otnmbrd wrote in message link.net...
Joe wrote:
otnmbrd wrote in message link.net...

Joe wrote:

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/index.s...7769157140.xml

Seems most of the crew of the sunken boat are locals. RIP.

We read the report differently.

Ok but most of the crew is from Galveston about 30 miles from here.

Ahhh, You meant local to you .... I was thinking not local to the
Mississippi


And something is fishy about the pilot saying he hasent seen many
small boats in Southwest pass, thats BS. And I wonder why they decided
on 2 whistles to pass.

Not the pilot, a pilot. He seems to be saying that he doesn't know the
particular boat, which coupled with the fact that the majority of the
crew are from Texas, may mean that they were not regulars.


It may, but most oilfield service boats run back and forth to the same
dock/ rigs. Im from Texas and spent 50% of the time working LA.

True, and most pilots know the "regulars", so it may mean this one was
not, which could have led to confusion on his part,if he was not used to
the river.


As for the

stbd to stbd passage, that's understandable if the ZIM was running deep
and wanting the deepest part of the channel


Usually the middle of the channel the deepest. But if they agreeded
on 2 whistle then so be it.

Not always true on the river. I'm going to assume by middle of the
channel you may be meaning the physical middle between the banks.

No, around head of passes you have channel markers for the shipping
traffic.
In fact a great portion of the lower miss has defined shipping
channels.

In
many areas, the deepest part will be on the outside bank of a bend or
turn, and in some areas (straight runs become a function of the bends)
it will favor one side or the other.

Agreeded, but with the Port of New Orelans being one of the busiest in
the world a well defined dredge in places and marked channel is in
place.


Bet it's going to prove to be a Stbd side T-bone, and they will blame
the smaller vessel.

If it does, then the Zim will have some s'plainin to do, considering the
stbd to stbd agreement.


Not if the smaller boat realized he wasent over far enough and made a
sharp port turn in front of him.

This is true, G I'm leaning towards portside damage.



Why?


And I agree that annoying lights from the terminal could be a
very
confusing factor in fog. That confusion could of been avoided by
focusing on radar alone.

Might be confusing to someone new to the area, but sole concentration to
the radar is not necessarily going to solve that problem, so, I'd
disagree with your second sentence.


If the fog is so thick you can not see anything but glare then the
smartest thing to do is keep your head buried in the radar. Or get out
of the channel and drop the hook.

BG We'll have to agree to disagree on this issue.


IT's the classic fog strike, Everyone says I saw the running lights
than BAM!
To do a visual lookout going any faster than 2 knots is a waste of
time if you have a good radar. Now its advised to look up every once
and a while incase it thins but to stare in a fog cloud full of
blinding yellow bug lights is a PITA and useless and confusing.



At any rate, condolences to all.


Yeah, its gotta suck to be run down. The mississippi is cold and fast
and muddy this time of year and a bobulous(sp?) bow lifting you and
dumping you over has to be very violent. The Lee III looks like a slow
steel nondisplacement boat, one of the things I liked about the
aluminum crew boats is some times you can run fast enough to save your
ass.

"bulbous" Considering the size, I'd guess she was an older boat,
probably not much faster than 12k.


Sounds bout right, Ive never see the boat, Ive seen the Lee in
Galveston and I guess shes in the same fleet.

otn

Joe