I’m not saying that’s the case but sitting at the dock COSTS Gary money so on a contract where he just breaks even is better than sitting at the dock costing money. If he makes a little profit on top of it then all the better.
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It would appear that Chouest is making very good money on this contract. Whatever they are making they clearly thought it was enough. They are billionaires so I’m not going to worry too much about their financial well-being.
I would like see all the American shipping/tugboat/OSV, etc. companies make good money, be solvent, maintain their boats, grow, and employ more mariners at higher wages, good benefits, and fully paid travel with plenty of good grub.
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From a skinny 150 lb OS to a 230 lb Captain, I would tend to agree regarding good grub. No regrets.
I mostly work for companies that have no food budget. Food is expensive in Alaska but that is built into the boats day rate. We buy the best food we can find and never hear a complaint.
I’m kind of shocked when I hear East Coast guys talking about tight food budgets. That is the wrong place to economize. A few cents saved, costs thousands of dollars in poor morale, lower productivity, and turnover.
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Could not agree more tugsailor.
It doesn’t really blend in, everything Chouest built for Valdez is also blue and white.
The HAPPY DRAGON berthed at Selfs Pt near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia on 03/12/21 taking on Bunkers for her voyage to Antarctica.
Photo: Glenn Towler Hobart, Tasmania Australia ©
Aiviq has ETA at Davis Station 09. Jan. 2022:
Davis Station webcam:
Casey Station webcam:
UPDATE:
The HAPPY DRAGON making her way down to Macquarie Wharf no 4 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia to load supplies for Australia’s Casey Antarctic Base after bunkering at Selfs Pt.
Photo: Glenn Towler - Hobart, Tasmania Australia (c)
Many years ago the CFO of a major shipping company was asked at a stock holders meeting about the cost of the food for the crew, could that expense be lowered? The CFO, who was a notorious tightwad said that in all his experience he had never heard of a shipping company going out of business due to feeding the crew well.
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RSV NUYINA visited Davis research station in east Antarctica for the first time, delivering two helicopters and some important cargo to the expeditioners there. “Everyone was pretty excited. Many people have been waiting years to see this. And there’s a lot of excitement for the mail bags. According Dani Yannopoulos, the Davis station leader
Photo: Pete Harmsen, Kirk Yatras, Australian Antarctic Data Centre
PS> No signs of Aiviq escorting her
RSV NUYINA has completed its first refuelling of an Antarctic station, making the most of a lucky weather window of calm days and glassy seas. As the ship bid farewell to Casey research station and HAPPY DRAGON , clouds rolled in over Newcomb Bay Photos: Pete Harmsen/AAD
PS> No sign of Aiviq here either. Maybe she is not “assisting RSV NUYINA” after all??
MIDNIGHT LIGHT: enjoy a spectacular scenic tour of Antarctic at the Petersen Bank, where relatively shallow water in the Mawson Sea traps immense fields of bergs and pack ice, forming a natural barrier. Not to icebreaker RSV NUYINA however!
Aiviq is still not there to assist.(??)
Crew probably signed some nondisclosure agreement. Maybe Aviq is on a secret mission in Oz.
Yes, probably so secret that even the crew doesn’t know what they are doing.
Could it be that the picture has been Photoshoped and it is actually Aiviq that is breaking the ice?
I’m told that Aiviq is clandestinely on her way to Pine Gap.
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Had a contact in Ft Lauderdale you was ex radar tech from the Navy, he said they did lots of deployments and listening, going ashore ( un discovered) with mobile listening posts and then told to monitor something.
He said they never knew if it was something real or just an exercise.
So Aiviq is doing secret squirrel shit for Uncle Sam?
Nah. They’re mining “manganese nodules.”
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I understood that reference.
It is official; Aiviq is not going to look for Endurance (this year at least):
Returning to the facts: Some days ago, booth vessels, the American ‘Aiviq’ and the Australian ‘Nuyina’, arrived in Hobart Port.
It seems, they came in from different Australian Antarctic stations.