Word on the street is the Aviq is gearing up for work.
Hope they keep the water out of their fuel oil!
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Heard it was going to Australia and Antarctica
Wow haven’t heard that name in almost 10 years… what the hell happened with that vessel anyway? When she was in the yard being built she was all the ECO guys I knew talked about, practically salivating… was she a lemon or what?
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Designed for river work and they took it out to sea…
Poor design on topside fuel vents. Mr. Gary not doing well on his Aviq investment.
Class are clowns or just paid to do what the owner says or was it classed as a river tug?
That’s funny Steamer. Nice one. Most seasoned mariners knew it was a shitshow from the start.
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I heard some great stories from several Alaskans, when the boat got towed to shore with the GOM crew all as white as a sheet, as they had waves, imagine that
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For those who don’t remember the wonders of the Aiviq you might be interested to have a look at a report I compiled on Alaskan drama. It can be found here. The Kulluk and the Aiviq. There is a lot to say about the event so it comes out at about 5000 words.
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Can’t wait for the Aussie stories!
It’s hard to believe they haven’t changed the name of the thing.
in all seriousness, who would want the vessel to use and for what purpose? If for the oil industry, there are already many much more suitable anchorboats still sitting idle and looking for work and if tor research? I mean really…with the fuel consumption of that Blue Whale? We already know that the USCG has rejected the vessel even on a charter basis and any contract with them or any other Federal Government entity would have had to go through many months of public advertisement so it can’t be with them.
I just don’t see it unless Missa Gawry has pulled off some incredible level of corruption in Washingtoon and the vessel picked up a no bid contract of some sort?
Shell sent beginners up there that not only had no experience but zero in the ice.
The guys joked there wasnt any management over the age of 30
They thought the people they dragged from down south could do it, left the locals to watch.
- Tried to move the Kulluk in the harbor with push tugs but forgot its round so played pinball as the locals watched and laughed.
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- Had a plan to send a boat out to some place but they said not enough fuel, Shell sends them back to Seattle ( or wherever they can get some, I cant remember but long ways off)
Boat gets back and its only got the same amount of fuel in it as when it left, burnt it all to get there. lol
Joie maligne? Or as the Alaskans probably laughed - dumbshits!
So they made up the difference with seawater.
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- struggling to remember but something about chartering a massive aircraft freighter to shift something long up and cant get a plane. Project delayed.
This time the locals got asked, yes we have done that before we charter a 737 and it fits down the aisle, which was done saved Shell a huge bill.
The Aviq looks like it has the right shape to be converted into a Jones act compliant windfarm SOV.
It already has some of the features that SOV charters look for like a helideck and it looks like it has empty lifeboat recesses where they could put lifeboats or a Daugher Craft. Also it has plenty of deck space where they could put a walk to work module.
Wikipedia says it only has accommodation for 64, that would probably be a bit small for an SOV, most of them seem to have accommodation for at least 80 people, more modern ones can accommodate over 100 people.
But if the fuel consumption is as high as people say it is then that might be a big problem.
The AIVIQ’s only accomplishment was putting KULLUK on the rocks and destroying Arctic Alaskan offshore drilling forever.
Shell’s and Chouest’s misadventure in Arctic Alaska is a study in ignorance, arrogance, and incompetence.
I can imagine that a properly outfitted and operated (not by Chouest) AIVIQ might make a decent standby for rescue towing tug.
Perhaps AIVIQ could tow the largest old naval vessels to Brownsville for scrapping?
I don’t know if AIVIQ could compete in the International long haul, large vessel, towage market. It seems like there are lots of bigger and better vessels.
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