[B]SOLID DETAILED VOYAGE PLANNING[/B] [B]COUPLED[/B] [B]WITH GOOD BRIDGE[/B] [B]RESOURCE MANAGEMENT[/B].
Navigating in and out the vicinity of Belle Pass, the hole-in-wall, east hole-in-wall, and the west rabbit is a challenging and difficult endeavor even on a clear calm day. At night and in reduced visibility makes the situation even more challenging.
Most outbound vessels arriving at Belle Pass 1 & 2 buoys will proceed directly to their next waypoint, such as the hole-in-wall, east hole-in-wall or west rabbit, which are all different waypoints. Conversely, inbound vessels from the aforementioned waypoints typically proceed to a waypoint in the vicinity of Belle Pass 1 & 2.
A vast majority of mariners that are operating out of Port Fourchon are not aware of or utilize the safety fairway that is on chart 11346. This safety fairway extends 1.3nm south of Belle Pass buoys 1 &2 on a course of 191 degrees true. Vessels not utilizing the fairway and common waypoints leads to mass confusion on meeting, crossing, and overtaking situations.
Voyage planning requires precautionary thought and preparedness. Precautionary thought declines with the onset of complacency, a recognized danger for all vessels on the SAME regular run in and out of Port Fourchon. This is the area where all bridge teams should be on their “A” game, and not cutting corners. I think all bridge teams have been humbled plenty of times in this area.
Our bridge team agreed to extend the range course 191T, to the end of the safety fairway 1.3nm establishing a common approach and departure point from the seaward end of the safety fairway. From this common approach point, we also established permanent waypoints for the hole-in-wall, east hole-in-wall, and west rabbit, which would reflect the center of the safety fairway. This provides the vessel sufficient sea room to safely meet, cross, and overtake other vessels. Also, this provides a safe passing distance to the numerous satellites in the vicinity.
These waypoints have been placed on all our charts in ink, highlighted, and the Lat/Long wrote on the chart in the mariner’s note section for reference. The courses and distances were also placed on the chart as well. The same waypoints were also put on the chart plotter so it mirrors the chart.
This has significantly enhanced the navigation in this highly congested area and allows much more flexibility in negotiating traffic and maintaining a safe distance from the satellites. Implementing this as a “best practice” would provide an extra margin for all vessels. Ideally, if ALL vessels operating out of Port Fourchon adopted the use of these waypoints, it would curtail the mass confusion in this area, and permit more natural flow of traffic. We all know that the crew boats would continue to do their own thing.
I already do that, matter of fact I like to go 1 mile past the candle sticks before turning to the hole in the wall. I don’t know about all you stated but just out of respect for the inbound guys I give them plenty of room to operate around the candle sticks and get set up. I know when I’m inbound I like to have room making the turn and get a good feeling on the set and drift, especially with another big boat coming out and both of us crabbing in and out of the jetties.
South bounders have all that room to operate south of 1&2 and like you said, this will not cause confusion and eliminates crowding between the hole and the turn point to get lined up for your inbound approach.
Sometimes you might have to go a few extra mile past your waypoint to allow other traffic to pass safely. I get a kick out of the guys who get their panties in a twist because the cant make their course changes at the exact point that the captain put in the GPS and wrote up in the passage plan. There’s give and take around Belle Pass. You’re not always going to be dealing with some dot the I unlimited guy. Lots of guys running crew, utility,shrimp boats that have never seen the fairway on the chart. Just been running it since I was shitting yellow. I don’t care if I have to slow to bare steerage to open a CPA. Never been in that much of a hurry. You’ll never do more than 12hr in the chair anyway. Life’s too short to sweat the small stuff. Just get out and enjoy it. Inbound, who cares. Still not in that big of a hurry.
I would be happy if the all the idiots would just quit doing their DP/sea trials in the Hole in the Wall or right in the middle of the normally travelled areas.
They just expect everyone to go around while they sit up there with wheel house lights on, their feet up on the dash while the DP tech is horsing around on the joystick. Just because they flip on the red-white-reds they think they’re some privileged king and everyone else is responsible.
[QUOTE=Flyer69;146019]PS, please post the lat/lon of these waypoints you mention in your original post.[/QUOTE]
Belle Pass Approach Pt. 29-03.011 N 090-14.026 W (This is exactly on the range extended 1.3nm seaward)
Hole-in-Wall 29-59.40 N 090-17.20 W
East Hole-in-Wall 29-00.10 N 090-09.60 W
West Rabbit 29-01.50 N 090-17.20 W
These points took a little while to refine, and seem to work fairly well. I’m sure there are other fellow mariners out there that could possibly make these even better. Skip Jiblet is not the most intelligent mariner, but I’m not as dumb as a box of dry wall screws either. Hope this helps!!!
If people would just not be in such a hurry and act like human beings instead if giant douches it wouldn’t be much of a problem at belle pass. I don’t think any amount of way points on a chart is going to fix the fact that there are some real turds out there.
I look at a lot of the traffic drama and near misses in Fourchon like this: Port Fourchon is a crowded elevator in a busy high rise. Of the 15 people jammed in there one person is going to be yelling at their cell phone, one is going to be a big fatty that reeks of BO, another will be eating an onion bagel with garlic cream cheese, and someone is gonna fart.
So no matter how pleasant, polite, and hygienic the other 11 people are. That elevator is still gonna suck.
My point being just drive the damn boat and keep your eyes out the windows!
Yea it’s really not hard. I’ve stood by outside the 1 and 2 for over an hour before waiting for everything to clear up. Other boats were jumping into that C.F. and I watched a few near misses unfold.
[QUOTE=Traitor Yankee;146029]If people would just not be in such a hurry and act like human beings instead if giant douches it wouldn’t be much of a problem at belle pass. I don’t think any amount of way points on a chart is going to fix the fact that there are some real turds out there.
I look at a lot of the traffic drama and near misses in Fourchon like this: Port Fourchon is a crowded elevator in a busy high rise. Of the 15 people jammed in there one person is going to be yelling at their cell phone, one is going to be a big fatty that reeks of BO, another will be eating an onion bagel with garlic cream cheese, and someone is gonna fart.
So no matter how pleasant, polite, and hygienic the other 11 people are. That elevator is still gonna suck.
My point being just drive the damn boat and keep your eyes out the windows![/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=KrustySalt;146038]Yea it’s really not hard. I’ve stood by outside the 1 and 2 for over an hour before waiting for everything to clear up. Other boats were jumping into that C.F. and I watched a few near misses unfold.[/QUOTE]
Deep in the CF is where you earn your money… Otherwise, you’re just a sandbaggin’ check collector.
[QUOTE=KrustySalt;146055]Have fun with all the extra paperwork and that piss test then. Remember what the E in ETA means.[/QUOTE]
I understand that, what I am saying is “if you work in the oil patch, you get paid to get it done” I am not saying that you have to be unsafe or a cowboy. I have extra people in the wheelhouse, I have all my thrusters and engines ready, AIS, radio, RADARS tuned, depth sounder, etc. I don’t run slack and I am very focused and defensive… But I ain’t skeered of it. I know the crew boats are going to cut the bouys, the shrimp boats are kamikaze, I assume people aren’t going to answer the radio, or do what they are supposed to do… I find it invigorating. I don’t run fast, but if it’s my turn to move then I move, because doing 0.3 knots and backing up traffic for 2 miles might be safe for some but it screws others for hours and causes undue safety issues as a domino effect. When in Rome, drive your boat like the Romans do!
I have never understood why it is that people need or even think that the government cares a tiniest little bit about them or can save them if they did.