Messages sorted by:
[ date ]
[ thread ]
[ subject ]
[ author ]
> Look at where the boat is derived from...trawlers are derived from
> seaworthy, offshore boats built heavy and intended for some of the worst
> conditions in the world. They were designed to stay out weeks at a time
>and be self sufficient.
>
> Tugs on the other hand, were harbor craft designed to ferry in larger ships
> into their berths by pushing or pulling them. They rarely went out into open
> ocean, except to meet a cruise liner outside the breakwater and pull it in.
> They were never designed for passages or long stretches at sea.
This has not been my experience.
And let's not tell this to my brother, he has 14 offshore tugs. One of which
rescued approx. 90 men (memory?) from the water during the middle of a
hurricane several years ago. The boat is a triple screw tug named the
Captain John, and the Master was Robert Trosclair of Franklin, La.. He was
given the highest life saving award possible by the USCG to a civilian for
his actions
during the rescue.
When he returned from the trip, I ask him about the incident and how
he was able to maneuver the tug without pulling the men into the screws.
He said they were towing a 350' offshore pipe laying barge and trying
to make port in Mexico but was caught by the storm. The barge's
ventilators were wiped out at the main deck level by concrete coated pipe
and it sank due to water entering the hull through the damaged areas.
The tug cut the tow line and returned to the submerged barge.
Three commercial divers in wet suits were picked up first and they
tied themselves to the handrails on the port stern quarter where he
could see them from the aft control station. During each pick up, he went
to neutral clutch and broadside to the 35' plus seas. The divers pulled
the men on board from the leeward side. This operation occurred at night
and when morning came, he returned to the site of the sinking and picked
up 15 men from the crane gantry which was the only part above the surface.
This does not sound like a trawler moment to me.
Oh, BTW, my wall paper reads Ocean, Unlimited Tonnage but I call him
Mr. Captain.
The tug had considerable damage including losing "everything" on the
exterior not welded down and all of the windows in the aft station. Maybe
a Portuguese bridge would have helped but I don't think the bridge would
have survived.
Now as much as I lust after an ocean going trawler with a Portuguese bridge,
I know there would be a small debris field, a slick and another insurance
claim if it was exposed to these conditions. Too bad the basic tug design
does not allow for much useful living space in a pleasure vessel. Nils, you
are missed.
The company I work for has 86 tug boats and 136 marine drilling rigs.
The tugs are sized from 400 HP inshore to 10,000 HP offshore so
I feel qualified to comment on this post. IMHO, the comm. trawlers have
much less than half of brute hull strength as compared to an offshore tug.
These things are designed and built for contact sports in all conditions.
Comm.trawlers are designed to make a profit by gathering and transporting
seafood which result in serious compromises. They have a high KG and are
prone to rolling over and playing dead. The keels have an unpleasant habit
of breaking in half too from hogging or sagging. Count the names on the
memorials at any port the comm. trawlers sail from and see for yourself.
Try pulling 30,000# anchors at any angle on the stern while mooring a
semi-submersible drilling rig and watch the trawler crack and flip. All in a
24 hour day's work for a tug.
In Mexico, I sent tugs to pull high and dry cargo barges off the beach.
They do it by securing the tow line to the barge, winching and washing
themselves backwards to the barge. A channel is cut around the
barge the same way. Then the tugs wash the sand from under the barge
and tow it into the water. Never saw a trawler try this.
Besides, what do you think is sent out to tow disabled comm. trawlers
in and disabled by heavy weather? The only basket in the rigging was
over the stern.
Need more, ask Captain Trosclair, he owns a comm. trawler. It's a
hobby.
Now after this disjointed rant, back to deep lurking and learning by
listening to Paul Kruse, Captn Wil, Ret. and others.
Usually disclaimers and not an engineer or naval architect but I work
with a few of the best.
Regards,
Don - Port of Iberia, La. and still lusting.
