Character Study Captain Stewart
posted by on April 14 at 9:50 AM
How long do you plan on being the captain of this fine ship?
As long as my voice holds up. I have been doing this three seasons.
How did you get into Duck driving?
In the 1990s I was a fisherman in Alaska and I worked on commercial fishing boats. To drive the Duck, you need to have a Coast Guard approved captain’s license and a Washington State commercial driver’s license.
Are there ever any ladies on the Duck who want to have a private tour with just the captain sometime?
Well you know it’s a family tour and we meet people from all over the world, and that is the biggest perk. And seeing people have fun, it’s great. I am showing my city, but sometimes occasions arise.
Do these things ever crash or have leaks in them?
No, no. We have mechanics. The captains visually inspect the Ducks. So we have never had any problems.
Really? Never?
Yes.
I’ve heard about some pretty wild stuff involving alcohol on the Duck. Can we get a party Duck going on?
Well, when you rent private tours you get the whole Duck and it’s up to the captain.
If you could take the Duck on a road trip, where would you go?
Florida, Hawaii maybe. Somewhere really warm.
If you could modify the Duck, what would you do? Tinted windows, maybe?
I would put in extra heavy-duty Duck-approved heaters! Oh no, the time! Well it’s about time for me to go get my Duck on the road!
Thanks and adios.
I hate those damn things. Remember when Public Intern sprayed them with water guns? I wish it would have been a real gun...
Can somebody please inform the duck drivers that vessels under sail have right of way?
Didn't one sink in Lake Union a few years ago?
That was a charming interview.
I have have now seen the face of evil.
DUKW propoganda from this skipper...
Yep, one sank in Lake Union in 2001.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/49983_duck10.shtml
13 ppl drowned when 1 went down in Arkansas!
fuck the ducks. forced jocularity is antithetical to seattle's vibe.
@7:
If only it WERE forced jocularity. My dad insisted on riding a duck when he came to town a few years back, and I can tell you, them tourists just LOVE all that schtick.
Meanwhile, I had to sit in the back with my dad and correct all the inaccurate "history" the "captain" was spewing over the loudspeaker.
Never had a problem? Pshaw...
My wife is from out of town and I'm a local, but she thought I'd really enjoy going on the duck for Father's Day. Everything about it was terrible, but the worst part was when they finally put us in the water the propeller would not engage and we were floating in lake union. Three other Ducks just drove right on past us and the passengers were fending the thing off from hitting the million dollar yachts that the wind was pushing us in to.
My daughter was petrified.
@8 Comte.
Hah, "had to sit in the back with my dad and correct all the inaccurate "history" the "captain" was spewing over the loudspeaker."
I can just picture the good times going on in the Duck that day.
Capt. Stu Pendous getting some press. I worked there selling tickets for the past few summers and I can pretty much smell that back alley through the photo. Also, the tourists themselves are way worse than the captains or the ducks.
#2 Not always true-
International Rules of the Road
10-j-A vessel of less than 20 meters in length or a sailing vessel shall not impede the safe passage of a power-driven vessel following a traffic lane.
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