Topic starter
23/06/2011 7:31 pm
Greetings From New Orleans ,
One aspect of working in the marine industry and more specifically the Mississippi River System , is ALL the dangers and hazards of working in this profession and environment !
I believe this is also one topic that has not been discussed in depth in this forum and due to the recent accident of a close friend this topic has surfaced with me and so I thought that it certainly deserved some attention and discussion !
For those of us that have and currently work on the river , safety in general has always been a mainstay and pillar of our mental attitude when we go over the levee and climb on board almost any kind and class of vessel !
First of all , the dangers , the risks and the threats to life , limb , property and pollution are so many and varied that there is too little time and space to mention them ALL here and now !
The way I see it , is that this topic can be divided basically into two categories ; the dangers and risks to the passengers and the dangers and risks to the crew members and employees that go on board these river vessels of any class and description and then must perform almost unimaginable tasks and maneuvers in All manner of weather and marine conditions !
Lets first take the dangers and risks to the crews of these river vessels that man these same river vessels !
In a few threads before , Capt. Bob Reynolds mentioned going through the Vicksburg Hwy. Bridge , South Bound doing 16 mph and passing under the bridge in a " Sideways " profile , with loaded tank barges , no less ! Now , how insane and dangerous is that ??
I remember the stories of the old Pilots that would grace the Pilot House of the Steamer Delta Queen and what they worked and lived with when there were few if any Coast Guard rules and regulations to speak of and the issues and dangers they had to work with and come to terms with ! I also remember the stories that " The Big E " , Capt. Wagner would tell of his life and times on the Steamer Island Queen , especially when it blew up , caught fire and sank in the Pittsburg harbor ! How he literally got blown off the boat , experienced sever burns to his face and hands but yet found the intestional fortitude to return to the burning Island Queen and to rescue many of his friends and crew members that were still on the burning boat ! How insane and dangerous is that ??
I , myself have gone through a few bridges and hard turns in the river , in a side ways profile on a ship and believe me , no matter how many times you have done it , it will make to pause to think and reflect , Gee , how dangerous and insane is this ??
I also vividly remember crashing into the New Orleans , shopping mall the River Walk , one December afternoon with a loaded Chinese bulk carrier and literally knocking down and destroying a parking garage and parts of a hotel and shopping mall ! How insane and dangerous is that ??
Just recently , my good friend Fred Carmichael , while working in the Engine Room of the harbor tug , St. James slipped and fell almost two decks and banged up his fore head , elbow and bruised his hip by no fault of his own when he was simply performing the task at hand of rebuilding the tug's engines !
Almost on every job I go on , I will board an old and worn launch boat , climb up a sometimes dirty and greasy rope Pilot Ladder , while the ship is underway and then have do deal with foreign nationals that can sometimes barely speak English and then navigate through America's busiest and most congested river ! Now , how insane and dangerous is that ??
Now , these are just a few of the countless examples to mention at this time and place but please believe me that there are so many more and varied cases and examples of how incredibly dangerous and insane it does get out on the river and the marine environment , at times !
Now , as far as passengers go , have YOU ever thought about ALL the risks you take by simply walking up that gang way to either an overnight passenger vessel or even a day excursion boat ??
What are the chances of any one of a number of " INCIDENTS " that could occur ?? An on board fire , an explosion in the Engine Room , the vessel being caught in high winds or even a collision with another vessel , possibly hitting a submerged object and sinking , just to name a few ! I distinctly remember the stories that Capt. Wagner and Capt. " Doc " Hawley would tell of tramping on the Avalon and then having to deal with the fights that would break out on board as the boat made its excursion ! Can you see Capt. Hawley getting between two huge and beligerent men to break up a fight ??
Fortunately , due to ALL the rules and regulations of the Coast Guard , now many of these potential threats and dangers have been mitigated and addressed but the fact of the matter is , these same threats and issues will always continue to exist and be an issue ! It is simply a way of life out there that we ALL , either Passenger or Crew Member , must accept and come to terms with when we cross that levee and decide to go for a Boat Ride !
Just food for thought folks !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
NOBRA 70
23/06/2011 9:57 pm
You are definitely on the money Ted. I could only add 2 things to what you said and that is No. 1 for those of us that did or still do work out there all those dangers are compiled by the stress of working every other 6 hours for 30 or more days straight tends to take its toll especially if its been a rough hitch. I remember running between St. Louis and St. Paul on the UMR on DQSC boats for six weeks straight as well as running that stretch on Ingram boats when I worked for them. You wind up with Lock Fever and you could make a lock in your sleep. No. 2 is that I have to admit Ive seen Fred look better.....hope ya feel better buddy.
Topic starter
24/06/2011 9:53 pm
Mel , thanks for your thoughts , input and.................
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Mel , thanks so much for your thoughts , input and insight into this topic ! Furthermore , YOU are " Right On The Money " concerning the major issue of FATIGUE on a boat and the work place , regardless of where it may be !
YOU are absolutely right about how FATIGUE played a major issue especially on the Upper river when there was just one lock and dam after another to be made and in all times of the night and day ! It seems no matter , if you were on deck catching a line or in the Pilot House shaping up to enter the lock chamber , it became a real challenge in the best of times especially when you add the FATIGUE factor ! I would also say , from what I have heard on the subject of FATIGUE in the work place , this issue ranks right up there with any of the other potential issues that make this profession so hazardous ! It is also my understanding , that when there is a major accident , the first thing that the investigative authorities examine is the operators or Pilot's work schedule ; such as his amount of rest in relation to his work time !
There have been countless studies and books both conducted and written on this subject of FATGUE in the work place and when you inject this issue on a boat and in a marine environment the problem and its negative results are just compounded to extremely dangerous levels !
This issue has grown to the extent that I now hear that soon the towing companies will soon be forced to carry an extra Pilot on board their respective vessels so as to enable a three man Pilot House Crew , with each man now working an eight hour ON watch and then a sixteen hour OFF watch , so as to get his or her appropriate rest . On the ships , we have now adopted a policy of working a six hour ON watch and then ordering a relief Pilot to complete the assignment , so as to limit our on board liability watch time . Furthermore , we are now guaranteed an eight hour rest time between assignments to satisfy and to comply the recommendations of the National Transportation and Safety Board . Its one thing to equip a modern day tow boat , a modern day tug boat , a modern day Steam Boat or for that matter any other modern day boat that works this countries rivers with ALL the high tech and state of the art electronic gear BUT if you don't have a competent and WELL RESTED navigator or Pilot to properly use these devices , well what good are they ??
In my opinion , it was the camaraderie of the crew , the love of the river and the love of the steamboats that was the glue that kept our well oiled crew together when I worked with you and others on those old steamboats so long ago . Despite the long hours , the poor pay and the terrible living conditions , we that paid our dues on those old boats some how found a common thread that some how made it all worth while !
Thanks , Mel !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
NOBRA 70
24/06/2011 10:30 pm
Well what made me think of it Cap was the Mel Oliver incident which I have watched a 14 minute clip of countless times and the fact that fatigue is probably the thing that is most common in the transportation industry. Boats, Trains, Planes, and Buses all deal with it and honestly we probably hear about boats the least. Falling asleep at the wheel is one of the most common issues. Sometimes it was tough to get a decent nap inside of 6 hours. And I remember as a watchman how tough it was to stay awake in a dark pilot house all night. And if Im not mistaken arent sea-watches 4hrs. on and 8hrs. off. To me that watch makes perfect sense.
06/07/2011 5:57 pm
Amen to the fatigue issue, Ted. And to the traditional devils of cold/wet/hungry now we can now add electronic distraction.
Here on the Delaware River, the poor kids lost in the Duck Boat accident just a year ago are still uppermost in our minds. If you haven't seen it, the NTSB's report is here and it's chilling. Totally distracted mate at the helm of the tug pushing a light barge, beside himself with worry and texting and phoning like mad because his son's surgery had gone wrong ... and then the day got much, much worse.
My respect to all of you working on the water!
Topic starter
07/07/2011 3:02 am
The " Demon " Cell Phones !
Greetings From New Orleans ,
Roger , thanks so much for your interest and input concerning the marine accident that you made mention of on the Delaware River !
Its my understanding that one of the very first things that an accident investigator looks into , with respect to contemporary marine accidents is the use of the cell phone in the marine work place !
Just like in a car , the cell phone has become a major distraction and has become directly or at least indirectly responsible for many of the marine accidents that we now hear of !
One article I read in Professional Mariner , concerning the use and abuse of the cell phone , occurred in Amsterdam of all places . The true irony of this accident was the fact that the accident happened between two Ship Pilots , on two different ships , and they collided with one another in a head on collision , while they were both on the cell phone with one another ! Go Figure !
One other indirect cause of many marine accidents is the heating and cooling or lack there of , of many of these modern day sea going vessels !
Generally speaking , in the summer there is very little if any air conditioning and in the winter there is very little if any heating ! Case in point , just today I was on an assignment with NO air conditioning and if you have ever witnessed or endured a Louisiana summer with out adequate air conditioning , DON"T ! I am not sure which is worst ; the heat ( 90 degrees plus ) or the humidity ! In the summer New Orleans for all practical purposes IS THE TROPICS and life here can just be unbearable !
Then in the winter , once again thanks to the humidity , there is a wet and bone chilling cold and I have had Ship Captains from ALL over the world tell me that they have not witnessed the cold as bad as it is here !
So having mentioned these intense temperature extremes , you tell me how bearable and to what extent these said extremes will take their toll on any Pilot attempting to perform his or her duties under these adverse conditions , without proper climate control !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141
