From page 2 The fire was eventually brought under control, and Montgomery survived with smoke inhalation and bruised, er, feelings. The twin-screw type of berthing tugs thar Montgomery skippered in 1988 are gradually being replaced by Z-peller (or Z- drive) tugs like the Three. The twin propulsion units, operat- ed by a pair of joysticks that incorporate directional con- trol with power control, can rotate 360 degrees. Besides amazing manoeuvrability, the 2-pellers give the new rugs, unlike the traditiona: twin- screw models, almost the same thrust astern as ahead. Two tugs can now cio the work of - what used to take five or more. There’s a downside to the modernization. from — the ‘crew’s perspective. Cates crews only half of its tugs now, the remainder being chartered out. Montgomery says there were 35 or 36 crews when he started with Cates, now there are 16. “They tell us we're lean and mean now,” he com- ments wryly. But Montgomery still likes his job. He should. Seawater runs in the family. His great grandfather was a sea captain in Scotland, his grandfather was a ship’s captain and his father started on sailing ships at the age of 15 and was a blue-water skipper before joining BC Ferries to work out of Horseshoe Bay and remain close to his family. Family-time is one reason Monrgomery likes his job. He has a four-year-old daughter and a three-month- old son and as a relief skipper he figures to work one shift of seven days or nights a month and 16 four-hour call outs at (at double time). If he had a cegular shift he would work seven straight 12- hour days, get seven days off and then work seve 12-hour nights. “It’s a great way to make a living,” says Montgomery. ¢ pilot asks us if we can see whether the lead lines are tight yet and Montgomery tells him that three of the four have already been winched Sunday, July 18, 1899 — North Shore News — 5 ares NEWS photo Julle lverson LIKE raost of the Cates skippers, Terry Jordan has worked for Cates a long time -— “20-odd years I'd gucss.” He says one specific seagull, Al, has become his tug’s pet and claims he is a vegetarian whe loves bananas. tight by the freighter’s deck crew. So the pilot releases us from the job, but not before asking whether he can get a tide to Canada Place! The Faleun clears the favour with the Cates dis- patcher and at 11 p.m., about an hour after we left dock, we are free to head back to North Bet doubles fleet’s size From page $ Capt. Cates was forced to fire his cook and chief engineer in rapid succession, not so much _ because they were drunk all the “~ time as because they refused to work while in that condition. J.