1. Resume Captain Gary Kassbaum
Previous Position: Senior Regional Investigator
Agency: Transportation Safety Board of Canada
(Government of Canada), Toronto-Richmond Hill, Ontario

2. From 1990-2012
Most Recent Responsibilities:
- Examining occurrences for cause & contributing factors producing comprehensive draft
public reports,

3. - Acting as IIC on most investigations (Investigator-in-Charge) organizing professionals in their
disciplines; (1) human performance, (2)media communications,(3) technical –
engineering, team management
- Covering all areas of the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal–
occasionally covering the Arctic, East Coast and foreign waters for occurrence
notifications,
- examined 2000-2500 p/c occurrences/year/x 21.5 years ( 93% p/c are noted but unless
serious interaction with commercial vessel with loss of life or serious injury – not

4. investigated and 7% commercial) with Transportation Safeyty Board (TSB –similar to
NTSB US) examined/followed up commercial occurrences, 10% of commercial
occurrences are assessments, of these 3-4per year required full investigations based on
safety driven criteria.
- Member Company Of Master Mariners 23 years to present and serving as Deputy Master for
the Company of Master Mariners 9 years Great Lakes -promoting seafaring and
commercial marine education and pleasure craft safety training.

5. - Serving on the sub-committee for syllabus for examinations for watch-keeping officers and
captains,
- Serving as a member of the Toronto Harbor Liaison Council for 16 years which dealt with
general safety, harbor issues and safety related items,
- Addressing numerous marine related agencies and organizations in Canada and the US, -
Transport Canada, Marine Underwriters, Salvage Assoc, International Ship Masters
Assoc, Council Of Commodores, Power and Sail Squadron,

6. - Conducting contiguous waters Canadian ship occurrence investigations with the United
States Coast Guard with USCG offices in: Messina NY, Buffalo NY, Cleveland
Ohio,Toledo Ohio, Detroit Michigan, Milwaukee Wis, Chicago Illinois, Duluth Minn and
giving assisting Canadian perspectives for 10 years at the annual USCG Buffalo
Industry Day conferences,
- Attended and represented the TSB at Regional (Great Lakes)and National Canadian Marine
Advisory Council (CMAC)(Ottawa) meetings until 2008. .
Nine years experience Master, Sailed Four Oceans prior to joining the TSB:

7. - First Officer and Extra-master ``Bulk Queen` bulk carrier`, Eastern Seaboard
- Captain of dredging ship for Public Works Canada – Atlantic Provinces- East Coast Harbors,
- As Extra-Master- Master ;
Offshore supply vessel anchor handling Beaufort Sea – iceberg towing- mostly
deflecting them from offshore oil drilling ships Pacnorse, Nedrill II, and Pelerin in the

8. Labrador Straits Seaforth Warrior, Highlander, Whimpy Sea Hunter, Heather Sea ,
ocean-going tugs, small cargo vessels,
- Evacuated drilling rig“Zapata Scotian” with Stand-By vessel Tem, twice during
emergencies when BOP at ocean floor failed near Sable Isl., And Rowan Juneau once.
- Performed Ship Rescue, ( crew ,passengers and ship) and Open Lloyd’s salvage of small
ship - saving the lives of 14 Americans in heavy seas, tail end of a hurricane East
Coast , N. Atlantic., stopped ship from sinking and towed and berthed the small freighter

9. “ Meta” Halifax Harbour, with salvage award -( two rescues) small freighter-“Meta”, and
fishing trawler .
-Towed 10,000 ton ocean going barges for Seaspan , N. Fraser Arm Tilbury, Vancouver
across N. Pacific with large ocean –going tugs
-Tow master of a small flotilla of ships including an ATL drydock and towed assist drilling unit
“KIGGIAK” 1983 from Dutch Harbor, Alaska around Pt. Barrow Alaska and into the
Beaufort Sea for Gulf Beaudril Arctic drilling operations; enroute assisted the “Rainbow
Warrior”V/L ( Greenpeace) with instructional advice out of a predicament while pursued

10. by Russian naval v/l’s in international waters. (interesting encounter – on their radar we
looked like a naval flotilla)
- Ocean Research V/L, - Marine Technical Consultant; ISIM Audit courses
- Performed a first –ever from private industry a successful critical audit of Canadian Coast
Guard Search & Rescue Vessels in 1985 with Craigmore Offshore; I conducted the ship-
board audits and later compiled and prepared the report with former Capt. Michael
Williamson- submitted to and all recommendations accepted and implemented by the
Federal Government for the Canadian Coast Guard.

11. - Master and Surveyor – Captain of Mariposa Belle , 250 pass tour boat, Toronto Hrb and
operated a co. Marine-Surv- small commercial and p/c ins. Surveys..
-Towing barges through the Great Lakes with Ocean –Going Tug Thunder Cape
-Salvage master for salvage operation off the east coast of Florida in 1989-1990,
at location approx 45 nautical miles due SE of Port Canaveral FL, Victory Ship sunk by
German submarine with 8000 tons copper ingots – still there; and accessible.

12. Education
1968 - 2 years Chemical Technology NOIT incomplete,2nd
yr Ryerson mechanical
eng
1969 - 1 year, Herzing Institute with Certificate of Data Processing
1969 -1975-, Avis Transport, Rolph Clark Stone, Hewitt Equipment, Systems Analyst BP Oil
MTL
1976 - Sailing on Canada Steamship Lines bulk carriers/package freighters & cement
ships- entered Marine Program at Georgian College-continued working on bulk

13. carriers, general cargo ships, package freighters for the next 3 years while
attaining higher certifications,
1979 - Certificate of Marine Technology
1981 - Acquired Home Trade Masters License -Unlimited tonnage and received first
command endorsement, first master’s position(captain)
1981-1983 Captain as described and receiving extra certifications –tankers, cement
1983 - Acquired Master M.M.- Mariners Certificate (Master Foreign Going)
1983 - Oil Drilling Operations – Marine
1985 - Oilpack Overview Certificate – encompassing: - Search & Rescue
- rig emergency evacuation

14. - helicopter operations
- fast rescue craft operations
- stand-by rescue vessels
- offshore installation survival craft
- emergency reporting procedures
Occupational Certification
1990 – Received patents from Washington D.C. for marine safety devices incorporating
different designs

15. 1990 – 2005 Life-raft inspection
Confined Space Entry
Advanced Tanker Safety, Chemical and Petroleum, H2S
Underwriters Laboratories Nevada – high speed collisions – pleasure craft
Arson investigations
Dangerous good training – marine
Dangerous goods handling and shipping, IATA
Advanced Interviewing Techniques,
Report Writing 1, 2, 3,
Human Performance Levels 1 & 2, NTSB Critical Response

16. Bridge Resource Management
Media Relations Levels 1 & 2
Managerial Skilled for the Technical Person
Certificate of Management
Supervisor’s Orientation Program
Small Vessel Survivability
GMDSS Radio Operations License
Senior Auditors Course ISM, ISO 9000-9003, Q14000 (Ferriby Marine –
UK)
Azipod Training – MITTAGS (U.S)

17. Metal Failure Analysis
Personal Skills and Skills Specific to Previous Work;
Analytical and Problem solving – the determination to get into the depth of a problem, find its
causes and start preparing a solution,
Decision Tree Analysis - assessing whether or not to investigate an occurrence versus the
safety payoff in consideration of the level of risk(s), formulated by risk-based

18. assessments and determine the resources needed for significant commercial marine
occurrences and triaged 2500 p/c occurrences/season for any applicability.
Coordinating resources – as TSB Investigator-in-Charge(IIC), to quickly consider the
necessary tasks to be accomplished with the available personnel and resources to do
so, in a teamwork environment and the need to control costs
Report writing - for 21 years, has written formal detailed investigative multi-national directed
reports for marine accidents. Each of these reports incorporates a detailed presentation
and analysis of factual information uncovered via field investigation at the occurrence

19. site and findings and conclusions. In addition to the report, safety information and safety
advisory letters are prepared for industry and government agencies.
Investigative Interviewing skills - in the conduct of investigating occurrences, uncovering
underlining human performance factors which are indicators of the veracity of
information and investigating to the limits of criminal culpability.
Conducting media interviews - able to quickly discriminate releasable from non-releasable
factual information based on the nature of the questions and maintain the integrity and
openness required to satisfy the public’s ‘need to know’.

20. These are the reasons I received noteworthy praise as IIC and as far away as the Marine
Directorate Of New Zealand for conducting high-level investigations over the years with
successful teams; for example `WINDOC``2001, and earlier `Capt. K`-CCGS
GRIFFON``-1991. up to the present from the TSB-Chair, Wendy Tadros in 2010, “For
My Contribution to The Significant Improvement of the Marine Investigations Branch
Performance”. I was recently invited by USCG Admiral Charles Ray to attend Change Of
Command Ceremonies in Japan.

21. Conceptualizing –Conceptualize a design and build the necessary the components to make it
functional.
Inventions & Patents
Inventive – 6 patented mechanical designs registered in Washington, DC with prototypes built
for the marine industry or for general pollution applications and possible fire-fighting.
Had patents for oil remediation product which will remediate oil, gas, polymer carbon
fuels spilled on water or ground and other soft or hard surfaces

22. Guest Speaker - performed many guest speaker engagements, both in Canada and the
United States over the last 21 years, several times for each listed below:
Marine Underwriters Association,
International Ship Masters associations,
Salvage Association,
Transport Canada,
Ontario Fire College
Police agencies,
Power & Sail Squadron,

23. Company of Master Mariners of Canada 8 times Guest Speaker,
Council of Commodores
Addressed the American Petroleum Institute 1990 in Washington re: Active Containment
Device for Tanker Ship Pollution - under further development at my web site ``SEA
STOPPER II, www.seastopper.com
A backdrop of ‘environmental sensitivity’ threaded its way throughout most of the my marine
endeavors and marine casualty presentations, thus an interest together with Dr. Robert

24. Cameron to study non-species specific microwave irradiation in ballast tanks of ships for
100% ‘clean ballast’ to meet the Canadian U.S.C.G. ballast exchange requirements
1997-2005.
Email: gary.seastop@gmail.com Cell No: 647-853-4552
Capt. Gary Kassbaum M.M.