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Captain Wilbur H. Vantine
Captain Wilbur H. Vantine was born in Quanah, TX, on March 16, 1925. He grew up mostly in Missouri.
In June 1943, when he was 18 years old, he joined the United States Merchant M...view moreCaptain Wilbur H. Vantine was born in Quanah, TX, on March 16, 1925. He grew up mostly in Missouri.
In June 1943, when he was 18 years old, he joined the United States Merchant Marine and commenced training at the United States Maritime Service training facility at Sheepshead bay, Brooklyn, New York. Two months later he was accepted into the U.S Merchant Marine Cadet Corps and transferred to Their Basic School at PassChristian, M.S. While in training as a Deck Cadet Corps, he made two voyages, spanning eight months, on freighters carrying war cargoes to the South Pacific. He returned to the Academy to complete his training in July 1944. In April 1945, he graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, NY, ranked first scholastically in his Section, and obtained his Coast Guard license as Third Mate in the U.S Merchant Marine and a Commission as Ensign in the U.S Navy Reserve.
Five years later he obtained a license, which was issued by the United States Coast Guard, as Master of Steam and Motor Vessels of any Gross Tons upon Oceans. The following year, at age 26, he was given the first seven commands of tramp freighters engaged in worldwide trade.
In 1957, he became a Panama Canal Pilot. He took early retirement from that position in 1983, after having completed more than 4,800 piloting assignments in the Panama Canal. He continued living in Panama until 1997, working as a self-employed Marine Consultant/Surveyor and (until 1995) as a part-time Docking Master for Petroterminal de Panama, the Company that operated a pipeline across Panama for Alaskan crude. He handled more than 300 piloting assignment of tankers on the Alaska Oil Lift, ranging up to 300,00 tons displacement (with a length of 1,100 feet, a beam of 185 feet, a draft of 70 feet and with a cargo capacity of 1,860,000 barrels). All of his piloting jobs were handled without any reportable damage to the ships or any injuries to personnel.
Professional Associations –
Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (Panel H-10, Ship Controllability); The Marine Society of the City of New York (Life Member); The Council of American Master Mariners; Navy League of the United States (served five terms as President of the Panama Council); Kings Point Alumni Association (Life Member, Past President of the Panama Chapter and 1945 Class Agent); International Organization of Masters, Mates and Pilots; and the Panama Canal Pilots Association (Past President).view less