Ships of the Sea Podcast host Molly Taylor interviews Lynn Brennan retired assistant port director for U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Savannah, about her 33-year career and the port’s growth to nearly 6 million TEU.

Brennan explains CBP’s seaport responsibilities, working with importers, exporters, terminal operators, and enforcing rules for about 40 agencies, plus using technology and trusted-shipper programs to target high-risk cargo. She shares seizure stories involving counterfeit luxury goods and pharmaceuticals, dangerous consumer products (hoverboards, Aqua Dots), narcotics hidden in tuna cans, cement mixers, and wood, smuggled gold coins, endangered-species items like a tortoiseshell-inlaid piano, and a 1999 case of 132 smuggled Chinese immigrants.

Brennan outlines CBP career paths, CBP’s origins in 1789, the Savannah Custom House history, and her post-retirement volunteering and maritime networking through the Propeller Club and SERAC.

The Ships of the Sea podcast is recorded on location at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, housed in the historic William Scarbrough House, an elegant example of early Greek Revival architecture in the South. Built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company, the museum showcases a remarkable collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. In addition to its exquisite interior, the museum features the largest private gardens within Savannah’s historic district, designed to reflect a typical 19th-century parlor garden.

CONNECT WITH US:

Learn more about The Savannah Pilots Associations

A look inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome to Ships of the Sea

00:20 Meet Lynn Brennan

01:21 From Import Specialist Up

02:55 College and Career Pivot

05:06 What Port Directors Do

07:26 Inside Cargo Exams

08:10 Wild Seizure Stories

12:51 Stress and Mission Shift

13:44 Careers Across CBP

16:04 Tariffs and Classification

18:06 Customs History 1789

22:25 Tech and Trusted Trade

24:28 Supply Chain Trust

24:53 Human Smuggling Bust

26:53 Creative Drug Concealment

29:18 Endangered Piano Seizure

31:40 Savannah Customs House History

34:48 Tours and Modern CBP

36:51 Careers and Entry Paths

39:40 Life After Retirement

40:26 SERAC and Relationships

42:43 Museum Support Outro

Ships of the Seas podcast Host Molly Taylor interviews maritime archaeologist and Georgia Southern University history teacher Kurt Knoerl, who is moving to the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater to teach public, digital, maritime history.

Knoerl explains maritime archaeology as studying water-related sites—shipwrecks, wharves, shoreline and inundated sites—and describes student fieldwork in Savannah using mapping, GIS, and recording methods. He recounts entering the field after an archaeology elective, attending a Savannah conference, getting scuba certified, and studying at East Carolina University; he notes career paths via CRM firms and agencies like NOAA.

He emphasizes researching before diving, documenting sites before removal, and the high costs and risks of artifact conservation. Knoerl discusses his online Museum of Underwater Archaeology, salvage law and ethical concerns (including war graves and Titanic), permitting challenges, interest in Civil War wrecks like CSS Savannah, AI limitations in research, and sea-level rise threats to coastal heritage.

The Ships of the Sea podcast is recorded on location at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, housed in the historic William Scarbrough House, an elegant example of early Greek Revival architecture in the South. Built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company, the museum showcases a remarkable collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. In addition to its exquisite interior, the museum features the largest private gardens within Savannah’s historic district, designed to reflect a typical 19th-century parlor garden.

CONNECT WITH US:

Learn more about The Savannah Pilots Associations

A look inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:51 What Maritime Archaeologists Do

01:37 Teaching In The Field

03:49 Finding The Career Path

04:55 Diving Requirements

06:46 Degrees And CRM Work

07:57 Favorite Finds And Sites

09:41 How Wrecks Are Documented

11:35 Conservation Costs And Risks

12:13 Museum Of Underwater Archaeology

14:33 Ownership Salvage And Laws

15:54 Shipwreck Ownership Battles

16:34 Titanic Museums Debate

17:51 Profit Versus Preservation

19:00 Wrecks as Gravesites

20:08 Why Context Matters

20:55 Maritime Archaeology Careers

22:03 Teaching Fieldwork Logistics

23:08 Sharing Finds With Public

24:31 Dream Savannah Wrecks

26:25 Advice for New Archaeologists

27:38 Technology and AI Challenges

30:54 Future Threat Sea Levels

31:38 Closing Thanks

Ships of the Sea Podcast host Molly Taylor interviews Trey Thompson, Master Pilot and President of the Savannah Pilots Association, about what harbor/river pilots do and how Savannah’s 20 pilots guide ships in and out of the Port of Savannah along a 35-mile channel using helm orders, buoys, and range markers.

Thompson describes training and licensing, the week-on/week-off schedule, dispatching and coordination with tugboats, docking pilots, and ship crews, and the growing use of larger container ships despite fewer ship calls. He emphasizes that the most dangerous part is boarding via Jacob’s ladder, recounting incidents including a ladder breaking and a serious injury from a heaving line, leading to helmet use.

They discuss simulations in Baltimore for larger ships and dredging studies, right whale regulations that reshaped pilot boats, the association’s 1864 formation, and plans to move the pilot base from Fort Pulaski to Lazaretto.

The Ships of the Sea podcast is recorded on location at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, housed in the historic William Scarbrough House, an elegant example of early Greek Revival architecture in the South. Built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company, the museum showcases a remarkable collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. In addition to its exquisite interior, the museum features the largest private gardens within Savannah’s historic district, designed to reflect a typical 19th-century parlor garden.

CONNECT WITH US:

Learn more about The Savannah Pilots Associations

A look inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:52 What Harbor Pilots Do

01:48 Learning the Savannah River

03:04 Schedules and Pilot Boats

05:00 Boarding Dangers and Safety

07:23 Trey’s Path to Piloting

08:02 Training and Multitasking

09:33 Docking Pilots and Tug Coordination

10:59 Weather Traffic and Holiday Ops

12:25 Bigger Ships Simulators and Dredging

14:32 Leadership and Whale Regulations

15:24 Whale Encounters

15:53 Community Leadership Roles

16:25 Pilot Staffing Numbers

17:07 Apprentices and COVID

17:54 Captains and Conferences

18:47 Right Whale Boat Rules

19:28 Rough Runs to Ships

20:12 Savannah Pilots History

21:00 Master Pilot Selection

22:28 Moving to Lazaretto Base

23:49 Funding and Wake Concerns

25:25 Future Bigger Ships

26:46 Closing and Support

Host Molly Taylor interviews Savannah maritime attorneys David Sipple and Colin McRae of HunterMaclean about admiralty/maritime law, explaining that admiralty concerns ships, shipping, and navigable waters, while “maritime” is broader and laws seek international uniformity.

They discuss key doctrines including the Jones Act for injured seamen and the Limitation of Liability Act, plus collision vs. allision and the narrow channel rule. Case stories include the African Neptune allision with Brunswick’s old Sidney Lanier Bridge causing 10 deaths, the Golden Ray ro-ro capsizing near St. Simons with four crew rescued after 36 hours, the Archangel G collision that cut a shrimp boat in half, and the Sun Sapphire allision with an LNG dock.

They describe P&I Clubs, shipboard investigations, Coast Guard inquiries, “magic pipe” pollution cases, stowaways, and the practice’s 24/7 demands and collegial network.

The Ships of the Sea podcast is recorded on location at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, housed in the historic William Scarbrough House, an elegant example of early Greek Revival architecture in the South. Built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company, the museum showcases a remarkable collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. In addition to its exquisite interior, the museum features the largest private gardens within Savannah’s historic district, designed to reflect a typical 19th-century parlor garden.

CONNECT WITH US:

A look inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

CONNECT WITH OUR GUESTS:

HunterMaclean

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome and Guests

01:15 What Is Maritime Law

02:22 Key Maritime Statutes

04:17 Allision vs Collision

04:57 Bridge Disaster Lessons

07:04 How They Got Started

09:52 Admiralty Schools and Training

11:27 African Neptune Case

12:53 P&I Clubs Explained

14:43 Life Aboard Cargo Ships

17:33 Golden Ray Capsize

22:21 Salvage and Environmental Claims

26:28 Advice for New Maritime Lawyers

27:45 Archangel G Collision Story

29:50 Wheel Tied Off Crash

30:50 Lawsuit And Channel Rules

32:18 Danger Signal And Evidence

34:10 Coast Guard Oil Spill Call

36:33 Magic Pipe Pollution Cases

39:32 Bunkering And Big Spills

41:30 NRDA And Wildlife Costs

42:53 Territory And Inland Barges

44:54 LNG Dock Allision

48:22 First Onboard Fire

50:32 Lost At Sea In Brazil

52:08 Shipboard Meals And Culture

54:45 Stowaways And Repatriation

59:49 Maritime Lawyer Network

01:00:47 Museum Support Outro

Host Molly Taylor, Executive Director of the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, speaks with Myra Reynolds and Len James of the John S. James Company about what customs brokers and freight forwarders do, clearing imports with government agencies and arranging exports onto vessels.

Len, the family-business CFO and co-owner, describes growing up in the industry and how Savannah’s port ecosystem has changed since the 1980s. Myra recounts joining the company in 1977, becoming a licensed customs broker in 1986, and explains licensing, corporate permits, and the shift to remote filing, electronic documentation, and “single window” systems involving 47 agencies.

They discuss Georgia Ports Authority-led efficiency innovations (including COAT), post‑9/11 security targeting, inspections, radiation monitoring, and IPR enforcement, plus notable cases involving marijuana shipments and stolen vehicle exports. They also cover tariff-driven complexity, AI tools, national association lobbying, expanded customs port limits, recruitment challenges, and the breadth of commodities handled in Savannah.

The Ships of the Sea podcast is recorded on location at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, housed in the historic William Scarbrough House, an elegant example of early Greek Revival architecture in the South. Built in 1819 for William Scarbrough, a prominent shipping merchant and the first president of the Savannah Steamship Company, the museum showcases a remarkable collection of ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques. In addition to its exquisite interior, the museum features the largest private gardens within Savannah’s historic district, designed to reflect a typical 19th-century parlor garden.

CONNECT WITH US:

A looking inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome to Ships of the Sea

00:20 Customs Broker Basics

00:56 Len’s Family Business Story

02:36 Warehouse Work Lessons

03:40 Myra’s Path Into Shipping

05:06 Becoming a Licensed Broker

07:01 Savannah Brokerage Landscape

07:32 National Permits and Remote Filing

09:11 Tech Shifts and COAT System

12:30 GPA Efficiency and Early Innovations

16:24 Single Window and Customs Origins

19:07 Duties Tariffs and Counterfeits

22:33 Security Targeting and Inspections

25:41 Myra’s Marijuana Case Files

28:12 Post 9/11 Broker Partnership

29:59 Reporting Suspicious Imports

30:52 CFO Life and Tariff Stress

32:09 AI and Broken Systems

34:10 Lobbying for Tariff Delays

36:16 Tracking Rules and Proclamations

38:38 Expanding Port Limits Story

41:32 Careers and Skills in Brokerage

43:38 Youth Training Pipeline

48:11 Wildest Imports and Logistics

50:50 Partnerships and Final Takeaways

53:53 Support the Maritime Museum

Host Molly Taylor interviews Captain Judy Helmey of Miss Judy Charters on the Ships of the Sea podcast recorded in the Ships of the Sea Maritime Musuem located in the historic William Scarbrough House and Gardens about becoming a charter captain through sea school, time on the water, and mastering safety, responsibility, and people skills.

Helmey reflects on 61 years fishing - starting on her father’s boat as a child - and describes how the job requires roles from counselor to nurse, plus pairing customers with the right captain now that she runs the company. She shares navigation and seamanship stories, Gulf Stream distances and her past pace of 250 trips a year, learning storms with modern equipment, and extraordinary encounters including waterspouts/tornadoes, a submarine snagging her gear, and Navy live-fire zones.

She discusses sexism, varied clientele, famous passengers, reading birds to find wahoo, and her father’s influence, Savannah charter history, and conducting burials at sea, including sinking caskets.

CONNECT WITH US:

A looking inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Introduction

00:42 Becoming a Captain

01:47 Best Parts of Charter Life

04:05 Running the Business Today

05:58 Knowing the Waters

08:05 Family Roots on the Island

10:03 Learning to Drive Young

13:13 Seasickness and Customer Care

15:41 Weather and Water Spouts

19:54 Safety and Seasoning

20:38 Submarine Snags Gear

22:01 Live Fire Hot Zone

24:42 Sexism on the Dock

27:15 Handling Every Client

28:37 Famous Faces Aboard

30:12 Birds Lead to Wahoo

33:15 Glitter Chum Trick

35:04 Dad’s Hustle Origins

37:19 Burials at Sea Finale

On the Ships of the Sea podcast, host Molly Taylor interviews Savannah Stevedore and operations manager Carter Hubbard about what stevedores do: plan and manage the execution of loading and unloading ships in coordination with the International Longshoremen’s Association, steamship lines, and the Georgia Ports Authority.

Hubbard explains how longshoremen handle physical work (unlashing, twist locks, driving trucks), clerks and checkers track container movements, and stevedores plan vessel stowage and oversee safe execution on the dock. He describes the industry’s shift from paper to tablets, the many roles required to move a container, constant troubleshooting from equipment and network issues, and handling specialized cargo like racing yachts, military gear, and breakbulk. The conversation covers vessel classes, hazardous and refrigerated planning, training, ship turnaround pace, and maritime career paths.

CONNECT WITH US:

A looking inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Meet the Stevedore

00:23 What Stevedores Do

01:03 Longshoremen and Port Roles

02:17 Planning vs Execution

03:09 Clerks Checkers Explained

04:19 Ops Manager Responsibilities

05:14 Tracking Containers Today

07:20 Career Path Into Stevedoring

09:20 Ships Schedule and Pace

10:07 Troubleshooting and Redundancy

12:10 Terminals Unions Specialties

13:27 Breakbulk Yachts and Military

16:51 Ship Types and COVID Impact

18:52 Avoiding Complacency

20:18 Training the Crew

22:06 Career Paths In Ports

24:21 Container Planning Physics

26:07 Managing Massive Teams

27:17 Crane Speed And Workflow

28:48 Boarding Ships And Diplomacy

32:12 Life Aboard International Crews

35:12 Why Savannah Port Matters

Welcome to the Ships of the Sea podcast, an audio voyage from Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum. In this introductory episode, producer Dee Daniels introduces host Molly Carrott Taylor, Executive Director of Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, and previews the new podcast exploring Savannah’s maritime stories.

Molly shares her background as a collegiate sailor and longtime art museum leader, how she came to Ships of the Sea after consulting on membership and fundraising, and highlights recent growth, including bringing in over 6,000 children in two years and increasing the budget to $1.2 million from $800,000 in 2022.

She explains the museum’s home, the 1819 William Scarborough House, Scarborough’s role in the Steamship Savannah Company, and the Steamship Savannah’s May 22, 1819, transatlantic voyage—now honored as National Maritime Day.

The episode previews community-focused education and STEAM field trips, events like Celestial Seafarer and Supper at Sea, rotating exhibitions, upcoming sequential-art stories of key ships, and future podcast topics on modern maritime careers such as pilots, stevedores, longshoremen, attorneys, and archaeologists.

CONNECT WITH US:

A looking inside Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum

Museum EVENTS

Education and Group Programs

Meet the Production Team Dee Daniels Media

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Welcome Aboard

01:02 Meet Molly Taylor

02:02 From Consultant to Director

05:31 Scarborough House Origins

05:59 Steamship Savannah Breakthrough

08:05 Schoolhouse Legacy

09:09 National Maritime Day Roots

11:04 Community Programs Vision

12:31 Signature Events and Exhibits

16:20 Hidden Maritime Careers

22:13 A Day in 1819

26:02 Hands On Learning Ahead

28:59 Closing and Support