Posted on 10/07/2015 8:55:00 PM PDT by rockinqsranch
"The U.S. Coast Guard said it called off its nearly weeklong search for the missing mariners of the El Faro at sunset Wednesday."
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
C2 freighters - U.S. Lines out of NY, 4 - Aces - American Export lines - out of Hoboken, Always on bridge as a mate, Docking assistance was always with a Moran tug, and a docking pilot on board (no radios then - used whistles). We’d pick up the harbor pilots as far out as Ambrose Lightship. Outbound from NY both pilots came on board before departure. Generally harbor pilots would offload at Immigration (off of Staten Island) when coming in from out of the country, otherwise when returning from a coast-wise trip they’d stay on board until we tied up.
With U.S. Lines (and American Pioneer Lines (C-4 Mariners) from far east) we’d tie up at one of the several finger piers along the Hudson on the NYC side.
What’s your credentials/tickets, vessels, etc?
You don’t get it. Of course the Captain has a plan. The plan isn’t a secret from the people he is hired by either. They know exactly what the plan is, and they approve it, or not. That simple fact necessitates the word “WE” instead of “HIS”, or “The Captain(s)” in many of those lengthy point-the-finger statements coming from the vessel owners representatives. (For all I know the vessel itself could be a lease from some other company to TOTE, and the Captain could have been on that companies payroll, but I don’t know that.)
Having read your profile I’m inclined to believe you’re Norwegian am I correct?
Credentials: 30+ years as Radio Officer on Swedish and Danish shipping lines. Last 13 years with Danish Esso = Exxon. Probably a dozen times docked at Bayonne Terminal :
http://i0.wp.com/gcaptain.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/bayonne-lg.png?resize=635%2C476
“Retired” 1981 when satellite communications sent us all ashore for good!
Our Capts never got the companies involved with his route plans. They would have total discretion how to navigate. If coming out of Scandinavia he could chose going north of UK heading to the U.S. or through the English Channel depending wx conditions.
If in charter, we would only get paid/salary through our company who hired us. The charter pays the companies for the charter only.
Born in Denmark, lived there during the Nazi occupation. Became Swedish citizen to secure my pension. Lived also in Spain for a number years when employed with Esso. Finally married an American woman and I finally became a legal U.S. citizen and PROUD of it!!!
Good for you. One of the people that talked me out of going to sea was a Norwegian ship Captain for Wilhelmsen lines. He and my father ganged up on me one day aboard ship. I still wish I’d gone, but that was many, many years ago, and now retired of it all.
Good luck, and thanks for the discussion although we are miles apart apparently.
BTW Mrs. RQSR was a Bisgaard. Danish.
It was SUCH a pleasure meeting you and your lovely wife at our "FReep the Debates" party here on the Sunshine state's central Gulf coast a couple weeks ago.
We are proud of YOU...and proud that you're a dedicated freeper...(and that you both love our FR parties, LOL)
Leni/MinuteGal
Pilots make mistakes too trust me
I’ve lived it on the Calcasieu River in 89 when one ran my rice carrying breakbulk into a chem carrier despite my Capt yelling at him he was ..the Master....needed to change course
Which he did.
Despite the pilots charge to maintain course and speed
It was too late
Of course the pilots being a family to family coonass mob lied like hell
Cost me plenty
Ride with the Captain.....no owner can force a specific course that I know of
Once she rounded St Johns point she was in Masters Charge
I smell FRs usual populism on this thread...blame the invisible fat cat....yet so far the families claim the shipping company is straight up
Btw.....I do not know if this vessel was under charter or the shipper was the owner?
FR loves their behind the curtain bogeyman
I think this was just a confluence of bad luck
When he departed storm was just that....a storm
And projected path was considerably more nw than north nw which it ultimately ran
Which means Stream to OBC to Windward and underneath or topside Hispaniola was out of the question
It strengthened
It turned
He got caught and lost shaft or prop from likely dead air surfing and game over to beam and in a RORO with trailers on dec
He couldn’t go Stream or stay anchored in St John’s loaded in the projected path
He could have run due east maybe to be ultra prudent but given storm position when he left he woulda looked crazy or clairvoyant
He WAS NOT THE ONLY FREIGHTER CAUGHT IN STORMS PATH
Two others went down too but I think crew rescued
He was just biggest and the one that went down fastest
I imagine that 15 degree list he radioed was only very temporary
But what do I know....I wasn’t there
Radio Operator. In my day the RO was the only person a vessel was required to have on board. The RO was usually the first person ashore, and the last person aboard just before sailing. On Export Lines 4 Aces we had 3 ROs on each ship. Passenger/Cargo between Hoboken and the Med. Barcelona, Marseille, Genoa, Piraeus, Latakia, Beirut, Haifa, Alexandria, Piraeus, Naples, Leghorn, Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, and back to Hoboken. 120 passengers, lots of cars, wine, cheese, marble, PX supplies, etc.
Welcome to the U.S.A.
Florida. Lived in Maitland from ‘64 - ‘70. Before Disney. Spent most of my time at the Cape during the Apollo days. After we got to the moon, the area around the Cape really took an economic hit.
Since the thinking is that power was lost so that the ship would have been wallowing in troughs, then any stacked up ship would have been in severe danger. Any major company that is stacking them up faces this risk. I wonder how Lloyds charges for those things. Better have very good power. What is a celled containership, and how does that affect safety?
I am guessing an RO is a radio operater, but what is a RORO? I have a question for you because you seem to be knowledgeable about New York Harbor and long ago. My grandfather was a chief engineer (I don’t know if this is the correct term, but he was in charge of the engine room) running major ocean liners to and from Europe before WW1. One year, the figure I heard was 1916, he refused to cross a picket line by a union, I think maybe something like Masters, Mates and Pilots. After that he was blacklisted and never had a good ship again. I know he ran to Rio and Alaska, tramp steamers I suppose. I know my mother, born 1907 was a child, and the family suffered economically. Do any of you have knowledge or ideas as to what really happened?
RO/RO = Roll-on, Roll-off vessel like a car ferry.
I have no clue about your Grandfather’s union here in the States.
Over where I come from every department have their own Unions, the Mates for navigators, RO for Operators, Engineers for Engineer officers, Deck hands, Engine crews, cooks/mess boys, they all have their own individual Unions fighting the Ship-owners!!!
Agree. But Pilots rarely make mistakes. Can’t recall any during my long seagoing duty and our many ETAs and leaving ports all over globe. I still believe this Captain acted responsible but was caught for some unknown reason of circumstances that NONE us know.
As usual we have some FReeper commenting on things they don’t a clue about, but need to open their big mouths on ANYTHING, unfortunately. The 1st. amendment rights, hmmm!!!
“What is a celled containership, and how does that affect safety?”
A framework throughout the vessel of steel guides/retainers below deck that guide, and hold the containers in position. Keeps them secure below deck. (There are more containers below deck than you see on deck)
The on deck stow is fine under sane circumstances. Joaquin was as insane a circumstance to be in as there is.
RO RO is a “Roll On, Roll Off” classification of vessel.
NOT, but an oversized Ferry Boat, sorta, kinda. They are designed to carry cars, trucks, and truck trailers loaded with freight.
A specialized service profitable under certain circumstances. Great for the sort of service TOTE provides in that particular run.
LOL, Yes we really envied the U.S.’s R/O.
Oh no in Scandinavian ships WE were the last one to hit shore and most often NO time for shore leave.
You see we had TWO jobs at same time, also the works of a Purser doing all the payrolls that had to be telegraphed back to HQ every month ON TIME. Had to prepare crew list, deal with Immigration and Customs. Preparing Crewmembers signing on and off. Taking sick crewmembers to doctors and pay everyone cash advance in every port. Some also had to tech-check Radars and other electronics. Had NO time hitting the pier FIRST and on tankers very short turnaround in ports !!!
Celled container ships, see links at posts 33 & 34 !!!
One certainty about pilots......universal....they ain’t cheap
We used to load sugar at Burnside Louisiana upriver
One pilot at the Pilottown or SW pass station
One from there to New Orleans port authority
Another from there to Burnside
15,000 in pilots fees
And if you dock in NEW ORLEANS you’re getting a tug no matter how small you are
God that whole industry exists to milk the ship owner and chartered
Some developing countries have little of that....like Georgetown Guyana we sounded our own path over what is a substantial bar there
New Orleans is likely biggest racket port in US
Largest tonnage too
Worse than Rotterdam cost wise
Two other wormhole ports
Santos Brasil....the crew loved it of course...one million hookers within a cab ride
Lagos Nigeria.....a wicked place
In Argentina too. We had tree runs charter with a Swedish ore/oil tanker from Persian Gulf to oil port outside Buenos Aires. First two runs with a Norwegian flexible Captain went smoothly. Third run with a Swedish Captain, a Seven Days Adventist. I told him on arrival Chief Steward serving some Swedish Smorgaards board with bottles of booze and tax-free cigarettes from our Slob-chest. He told NO way he would bribes the Customs and Immigration. We docked and no hoses connected first 24 hours alongside. He and I had to go ashore for ship businesses, among at the Swedish Consul with the ship’s official log. Here he complained bitterly that we were not discharging any oil. She, a Swedish, asked him if had done similar to what I had suggested to him and he answered NO. She then told him the same as I’ve told him and said if he refused our ship would be there forever. When we were back on the ship he called the Agent who then invited the Customs and Immigration on board. Within less than an hour we were pumping oil ashore, LOL :-)
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