safety equipment, including survival suits, firefighting gear and life rings.
“I assist the captain and the first mate as they need, and supervise things when they’re not around,” he said.
Although the work carries significant responsibility, Bouchier said there are several aspects of life aboard a freighter that make the career particularly appealing.
One is the opportunity to travel.
“I love the aspect of traveling around,” he said. “I’ve been to many places along the Great Lakes that I never would have been to otherwise.”
His travels have taken him to ports such as Thunder Bay, Ontario; Duluth, Minnesota; Gary, Indiana; and Chicago, Illinois.
He enjoys being outdoors and seeing the different locations along the lakes. Even when the work itself is familiar, the circumstances are constantly changing.
“Every day, even though you’re doing the same stuff, every day is different,” he said.
Weather, destinations, docking situations and changing assignments all contribute to a job that requires constant attention.
Another benefit is the work schedule.
McKeil Marine operates on a rotation of five weeks aboard the vessel followed by five weeks at home. Combined with the winter shipping shutdown, the schedule allows Bouchier to spend a considerable amount of time away from work.
He said it provides a clear distinction between his professional and personal life.
When he’s aboard the ship, he can concentrate on his responsibilities. When he’s home, he has time for family, friends and hobbies.
“I love that it’s a livable salary for essentially half a year’s work,” he said.
Bouchier also appreciates the people he meets, both aboard the ship and at the ports it visits.
Northern Venture‘s crew includes sailors from several Canadian provinces, including Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and British Columbia.
At American ports, he has developed an appreciation for the people who work on the docks.
“You meet a bunch of people,” he said. “All the guys on the docks, they’re good. They’re the best kind.”
The experience, he said, has broadened his understanding of people and places throughout North America.
For now, Bouchier is content with his position as third mate. While advancing to higher-ranking positions is a possibility, he is in no hurry.
“I don’t plan on rushing it until I feel I’m either bored in my current role or until I know I’m more ready than I am,” he said.
Advancement brings new responsibilities, and sometimes an entirely different vessel. Bouchier said he wants to be certain he is prepared before taking that next step.
Still in his early 30s, he figures he has plenty of years ahead of him to advance through the ranks.
In the meantime, the combination of responsibility, travel, time at home and the changing nature of the Great Lakes continues to make his chosen career rewarding.
For someone who once considered following his father into trucking, life as an “aquatic trucker” has turned out to be a good fit.