Author Topic: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?  (Read 9104 times)

Offline Steve Geronazzo

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Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« on: December 30, 2012, 05:42:53 PM »
Here is what I saw yesterday as the Great Lakers Bulker ATLANTIC HURON was docking in Quebec City :

Youtube video :
http://youtu.be/I06VVBsYkyM


http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1712735

Is it me or this is a dangerous way to do things. Someone told me once that to save docking charges the sailors from the ships get off this way and handle the cables during the docking maneuvers.

I wonder how many work accidents are caused by this way of doing things.
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Offline Daniel B

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2012, 09:12:09 PM »
HELLO STEVE, THIS IS STANDARD PROCEDURE AROUND THE GREAT LAKES, HAS BEEN DONE FOR YEARS, AND IT ACTUALLY SAVED LIFES.

Offline Federico

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2012, 10:35:37 PM »
It's almost unbelievable to see this sort of operation...! Specially in modern countries!
All my respect for the workers, while a lot of shame for who is authorizing this practice and for who is exploiting this to save money for the mooring men!!!

Offline Paul Bradshaw

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2012, 11:51:22 PM »
Working aloft requires belting in above ten feet. From the photo I would guess that the deck level is about ten feet or less, above the wharf.

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2012, 12:48:23 AM »
Steve
I was one of the so-called JUMPERS (in german sailor language , SPRINGER=JUMPER) with
the MV"Paula Howaldt Russ" sometime in May 77 at the waiting berths ahead of the locks a few times
Of course to a certain degree it is dangerous. But from my own experience I would say
better this way then to be attached with a safety harness. To what you want to attach the harness, the same rope which holds you. Therefore it would have to be a 2nd rope for the harness which means two guys on the ship slacking independently the ropes. Don,t think that,that would work good. Then,  Just imagine that the guy stumbles or getting really injured and can,t detach the harness.
I would say I did not want a harness doing it.

brgds
capt ted
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline Marc Piché

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2012, 01:48:49 AM »
All ships (salties and lakers) using the St.Lawrence Seaway to the Great Lakes need to be equipped with these booms. If a ship needs to tie up at a lock wall, no one will be available to handle the lines so some of the ship's own crew members will have to be dropped slowly to the dock using this boom system. It's standard procedure.
Laker crew are adept at this kind of work and accidents very rarely occur.
......

Offline Magogman

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2012, 05:10:45 AM »
As others have said, this is an everyday occurrence in the North American Great Lakes in both Canada and the U.S.  I have seen it performed hundreds of times when the Great Lakes ships go through the Soo Locks, the Welland Canal and the locks in the St. Lawrence Seaway.  Since those locks are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the bilateral St Lawrence Seaway and so on they are accepted maneuvers by federal agencies of both Canada and the United States.  It is so common one would be surprised that anyone would actually question the practice.

It is actually quite safe and very graceful in its maneuver and takes just a few seconds.

It is just the way we do things here in the Great Lakes.  I have also seen the crew members that swing down to the lock surface handle heavy cable with bare hands in zero degrees Fahr. temperatures.  These people are pretty tough and proud of it.  Not many left.
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Offline Fergal Clohessy

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2012, 12:03:28 PM »
I hope the person in the photograph gave you their permission to post these photos and start debating about their work practices. I for one would not appreciate it!!

Here is what I saw yesterday as the Great Lakers Bulker ATLANTIC HURON was docking in Quebec City :

Youtube video :
http://youtu.be/I06VVBsYkyM


http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1712735

Is it me or this is a dangerous way to do things. Someone told me once that to save docking charges the sailors from the ships get off this way and handle the cables during the docking maneuvers.

I wonder how many work accidents are caused by this way of doing things.

Offline samson46

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2012, 03:10:38 PM »
The Heath & Safety thing has gone so silly nowadays that, looking back on my normal working practises, it would seem seem a miracle that I managed to survive to retirement!

Offline Captain Ted

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2012, 04:22:09 PM »
@Samson
not there yet here,,but  dearly hope I can manage to avoid all the pitfalls of the safety regulations and reach the goal healthy and in one piece !!!!
NOW!!!,,,if we could get rid of the sailors,,how safe shipping would be !!!!!!!!

Offline mooringman

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2013, 01:53:46 AM »
I was a so called "Jumper/Springer" myself in the Great Lakes a long time ago. In my opinion it is not safe!And i don't understand ,why they never changed it!I know,the pilots there are very good,but there is a risk!

Offline Rick Vince

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #11 on: January 05, 2013, 11:10:24 AM »
Thank you Steve for posting such an interesting article.
It is not always good to compare one against another, but I feel I would be correct in saying that this practise would be disallowed under the (usual) Health & Saftey practises in the UK & EU.

@ Marc Pich

Offline john mcneil

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Re: Great Lake Bulkers Sailers : Is this safe?
« Reply #12 on: January 05, 2013, 04:30:03 PM »
i was doing it for a whole year in 1963 on the seaway queen,and i'm still sailing

 

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