The U.S.-flagged vessel will be engineered, constructed and operated by ECO for the operation and maintenance of the Revolution Wind, South Fork Wind and Sunrise Wind offshore wind farms in the northeast United States, all of which are still dependent on obtaining the necessary federal permits from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM).
Big surprise.
1 Like
The bayou just reached BostonâŚ
1 Like
If the vessel will operate from Boston or NJ then the boat will be unionized, any info if this will this be AMO/SIU staffed?
Why would it be unionized in those ports? I worked on OSVâs out of Boston and were not unionized.
1 Like
Do you really think Gary fucking Chouest would let AMO or any other union staff one of his boats?
3 Likes
As a former oil patch worker who has lots of friends in the GoM I can tell you that all those OSV companies have plenty of people looking for work. I doubt any of them need AMO, SIU or a crewing agency to fill spots. Also, does AMO & SIU have DPOâs & people with construction vessel & small boat handling skills? I remember seeing some outstanding boat handling skills on OSVâs. Sometime the capt would hold the vessel 2-3ft off a platform & rig workers would swing over on a rope. I never seen stuff like that since but would guess that would be close to what windfarm workers will be doing.
I guess the better question to ask is, âWill Chouest Offshore crew that vessel with mariners who would want to unionize?â I think the answer would be No.
2 Likes
This will be DP II class vessel(s). Boat handling in the field will be limited to getting to within a few hundred feet from the windmill foundations, use the DP Joystick to get in position to set the W2W telescopic and motion compensated gangway, then hit the âstay hereâ button and watch as the DP system keeps the boat within a few feet radius:
PS> Things have changed, even in the GoM, since you were there. (??)
If you want to see a W2W gangway equipped vessel in operation, here is a video:
May as well watch a bragging video from ECO as well:
2 Likes
But, when you have to hit the âoh fuckâ button it would be best to have a boat handler at the controls, dontchathink?
4 Likes
Iâd assume that the point SandPebble is making is the unions are only for no-talent, no-skill shulbs. Try telling that to the unionized ship pilots, they might not agree.
Yes I agree. Someone that can take over and bring the boat away from the fixed structure, (Whether that be a windmill or an oil installation)
Of course skilled in using the type of facilities available on a modern SOV, with plenty of thruster power, not âwalk the boatâ in the old twin screw, fixed pitch mud boat style.(There is a VERY big difference in what âboat handling skillsâ are needed)
PS> The gangway will lift and swing out of the way automatically
Itâs easy to drive a boat with all propulsion intact, might be a bit more of a challenge when the âoh fuckâ button was mashed because there is no longer âplenty of thruster powerâ ⌠just sayinâ
Until it doesnât.
2 Likes
If you have a total blackout there is not much you can do, except pray.
DP II class requirements are quite strict on redundancy though.
The gangway has stored hydraulic power enough to lift, and retract, even in a total blackout.
In the ECO bragging video they mentioned that Island Offshore is partly owned by the Chouest family (together with the Ulstein family)
Island Offshore has had one of their boats out on a special assignment:
OK that has nothing to do with ECO building a SOV, but thought it may be interesting to know about anyhow.
Absolutely not my point. The skillset that I noticed on unlimited vessel were not regularly held by GoM mariners. I noticed Unlimited guys were more likely to manage large crews better without showing emotions, could work longer hitches without turning into crackpots & predict the weather & sea conditions better. But Iâve been on several unlimited vessels where a future berth movement was written on the white board in the lounge days in advance & it was discussed & planned like someone was having a baby or something. On similar sized OSVâs such movements could happen at the drop of a hat with a fraction on the crew & be completed in 1/8th of the time. The maritime trade has several niches & Iâm sure AMO/SIU mariners can be trained to be OSV/Construction Vessel mariners but I donât see it happening. OSVâs companies already have a long waiting list for employment & those companies donât need assistance crewing up.
Also, would the Chouest guys automatically be given A books if they joined a union or would they be given C books & treated like shit like every other time a smaller union becomes affiliated with MM&P/SIU/AMO? Why should they go from being top dogs with seniority with a new boat at an OSV company to being a C book in MM&P were they couldnât work on MM&P ships nor attend union schools? Doesnât ECO have their own free schools anyways?
1 Like
Wonder if Island Offshore allows union workers as marine crew in the Norwegian Sea?
I canât see Chouest agreeing to a union and likely would fire anyone who even so much as breathed a word.
But that aside far more likely any union in a case like this would be similar to what the union tug companies and others do. That is the company hires who they want and then the mariner join a union.
No reason to adopt deep-sea methods, contracts or hiring halls etc.
3 Likes
Probably no need to fire because they were likely canned or laid off long ago if they ever existed to start with. I worked with Tideewater in the mid 90âs to mid 2000âs & they had a handful of new-build Capts, Engineers & ABâs. They were old hands with the company who knew what the company wanted concerning commissioning new vessels & getting them started on jobs. They were paid better, treated better & best of all for them, they knew the new equipment & technology. Those guys wouldnât vote union to save their lives. I wouldnât be surprised if ECO does the same thing with their new builds. Theyâre probably not hiring new guys off the street to work on there prized positions who might be sympathetic to the decline of the nations union work force in the private sector.
3 Likes
Yes they do. The Island Valiant is NOR registered. Marine crews are Norwegians and member of the Unions.
Since she was on an assignment for NPD probably all the rest on board was Norwegians as well on the trip to the Norwegian Sea.
Vessel specs:
PS> She is presently laying at Hareide, near Ă lesund, but was out on a short trial yesterday. Maybe getting ready for a new job.(??):
Heading to the GoM maybe??