​​​​​​Grand Portage Isle Royale Transportation Lines

​Want to get paid to spend your summer in a beautiful wilderness area full of fishing, hiking, canoeing opportunities; meet travelers from all over the world;  spend your days on Lake Superior; and introduce visitors to one of the most pristine and remote national parks? 

Deckhand
Occasionally we have openings for seasonal deckhand positions on both boat routes. 

One is a position on the Voyageur II, a 65’ aluminum vessel, that is 6 days every other week. This position requires 3 overnights a week on the boat on the island. The season runs from the first weekend in May through the first week of October

Also available are positions on the Sea Hunter III, a 65’ aluminum vessel, the day trip 
boat to the island. These trips run 3 - 5 days a week from early June through the first week of September. 

Deckhand duties are as follows:
Contribute to the best guest experience possible for each and every passenger
Follow safety procedures in order to ensure the protection of passengers and vessel
Participate in routine safety drills
Handle lines to moor vessels to docks
Assist with passenger boarding and disembarking
Stand watch on ships' decks and in pilot house in order to look for obstructions in a ship's path or to locate navigational aids 
Assist captain in vessel maintenance as needed
Maintain the cleanliness and safety of all common areas and crew quarters
Sweep, mop, and wash down decks and exterior using brooms, deck brushes, and hoses
Load and unload passenger luggage, packages, and freight 
Gather and remove trash from vessels, maintain supplies of cleaning products, trash bags, etc.
Maintain stock of and facilitate sale of food items; drinks, snacks, etc. 
Service, clean, and supply restrooms

Both positions require passing a pre-employment USCG drug screen and on-going random drug testing.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain sea time on a commercial vessel for anyone looking to obtain a Coast Guard Captains license. ​

If you are interested in this position please Contact us.

Captain

Periodically we interview for potential captains. We need someone with a current minimum USCG 50 ton Master of Inland Waters license to operate a 65’ 49 passenger ferry between Grand Portage, MN and Isle Royale National Park in northern Lake Superior.

Isle Royale lies approximately 20 statute miles from the Minnesota shore of Lake Superior. The route circumnavigates Isle Royale in a clockwise direction making stops along the north side of the island dropping off and picking up backpackers, canoeists, kayakers along the way. We reach Rock Harbor in the afternoon and it is our final stop for the day. The boat overnights at Rock Harbor and the crew stays on the boat. The next morning the boat departs Rock Harbor and makes it way around the south side of the island, again making several stops along the way before returning to Grand Portage in the afternoon. There are 3 of these trips per week; the season runs from the first weekend in May through the first week of October. 

This position is on the Voyageur II, a 65’ aluminum passenger ferry with twin diesel power, 40 gross tons, with one master and one crew. It is equipped with two radars and redundant electronic navigation systems in addition to required equipment. There is a galley and berths for overnight trips. 

The position could also include splitting time between the Voyageur II and the Sea Hunter III, a 65’ aluminum, twin diesel vessel running a day trip schedule to Isle Royale. 

Master responsibilities are as follows:
Follow safety procedures in order to ensure the protection of passengers, vessel, crew, and cargo. Operate the vessel along a scheduled route in accordance with USCG rules and regulations
Assess hazards to navigation including weather conditions, currents, obstructions, traffic, debris, etc. 
Perform routine maintenance and inspection of the vessel (including fueling, checking fluid levels, etc.) and promptly report issues to management
Oversee routine safety drills
Provide positive and effective supervision of deck crew
Maintain ship’s log, maintenance logs, and shift reports as required by USCG and management
Load and unload passenger luggage, packages, and freight with appropriate bills of lading
Maintain passenger manifest to account for all passengers scheduled for pick-up/drop-off at every stop, and assist with passenger boarding and disembarking
Assist deckhand with housekeeping tasks if needed

This is a great route in beautiful wilderness surroundings. Isle Royale National Park is a remote archipelago in Lake Superior. The Grand Portage area is in the very northeastern tip of Minnesota, 6 miles south of the Canadian Border. 37 miles to the south is the tourist town of Grand Marais with numerous services as well as the gateway to the BWCA. 35 miles to the north is the city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. The area has abundant fishing, boating, kayaking, canoeing, camping and hiking as well as the Grand Portage National Monument and state parks and forests. 

We offer a very competitive compensation package based on the applicant’s experience. We are also open to the possibility of splitting the duty between two captains if there is an interest.

If you meet the qualifications and are interested in this position please Contact us.