worst place to moor a ship

[j.sabourn]

Know the area very well Brian. Pleased will never see again. Cheers John Sabourn.

[Captain Kong]

Hi John, yes it was a bleak place,
There was a big stink about it when it was decommissioned, The Brent Field had been connected to Shetland by pipelines and so it was redundant. Greenpeace got on it and refused to let it be towed into mid Atlantic and sunk due to the polution threat. Eventually it was towed to a Fjord in Norway and dismantled.
.
It was 600 feet high, the top with the control room on , rotated 360* with the wind and sea, our engines were always running at 25 revs per minute to keep the strain on the mooring wire and to prevent the ship from riding up onto the Spar.
Cheers
Brian.

[denniswalker]

I remember the brent spar very well. Done it a few times with shell shuttle tankers,another one i remember very well,with spending weeks after weeks, loading at 25tonnes a hr into a 120,000 ship,was the kittiwake loading buoy. Glad to have left that one behind. Cheers dennis.

[j.sabourn]

Was it the Brent that actually had a pool table on board. I know there was a rumour going around that one of the platforms had such. As they werent supposed to move is feasible. I didnt mind backing up to the Brent, with it being round didnt have the physco. effects of you worrying whether you were going to fall on one of the legs. Believe she was well fendered also. They lead a very comfortable life on some of these installations compared to the shipping. Didnt really find out until working on various installations in Australia, arent really as ruffy tuffy as made out. They were also on 2 weeks on and 2 off. Nice work if you can get it. The shipping side and rig side were totally different in nearly every way in N. Sea. Not so in Oz. Cheers John Sabourn

[Peter Trodden]

Having worked on both Ships and Platforms -Rigs on the N/Sea I agree its a totally different life. On a Platform after a 12hr shift in a typical N/Sea winter, I would head for our accomadation, but then pause to look outboard at the Stand-by Vessel getting battered by huge seas (now you see Her,now you dont) I would enter the accom, and then my Cabin for a shower and fresh gear. On my way to the Messroom for a 5star meal I'd stop at the Laundry to drop off my dirty gear and pick up my fresh. after my meal,maybe watch a Movie.
Yes a different life indeed. ttfn. Peter.

[Captain Kong]

This is the view of the BRENT SPAR from the wheel house of the ESSO ABERDEEN.
A wild and lonely place.
We had to do the weather forecasting every hour from the Brent Bravo rig or Brent Delta, forget which, if a big blow was coming then stop and disconnect the load, only took seconds and let go, again only took seconds then got out of there fast.
Brian.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Hi John, yes it was a bleak place,

No static tow Brian?

Brgds

Bill

[Captain Kong]

There were no tows at all up there Bill, the weather was so unpredictable and with the heavy seas in a screaming gale any kind of towing vessel wouldnt survive too long. Simpler to have the engines turning over astern to keep the tension on and if a quick let go was required she was in the astern mode already. . The mooring wire was just in a clamp. release the clamp and stand clear and you were free, the pipe was also a quick release, Sometimes loading took a couple of weeks in winter.
Cheers
Brian.

[j.sabourn]

Bill, I have done static tows as welll as sorting out lines and hoses prepatory to the tanker hooking up, however mainly in Oz. As was at Brent in Stand by boats I was also there in supply and towing vessels and as Brian says I can never remember anything having a static tow at the Brent. Maybe I was there at the wrong times, but cant remember such. Cheers John Sabourn

[happy daze john in oz]

Good morning John. I'll probably be sorry that I've asked this question, but just how does one get a ship into OXFORD STREET?
The mind boggles, but I'm sure you'll tell me!!
Regards,
Colin.

Well Oxford street in Sydney runs down to circular quay, so with a VERY high tide just maybe!!!!!!!!