Day 3 of my Workboat Academy voyage…
(Wow- can’t believe it’s the 3rd day already…)
Today was a busy day! We watched a safety video from Crowley, got a great engine room familiarization lecture from the talented Captain Pete Pettersen, had a vessel/nautical terminology class… and were the guests of Jeff Schlesinger and Western Towboat. They were kind enough to be our hosts- taking us for a ride on the absolutely spotless tug “Western Titan” as well as giving us some great hands on experience on a tug- on behalf of all the cadets- than you!
My homework tonight is to write an essay on today’s experience with Wester- so that will be at the bottom- That way I can cut, paste, and voila- instant essay!
1st thing today we watched a video from Crowley on towing safety. It helped me as I had never seen a lot of the gear I’d be working with- for me a picture is often “worth a thousand words” and helps me learn faster.
We also received an in depth training book and instruction on vessel/nautical terms- everything for the basic (port/starboard) to lots of stuff I’ve never heard (like lazarette) and benefitted all of us- regardless of prior experience.
Next up- my former Captain (he’s also a chief engineer!:eek:) and all around good guy Pete Pettersen gave a lecture on engine room familiarization. This was especially valuable for me- as I have no engineering experience. I will definitely need to do extra study on this.
Whether you are a deckhand, mate, or captain- you need to know something about the engine room and what’s going on. Your life, vessel and crew depend on your ability to make command decisions- including in relation to what’s happening down below.
Pete mixed sea stories (like the one about the guy who stole a Russian Trawler:D) with knowledge about what you need to check on an engine room watch. He packed a lot in- but a few of the main points were-
*Know your way around the engine room- including exits
*Find out what the acceptable ranges for different readings/machinery are- and report anything out of range to the chief engineer or captain
*Conduct mental “role playing” of different emergency scenarios and look for solutions- now- not when there’s an emergency.
*Be alert- take your watch seriously. Look , listen, and smell for anything out of the ordinary.
*Report even small concerns- most accidents are the result of human error.
It was a good class- alternating clips of bears boxing fishermen with explanations of turbos, heat exchangers, and centrifuges.
Thanks Pete:)
Today was my first experience aboard a tugboat- courtesy of Jeff Schlesinger and the fine folks at Western Towboat. While waiting to meet Captain Schlesinger we able to get a close up view of their new tug- under construction at the yard. It seemed ENORMOUS- as did the nearby z-pods!:eek:
Captain Schlesinger was a very gracious, patient, and knowledgeable host. I think it says a lot about the man- and company- that they would volunteer time, effort, and energy to train cadets who will be working for other companies.
Western Towboat has a reputation for clean boats- but I was literally SHOCKED at how nice they were- you could see the reflection from the bulkhead walls from 10 feet away! The interiors were even better- spotless, huge head (that’s a bathroom newbies) great galley (kitchen) AMAZING staterooms- with high polished wood trim- and a spotless (literally) engine room and pilot house!
Captain Schlesinger explained that each company does things differently- but was also nice enough to give us a copy of deckhand duties for his boats. There are around 100 items- no wonder their boats look great! I didn’t ask permission to share details- but here’s some idea of some of what you’ll do as a deckhand on a tug-
- Clean- everything- to a high standard
*Examine, oil, and grease all tools and deckhand equipment- regularly
*Examine the whole vessel- make a list of what needs to be painted, repaired, etc on the next voyage
*Inspect/clean engine room
*Plus- cooking, standing watches, making/breaking tows, conducting drills, loading groceries… it’s a lot of work!
Before embarking we gathered for a safety meeting with the boat’s employees. Western takes safety seriously- as was obvious in the meeting. We went over- the reason behind and importance of safety meetings, how they came about and the benefits they have- especially ensuring that all team members understand the tasks required of them- and are capable of completing them safely.
Safety meting are important- especially before handling lines, making or breaking tows, and in adverse conditions. I hope every company I work for has them.
Next we received some instructions in handling /throwing mooring lines. It’s been a while since I’ve used them and am rusty- it was good to get some practice!
Some things to remember-
*protect your back when moving/pulling/throwing lines
*Always be vigilant of your surroundings, tension on the like, vessel motion, the location of other team members, etc.
*Watch your fingers! Put lines on in a way that your fingers can’t get trapped/pinched
*Be sure to consider the lead (direction) of th line and whether it may rise- take this into account when securing line on bitts, cleats, etc.
Next part was fun- going through the locks!
We all helped securing and releasing the vessel- using what we’d learned to work together- for the 1st time.
Next we explored the vessel- once again- it was NICE!
Our next "class: was the proper way to use the capstan- the right way to wrap the line, where to stand to be safe, etc. We all practiced while our instructor watched closely. This helped because we got a taste of how to prepare and re-coil the towing wire/gear.
One thing that was drilled into us- stay vigilant- and out of the bight of lines and cables. Stay out of danger zones. Watch and listen. Any time you are aft (behind) the winch or capstan- be especially careful. Look for escape routes and take a mental picture of the deck.
Next we climbed the ladder to the next deck as the Western Titan Crew got everything ready to hook up to a barge loaded with around 350 containers, several vehicles, and a small bulldozer. The crew worked fast and withing minutes was ready.
We all benefited from this- a lot. Why? Because- all of a sudden the terms we had been learning- such as “Swede Wire” “Safety Strap” “Pee Vee” became clear.
We saw-
*How the deckhand climbs the “pigeon holes” to the barge…
- How the Swede wire and safety wire are used to transfer the tow bridle pigtail to the tug
*How the safety strap holds the pigtail in place while the Swede wire is removed from the pigtail- and replaced with the tow wire
-
How the shackle, bolt, nut, and kotter pis connect the “d” socket to the pigtail
-
how the wire is placed securely between the pins, and safety strap
removed
*and so forth
It was time to say goodbye to the tug- and crew. The tug “flopped” alongside the barge- and was quickly secured. We wished the crew a safe voyage to Alaska and climbed over to the barge- then the dock.
Except for a few of the students who came from the towing industry- we aren’t towboaters yet. But we now have a little familiarity- and hands on experience. I’m grateful to get it now- before getting on my first tug as a deckhand.
From the 2010 Workboat Mate Program - to Captain Jeff Schlesinger, The crew of the Western Titan, and to all of Western Towboat Company- Thank you- and smooth sailing:)
Anthony