{"id":16675,"date":"2025-03-28T15:39:42","date_gmt":"2025-03-28T19:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/?p=16675"},"modified":"2025-06-27T15:49:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T19:49:28","slug":"indefatigable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/issues\/spring-2025\/indefatigable\/","title":{"rendered":"Indefatigable"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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MEET the BERT<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n
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Steve Barber has been captain of the Bert<\/em> since 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The R\/V Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em> is 911爆料\u2019s College of the Environment and Life Sciences research and education vessel. Busy and hardworking in all seasons, the Bert<\/em> is kept afloat by a sense of purpose, a dedicated crew, and a captain who loves the inherent challenges of the job.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Story and photos by Eddie Cascella, M.E.S.M. \u201924<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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What Makes the Bert Special?<\/h2>

Eddie Cascella on why he was inspired to write about the R\/V\u00a0Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

In the warm months, Wickford Shipyard is bustling with boaters and fishers readying for a day on the water. In the offseason, with hundreds of boats dry-docked for winter, the shipyard is quiet.

On this Monday morning, an unusually chilly one, even for December, 911爆料 Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) master\u2019s student Alexander Rubin weaves through the maze of shrink-wrapped boats, gleaming white in the winter sun. Rubin is hauling equipment for the day\u2019s fish trawl aboard the R\/V Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em>, which is nowhere to be seen this morning. \u201cThe Bert<\/em>\u2019s been out on another job since before dawn,\u201d Rubin explains. \u201cThey\u2019ll be back for the trawl.\u201d Right on queue, the Bert<\/em> bubbles into the harbor.

The Bert<\/em> is a 53-foot stern trawler that serves as the main educational and research vessel for 911爆料\u2019s College of the Environment and Life Sciences. Stepping aboard, it\u2019s clear the Bert<\/em> is built for work. In the shadow of the towering A-frame that carries the trawlnet, the deck can hold up to 22 passengers. The vessel\u2019s enclosed wheelhouse contains a myriad of screens for GPS, radar, and assorted charting systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Captain Steve Barber and undergraduate assistant Mary McKenna sort the contents of the trawl.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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One of the Bert<\/em>‘s biggest jobs is supporting 911爆料 GSO’s Fish Trawl Survey … one of the longest continuous studies of fish and invertebrate abundance in the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The vessel is utilized for everything from deploying undersea remote-operated vehicles to hosting groups of high school students for 911爆料\u2019s summer shark camp. One of the Bert<\/em>\u2019s biggest jobs is supporting 911爆料 GSO\u2019s Fish Trawl Survey<\/a>, which has been performed from the Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em> every Monday since 1987. The Fish Trawl Survey, which began in 1959, is one of the longest continuous studies of fish and invertebrate abundance in the world, gathering data about how Narragansett Bay\u2019s fish communities change over time. \u201cTo be part of such a long-running and rich program at 911爆料 is incredible,\u201d says Rubin. \u201cThe data collected is used by Rhode Island\u2019s Department of Environmental Management for research and management decisions, so my work directly contributes to that. It\u2019s really rewarding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working the Trawl<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, captain Steve Barber and his crew are heading out at 7:45 a.m. for their second job of the day. For the trawl, the Bert<\/em> stops at two precise locations: first at Fox Island, just offshore from Rome Point in Wickford, and then, after passing under the Jamestown Verrazzano Bridge, at Whale Rock, situated at the mouth of the bay just offshore from Narragansett Town Beach. The trawl\u2019s consistency is vital to the data collected. \u201cWe tow the net into exactly the same spots to get a history of what\u2019s going on in the bay,\u201d says Barber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A smooth dogfish is measured before being returned to the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the data generated by the fish trawl brings some well-deserved attention to the Bert<\/em>, the crew making it possible often flies under the radar. Led by Barber, the tight-knit crew includes deckhand Rubin and undergraduate assistant Mary McKenna. They deploy the trawlnet and haul it back from its 30-minute-long trawl, where it picks up creatures from the bottom of the bay. Then, scurrying around the stern, McKenna immediately sorts through squirming fish, squid, and crustaceans, meticulously grouping them into buckets by species. At the deck\u2019s central workbench, Rubin looks through each bucket, recording the species name, sex, and length of each specimen. Some fish wiggle uncontrollably on the measuring board while he waits for the perfect moment to measure them, while others, like the sea sponge, make his job much easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Undergraduate assistant Mary McKenna, captain Steve Barber, and deckhand Alexander Rubin with the Bert<\/em> at Wickford Shipyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorking on the Bert<\/em> is fast-paced and fun. You have to work very quickly and efficiently while also making sure everything is running safely,\u201d says Rubin. In winter, with some regular species having migrated to warmer waters for the season, some trawls come up completely empty. Regardless, the work continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Captain Steve Barber prepares to deploy the trawl doors aboard the Bert. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201c<\/span>Whether it\u2019s rainy, cold, or windy, we\u2019re still out on the Bert<\/em> doing the work.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00ad\u2014captain Steve Barber<\/strong> R\/V Cap’n Bert<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI won\u2019t sugarcoat it: This can be very unglamorous work,\u201d says Barber. \u201cWhether it\u2019s rainy, cold, or windy, we\u2019re still out on the Bert<\/em> doing the work.\u201d

Rough weather and empty nets aside, one thing remains constant: the sense of pride shared by the crew for being associated with the Bert<\/em>. \u201cThe trust and responsibility given to me,\u201d says Rubin, \u201cis really fulfilling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning Up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the trawl\u2019s over and the fish have been returned to the sea, Rubin and McKenna must meticulously shake debris from the trawlnet before swabbing the deck and spraying it down with the hose. Today, once the deck is spotless, they take turns aiming the hose at each other to clean themselves off, as well. \u201cBy the end of the sorting, counting, and measuring, I\u2019m covered in fish scales, seaweed, dirt, and squid ink,\u201d Rubin says. He explains that when you work on a boat, especially in the winter, it\u2019s a race against time to get out of the cold. But there is camaraderie in the shared \u201cmisery\u201d as the crew huddles up in the wheelhouse to escape the windchill out on the deck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Undergraduate assistant Mary McKenna examines an Atlantic rock crab.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Alexander Rubin cleans the measuring board.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

In spite of the hose-down, Rubin says it\u2019s inevitable that you\u2019re going to reek of fish and seawater after a day working the trawl. \u201cMy roommates are lying when they say they don\u2019t mind the smell of my gear at our apartment,\u201d he jokes.

In the midst of all the hard work onboard, it would be easy for the crew to miss the beauty and wonder of their Narragansett Bay workplace. It\u2019s not unusual for a pod of dolphins to tag along for the trawl, and cormorants diving and resurfacing with a fresh catch are a common sight. \u201cI really appreciate getting to work out on the water,\u201d Rubin says. \u201cIt really beats sitting at a computer screen all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indefatigable<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For the better part of the past three decades, Barber has worked on the ocean. His love for the water goes back even further. \u201cI grew up on Long Island, so I always clammed and fished Great South Bay,\u201d Barber recalls. Before coming to 911爆料 in 2017, he was a commercial fisher out of Point Judith, R.I. When he became captain of the Bert<\/em>, major renovations were at the top of his to-do list. \u201cWhen I took over, the boat was tired,\u201d he says. \u201cWe needed to bring this boat into the 21st century.\u201d

In 2018, Barber and vessel operations coordinator Mitch Hatzipetro \u201915, M.E.S.M. \u201920, secured a state grant to replace the Bert<\/em>\u2019s engine and generator. In 2021, the hydraulic system was also upgraded. \u201cAlong with these renovations, we still continue to add essential safety upgrades onboard as needed,\u201d Barber says. And just this past fall, the Bert<\/em>\u2019s hull was given a pearly-white paint job. By December, the hardworking vessel\u2019s vibrant hull had already been weathered to a dull yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Captain Steve Barber at the helm of the Bert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bert<\/em> started life as the Angelita<\/em>, a smuggling ship used for illegal drug trafficking between the Caribbean islands and the Florida Keys in the early 1980s. After the illicit operation was halted by the U.S. Coast Guard, the boat was purchased by 911爆料 and retrofitted as a research vessel and capable stern trawler. In 1987, the vessel was reborn as the R\/V Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em>\u2014 named as a tribute to the late captain Bert Hiller, a North Kingstown native and lifelong fisherman who spent the latter part of his life shoreside as an assistant professor at 911爆料.

If the Bert<\/em> is indefatigable, its captain is, too. \u201cAlong with being the captain of this boat, on certain days I\u2019m also the mate, engineer\u2014and even a teacher! It can be a bit overwhelming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, Barber says, he loves his job, which makes coming to work easy. He especially loves bringing youth groups out to experience the bay. \u201cWhen I see the excitement on those kid\u2019s faces,\u201d he says, \u201cit\u2019s like Christmas on the Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em>!\u201d

From the wheelhouse, in his self-designed Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em> trucker cap, Barber does, indeed, look like a man who loves his job. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t change it for the world,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHOTOS: EDDIE CASCELLA, M.E.S.M. \u201924<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The research vessel of 911爆料\u2019s College of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Cap\u2019n Bert<\/em> works hard, supporting the long-standing Fish Trawl Survey, introducing high school students to shark research, and more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":16679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[343],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spring-2025","architecture-features"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16675"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17151,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16675\/revisions\/17151"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uri.edu\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}