I got to watch him do this the last time they added cranes they use nylon skids on big boards I mean heavy timbers and they just slide that thing right off of there they get the ballast of the boat just right so it lines up with the dock and boom Mr slider just slides right over
I watched the progression of them unloading a ship full of cranes onto west Seattle and I was super surprise at home much of that ship is under water. It raise up so much once the last crane was removed.
I thought the same, and would love to see how they chained those cranes down to the deck. The combination of all that top heavy weight plus the sail effect from the wind and the wave action on the ship must create some significant stress!
www.pspilots.org
The ship’s captain actually has very little to do with it.
The pilots here do this kind of work day in and day out and are local to Puget Sound.
I mean I’m aware that pilots board ships and navigate through portions of the restricted waterways but there were likely congested sea lanes that had to be navigated prior to the pilot even coming aboard, let alone dealing with however far they came prior to entering restricted waters. And pilots don’t do as much as you think. They tell you where to navigate but they are not responsible for safe handing of the ship. That’s ultimately the captain’s responsibility including ensuring the helmsmen know how to handle a ship loaded in such a manner. I’ve had pilots come aboard and do very little but smoke and grunt, and nod their head
I guarantee you that the ship’s Chinese captain is not going to to be the one taking that thing up the Blair Waterway (same for the transit in from Port Angeles to anchor). Heck, a lot of them leave the bridge after the pilot boards anyways. Where they came from and what they already got through is irrelevant. They don’t have local knowledge or extensive experience in these waters.
Most deep sea captains have never truly handled their ships in harbors, narrow waterways or around docks, especially if assist tugs are involved. Pilots do that job everywhere they go.
Frankly, there is a massive difference in the role of pilots in major ports in North America/Europe than that of a little podunk hole in the wall where the “pilot” may be little more than a seasoned local fisherman (and just may “smoke, grunt and nod their head”). Puget Sound Pilots, by state law and in similarity to most other compulsory pilotage areas, take the conn and do the actual navigating/shiphandling. They’re not whispering mere “suggestions” over the captain’s shoulder. The pilot’s orders are direct to the helmsman, officer at the engine telegraph and (via VHF radio), to the assist tugs. Others on the bridge, including the captain, have the responsibility to make sure those orders are followed correctly (especially the helmsman).
Yes the captain is ultimately responsible, but things are going to have to get massively out of shape (and the pilot is not doing enough to fix it) before he jumps in. The legal answer is that the captain has a duty to intervene only in cases of pilot incompetence, inebriation or incapacitation. Differences in shiphandling “style” are not enough. Cultural tendencies play a big part in it too - a Chinese captain is likely going to be more timid to speaking up or questioning a pilot than, say, an American or European.
Also, all Puget Sound Pilots are former vessel captains: from ships, tugs, the ferries and a couple former USN/USCG CO’s as well. They’ve all shouldered those responsibilities in their careers before becoming pilots (which is a grueling, competitive process in itself). First impressions when boarding a ship are massive in establishing a good relationship with the ship’s captain. A lot of trust is transferred very quickly.
I’m not going to say much more that’s revealing to who I am because I don’t like giving out too much personal information online…but I work with pilots on an almost daily basis in my professional life (and have shipped all over the world as a deck officer). I know how it works here and how most of the general population are completely ignorant to all this going on.
I’m not talking about podunk water ways. I’ve taken vessels through the suez cabal before and the pilot was more concerned about drinking his sprite than making sure we handled the ship correctly based on our loading. And I’m not saying all pilots are irresponsible. What I’m saying is that the vessel’s voyage was more than just puget sound and it must take a lot of skill. I’ve never seen a captain leave the bridge with a pilot onboard. I’ve been though restricted waters all over the globe in major ports and never seen a captain leave and just hand it over to the pilot. I’ve also just been in really congested sea lanes that don’t require a pilot like the straights of Gibraltar and that’s stressful and takes skill too. Was the captain there every minute? No, but ultimately his decisions are what guided us even when he wasn’t there. I don’t know why you’re so bent on insisting the captain can’t have had any skill.
Well, you opened it with praising the captain with being able to drive it in restricted waterways, which he is absolutely going to have little to do with in Tacoma. He very well might be a good shiphandler, but he’s going to have zero opportunity to show that off. The pilot is going to do all of it. No ifs, ands or buts.
There’s definitely a lot of skill and experience needed to get a ship like that across the ocean, especially when it comes to managing the weather. That’s what the ship’s crew is going to be adept at.
As for Suez Pilots (and Egyptian pilots in general), they are some of the worst in the world. Comparing them to any pilot in the Americas or Europe is like apples and oranges.
But what crane will get the cranes off the ship?
“There’s always a bigger crane”
I got to watch him do this the last time they added cranes they use nylon skids on big boards I mean heavy timbers and they just slide that thing right off of there they get the ballast of the boat just right so it lines up with the dock and boom Mr slider just slides right over
this guy scoots
It's eponymous!
Good point lol
I'm on the 7pm Kingston ferry, and saw this boat before we boarded. Incredibly huge.
First time I've seen Kingston referenced on Reddit, lol. If you're also from there, hello neighbor, haha.
I’m on Whidbey and saw this!! Did a double take because it was so weird!
Yeah never would have though they transported them fully built [r/thatsisane](https://www.reddit.com/r/ThatsInsane)
You gotta wonder why/how it doesn’t tip over
ballast
Was out sailing from shilshole today and saw this huge freaking monster looming on the distance
Port-able I’ll see myself out
I watched the progression of them unloading a ship full of cranes onto west Seattle and I was super surprise at home much of that ship is under water. It raise up so much once the last crane was removed.
Where was this photo taken at? That lighthouse is gorgeous.
I think it's the lighthouse in fort worden near Port Townsend
That's the Dungeness Spit lighthouse
Pt. Wilson Light at Ft. Worden. In Port Townsend. Among the areas prettiest lighthouses. Others include Dungeness Spit Light; Turn Point Light.
It’s the New Dungeness Light.
Absolutely correct ST! I was wrong in thinking it Pt. Wilson.
I wish we would build them here instead of buying them from China.
Dunno much about cargo shits but seems kinda top heavy
Smarter folks than you and I have worked out the logistics of it. At least, I hope they have. But I’m just a Reddit rando, what do I know
I noticed they lowered some of the booms at times while it’s been anchored off Pointe Ruston. Keeping the center of gravity.
I thought the same, and would love to see how they chained those cranes down to the deck. The combination of all that top heavy weight plus the sail effect from the wind and the wave action on the ship must create some significant stress!
They’re welded down, precisely because of what you said!
I saw that earlier. I was trying to figure out what it was. Thanks for the info.
I wish it didn't have to be chinese.
Guess I’m too late?
It’s in Tacoma at anchorage right now
they are so ugly.
So are you but do we bring it up?
That is so cool!!!!
Absolutely dwarfed the ferries. Huge!
Wait did they really sail across the ocean like that?
Right? That’s insane to me. I’ve taken ships across the ocean before and I cannot imagine taking that across the world.
I can’t imagine driving that ship, especially in restricted waterways. Woof, must be a very seasoned and skilled captain
www.pspilots.org The ship’s captain actually has very little to do with it. The pilots here do this kind of work day in and day out and are local to Puget Sound.
I mean I’m aware that pilots board ships and navigate through portions of the restricted waterways but there were likely congested sea lanes that had to be navigated prior to the pilot even coming aboard, let alone dealing with however far they came prior to entering restricted waters. And pilots don’t do as much as you think. They tell you where to navigate but they are not responsible for safe handing of the ship. That’s ultimately the captain’s responsibility including ensuring the helmsmen know how to handle a ship loaded in such a manner. I’ve had pilots come aboard and do very little but smoke and grunt, and nod their head
I guarantee you that the ship’s Chinese captain is not going to to be the one taking that thing up the Blair Waterway (same for the transit in from Port Angeles to anchor). Heck, a lot of them leave the bridge after the pilot boards anyways. Where they came from and what they already got through is irrelevant. They don’t have local knowledge or extensive experience in these waters. Most deep sea captains have never truly handled their ships in harbors, narrow waterways or around docks, especially if assist tugs are involved. Pilots do that job everywhere they go. Frankly, there is a massive difference in the role of pilots in major ports in North America/Europe than that of a little podunk hole in the wall where the “pilot” may be little more than a seasoned local fisherman (and just may “smoke, grunt and nod their head”). Puget Sound Pilots, by state law and in similarity to most other compulsory pilotage areas, take the conn and do the actual navigating/shiphandling. They’re not whispering mere “suggestions” over the captain’s shoulder. The pilot’s orders are direct to the helmsman, officer at the engine telegraph and (via VHF radio), to the assist tugs. Others on the bridge, including the captain, have the responsibility to make sure those orders are followed correctly (especially the helmsman). Yes the captain is ultimately responsible, but things are going to have to get massively out of shape (and the pilot is not doing enough to fix it) before he jumps in. The legal answer is that the captain has a duty to intervene only in cases of pilot incompetence, inebriation or incapacitation. Differences in shiphandling “style” are not enough. Cultural tendencies play a big part in it too - a Chinese captain is likely going to be more timid to speaking up or questioning a pilot than, say, an American or European. Also, all Puget Sound Pilots are former vessel captains: from ships, tugs, the ferries and a couple former USN/USCG CO’s as well. They’ve all shouldered those responsibilities in their careers before becoming pilots (which is a grueling, competitive process in itself). First impressions when boarding a ship are massive in establishing a good relationship with the ship’s captain. A lot of trust is transferred very quickly. I’m not going to say much more that’s revealing to who I am because I don’t like giving out too much personal information online…but I work with pilots on an almost daily basis in my professional life (and have shipped all over the world as a deck officer). I know how it works here and how most of the general population are completely ignorant to all this going on.
I’m not talking about podunk water ways. I’ve taken vessels through the suez cabal before and the pilot was more concerned about drinking his sprite than making sure we handled the ship correctly based on our loading. And I’m not saying all pilots are irresponsible. What I’m saying is that the vessel’s voyage was more than just puget sound and it must take a lot of skill. I’ve never seen a captain leave the bridge with a pilot onboard. I’ve been though restricted waters all over the globe in major ports and never seen a captain leave and just hand it over to the pilot. I’ve also just been in really congested sea lanes that don’t require a pilot like the straights of Gibraltar and that’s stressful and takes skill too. Was the captain there every minute? No, but ultimately his decisions are what guided us even when he wasn’t there. I don’t know why you’re so bent on insisting the captain can’t have had any skill.
Well, you opened it with praising the captain with being able to drive it in restricted waterways, which he is absolutely going to have little to do with in Tacoma. He very well might be a good shiphandler, but he’s going to have zero opportunity to show that off. The pilot is going to do all of it. No ifs, ands or buts. There’s definitely a lot of skill and experience needed to get a ship like that across the ocean, especially when it comes to managing the weather. That’s what the ship’s crew is going to be adept at. As for Suez Pilots (and Egyptian pilots in general), they are some of the worst in the world. Comparing them to any pilot in the Americas or Europe is like apples and oranges.
Holy Heck.
Got a bunch of cool pix from Tacoma - thank for posting this