Page 28: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (September 2023)

NATIONAL SECURITY MULTI-MISSION VESSEL (NSMV)

Watch the full interview @

Photo courtesy Captain Morgan McManus

McManus & Mentorship: Be Accountable

As Captain Morgan McManus prepares to take the helm of Empire State VII and a new generation of seafarers, he re? ects on the mentors in his career that have helped to shape his career path. “When I was chief mate, I worked with Captain Steve Werse at Central Gulf Lines. He really taught me by his leadership style. Once I started sailing captain, I was always able to call upon him with questions or for advice. When I took the role back at the college, Captain James DeSimone, the former captain of a training ship, was a great help mentoring me and source of advice [on this position].

Also, I learned how to be a captain by working with a really good chief engineer. When I ? rst started sailing as captain,

I had a great chief engineer, Neil Reilly was older than I was, and he has since passed away. I started sail captain when

I was 35, so I was young and brash [with a big] ego. He had a great, subtle way of keeping me steady.”

And when it comes, eventually, to his legacy with the way he would like to be remembered by the students of today? “Never stop learning. Also, be accountable for your actions; be accountable to your mistakes. [Everyone] makes mis- takes; learn from them, move on from them, but be honest about it too. We always say on the ship, ‘Don’t try to hide a mistake. It’s going to come out eventually.’ So just be accountable.” 28 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • September 2023

MR #9 (18-33).indd 28 9/6/2023 5:19:15 PM