[QUOTE=ombugge;194688]Anybody familiar with this classical American tug?:
Here is what I know:
She is still active, now in S.E.Asia.[/QUOTE]
That’s not a Tug, it’s an old production field boat or standby vessel.
bill tide.
In another thread we have been discussing and reminiscing about old TDW boats, of which there used to be a lot spread around the world. I have worked with a lot of them in some form or another for over 40 years, but don’t have a lot of own pictures to offer except from the last 10 years or so.
Especially of interest has been the vessels built for TDW by Ulstein Hatlo in the early 1970’s, which must have been among the first of their foreign built vessels.
I know they built one in Singapore in 1970-71 called the Malay Tide, because I was offered the job as Skipper on her; http://www.vesseltracking.net/ship/malay-tide-7104128 (No picture found)
My previous experience with working for “Bayou boys” made me decline the offer though.
I’m not sure how many vessels were built at Ulstein Hatlo for TDW, but I have found these specs for the first of them, the Mammoth Tide: https://ulstein.com/historic-references/yno-49h-mammoth-tide
Here is a picture of here from Shipspotting.com: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=96334
She was followed by the Giant Tide: https://ulstein.com/historic-references/yno-50h-giant-tide
Here is a picture from shipspotting.com: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=25079
She is said to be still working in the Netherlands in 2016.
One more was the Goliath Tide: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1724029
This one was built at Smedvik Verft, also in Ulsteinvik
Here seen in rough North sea weather:
Not sure if there were any more built in Norway of this type, but the Sun Tide:
And the Moon Tide:
And possible more were built at Tacoma Boatbuilding in the following years. These appears to be identical sisters, but not sure of that.
TDW was back ordering newbuildings in Norway in the early 1980’s, but this time UT 704 design in an attempt to get into what was then the big boat market in the North Sea. (More on that later)
Where does old Mud Boats go when they are no longer needed in the GoM??
Well, some become Crabbers in Alaska, or in Russia, but here is one that has ended up as a Crabber under Tanzania flag: http://www.marinetraffic.com/hr/ais/details/ships/shipid:351576/imo:8213196/mmsi:273849520/vessel:DOLINA
Presently in Tromso, Norway.
Here she is in Baatsfjord, Norway on an earlier call to discharge catch:
BTW: She is not alone in the Barents Sea. Here is the Polar Sirkel, which is under Norwegian flag:
As well as the Karalius of Klaipeda, Lithuania:
They are now targeting Snow Crabs as well as Kamchatka King Crabs which is becoming more widespread in the Barents Sea and along the Northern coast of Norway.
The scrap steel is being melted down for a secret project. When completed they will be the most technologically advanced deep water drilling and subsea construction units the world has ever seen.
And autonomous, too. . . .
New Zealand has an active 1912 coal fired steamer, the TSS Earnshaw. TSS stands for Twin Screw Steam. She is actively taking 90 minute cruises out of Queenstown, on the S island. What a treat. Took these photos earlier this month.
A marque with vessel information.
The original triple expansion engine, stbd side. Two telegraphs in the wheel house, two engineers on duty, one for each engine. It is set up to allow passengers a good view of the engine room. The crew shoveling coal at the top of the photos is on a mural round the top of the engine room. And the steam engine room was remarkably quiet. You can carry on a conversation in a normal voice. They did install a diesel generator about 20 years ago, as the steam fired generator was beginning to consume 40% of their coal. Now the vessel burns about a ton of coal an hour.
Interior, aft
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The Alucia 2 (former Voldstad Surveyor) is still in Aalesund as of yesterday:
She has been sold to an American film company: http://aluciaproductions.com/
She was supposed to depart for USA in Dec. last year. No idea why she is still here. Anybody know??
PS> The AHC Offshore Crane has been removed, which was one of the main features on this vessel.
World’s biggest Jackup drilling rig is getting ready for work in Norway: http://sysla.no/offshore/bli-med-om-bord-verdens-storste-rigg-som-ligger-stavanger/
Anybody who would like to sail on a ship of this type and size??:
VLOC Berge Stahl: http://www.bergebulk.com/our-fleet/berge-stahl/
Come for a trip from Pilot Ground to Europoort, Rotterdam: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2i8YD925t4
Report of her scrapping was premature. she is still active and just received a new 5 year charter. Being IOM register she is open for manning by persons of any nationality, incl. USA.
She had a large reefer hold for such cargo.
Video from an Alaska tug: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwKR_mVZqiA
How do they keep the reefer containers supplied with power?
Are the crews on the barge during tow??
The have generators on the barge with enough fuel to last a few days.
Is that the ship Nat Geo used for the giant squid expedition off Japan where they shot footage of an Architeuthis eating a bait?
I assume you are referring to the Alucia 2?
I don’t think so, since this vessel was just purchased by Alucia Productions abt. 9 months ago, but is still sitting idle here in Aalesund, Norway as of today.
Here is the answer to which vessel was used for the giant squid expedition: Billionaire Loans Yacht to Track Down Giant Squid
Oh jeez - thanks for these pics cmakin! I think I was still in school at TAMUG and at the time of the explosion, I was working as a waitress down at Pier 19 on the Galveston Ship Channel when this thing blew. Quite a site. Also set every car alarm off down there on the water front. We drove to Sea Wolf Park when I got off work and watched that thing burn.
On the cold morning of December 7, 2000, a beautiful ship was moved from the Norfolk Naval Shipyard to her last permanent berth in downtown Norfolk. Many of us braved the cold to see this.
I was the Group Material Officer (i.e Engineer) for Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group EIGHT from 1983-1985 and had the pleasure of getting underway on USS IOWA several times, including some main battery firings.
I recognize these are from that “haze gray and underway” sea service, but I think all of us can appreciate the beauty of these two battleships.
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But nobody there to look after the generators??
Is this then “autonomous” reefer container transport?
When I did that kind of towing we went back every day by skiff when on protected waters to check reefers and top off the fuel. It’s only around three days running from protected waters to Dutch when going up from the states and from Western Alaska to Dutch is even less.