David K. Smith

Capt. David Smith, The Waterways Journal,

David K. Smith is a native of Catlettsburg, Kentucky, a third-generation riverman with more than 50 years’ involvement with the inland towing industry. He holds a Master of Towing Vessels, Western Rivers license and has stood watches on the Monongahela, Ohio, Kanawha, Big Sandy, Cumberland, Tennessee, Illinois, Missouri and Upper and Lower Mississippi Rivers. He actively worked aboard towboats for 30 years before moving to shoreside management as port captain and was a company owner before retiring in 2022.

He resides in a home overlooking Ironton Bend, Ohio River Mile 328, and is the current author of the Old Boat column in The Waterways Journal while occasionally working as a trip pilot.