Every couple years we have a major calamity in industry. The Marine Electric got us all Survival Suits.
The Mauvilla got us all Radar Certification. The Bay Titan got us signed off with a TOAR so people couldn’t ‘cross jump’ from one type of vessel to another and assume command without some type of oversight.
The Scandia got us corporate responsibility for M&R.
The Evening Tide B No 120 got company’s to adhere to self certified recency.
The Specialist got us further manning, work hours and recency scrutiny.
The ElFaro got us(or is in the process) of corporate responsibility to follow SMS and operational guidelines.
I wonder how this debacle will benefit all of us?
Will this be a reason to make the COFR include ‘end of corporate’ insurance? To make this never happens again?
After all: The USCG is a great REactionary force to correct debacles AFTER they occur.
Regarding having the CG man these vessels. There aren’t enough bunks aboard to be able to have USCG manning. They don’t know how to have a one man wheelhouse, a two man anchor detail, or a one man (unmanned) ER.
I think it was a dead ship tow. 3 assist boats and a tow boat seems about right for a 600ft +- unit. I’ve never been there but I hear Fourchon can be tight in places.
Not enough water alongside the stakes for a seagoing tug. (Fuel or no fuel). I doubt there’s enough water at the stakes for one of these barges unless it was emptied of ballast completely
Kinda looks like that by the wheel wash on the assist tugs, pushing mighty hard. Tug has more draft , barge is in ballast. May explain why tug got out of notch, and perhaps later pics will show barge took some ballast off. Pretty shallow there.
Is that at the stakes or is that in Floatation Canal? I’ve moored a seagoing tug with a seagoing take barge to the piling in Floatation Canal many times.
It must have been hell tying up there. I’ve worked Fourchon And I doubt they had line handlers. Try throwing a 10inch Nylon Strap and 1 inch wire to catch the pilling.
I’m assuming correct me if I’m wrong. But they are probably stopping there to have the tanks cleaned and pump Ballast and fuel out of the units before going to Amelia What better place to clean tanks then Fourchon. I don’t think they can lay up the barge with residue cargo
I was thinking the same. I worked in fourchon for years and then may or may not have worked on the Donna for a couple years. Was always a cluster trying to tie up on that unit even with line handlers.
JD Cavo has my utmost respect for his most informative and accurate responses, period. This site is more than lucky to have him participate. Going up the wrong tree to question his knowledge of our business and the legal aspects of it. He knows CFR’s front to back and many other areas… Thx Mr Cavo