I deckhand on tugs here in SF bay, and we mostly do tanker escorts. Escorts tugs are mandated by OPA90, which was the law passed in response to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Coincidently, the ship we escorted yesterday was the sister ship to the Exxon Valdez. It's the biggest ship allowed in SF bay at almost 300,000 tons and 1,000 feet long. For what it cost SeaRiver (Exxon Shipping, who owns the ship) for just the tugs to dock this thing, you could buy a new Superduty. Here are a few of the pictures I took, sorry for the huge pics!

This is the S/R Long Beach inbound from the sea bouy, about a mile west the of the Golden Gate Bridge
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/6972/IM000293.jpg
Here it is passing by Angel Island on it's port side (in the background) and Alcatraz on it's starboard side (not visible)
http://img70.exs.cx/img70/2069/IM000309.jpg
This picture gives you an idea of the shear size of this vessel. It's unloaded, but still draws 35 feet in the bow. When loaded it'll draw about 70 feet!
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/3048/IM000320.jpg
And last but not least, here's a picture of one of our tugs. We've got three identical boats like this. They're 105 feet long, 4,400 HP, twin z-drive and 120,000+ lbs bollard pull.
http://img35.exs.cx/img35/2725/IM329.jpg
Hope you guys enjoy the pics

Please use links only - WheelMA1

 

Wow, great picts!

Do you ever get the feeling you are VERY SMALL next to those big ships?

 

That's pretty cool!

 

Yeah, like when we're pushing/pulling as hard as we can (120,000 lbs of bollard pull!) and the ship just keeps moving....and moving...and moving.

 

That is a BIG ship. I watched somthing on either A&E or Discovery about the new superships and how most ports are going to have to be expanded to fit the BIG ships. They are shooting for getting it unloaded and loaded again in 48 hours, but they doubt it can be done.

 

Yeah Los Angeles/Long Beach is going to double in size in the next 20 years.

 

Hey Fordtruckin what company do you work for?
I do shore side repair and mantince(sp?). On Great Lakes towing Tugs.
Once in a while they need me to work as an deck hand or engineer.
Here are some pics of my Tugs http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/tug...ing5-01-mn.jpg
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/tug...gwisconsin.jpg
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/tug...lnois-u-jh.jpg
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/tug...4-01-mn-pg.jpg
For being over 100years old they still run great.

 

wow, 100 years old eh?

Man, I'm glad I don't have dial-up and trying to look at this thread...

STan

 

i used to tie up the ships... dress head to toe in disposable overalls and sweep up nickel dust with the other scabs.

like someone said they keep getting bigger.. they can't all get thru the st lawrence anymore so they dock them just all over the place

best part of the job was "trade" with the filipino sailors. we had good gloves, rainsuits.. they had a LOT of cigarettes

 

you have a real fun job... so do you rangersvt04, can I come play..

 

you need big tools and strong ankles
Ive go the tools but ankles nope tore ligaments in my right ankle 2 weeks ago
steping on a tug. Im still in a cast

 

I work for Baydelta Maritime www.baydeltamaritime.com Yeah you do need a certain amount of strength I suppose, but these tugs practically run themselves. The tugs I started on though...well that my friends is another story

 

Yeah I feel very fortunate to do what I do. Everyday I work I'm very happy to go. I'd do it for free if I had to, but luckily they pay me well. When I get out of school though, I'll be running ships like the S/R Long Beach Can't wait!

 

SF bay?

Back in September of 2001, my ship was tasked to go guard SF Bay. I was on the US Coast Guard Cutter Chase. fordtruckin - you may have seen us out there. I couldn't get over all the jellyfish around there.

 

Damn thats a big Tanker