Best laid plans

[gottaflylee]

Well I thought I was going to have a news video for you to see, but the water gods seem too have other plans on that.
For over a week now I have been on the phone with the "Ports Authority" and Coast Guard in Wilmington, NC. The States ports here have 4 new "Super Cranes" coming in today on a 800'+ freighter. It is a rather big deal and the entire Cape Fear River is closed for this ship coming in. The cranes on the ship are - were 400' tall and 300' wide. I was asked if I would take the news media out so that it could be filmed and documented. The 4 Cranes are coming from China at cost of $30,000,000. If I under stand right they are- will be the largest on the east coast for a while and this has been 4 or 5 years in the planning.
Well I got into town on Thursday (I think...kinda lost track of time) for the meeting with all involved. After that I got on the Predator to make sure all was in order and even did a sea trial with her as it has been a couple of mounts since I have run her. Well all is good with the sea trial. I'm that kind of guy that feels that "proper planning prevents pi$$ poor performance" so I try to cover all bases and hinge all bets.
Some times I don't care what we do things are not meant to be and this was one of them. At 0700 I board the Predator to finish getting her ready. Some light cleaning, mount my tripod for the video Camera and get it set, Do the final engine check and to get the salon and state room heat on. Cameron who is helping me today with this gets there and we finish reading the boat for the crew coming in.
I start the Generator and switch the shore power over and head to the bridge. Fire up the port side and then the starboard. Raise the electronics box to start bringing up everything. look over to check the gauges and the starboard oil gauge 5 pounds, I look for a second and drops 10 more, glance at the tack to see if it fluctuating and the oil pressure drops to zero. Reach down and kill the engine and head to the engine room thinking that I'm going to find oil every where and its going to be a major mess...but its not, nada, nothing, clean as it should be. Check the engine oil, A little low but it was running for a couple of minuets. Feel the oil for metal , none that I can feel, check the sending unit wires, they seem to be ok. Add another 1/2 gallon of oil to the engine (sounds like a lot but when it takes 8 gals with filter to change it...) and head back to the bridge to fire her back up. Oil gauge cones back up to 40 pounds and I think wee and about that time Oil gauge drops back out, cut it off again and crawl under the dash to check the gauge wires as the gauges were replaced this September. Fire her up and it does it again. I'm done, whatever happens is over my head and I call the mechanic. Luckily that there was another plan for another boat and off they went leaving me to deal with the boat.
So I won't be bringing you guys the film @ 11 as I said I would. I tried, tried hard but sometimes Its not meant to be. Sorry guys you did not get to see it here first this time but you did hear it here first on SFC.

[SeaBiscuit]

Oh well captain Lee. It just wasn't meant to be, I guess. We really appreciate the effort though.
Are those big cranes going to stay at the Wilmington port?

[gottaflylee]

Thats right Nick. They were ordered for out docks here.

[Wave Loudly]

Thanks for trying, as you say, wasn't meant to be. But, I do find the whole thing interesting. I take it this thing was coming through a narrow area. Sense of geography is lost. (I have a funny story about a sighted person getting a Braille copy of a geogaphy book and Braille Playboy confused, but not here...) Athinkg that size i small water would be a nightmare....

[PurpleGold]

I heard from somebody that know a bunch of the river pilots and he said those cranes were so big that at dead low tide, they were going to be 17ft from some major power lines that were supposed to be able to arc 15ft. I'm guessing the lines from the power plant in southport. Anyway, there was a real concern about this and that is why they were shipped in now, on the full moon, to allow them to come in during the lowest tide possible to get the clearance they needed. Have you heard about this?

[deskperado]

Lee,

What motors do you have in the Predator? Sounds like the same issues that I ran into when I ran a viking with MANS.

Mickey

[hrdcor32]

saw a short clip on the news saying the ship had an accident with a small boat causing damage to the cranes. they didnt give any details, anyone know anything about this?

[gottaflylee]

I heard from somebody that know a bunch of the river pilots and he said those cranes were so big that at dead low tide, they were going to be 17ft from some major power lines that were supposed to be able to arc 15ft. I'm guessing the lines from the power plant in southport. Anyway, there was a real concern about this and that is why they were shipped in now, on the full moon, to allow them to come in during the lowest tide possible to get the clearance they needed. Have you heard about this?

Yep and it is 16' for what it worth. According to the power company. the power lines can't arc unless they are hit by the ship or the ship starts "jumping up and down" under the lines. I never understood what the guy meant that said that. It was also my understanding that the neutral wire is the lowest. The full moon was part of the plan

[gottaflylee]

Lee,

What motors do you have in the Predator? Sounds like the same issues that I ran into when I ran a viking with MANS.

Mickey

Small Detroits. Talked to the mechanic that takes care of her and he said i made the right call to keep her shut down and is going to dring a mechanical guage to check the oil presure. I'm hoping for the best.

[gottaflylee]

saw a short clip on the news saying the ship had an accident with a small boat causing damage to the cranes. they didnt give any details, anyone know anything about this?

Sounds kinda strange, first the 4 cranes are on a 850' ship, 300' wide and 400' tall before the were taken down for comming up the river.
Third is the river was closed today because of this. We were to be the only private boat on the river Coast Guard Aux. Was to hold traffic at Wilmington, Snows Cut and Southport. Coast Guard group Wilmington the mouth of Cape Fear. Just saw where they made it but your right they were hit by the drege boat. LOL Caost Guard investigating! Looked like it got it pertty good. Well it figgures it would be the barge. Happened at Sunny Point, guess they would not let them come in to get out of the way. BTW. The barge is no small boat.
Wow just think I almost had that crash on film for you guys. Darn, I missed again