For Deb Fritz, adventure has always been part of the plan. Before she was leading marine tows in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest, she was a motorcycle racer, competitive car driver, ski enthusiast, and lawn and landscaping business owner. Fritz’s path to becoming a captain and owner of TowBoatU.S. Friday Harbor – as well as loco parentis to scores of young deckhands – was always going to be more adrenaline-fueled leap than straight line. Long before she set foot on a boat, Fritz was tearing up racetracks.
“When I was a kid, I raced motocross,” she recalls, and took that passion to the Louisville Motor Speedway in Kentucky where she began racing cars. “The group of guys I hung out with had this thing called the ‘mechanics’ race’ as the last race of the year. I raced it and won, and loved it.”
From there she was named Rookie of the Year in each division she raced in, won feature events, and was named Most Popular Driver of the Year. Back in the 1990s, there weren’t many women on the track. “In fact, I think it was the late ’80s before they even allowed women in the pits.”
But that never fazed Fritz. She loved not just the racing itself but the science behind it, the setups of cars, and figuring out the way things worked. “There was a lot of physics involved and it always intrigued me.”
After years on the track, Deb took a break to do something different – skiing and snowboarding. “I ended up moving out to Summit County, Colorado, to do that for a season, and stayed for seven seasons.”
Her entire career had been outdoors-focused. Her lawn and landscaping business in Kentucky employed a lot of young workers and she mentored them through their first jobs. But the water ultimately called her.
When she left for college, Fritz’s parents had moved to the San Juan Islands. “I’d spend summers there and volunteered for the guy who ran the TowBoatU.S. port,” she says. “I just loved being on the water.”
That turned into something bigger when an opportunity presented itself. “They said to my partner, Andrew [Dirienzo], and me: ‘Hey, if you ever get tired of the ski industry and want to move out here, let me know.’”
A few years later, that’s exactly what happened when she got her captain’s license and had an opportunity to purchase TowBoatU.S. Friday Harbor in 2012. Fritz has been running the marine towing and salvage operations in the challenging waters of the San Juan Islands since. The job is demanding. The calls come in at all hours, and making the right decision quickly is critical.
“The hardest part is probably those 3 or 4 a.m. calls that wake you up when someone’s aground or something, and the Coast Guard just starts rapid-firing,” she explains. Those first few moments are crucial. “You’re getting all that information in, then determining: Is this something we should be going out on? Are we the best team to help?”
There’s no time to waste. “The Coast Guard is waiting to decide if we’re going because if we’re not, they have to launch someone. They need an answer.”
The conditions in the San Juan Islands make the job very complicated. Strong currents, unpredictable weather, and dense fog mean that every tow comes with its unique set of challenges.
“We usually know what the weather, tides, and wind are for the next three to five days, so we don’t have to figure that out. You have to make informed decisions quickly.”
Going back to her abilities in physics, she particularly loves the challenge of salvaging capsized boats. “If a boat is rolled upside down and I’m the diver, I like figuring out if I can roll the boat with two [flotation lift] bags or three. If I put this one here, can I get more leverage? Just working that out is exciting.”
But Fritz isn’t just running a towing operation – she’s also helping shape the future of young mariners. “With TowBoatU.S., you’re a big part of the community, so we know a lot of the kids. We go to football games. We know lots of parents, and they say, ‘Hey, take my kid’ once they’re 14 or 15 years old.” For many, TowBoatU.S. is their first real job.
“We’ve had a number of kids who’ve spent time with us who’ve gone on to work on the [crude oil tanker] Polar Adventure, bigger ships, Crowley [shipping and marine logistics company], the Navy. They graduate and some have turned into captains.” It’s more than just a summer job.
“You’re on board with them for a long time. You hear everything – good, bad, and indifferent. The things their parents probably don’t hear!” she laughs, adding, “You’re really leading them because they have to listen to you in a way that they don’t their parents – it’s a very sought-after job.”
Despite the long nights and high-pressure calls, Fritz still finds moments to appreciate where she is and what she does.
“The best part is the relaxing time on the tow, looking out. Maybe there’s some snow on the mountains and I think how beautiful this all is.”
Meet Rebecca Close in a previous post at The WON.
Read more at the BoatUS website.
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
