Mostly started Friday morning around 04:00 with a chineese fire drill over a barge off-shore that was leaking crude oil. I had almost gotten asleep after meeting all night with the Dept. of Homeland Defense (sounds kind of comforting, don't it) and a seven hour drive to Lake Charles, La. from Mobile. Didn't sound like much response was needed, as only a couple of my crew were dispatched to help one of the NRC boats deploy some capture boom. A few hours later, I got a call to load out a dive package and crew for off-shore to determine what was leaking and have the divers fix it; no big deal and I was promised I could have my dive team back first thing saturday morning for the Lake Charles Job (already short-handed). ABout midnight, I leasurly opened a photograph of this barge that was leaking (440' long, 78' wide, 35' draft carrying 120,000 barrels of crude) and much to my surprise, found it not only was leaking a little oil but was definately sinking. I called the Coast Guard Command Cnter and was told that they had it all under control, no problem, the Engineers had told them it could only take a 15 degree list. Fifteen hours later, after a rush meeting in the Command Center, a USCG helicoptor is dispatched for me and I am lowered to a nearby platform and then again from the platform to a crew boat and off to the casualty. Apparently the engineers were a bit off, as it was now sunk at the bow and had a 45 degree list. I immediately formed a plan to stabilize the casualty and passed it on to the center, but the engineers decided it was more important to stop up a few vents and other little bullshit items; couldn't possibly roll over. She stayed stable at 45 degrees for two days but during an especially high tide yesterday, rolled to a 87 degree list and steadied up. Once more, the engineers decided it was more important to get some silly survey information than it was to take any emergancy actions. During our survey she rolled over quite completely, nearly capsizing the Lana only seconds after I retrieved my divers; so much for those idiot engineers. Worked all day yesterday and last night attaching tugs to the thing to keep her in one spot while this little Nor'easter blows out. We lost a 750 compressor overboard during our little ride to port last night in 15-18' seas. Got petroleum burns allver from diving in the crap, ruined 30K in dive gear, all for a silly little oil leak. Oh, I almost forgot to metion that they had struck a drifting lost oil rig and he hole was 6' x 40' long where they are leaking.
It's a pity you can't tell thoe engineers where to stick it seacowboys. There are days when people with all those degrees don't have a clue. Oh wait that's most days. Truly sorry for you, but I'm glad you're people are semi okay.
What kind of "engineers" were they? Geotechs? No competent marine engineer would make that mistake. (Neither would I.)
Naval architechs at a company called Ocean Motion...can't wait to hear their excuses on CNN tonight....should calm down out there in another day and we'll be heading back to a real cluster-love-making
Bleeping yacht designers. If it ain't got a keel, they are lost. Well, I guess you can hope the hole is on the bottom so the oil stays in the hull.
Remember Seacowboys, it's not the brilliance of your engineer that counts, it's the Ocean of your Motion!!!