Thanks to Xtian 2

So here was 1 and in it I said I would answer a question in a few days and now a few weeks have passed.  The question pertained to the device mounted on the stern of vessel

Husky.  Congrats to Seth Tane, who guessed correctly.  Here’s what Xtian writes:  “It’s a plough.  In French we talk about “nivelage” [leveling], which means after dredging the bottom of the sea is like a field that has just passed a plow.  This tool cuts the bump to fill the gap.  It’s also used in the rivers where the “alluvium” or the mud stays in always same places because of the current and built like “bottom hill” there.  And it happens also in some harbour (like ferries’ harbour) as because the ferries always doing the same maneuver and raise the mud that still lay at the same place.

With the plough used at the right time, ebb tide for example, the mud is raised and leaves the harbour with tidal current.  In some places the plough is used to feed the hopper dredger –  when the dredger is too large, the plough is used to remove a “bottom hill” when they are close to the bank to give the mud at the place where the hopper dredge is working.   The plough is not only used with mud but also with sand or pebble.  Google with words : Dredge – Plough.

About Husky, the day I took this picture she was working closely with the dredge Rijndelta at the entrance of Maasvlakte harbor.   I add a picture of her below.”

More of Xtian’s photos follow, like this closeup of the captain of Smit Cheetah,

 

Fairplay 24 and 21,

Union 11 passing the Mammoet headquarters,

Smit Schelde,

SD Rebel,

Multratug 31, 

Osprey Fearless, 

Pieter (?) towing Matador 2,

and finally the recently completed Noordstroom.

 

Many thanks to Xtian for these photos of another watershed.

Really Random Tugs 25

I believe I took this in summer 2005, my first view of Lincoln Sea from W. O. Decker.  Lincoln Sea is now making its way northward probably along Baja California, if not already along alta California.

A few days ago and from the crew of Maraki–aka my sister and brother-in-law–it’s Salvatore in Santa Marta, Colombia.

And in the same port . . . Atlantico assisting Mosel Ace into the dock.

From Seth Tane . . . Alaska Mariner in Portland on the Columbia . . . river, that is.

And the next few from Fred Trooster and Jan Oosterboer and taken in Amazonehaven section of the port of Rotterdam less than a week ago . . . the giant Thalassa Elpida assisted into the dock by FairPlay 21.  The two smaller boats are the line handlers.

Click here for a post I did four years ago showing FairPlay 21 nearly capsizing.

Tailing the giant is Smit Ebro.

Rounding today out . . . it’s W. O. Decker, Viking, and Cheyenne . . . before the tugboat race in September 2010.

Thanks to Fred, Seth, and Maraki for these photos.