Starting to get a little rough out here near Ensco 8500
Are you talking about weather at the Ensco 8500? We are talking about boats hitting stuff, when they are not supposed to.
[QUOTE=âElCapitan;125757â]Patience and common sense would help greatly.[/QUOTE]
Common sense is a super power only few posses. They should call it uncommon senseâŚ
[QUOTE=Quimby;125766] While they were topping around, two crewboats pushed their way through between the barge and the dock.[/QUOTE]
What is âtopping aroundâ ?
[QUOTE=âFraqrat;125730â]We need unlimited tonnage masters to come run a boat handling clinic down here.[/QUOTE]
Thatâs just what we need! Not!
Iâve seen just as many piss poor 500/3000 and 1600/6000 boat handlers. Stop getting butt hurt over guys with unlimited licenses. Hell, be glad the USCG allowed the made up 6000 license so that the big boats would be able to crew up!
[QUOTE=âTraitor Yankee;125729â]Ive been thinking about doing a blog post to the subject that this thread has really brought to light in my opinion. With the rapid expansion of the industry and the amount of traffic in the port, the rapid increase in the size of vessels, and the rapid influx of people lacking in experience and or the so called right stuff, we have been on a course to see more and more incidents like this. I say this too as a guy with only two years in OSVs and DP work. My experience before hand was mostly as a tugboat deckhand doing various smaller hawser towing and construction work, and a fair amount of wheel time on a variety of passenger boats. I did however grow up on and around boats in the yacht industry and gained that right stuff boat handling wise at a much younger age. All it took coming to a 240 foot zdrive OSV was a little time figuring out zdrives and getting a feel for the vessels size and blind spots. I work with some guys though who have only ever driven big boats, and still donât get it. Guys with a lot more time in the wheelhouse than myself. These are the guys that due to the rapid expansion of the industry and need for personnel have been thrust into positions they arenât and may never be ready for.
I donât want this to come off as a self serving tooting my own horn post at all, I just have thought since I got into the industry and have watched it take off again that we would start to see more and more of this kind of thing. The boats are bigger, the average crew experience is lower, and fourchon is only getting more crowded.[/QUOTE]
SoâŚyou are basically a new hire to the industry, that was placed on a boat (if you are on the one I think you are on- given that its a z-drive), thatâs had a few accidents recently, a vessel that is known to be a dumping ground for that division to put all his less than desirables on, and yet have incredible knowledge on the industry and boat driving? Give it a rest. As far as traffic, until you have a five or ten years running New York and/or Houston working with 1000 ft oil tankers and containerships, barge traffic- all in heavy volumes, coupled with fast current, you really have no idea what you are talking about.
That being said, there shouldnât be problems in Fourchon, given that most of the vessels are equipped with multiple thrusters and an abundance of power. They need to put these inexperienced yahoos back on tthe deck for a while so they can watch and learn. There are a few young guys that do a pretty good job, but they are few and far between. Will these accidents continue? Yes they will, until hiring is done based not only on credentials, but experience. The high wages in the Gulf have drawn alot of people, good and bad.The idea of putting a guy in a captainâs position that is only a few years out of school is crazy. That position takes on a lot more than just driving a boat.
[QUOTE=âBigpuddie;125786â]
SoâŚyou are basically a new hire to the industry, that was placed on a boat (if you are on the one I think you are on- given that its a z-drive), a vessel that is known to be a dumping ground for the division to put all his less than desirables, and yet have incredible knowledge on the industry and boat driving? Give it a rest. As far as traffic, until you have a five plus years running New York and/or Houston working with 1000 ft oil tankers and containerships, barge traffic- all in heavy volumes, coupled with fast current, you really have no idea what you are talking about.
That being said, there shouldnât be problems in Fourchon, given that most of the vessels are equipped with multiple thrusters and an abundance of power. They need to put these inexperienced yahoos back on tthe deck for a while so they can watch and learn. There are a few young guys that do a pretty good job, but they are few and far between. Will these accidents continue? Yes they will, until hiring is done based not only on credentials, but experience. The idea of putting a a guy in a captainâs position that is only a few years out of school is crazy. That position takes on a lot more than just driving a boat.[/QUOTE]
Word up!!!
[QUOTE=tengineer1;125782]What is âtopping aroundâ ?[/QUOTE]
Stopping to change your heading 180 degrees.
Worked with a captain one time that refused to use that term on the radio. He had heard it was a gay term used in San Francisco.
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[QUOTE=Bigpuddie;125786]SoâŚyou are basically a new hire to the industry, that was placed on a boat (if you are on the one I think you are on- given that its a z-drive), a vessel that is known to be a dumping ground for the division to put all his less than desirables, and yet have incredible knowledge on the industry and boat driving? Give it a rest. As far as traffic, until you have a five plus years running New York and/or Houston working with 1000 ft oil tankers and containerships, barge traffic- all in heavy volumes, coupled with fast current, you really have no idea what you are talking about.
[/QUOTE]
From what I read, the person grew up around boats. Are you saying his skills and boat sense are not transferable? There is a lot of difference between that background and a new hire academy grad that is just learning how to handle a boat.
Well said! Iâd say the traitor Yankee is probably above average ânew hireâ ability based on what I know about him though.
I do wish I had z-drives, and thrusters and computers and shit on the barges I handle though! And we manage still not to hit shit.
They are somewhat transferable. I had a 12 ft aluminum boat with a 6 hp Mercury when I was growing up, but that didnât make me a skilled mariner. Calling yourself experienced at operating larger vessels at the ripe old age of Twenty couple years is ridiculous. I have shoes older than that. Handling higher tonnage vessels takes experience to know what to do when something goes wrong or not as planned.
[QUOTE=âz-drive;125790â]
Well said! Iâd say the traitor Yankee is probably above average ânew hireâ ability based on what I know about him though.
I do wish I had z-drives, and thrusters and computers and shit on the barges I handle though! And we manage still not to hit shit.[/QUOTE]
I agree. I ran units that I would have killed to have all this technology. However, the accident that started this thread may have been a mechanical failure, I just wanted to find out what happened.
[QUOTE=âBigpuddie;125786â]
SoâŚyou are basically a new hire to the industry, that was placed on a boat (if you are on the one I think you are on- given that its a z-drive), thatâs had a few accidents recently, a vessel that is known to be a dumping ground for that division to put all his less than desirables on, and yet have incredible knowledge on the industry and boat driving? Give it a rest. As far as traffic, until you have a five or ten years running New York and/or Houston working with 1000 ft oil tankers and containerships, barge traffic- all in heavy volumes, coupled with fast current, you really have no idea what you are talking about.
That being said, there shouldnât be problems in Fourchon, given that most of the vessels are equipped with multiple thrusters and an abundance of power. They need to put these inexperienced yahoos back on tthe deck for a while so they can watch and learn. There are a few young guys that do a pretty good job, but they are few and far between. Will these accidents continue? Yes they will, until hiring is done based not only on credentials, but experience. The high wages in the Gulf have drawn alot of people, good and bad.The idea of putting a guy in a captainâs position that is only a few years out of school is crazy. That position takes on a lot more than just driving a boat.[/QUOTE]
The problem is there is not enough expierenced people available to fill those positions so they HAVE to train new people. You can not learn to drive a boat while working the deck either these days. Maybe back in the day the AB was given stick time but it seems rare at least on the vessels I have been on. So I do not think putting those âinexperienced yahoosâ on deck would really help the situation this thread is about.
Are you kidding me? There are hundreds of very experienced wheelmen with 1600-ocean or greater licenses that will not come to the bayou because of: layoff history, losing sometimes decades of seniority, nearly free âCadillacâ insurance plans, big 401k contributions, paid travel door to door, and just an unwillingness to go do things the bayou mafia wayâŚincluding bayou company doctors, non-standard equal time. the whole Dp scheme, etc etc. itâs not all about $ for everyone.
You see the culture change, youâll see experienced guys become more available.
And yes, a year or two on deck will teach a guy a lot about running a boat. Itâs more than what goes on maneuvering in the wheelhouse that makes a good boatman stand apart from a crappy one.
[QUOTE=âz-drive;125799â]Are you kidding me? There are hundreds of very experienced wheelmen with 1600-ocean or greater licenses that will not come to the bayou because of: layoff history, losing sometimes decades of seniority, nearly free âCadillacâ insurance plans, big 401k contributions, paid travel door to door, and just an unwillingness to go do things the bayou mafia wayâŚincluding bayou company doctors, non-standard equal time. the whole Dp scheme, etc etc. itâs not all about $ for everyone.
You see the culture change, youâll see experienced guys become more available.
And yes, a year or two on deck will teach a guy a lot about running a boat. Itâs more than what goes on maneuvering in the wheelhouse that makes a good boatman stand apart from a crappy one.[/QUOTE]
Some good points. The benefits you mentioned would fix a lot of the problem In Attracting qualified mariners.
Working on the deck for one of the major osv companies nowadays is going to teach you absolutely nothing about boat handling and less about wheelhouse matters. Almost all of these boats have four licensed officers on the bridge and a lot of times five. The experienced guys have enough on their hands with the job at hand and training the other officers. Very little time for a lowly AB or someone moving up to train. You will learn how to fill out jsaâs, hook up a lift, and clean a toilet though.
Correct!!!
Z-Drive is right & exactly the reasoning Iâm not coming south.
[QUOTE=Traitor Yankee;125657]I actually am certified to drive a kayak, thatâs a lot like a canoe I guess. [/QUOTE]
In a kayak you can brace with the paddle on both sides, in a canoe you have the paddle on one side, and pure thoughts for the other., And canoe spelled backwards is eonac.
Be glad there are mud boats for the unlimited guys who canât get a drilling gig or any work since deep sea is dried up. No one is butt hurt i was being sarcastic because we all know there are veerrryyy few unlimited guys who make the transition to driving a 250-350 ft in traffic. It takes a little while for even the best guys to get in their comfort zone.