people
Water Under The Keel
By Capt. Grimes `65
Captain George Grimes '65 published his memories of his sea-
going life in Water Under the Keel in 2011. Grimes details the routine and
not-so-routine aspects of a modern mariner and does not shy away from
discussing the challenges a maritime career brings to family life. Captain
Skip Bracy '65 was quoted in the Republican Journal (09/09/11),
saying, "Captain Grimes takes the reader from one adventure to the
next, as vessels and crews ply the seas. This is a must-read for any young
person who is considering a career in the merchant marine."
Captain Grimes, of Rockport, MA, went to sea aboard a cargo ship
immediately after graduation from MMA. Almost 30 years later, he
earned his master's degree in maritime management from MMA.
After years aboard large vessels and a few tries at shore side work,
Grimes switched to being a tugboat captain in the Gulf of Mexico
13 years ago. He told Gail McCarthy, writer for the Gloucester
Times.com (09/19/11) that moving from being the captain of a
large vessel to becoming captain of a tug meant he "had to start
out as a deckhand...Considering I had an unlimited master mariner
license, it was a bit of a humbling experience. I'd be on my hands and knees
chipping rust and they'd [the tug crew] rib me a bit." But he did it and now holds two
captain's licenses. His book can be purchased at the Maine Maritime Academy Bookstore.
15 MARINER / FALL 2012

---