CCG Icebreakers …
Maybe this isn’t the right place for this but this is really driving me nuts and I didn’t know where else to go. Below is a thumbnail sized picture of what appears to be a purpose-built ATB at sea. I just stumbled upon this picture at random while cruising the good ole’ interwebs and looking at boat-porn. I could not make the image any larger and there was no description of the vessel. It was just mixed in with a hodge-podge of other nautical pictures.
I have never seen an ATB like this before. I do not recognize the company livery and the barge appears as if it may have some unique non-petroleum related purpose. Can anyone tell me A.) what company this is B.) what tug/barge this is and C.) if the barge does in fact have a special purpose? Sorry I can’t provide any more details! That’s why I’m so frustrated!
[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;98928]Maybe this isn’t the right place for this but this is really driving me nuts and I didn’t know where else to go. Below is a thumbnail sized picture of what appears to be a purpose-built ATB at sea. I just stumbled upon this picture at random while cruising the good ole’ interwebs and looking at boat-porn. I could not make the image any larger and there was no description of the vessel. It was just mixed in with a hodge-podge of other nautical pictures.
I have never seen an ATB like this before. I do not recognize the company livery and the barge appears as if it may have some unique non-petroleum related purpose. Can anyone tell me A.) what company this is B.) what tug/barge this is and C.) if the barge does in fact have a special purpose? Sorry I can’t provide any more details! That’s why I’m so frustrated!
[/QUOTE]
That looks like the Strong and IIRC her barge was named America and it was a RO/RO. They were laid up in Tampa for a long time. About 10 or so years ago I saw her in Tampa Ship for repairs. She had a Artubar connection system and spent a long time on the West Coast.
[QUOTE=Tugs;98934]That looks like the Strong and IIRC her barge was named America and it was a RO/RO. They were laid up in Tampa for a long time. About 10 or so years ago I saw her in Tampa Ship for repairs. She had a Artubar connection system and spent a long time on the West Coast.[/QUOTE]
I tried to do some digging with that information but I came up with nothing. I would really like to find some more pictures of this vessel and, if I can, find out what became of her.
I think I spoke to soon as I found a picture of the Strong.
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I just found a general-cargo ATB pair called the Mega and Motti, which are apparently Finnish. There is a striking resemblance but I’m not sure it’s a 100% match.
[QUOTE=Tugs;98949]I think I spoke to soon as I found a picture of the Strong.
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I think there were 2 of those units. I remember seeing them in the James River Reserve Fleet around '85.
This general-cargo ATB idea is kind of cool, I just found this little press-sheet thing that goes with the Mega & Motti unit:
[QUOTE=Tugs;98934]That looks like the Strong and IIRC her barge was named America and it was a RO/RO. They were laid up in Tampa for a long time. About 10 or so years ago I saw her in Tampa Ship for repairs. She had a Artubar connection system and spent a long time on the West Coast.[/QUOTE]
That’s not the Strong America. The captian I sailed with for several years on the “Invincible” went over there as captain on her after DC sold the Invincible from under us. Jore group from Seattle owned it for atleast 10 years. Jore also wound up buying the ATB Thunder and Lighting. The tug was thunder and barge lighting. They were both similar Ro Ro’s with bow ramps. Jore wound up selling there entire fleet to Foss who still owns both rigs.
I sailed on both for a couple trips, but I just didn’t like doing 90 and 90, 90 days is just to long to sit at home for me. and decided to work else where. Jore was a pretty good company no idea why they sold out. Next time I am home I will try to give my old captain a call to see what he is doing. Probably retired by now, he was 60 couple years old back when DC sold the “Invincible” in 2000.
Oh and Foss renamed the barge Mariner for some reason also.
I think injunear might be correct about there being a sister ship to the Strong America, I heard some rumors like that, but if I remembr correctly she went furein flag many years ago.
I don’t recoginize the company colors on the pic either
[QUOTE=ChiefRob;99123]That’s not the Strong America. The captian I sailed with for several years on the “Invincible” went over there as captain on her after DC sold the Invincible from under us. Jore group from Seattle owned it for atleast 10 years. Jore also wound up buying the ATB Thunder and Lighting. The tug was thunder and barge lighting. They were both similar Ro Ro’s with bow ramps. Jore wound up selling there entire fleet to Foss who still owns both rigs.
I sailed on both for a couple trips, but I just didn’t like doing 90 and 90, 90 days is just to long to sit at home for me. and decided to work else where. Jore was a pretty good company no idea why they sold out. Next time I am home I will try to give my old captain a call to see what he is doing. Probably retired by now, he was 60 couple years old back when DC sold the “Invincible” in 2000.
Oh and Foss renamed the barge Mariner for some reason also.
I think injunear might be correct about there being a sister ship to the Strong America, I heard some rumors like that, but if I remembr correctly she went furein flag many years ago.
I don’t recoginize the company colors on the pic either[/QUOTE]
Oh, you were on the THUNDER/LIGHTNING ATB? I wasl involved with the construction of that monstrosity. A Robert Bludworth creation if there ever was one. After having worked with Robert on this, I finally understood why the SEA SKIMMER/PLAQUEMINE was the way it is. Robert was easily one of the most interesting people that I have ever worked with. Truly one of a kind.
This picture was posted on the trashed “Old Maritime Advertisements” thread, so, I’ll post again. She was a beauty and dam near brand new when I was assigned to her as 2nd A/E in 1964, she was on the Med run. It didn’t get better than that, back a half century ago. She was a Break-Bulk Cargo Ship soon to be surpassed by container carriers. The end of glorious era was rapidly approaching.
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A read ~
http://beniciaherald.me/2012/03/23/ambassador-is-latest-ship-to-depart-fleet/
I’m currently moving and stumbled on some old pics. This is the USNS Antares in dry dock. The other vessel is the TOTE Northern Lights I remember it was in the yard to be stretched.
These are from the USNS Denebola…
I believe these are from the SS Equality State…
[QUOTE=Fraqrat;102304]I’m currently moving and stumbled on some old pics. This is the USNS Antares in dry dock. The other vessel is the TOTE Northern Lights I remember it was in the yard to be stretched.[/QUOTE]
What shipyard would that be, Frag, Norfolk Ship & Drydock Company?
Atlantic Marine in Mobile end of 92 if I remember correctly.
Thanks for the shots. If anyone has seen the movie “Contraband” (ignoring the ridiculous story), the inside scenes were all shot on an SL-7. The control station in the scene where they are dealing with the sabotoged CP propeller will look very familiar to the one posted from the DENEBOLA above. . .
I was very fortunate to be aboard the Pollux for a turbo activation last December. It was quite a thrill to bring her up to speed for a few hours before we all started getting cocky at lunch talking about a quick trip to San Juan…shortly after that the Chief decided to bring her back from ludicrous speed. She rode so well you couldn’t tell if we were doing 20 kts or 30+. It sure must have been nice to ride them back in the day.
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Well, I have not [I]worked[/I] on many ships in my career, but I’ve been on some, joining my father on the high seas on his voyages.
Here’s the first ship I “was” on, 10 years old, 30 months at sea. I ran around the ship in a make-shift overall that the 3rd A/E made for me and a belt with wrenches and screwdrivers on it. Loved being in the engine even then and pestered the cadet who acted as a babysitter (I didn’t know that there and then, been told later). Aided the engine crew with handing them tools and cleaned some safe places. They even deliberately held places closed and then “opened” them so every day was an adventure, Little Chief they called me, more because I was te son of the Chief than just an annoying brat.
Here she is in all her glory, M/T Havprins LPG-Tanker: Unfortunately, it is now in bits and scattered…Ahh, the shame.
The second was Havglimt:
I was either 12 or 13 years old when I was aboard her for about two months. Here I “worked” in the engine with aiding the 2nd A/E in some easy basic screwing and fixing some easy stuff, was a blast to be honest. Again, I think this other was a cadet as well, acted as a babysitter of sort, making sure I did not do anything retarded when onboard.
The third were not as big as the others, M/S Odin, LPG-tanker as well. I was 16 then when I was here for a month, mostly spending my days in the engine as usual, but now more watching the monitors, cleaning around and whatnot, even helped with the lub-oil exchange.
As awesome as it is, I actually found a pretty recent picture of her, as she drives in to the fjord where I live, first place I could actually at times just take our small 16-feet dinghy to visit the old man at work when they docked here.
Today I am mostly stationed at the this ferry, M/F Kragerø:
Then I am am occasionally on one of the twins, Jesper or Naus: