A lot of companies preach Stop Work Authority but don’t really want the inconvenience of it being used. When used it puts a stop to drilling, production, etc… and in the end ultimately it costs someone money. On the other hand, there are people who use SWA but don’t really understand what it means or is actually intended for. It should be used to stop something deemed unsafe and figure out a way to do it safely with other measures or devices in place. Too many people just stay SWA and think the job is over for whatever period of time.
Honestly, a lot of oil companies in the US seem to look at vessels as an afterthought. Example, Shell and BP will not let DP2 crewboats/FSV’s utilize DP while working for them. In most instances they make the operator disconnect the system. Yet, an OSV can’t come next to the platform unless DP2 and currently on DP. So the DP system was developed for more reliable and safe operations, they’re paying for a vessel that his this feature yet want the operator to manually maneuver the vessel alongside.
Another example, there are many folks working for oil companies that are making the decisions on vessel charters that have little to no experience in OSV capabilities or operations. Some have no clue on the vessel’s DP capabilities and what sea state the vessel can hold position in safely and reliable. Yet they will complain to the operator that the vessel can’t hold station, DP isn’t working, etc… These folks look at a SPEC SHEET and make a determination based on the LOA and Capacities…that’s it.
How about figuring out what sea state you need the vessel to be able to reliably operate in and find the vessels with designs that can accommodate this, throw the rest in the trash. Then look at what capacities are needed and see what vessels in the remaining pile can meet this as well, throw the rest in the trash. At some point you will be left with just a few vessels to choose from that meet all of their needs and that’s the vessel you charter. If you don’t find any vessels that meet your need then you have 2 options: Have a vessel built to suit your needs or start the process over and lower your needs.
All companies want a 350’ OSV, DP3, 50,000 bbls of mud and want to pay $3,000/day without a contract. They are their own worst enemy…
Don’t forget the lack of understanding when you tell the client that you can’t take a full deck of cargo, full dry bulk, and a full load of 16# mud all at once. “But your spec sheet for capacity says ___!!!”
Another good one, the spec sheet says top speed is 29 knots (crew boat) so you should have made it there in 6 hours. Why did it take 10? Nevermind the fact the vessel is loaded to the gills with cargo, 5-6’ seas and nice head current and running at full throttle is never good practice.
Don’t forget that the client also balked at the fuel bill last month and had the operator turn down the engines.
Did an offshore crew change earlier this year for Shell and the Chouest crew boat sure as hell was using its DP system next to the rig. God bless the souls that have to live with those bow thrusters.
As far as wages go, we make more than most but not as much as some and have mediocre benefits. Some companies pay more and some have better benefits. These companies however, have a fleet of under 20 boats. You cant compare a ten boat companies pay and benefits with the benefits and pay of the majors. However, as far as GOM companies go, it is by far the leader in size of fleet and modernization of equipment for all companies over 20 vessels. They also have a variety of vessels from 100 ton to Unlimited.
All of ECO subsidiary companies are synergistic. No other vessel company can say this. They can continue to build and service all of their vessels at cost. This gives them a tremendous advantage over the competition. If you are Shell or BP you can get a slip from C-Port to work 24/7 regardless of the weather. You can take on water and Cport/stone fuel while under the protection of a covered slip. You can have C-Logistics coordinate for you as well. It can also provide ROV equipment and personnel to run it. It can also clean the tanks after the operation. Almost all aspects of the servicing of the vessel or your job scope can be provided by the same parent company. Even the security guards at the Chouest facilities work for Cajun Iron Workers. A Chouest owned company.
As far as physicals go, I have never heard of anyone having to take an x ray or MRI or any intrusive physical whatsoever. The physical is walking up three steps and back down while holding a 40 pound tool box. Do some exercises such as isometrics and a few more simple task. Most OSV companies have the same standard. When I sailed union and worked for MSC, that was the most physically intrusive physical I ever took. I have never heard of anything even close to that here at Chouest.
As far as complaints go, Im sure. Chouest has thousands of employees and of course not everyone will be happy. There is no company on the planet, with more than a thousand employees, that has a 100% satisfaction rate.
There are different divisions within Chouest. BP/Chevron/Anadarko/Fraq/Govenrment/Alaska/etc/etc. Each one is run by a manager and X amount of coordinators. I will be the first to admit that some Managers and some Coordinators are not worth a damn. Some that I refuse to work for due to past experiences working with them. Just like any place of business, you have some office personnel better than others. Ive been here a lot of years and have gotten a pretty good feel for the good ones and bad ones.
Saying that the entire company is no good based on the experience of one or two coordinators or managers would be a speculative assumption based on your own experiences and may not be the same as the guy on the next boat over. Like I have told shipmates here, if you dont like your boat go to your coordinator and get another boat. If you dont like your coordinator go to your manager. If the manager is the problem go to another division.
If I choose to leave here it would be under good terms. Is Chouest my “End Game”, I cant say, because I honestly dont know. I may follow Anchorman and go to drill ships. Or I may stay here for another 25 years. Either way, I know that my time here has been good over all.
I thought we had moved on from this. In my last vessel, Norwegian built, the bow thrusters could not be heard anywhere in the accomodation.
There are now standards for the maximum amount of noise in public rooms and staterooms.
I remember the bad old days where we had headsets in the mess room so we could hear the TV when running anchors for a pipe layer. Conversations were by hand signal and through shear exhaustion we slept. Probably why I have trouble hearing women and small children these days. Every cloud has a silver lining.
This article by Aleyska give an overview of the SERVS in Valdez/Prince Williams Sound: https://www.alyeska-pipe.com/TAPS/SERVS
It also have links to specs for the tugs and barges from ECO that is now in place.
Of course, even the best of equipment is only as efficient and as safe as the personnel that operate it make it.
It’s always beneficial to have the best available tools for the job.
It’s also important to have the skills to properly operate the tool.
But having the best tools and the skills to operate the tools means little, if you don’t have the experience to know how to apply the tools to accomplish the job under difficult conditions that you have no experience with.
Put another way, a house carpenter could buy a boat shop and equip it with the best tools, but that does not make him into an instant boatbuilder.
Underbid like crazy and promised the moon. Now less than three months in they’re running into the ships they’re supposed to be assisting. The same ship was damaged twice on two separate occasions by a Chouest boat making a hard landing, and another tug ran aground while shifting a response barge. Anecdotally have also heard of bad crews and poor training all around. Crowley for all their faults ran the show up there very professionally and like clockwork, and Chouest is looking like a bunch of amateurs.
Only the BULWARK and STALWART, and they were only used to dock when the tankers were in ballast, or as sentry boats in the sound. Laden tankers were always assisted and escorted by the big escort boats.
I disagree with the footnote that modern Z drives are more maneuverable than Voith drives. A Voith drive can change direction of thrust 180° in a second as opposed to having to wait for a Z drive to spin 180°.
To some degree the Z-Drive is more maneuverable than a VSP for certain maneuvers. For instance the Z-drive is easily manevred from the center line to a 90 degree pull with a line up on stern as the ship is underway as compared to VSP. Now doing an indirect maneuver I think the VSP beats the Z-Drive.
Twin Z-drives can be run totally independent of each other. A VSP can not totally run independent of each other as they share steering.
In my opinion a VSP is a lot easier to get accustomed to than a Z-Drive.
I found in my short experience in using a Z drive that using one only initially it was like using a small outboard motor with a tiller. It took a bit longer to get used to using both at the same time.
A good friend was the tug master and I was only onboard for a jaunt as he demonstrated the new eighty tonne bollard pull vessel.
Also, they own Westport yachts, who recently have increase yacht size to accommodate larger steel yachts. Do you think this is a move within its industry or another move to have a candid labor force on the west coast to further support PWS and other contracts in the PNW?
