Drill Ships in trouble

[vic mcclymont]

Two Drill ships which have been tied up at Hunterston on the Clyde for a few weeks have run into trouble in in the strong winds.
One ship broke her moorings an lot power and drifted into the river channel. The second vessels mooring ropes were parting.
Tugs were called to assist and successfully helped the powerless ship to safety, whilst the other vessel was held successfully against the quay.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-Scotland.
Vic

[Lewis McColl]

Vic link will not open correctly?

[j.sabourn]

#1. Vic the newspaper cutting won’t open. The only Drill ship I was ever on was the Dutch vessel Mariner and brought her down from Singapore to the NW Shelf , Western Australia. Hope neither of the two were of the same name ? Cheers JS

[Bill Cameron]

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandga...hips-ayrshire/
Try this

[Lewis McColl]

Thanks Bill opened okay. What were the crew doing, both vessels adrift, someone needs to answer a few questions about well the moorings were being checked.

[vic mcclymont]

Not sure if they are both laid up, been there for a number of weeks.
Only eight on board the ship that broke her moorings.
Sorry link didn't work. Thanks Bill for reposting a link.
Vic

[j.sabourn]

Drill ships unlike most vessels have all that extra windage of the drill tower which can be very inconvenient in any bad weather. A good person to describe this if still looks In would be that old friend of Brian’s in WA. As for sailing purposes he was mate with me on the Mariner transit Singapore to NW Shelf , he there relieved me as I was only there for the passage. Later during a cyclone warning I was told later by an engineer they were too late in picking up the four anchors and the ship went over and was almost lost according to this witness who packed in the job. The Mariner was small enough to moor and unmoor herself , but at the best of times and weather takes a mininum of 2 hours that’s without any problems. So on the smell of the likes of a cyclone is best to make a cowards retreat as soon as possible. Cheers JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Nice to see that the managers thought a crew of eight including Master/CE was sufficient to remoor a 750' vessel
with a large sail caught in a storm and rough seas. Lets not mention the strength sapping cold weather, sodden ropes, plus a few other things.

Now that eight have managed it safely perhaps we should consider whether or not the vessel is overmanned and reduce it to six, let's have a management meeting 1200 hours tomorrow in the Conference Room, and make sure hot drinks and refreshments are available, some people will have to drive 10 miles to get here.

[Michael Black]

Even with a full crew onboard some still get caught out. I was working in McNulty's yard at South Shields, we had a semi submersible along side we were working on. Opposite the yard is the ferry terminal. One Friday afternoon it was blowing a westerly gale and the King of Scandinavia parted her moorings, she had no engine power and started to come across the river. The O.I.M of the semi was very worried as it looked as if the ferry would hit his pontoons.
Luckily the ferry managed to get a bit headway and missed the semi but did hit the quay of the yard damaging the quay and putting a big gash in her port side through which you could see into her car decks.
It was lucky no one was on loading on the ramp when she broke away. She lay alongside a few days while the surveyor and insurance companies got together then she was taken up to App!edores yard at Hebburn to be repaired.
Regards Michael

[Tony Taylor]

Even with a full crew onboard some still get caught out. I was working in McNulty's yard at South Shields, we had a semi submersible along side we were working on. Opposite the yard is the ferry terminal. One Friday afternoon it was blowing a westerly gale and the King of Scandinavia parted her moorings, she had no engine power and started to come across the river. The O.I.M of the semi was very worried as it looked as if the ferry would hit his pontoons.
Luckily the ferry managed to get a bit headway and missed the semi but did hit the quay of the yard damaging the quay and putting a big gash in her port side through which you could see into her car decks.
It was lucky no one was on loading on the ramp when she broke away. She lay alongside a few days while the surveyor and insurance companies got together then she was taken up to App!edores yard at Hebburn to be repaired.
Regards Michael

Michael, would that have been the "Uncle John"?