I have a friend who works in the Gulf and he tells me things are slow. He actually told me there are a lot of boats tied up. Is this correct? Does anyone seeing things picking up anytime soon? Will the election have a effect on the work in the Gulf?
I was told yesterday by a GulfMark Captain that one of the deepwater floaters that left the Gulf during the moratorium is in transit back right now…
[QUOTE=tugboatchief;80638]I have a friend who works in the Gulf and he tells me things are slow. He actually told me there are a lot of boats tied up. Is this correct? Does anyone seeing things picking up anytime soon? Will the election have a effect on the work in the Gulf?[/QUOTE]
The tugs are all slow, they have been for a while. The larger OSV’s all seem to be busy though. I can’t say about the crew and utility boats.
The GoM, like the oil patch everywhere, has always been cyclical. The Great Recession and the Deepwater Horizon disaster (and its bureaucratic aftermath) were a double blow down here, but all signs point to an upswing now. Fleet utilization at my company is very high right now, and that’s true of several other companies where I know people. The big boat companies continue agressive newbuild programs, and there recently was a record-setting GoM lease auction in New Orleans. I also hear a number of drilling rigs are moving back into the Gulf. My sense, too, is that utilization is shifting to bigger and in some cases bigger/faster boats (particularly for deepwater), so that may account for some of the older and smaller equipment that is currently stacked.
The Atwood Condor is enroute to the GOM from the shipyard in Asia.
We’re off to the Discoverer Spirit right now. She’s back from Africa.
Our company cant find enough people to fill positions it seems like! Chefs and Engineers specifically.
And by “chefs” I mean professional deep fryers and box meal ingredient adders.
That’s a good one! Too bad its true!
Sad but true. There are some real pro out there, but they are few and far between. Easiest way to make 70k a year is to be a “chef” in the GOM it seems like.
Not on my boat! Won’t allow it. I have one that cooks healthy and one that is a baker and cooks traditional with minimal frying. I have access to “real” cooks if anyone is seriously looking.
You’re lucky. On most tugs the deckhand swings the pots. Sometimes others rake a whack at it. I try to give him two meals a hitch off to chip in too.
I get the grub on my boat so the crew gets to put up with my wheat bread and healthy food choices surprisingly know body seems to bitch.
Not too recently I had the SUP bitching because there were only ‘Organic’ cereals on board, and they didn’t have time to participate in the shipboard BBQ’s. We weren’t GOM, but still…