About
Commercial fishermen spend one third of their lives at sea participating in one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Vessel masters are required by law to keep onboard a series of specially designed pieces of equipment to save their lives in case of an emergency. These pieces of equipment must be maintained properly and serviced or replaced periodically. It is not only a regulatory requirement, but also an essential function of the fishing vessel. Faulty, expired, or missing equipment can cost fishermen days tied to the dock, thousands in lost revenue, and in extreme cases, the ultimate price of their life. REDDE Marine is a full service safety equipment and training start-up company with a mission to create a culture of safety in northeast fisheries and boating.
The company was founded by two friends, a professional merchant mariner with over a decade of experience on commercial tug boats, and a former commercial fisherman who has dedicated his career to community education. The founders recognized a universal need for safety equipment compliance and training that is accessible to rural communities and puts occupational safety at the forefront of vessel operations.
Josh Duym
Josh Duym is a professional merchant mariner, fisherman, and native of Lamoine. Raised in a family of boatbuilders, fishermen, and seafarers, Josh received his 500-ton Ocean Merchant Marine Officer’s License at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, ME in 2009. He presently holds such upgrades as Unlimited Tonnage Master of Towing Vessels. For 14 years, he has spent his professional career operating towing vessels along the east and gulf coasts, with a considerable amount of time navigating New York Harbor. These diverse contexts of operation have led Josh to hold a unique perspective on the essential needs for safe operations in our fishing fleet along the coast of Maine.
Pat Shepard
Pat grew up as a 5th generation fisherman from nearby Stonington. After his undergraduate studies at the University of Rhode Island, Pat spent the majority of his career as a Research Scientist at Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries (MCCF). One of MCCF’s flagship programs, the Eastern Maine Skippers program has delivered safety training to over 1000 high school aged fishermen and students. Pat has aided in the delivery of Drill Conductor and First Aid/CPR/AED training for over 10 years. Before his time at MCCF, Pat worked as a federally contracted fisheries at-sea monitor, collecting data pertinent to the management of New England’s scallop and groundfish fisheries. Under this role he completed his first of many drill conductor trainings under John McMillan. These trips included a pre-trip vessel safety inspection on all vessels before leaving port, exposing Pat to virtually every type and configuration of onboard safety equipment.
