From aerospace, documentary and film; oil and gas; government and military; environmental and disaster response and recovery; inspection, maintenance and repair (IMR); science and research; salvage; geotechnical and surveys; to offshore wind and renewable energy, Guice Offshore (“GO”) has been a trusted partner not only nationwide, but in missions along the coasts and oceans of both North, Central and South America.
With so many different types of industries using the Guice Offshore supply vessel fleet for such a diversity of work, it’s easy to imagine we’ve got a different boat for each type of job we successfully handle, since different types of industries have different types of requirements for vessel configuration, equipment and staffing, among others.
Meet GO Gulf of Mexico Operations Manager Ben Brakel. He’s part of the formidable Guice Offshore team behind our ability to safely, thoroughly and rapidly serve our clients’ broad needs, no matter what the job.
To do accomplish that level of service, Ben and our Operations Team must consider questions and solutions like:
- What kind of unique supplies and equipment will a GO vessel need to accomplish a particular mission?
- Providing necessary safety equipment and PPE is a given, but will the mission’s crew or passengers need special food or accommodations?
- What will the U.S. Coast Guard and other regulatory entities need to know about the vessel and its specific mission at the time of departure? Is the vessel up-to-date on inspections, safety features?
- What daily information on the trip like fuel and food must be collected, logged and reported?
To accomplish this dizzying agenda that can dramatically change with each new voyage, Ben travels to wherever a GO vessel is docked and manages the mobilization.
This process includes meeting personally with the customer to ensure they have the equipment for the job; loading the equipment onto the GO vessel and making sure it is placed correctly; providing supplies, charts or special equipment needed to ensure the customer’s job is done efficiently; and meeting with the GO crew to ensure they understand the scope of work required by the job.
Ben, who also assists in handling GO vessel document control and managing on-site Coast Guard inspections, has been with Guice Offshore since 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. At the time, the Louisiana State University graduate in renewable resources had been working as a commercial fisherman when he was recruited by Nathan Guice to assist with vessel inspections.
Working on the GO Quest—the very first Guice Offshore mini-supply vessel—Ben learned from the ground up about the offshore vessel business and its operation in general.
“It all really started with my love of being on the water,” he explained. “Little did I know how that would become a gratifying career!”
To reach Guice Offshore Gulf of Mexico Operations Manager Ben Brakel, call the Guice Offshore Fleet Operations office at (337) 889-0220.
