I was just taking a shortcut

[Tony Taylor]

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under a jack up - oops!

- - - Updated - - -

TUVG1173.JPGFQUR2178.JPG

under a jack up - oops!

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[j.sabourn]

Have shifted a couple of American jack ups out here Tony.The Australian laws were different as regards offshore here. Any movement of rigs and offshore structures
had to have an Australian marine crew on board. Positioning a jack up was totally different to a semi submersible. The American IOM and barge master I found had
much more experience than me so used to look the other way and cringe with fingers crossed, as the final movements were swinging the heading of the barge on one leg
To get the required heading and angle to the wellhead. Was always pleased when our chopper arrived and self and Australian crew returned ashore to carry on with our leave
where we had been probably Shanghaid on leave from our own vessels. Cheers JS…

[j.sabourn]

For those unfamiliar with offshore work and the way I saw the Australian Rules and regulations……every offshore structure when underway I.e. not made fast to the shore or aground will have a competent maritime crew on board , depending on the time and distance underway depended the amount of watchkeeping crew required.Which I see as saying as soon as the last anchor or last leg is off the bottom then the maritime crew is responsible for that vessel. In the case of a short shift from A to B a matter of hours it was me by myself. On the first anchor going down or leg touching the bottom then the onus reverts back to the structures permanent crew.If they want to do a twirling ballerina act on one leg then the onus is back to them.In the 1990s there was a much publicised minor disaster where a jack up collapsed which made me think of the practises used at the time, this however never reached the inquiry or the tabloids of the day as far as I know. It was off southern Australia somewhere and someone else’s problem. Cheers JS………
PS as an aside it was also usual for the towing vessel to stay hooked up until all legs were firmly settled on the bottom usually about 12 -‘18 hours.,JS..

[Bruce Morris]

As an ex R/O - that was a nifty way of changing all the aerials to horizontal polarisation and creating a long Yagi using the ladder rungs!

[happy daze john in oz]

John, like so many rules and regulations here in Oz, the on most occasions di9ffer from those overseas.

[Tony Taylor]

As an ex R/O - that was a nifty way of changing all the aerials to horizontal polarisation and creating a long Yagi using the ladder rungs!

Just hope they didnt have to change some of the crew, after that little escapade I suspect no one would sail with that idiot again.