Brand new pilot boat - high and dry

[Salad Fingers]

Think you’re having a tough day on the ‘water’?
Spare a thought for these lads. Thought some of you guys might appreciate this – I hope this isn’t a repost here but I couldn’t find anything.
$1.7mil new pilot boat commissioned to assist with our new oil and gas project in the harbour. Totally inexcusable if you ask me – it’s an obvious shallow spot on the charts and they were operating on a 7m tide (ie, more than 1m/hr of movement). For a boat with a 1m draught you’d have to be mad to go over the top of that section of the harbour on those tides.

You can see the massive hole they dug with the two props in the rubble bottom trying to get out of it.
I believe the two props are in serious need of repair, shafts are bent, possibly transmission problems and loads of gouges on the bottom of the brand new hull.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2012/11/16/315185_ntnews.html (http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2012/11/16/315185_ntnews.html)
http://www.ntnews.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2012/11/16/pilot-boat-650.jpg

http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/red-faces-after-boating-blunder/xkopo5i

video here - http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/red-faces-after-boating-blunder/xkopo5i

[juggernaut]

I'm thinking skylarking Italian skipper ;D

[chop duster]

pretty sure they are jet drives mate, hopefully they can get it off without too much damage. New one of em in our marina too.

Edit: i could be wrong looking at the video now... shaft drives?

[Salad Fingers]

pretty sure they are jet drives mate, hopefully they can get it off without too much damage. New one of em in our marina too.


negative - shaft drive props. watch this video.
http://video.news.ninemsn.com.au/?uuid=db1bacd3-7400-4c02-9fbc-f896f8bc762f

[Still_Dreamin]

Ouch, wonder if they were breath/drug tested after that.

[Midnight]

Doh! Look out for a Master's position or 2 being advertised.

As to running aground, there are those that have, and those that haven't yet :)

Cheers,
Myles

[Jarrah Jack]

My mate just started a job skippering a dredge there. Perhaps we could blame him for not dredging it properly.

[bigjimg]

My mate just started a job skippering a dredge there. Perhaps we could blame him for not dredging it properly.Looks like he is only just starting Jarrah, give him a chance.Jim

[WalrusLike]

My mate just started a job skippering a dredge there. Perhaps we could blame him for not dredging it properly.

Your mates job is at risk.... looks like the Pilot Boat skipper is a capable dredge operator. :)

But 7 metre tides..... that is enough to bring anyone undone a time or two.