Being a Maritime Pilot is a Family Affair

April 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Galveston, TX - The smell of the ocean air, the cool breeze coming off the water and the responsibility of a large vessel can easily capture one’s heart. This may be why the maritime industry can become a family tradition. As a fifth generation mariner, Captain James R. Borup recently retired from the Galveston-Texas City Pilots after 30 years of impeccable service.

The tradition began with his great-great grandfather who was an engineer on various British & Pan Am ships. Borups’s grandfather, Arthur Borup, served as a Houston pilot for 27 years and his uncle, Carl Borup, was a Fort Lauderdale pilot for twenty years.

James A. Borup Sr. began his sea-going career at the age of 16. Later, he also became a Galveston-Texas City pilot for 28 years. Captain Borup is very proud of his strong maritime lineage.

A reception was recently held in Borup’s honor at Gaido’s Pelican Club in Galveston. Friends, family and colleagues gathered to honor him and thank him for his invaluable service. “Jim will be missed. It was an honor to have been a fellow pilot with him and I will always remember the wisdom and advice he has given me throughout the years,” said Galveston-Texas City Pilots Presiding Officer Wallace Hogan. “He is not only a fellow pilot, he is a friend and part of the Galveston-Texas City Pilots’ family.”

Since 1845, the Galveston-Texas City Pilots have served as the Sentinels of the Ports of Galveston County, ensuring environmental and public safety by navigating each vessel and its contents without incident. They maintain professionalism by treating their customers with respect, while stimulating economic development within the Galveston community and the state of Texas.