Crosby believed in big dreams, hard work, God

Born three days before New Year’s Day of 1939 to Webster and Cedonia Crosby, Vinton Crosby had ambition that would eventually stretch his influence across the Gulf Coast.

Webster owned a shipyard, Crosby Repair, where he repaired old wooden shrimp and oyster boats and he trapped.

Vinton grew up in the shipyard with his brother and six sisters.

There he learned the intricacies involved in willing wood into the hull of a ship.

When he was 12 years old, Vinton told his parents that he was leaving seventh grade to work on a wooden tugboat. His parents told him they’d prefer him finish his schooling, but were supportive of him. They were confident their boy would excel in the field.

“Those wooden tugboats were a challenge to work on without any air conditioning or water,” said Vinton’s son and business partner, Kurt Crosby. “But he grew up on those tugs and he really learned the business there, you see.”

He worked hard on the boat with focus and determination to learn how to operate tugboats. He developed a reputation for his adeptness on tugs.

It was in his teenaged years that he went to a dance and met Lois Pitre, whom he would later marry.

Together, they raised a son, Kurt, and daughter, Paddy.

They had Kurt when Vinton was just 18, which is one of the reasons the two were so close.

Vinton worked hard to provide for his family. He was soft-spoken and kind. The children were taken care of well, never left wanting for anything.

He instilled in his children strong work ethic and the perseverance to better one’s self. On one occasion, when Kurt was in seventh grade, he told his father that he was considering quitting football.

Vinton told his son that was ok, but that he couldn’t play basketball “because you’re a quitter.”

“I changed my mind, didn’t quit,” Kurt said. “That moment taught me so much.”

In another instance, Kurt fired the last shot during a basketball game, winning the contest.

He told his son that he was proud of him, but “you’ve got many great things to do. Don’t think this is it,” Kurt recalled.

He taught his son never to be satisfied.

In 1977, Kurt was getting married and studying physical education at Nicholls. Vinton came to his son with a business proposition: to buy a tugboat together.

They took a chance on a 300-hundred horse powered, single prop, single steel-hulled tug and christened it the Cedonia, after Vinton’s mother.

On that boat, Vinton taught his son how to operate the tugs. Vinton had earned a reputation amongst tugboat operators as knowing everything about captaining the Samson of seagoing vessels.

“When I worked with him, he showed me how to handle a boat,” Kurt recalled. “He was the best captain. They couldn’t stand next to him.”

They worked long hours. Sometimes, they would work around the clock, without sleep.

“He had a dream that he wanted to make this company as big as it is,” said daughter Paddy Crosby. “… He had to be on the boat all the time.”

During that time, Paddy was carting workers to and from the boats. She had started doing that when she was 15.

The business kept growing. They bought their second and third tugboats and after that the Crosbys stepped off the boat and took a backseat from the actual operation of the vessels.

In the eighties, the oil glut drove many tugboat operators out of business. Vinton bought one tugboat after another and tied them up, knowing that when business picked up again, he could use them.

It was a risk, but Vinton had vision. He saw potential in a time when many saw doom. Many were saying there was no way they were buying a tugboat at that time.

“That’s what amazed me,” Kurt said. “During hard times, a majority of people lose hope. He had that perseverance.”

Vinton prayed and was a vehement believer in God. It was likely his source of confidence, Kurt said.

His faith led Crosby Tugs to grow into the large company employing hundreds today.

If there were a message Vinton Crosby would give to anyone who aspired to be great at anything, it would be to take a chance and aim high.

“If you want to be an actor, go to California, if you want to be a doctor, go to the big university,” Kurt said, quoting his father.. “If you want to work for the best [tugboat] company, come work for Crosby Tugs.”

Go to the extreme. Go for the best. Don’t settle for less. Take risks. Dream big. Work hard. Stop at nothing and don’t let anything get you down.

That was the mantra of Vinton Crosby. •

Vinton Crosby