MWB wrote:

You're welcome, I could go on for hours and hours.

Please do.

I'm sure there are many in this group that would be very interested in
hearing details about what it was like to work on a tug.

On Sat, 28 Apr 2007 01:04:17 GMT, shiver
wrote:

MWB wrote:

You're welcome, I could go on for hours and hours.

Please do.

I'm sure there are many in this group that would be very interested in
hearing details about what it was like to work on a tug.

I certainly would!
wwp

"shiver" wrote in message
...
MWB wrote:

You're welcome, I could go on for hours and hours.

Please do.

I'm sure there are many in this group that would be very interested in
hearing details about what it was like to work on a tug.

Tugs give a rough ride. I didn't mind the 20 plus foot seas, the 10 foot
seas bothered my stomach. I slept like a baby in rough weather and I think I
was a rare case. Looking at the same 5 faces for 90 plus days is a
challenge.

Prior to towing an oil rig we'd have a meeting, even though we knew who was
going to do what, we still talked it over. We would even practice this.
There would only be two of us on the deck and we knew who was going to do
what and when. The tug is going up and down, we're taking seas and getting
wet. I wore a Red Sox cap, t-shirt, shorts, sneakers and a life vest. You
can't set a tool down, it would be swept overboard.

We backed the tug up to the oil rig and handed them a 150' steel cable which
they attached to the rig. That was attached to a 50' braded nylon surge line
24" in circumference. Then we let out the tow line 1800' feet, then we'd put
chaffing gear on the line to protect it. It takes three tugs to move an oil
rig and the speed is about 2-4 knots. A rig move from Texas to Florida could
take two weeks.

Towing a barge to Colombia was a lot of fun. There wasn't much to do and we
all got our share of the sun. At times I found it boring, but then I'd think
about my wife shoveling snow in Maine and those thoughts disappeared.

I've had a cruise boat ask me if I'd tell them my position, so they'd know
where they were. And I did, this was before satellite navigation, we used a
sextant, which I was very good at. I've has a USCG cutter point a cannon at
me, been hit by flying fish, been buzzed by the Blue Angels ( for an hour )
while going up the Mississippi River, got a free case of beer (long story)
in a bar in Colombia...I had the time of my life.

Every day at sea, it seemed something happened. Going up a river, everyone
would be in the wheel house because it was something different. Rivers and
Bayous were a rare treat.


Mark

Every day at sea, it seemed something happened.

Keep talking, keep talking.

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 19:49:38 -0400, "MWB" wrote:


"joevan" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:46:54 GMT, shiver
wrote:

MWB wrote:

I'd go back to sea in a heartbeat.

Interesting comments about the industry.

Thanks for sharing.
Yes, thanks for sharing your memories, Mark.

Thanks Joevan.

If you ever go to Owls Head please let me know.


Mark

That is for sure. I hope to visit there again. Hopefully, before not
too many more years.

"MWB" wrote:
{{snip}}
wet. I wore a Red Sox cap, t-shirt, shorts, sneakers and a life vest. You
can't set a tool down, it would be swept overboard.
{{snip}}

Reminds me of descriptions I've read of spacewalking, assembling the
space station. Please feel free to share any other stories you have,
it's fascinating stuff.

MomDude

"I wore a Red Sox cap" It's a wonder no one threw you overboard!

Very interesting stories Mark. Keep 'em coming.

Randy

PS: Think Mariano can ever pitch against the Sox again? If they weren't in
his head before, they are after last week! BTW, life in the Eastern cellar
is fine.


"MWB" wrote in message
...

"shiver" wrote in message
...
MWB wrote:

You're welcome, I could go on for hours and hours.

Please do.

I'm sure there are many in this group that would be very interested in
hearing details about what it was like to work on a tug.

Tugs give a rough ride. I didn't mind the 20 plus foot seas, the 10 foot
seas bothered my stomach. I slept like a baby in rough weather and I think
I was a rare case. Looking at the same 5 faces for 90 plus days is a
challenge.

Prior to towing an oil rig we'd have a meeting, even though we knew who
was going to do what, we still talked it over. We would even practice
this. There would only be two of us on the deck and we knew who was going
to do what and when. The tug is going up and down, we're taking seas and
getting wet. I wore a Red Sox cap, t-shirt, shorts, sneakers and a life
vest. You can't set a tool down, it would be swept overboard.

We backed the tug up to the oil rig and handed them a 150' steel cable
which they attached to the rig. That was attached to a 50' braded nylon
surge line 24" in circumference. Then we let out the tow line 1800' feet,
then we'd put chaffing gear on the line to protect it. It takes three
tugs to move an oil rig and the speed is about 2-4 knots. A rig move from
Texas to Florida could take two weeks.

Towing a barge to Colombia was a lot of fun. There wasn't much to do and
we all got our share of the sun. At times I found it boring, but then I'd
think about my wife shoveling snow in Maine and those thoughts
disappeared.

I've had a cruise boat ask me if I'd tell them my position, so they'd know
where they were. And I did, this was before satellite navigation, we used
a sextant, which I was very good at. I've has a USCG cutter point a cannon
at me, been hit by flying fish, been buzzed by the Blue Angels ( for an
hour ) while going up the Mississippi River, got a free case of beer (long
story) in a bar in Colombia...I had the time of my life.

Every day at sea, it seemed something happened. Going up a river, everyone
would be in the wheel house because it was something different. Rivers and
Bayous were a rare treat.


Mark

"Randy Kotuby" wrote in message
. ..
"I wore a Red Sox cap" It's a wonder no one threw you overboard!

Very interesting stories Mark. Keep 'em coming.

Randy

PS: Think Mariano can ever pitch against the Sox again? If they weren't
in his head before, they are after last week! BTW, life in the Eastern
cellar is fine.



Randy, I live for the Yankees and Red Sox series. To me, the season started
4-20-07. My 16 year old son is a Yankees fan. I don't know where I went
wrong.

Last August I was camping and listened to the Boston Massacre.

Let me know when you come up here, I have a cap for you.


The Yankees and Red Sox are playing a game during a Lunar Eclipse this year
on August 28. This will be a great game.

GO RED SOX

Mark

On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:05:14 -0400, "MWB" wrote:


"shiver" wrote in message
.. .

In the mid 1980's when I sailed on a tugs,
it wasn't worth starting your tug for less than 5k a day.

So curious question for the group.

What does it cost for some of these different types of boats to operate.

Any idea what an ocean going tug or harbour tub, or water taxi, or
barge, blah blah blah... costs to operate.

For example Mark says that it wasn't worth while to start the engines
for five thousand a day.

Okay Mark.... where did you work. How big was the boat. What sort of
jobs would it do in a day that would earn that five thousand.

What did it cost to do particular jobs.

I've always been interested in how much a tug charge to push a ship
that last twenty feet.

Tell us a bit about the day in the life of a tuggy.

I'll bet there are a few here who would like to hear your story.

I worked for Otto Candies for two years. I towed cargo to South America and
moved oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. I lived in Maine and was paid Gulf
Coast wages and realized I couldn't afford my dream job. I think my tug was
132 feet by 32 feet

Now, I have no idea how much tugs get per day. A product carrier which
carries 300k barrels charges 30k-40k a day. A Panamax sized crude oil
carrier gets 50k-80k a day.


The last twenty feet will cost you around $20,000.

Sometimes, life on a sea going tug boat was worse than jail and we had a
huge moat to deal with. When it was rough, you can't cook, you can't take a
shower and you can't stand up to take a leak. We worked 6 hours on, 6 hours
off, but we were always working. When it was rough, I'd get tired from just
hanging on. I slept good when it was rough. There was no TV reception and we
all read a lot of books.

Now that my kids are grown up and my wife is sick and tired of me, I'd go
back to sea in a heartbeat.


By the way I've never been in jail.


Mark



Great Post Mark . Very Interesting .

"Canal Lee" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:05:14 -0400, "MWB" wrote:


"shiver" wrote in message
. ..

In the mid 1980's when I sailed on a tugs,
it wasn't worth starting your tug for less than 5k a day.

So curious question for the group.

What does it cost for some of these different types of boats to operate.

Any idea what an ocean going tug or harbour tub, or water taxi, or
barge, blah blah blah... costs to operate.

For example Mark says that it wasn't worth while to start the engines
for five thousand a day.

Okay Mark.... where did you work. How big was the boat. What sort of
jobs would it do in a day that would earn that five thousand.

What did it cost to do particular jobs.

I've always been interested in how much a tug charge to push a ship
that last twenty feet.

Tell us a bit about the day in the life of a tuggy.

I'll bet there are a few here who would like to hear your story.

I worked for Otto Candies for two years. I towed cargo to South America
and
moved oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. I lived in Maine and was paid Gulf
Coast wages and realized I couldn't afford my dream job. I think my tug
was
132 feet by 32 feet

Now, I have no idea how much tugs get per day. A product carrier which
carries 300k barrels charges 30k-40k a day. A Panamax sized crude oil
carrier gets 50k-80k a day.


The last twenty feet will cost you around $20,000.

Sometimes, life on a sea going tug boat was worse than jail and we had a
huge moat to deal with. When it was rough, you can't cook, you can't take
a
shower and you can't stand up to take a leak. We worked 6 hours on, 6
hours
off, but we were always working. When it was rough, I'd get tired from
just
hanging on. I slept good when it was rough. There was no TV reception and
we
all read a lot of books.

Now that my kids are grown up and my wife is sick and tired of me, I'd go
back to sea in a heartbeat.


By the way I've never been in jail.


Mark



Great Post Mark . Very Interesting .

Thanks Lee