July 2021 – Dennis A Degner (DAD)

Professional Experience

40 years of commercial maritime sailing experience.
28 years experience teaching marine safety, navigation, seamanship and USCG approved courses in the classroom environment; including 14 years teaching at the community college level.
A lifetime of experience as a self-employed businessman.

Work History

2006-current Columbia Pacific Maritime LLC, full time Director / Instructor
2005-2006 Metson Marine, relief work as Mate / AB
1992-2006 Clatsop Community College, part time / full time Instructor
1993-2006 Inspected Passenger Vessel “Forerunner”, Master / Mate / AB
1996-2005 Dyn Marine, part time relief work as Mate / AB
1996-2004 OSRV “NRC Columbia”, part time relief work Master / Mate / AB
1996-2000 Crowley, part time casual labor as Master / Mate / AB
1992-1994 Southwestern Oregon Community College, part time Instructor
1990-1992 FV “Donna”, Master
1980-1990 FV “Patty A.J.”, Master
1973-1984 FV “Rhoda Alice”, Master
1964-1973 FV “Polaris”, Deckhand

Professional Qualifications

USCG Licensed Master 500 gross tons oceans; Mate 1600 ton Inland; Able Seaman Unlimited (document of continuity).
Associate of General Studies with highest honors, Clatsop Community College
Associate of Liberal Arts with highest honors, Clatsop Community College
Alaska Marine Safety Education Association Certified Marine Safety Instructor
Clatsop Community College Faculty Excellence Award
The University of Texas at Austin NISOD Excellence Award
“Master Teacher” evaluation from the Vice President of Instruction at Clatsop Community College.
Hundreds of hours of in-service and faculty development training in curriculum design and instructional techniques.

Columbia Pacific Maritime was started in 2006 out of the basement of my home in NE Portland, Oregon. It is a USCG approved maritime training school. The intention of this business was to replace the income that I lost after quitting my teaching job of fourteen years. Replacement of the lost income was easily accomplished. But to my surprise the second year in business it was doubled, and by the third year I was tripling the lost income.

The business is a USCG approved school for professional mariner’s. We provide Coast Guard approved courses to mariners seeking profession credentials. In short, I provide classes that can be taken to satisfy the Coast Guard exams. This is something that I enjoy doing very much. And, I am pretty good at. The school is currently in its third evolution.

Evolution 1: Basement NE Portland

This evolution lasted for 10-years. From 2006 to 2016. There were two classrooms in the basement. The main classroom was approved for 6-students. And then the radar classroom was approved for 2-students. I worked between the two classrooms.

Evolution 2: Plaza 205 SE Portland

In 2016 the school expanded to leased space in Plaza 205. This space had two primary classrooms. A main classroom approved for 14-students. And a radar classroom approved for 6-students. In addition: the lobby was approved for overflow students. This larger space required two instructors. John worked with me as the second instructor. And Nichole worked the front desk with Patty. In 2019 John and Nichole moved to Alaska. And Pat and I started making plans to move the school to Coos Bay.

Evolution 3: Newmark Center in Coos Bay

In 2020 the school moved from Portland to the Newmark Center of Southwestern Oregon Community College. The school occupies two rooms on the second floor. One classroom approved for 18-students. And an office space.

In Conclusion

It is not for everyone. But my work has always defined who I am. And the school is the focal point of that work. I did not plan my life this way. It happened because of the choices I made.

My Hobby

When my father was alive I shared his love of guns and hunting. When he died in 1984 I lost interest in hunting and slowly over the following decade I lost my interest in anything that could be labeled as a “hobby”. I have had many interests that I would label as distractions, but nothing that I would call a hobby.

My wife and I have always enjoyed camping; in fact we are in agreement that the best part of hunting was the camping. During our 37 years of marriage we have owned and camped in tents, trailers, vans, motorhomes and campers. Last winter Patty was looking at teardrop trailers on craigslist when I suggested that if she liked them we could build our own. She took that to heart and our tiny teardrop trailer was born.

The initial trailer was custom built on a 5’ x 8’ utility trailer frame by a guy in Eugene, Oregon. My hobby, in addition to camping, has become the customizing of the teardrop to fit our likes and dislikes.

Here are some pictures of the evolution of our tiny teardrop trailer. I will be adding more as future developments take place.