"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.

"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

"MWB" wrote in message
...

"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


"I don't know where I went wrong."

Still having problems with those typing skills eh? Correct phrase is "I
don't know where I went right!"

Lunar eclipse and Yankee-Red Sox game are two phrases that should not go
together. Doesn't matter which city they play in, there are too many
crazies among the fans.

I don't think I will be getting up there this year. I start a new job in a
couple of weeks so I will have very limited time off this year. Maybe next
year. I'll hold you to the cap.