Rocks on the runway!

[equipment fan]

very nice pictures:notworthy it`s look a tough job

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I have spend most of my life around the water and doing similar things Lashlander does in Alaska. Working around barges and cranes and marine construction is a good job just need to pay attention to what your doing.

Working in Alaska you need to be even more carefull if you fall in you have a greater chance of hypathermia.

You also need to be agile on your feet because your jumping and stepping onto moving things. Walking a set of boom sticks tests your agility think of it of a floating tight rope that bounces up and down.

 

[nedly05]

Great pics! You guys must be tough Lashlander! Doesn't look like the most inviting of conditions!

 

[Grader4me]

I have a stupid question..When you are loading heavy items on the barge, is there much movement with the barge itself? To me what you do would be much more difficult compared to crane work on dry land. A shift in the barge while swinging to the left or right could make it interesting at times?
My hat is off to you ..Great pics by the way!

 

[murray83]

I know on the container ship its bad,your lashing down the containers at the end of one row on the isolated piller on the side of the ship as the container crane is slamming them down on the other end of the isle.

Your on the side of the ship watching the warf go up and down with the wind blowing,you just gotta love it.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Lashlander has a good sized barge so the roll shouldn't be that bad but farther you boom down with the crane more the barge will roll. You get some weight on the one side of the barge it helps the roll. Conventional cranes are nicer to work with on a barge because you can let the brake go and drop the load if you need to.

I forget how many ton Lash said that crane was but when its on the barge it has only half of the lifting power because you will roll the barge. When we had fish farms here guy was running a hydraulic crane that wasn't lashed down to the barge it pulled it over guy drown. Another thing that happened was a conventional crawler on a barge pulling concrete anchors stuck in the mud on the bottom. The barge listed right over then the 1 1/4 poly let go and the boom flopped backwards over the crane.

Working a crane on a barge is hard on the swing gear of the crane it affects all cranes right down to hiabs used on landing crafts.

 

[Lashlander]

I have a stupid question..When you are loading heavy items on the barge, is there much movement with the barge itself? To me what you do would be much more difficult compared to crane work on dry land. A shift in the barge while swinging to the left or right could make it interesting at times?
My hat is off to you ..Great pics by the way!

I don't think its a stupid question. Lot of guys don't think about that aspect of working on the water. Our crane is a 150 ton. The counter weight weighs 45 ton. When it swings over the side with no load it will list the barge backwards a little over a foot. You have to keep in mind that will boom it up. When you make a heavy pic it will list it toward the pic. Sometimes up to 3 or 4 feet. Then you have to swing it uphill to the center of the barge, which will bring your load to you. Depending where on the barge your putting it or on another barge you have to be ready if you go over center because it will list the other way and the load will head down hill. This will send your load away from you. You have to be ready to counter swing, its gonna take off on you. Add a little wind and a few waves and it does get interesting at times. Ford pretty much summed it up, however I've been working on the water for 18 years and I've never sold a load. I've never put any of my operators in a position so they had to sell one either.
Anyway thanks for the replies.

The tug came and took us into the basin. Had to make about 5 runs through the ice to break it up so he could get us out. The tide rips though the basin at about 3 knots so it doesn't freeze. Weather finally broke, got up to 39 degrees today. Got one float unloaded and put together.

 

[Countryboy]

Our crane is a 150 ton. The counter weight weighs 45 ton. When it swings over the side with no load it will list the barge backwards a little over a foot. ............ I've never put any of my operators in a position so they had to sell one either.

Man, you gotta think of all that at the same time. I guess after 18 yrs. it just comes naturally. Do you ever use different weights of counterweights or do you stick with the 45 ton?

The tug came and took us into the basin. Had to make about 5 runs through the ice to break it up so he could get us out. The tide rips though the basin at about 3 knots so it doesn't freeze. Weather finally broke, got up to 39 degrees today. Got one float unloaded and put together.

How thick was the ice the tug had to bust? I would of thought the barge would break it as it moves through. :beatsme

Great pics by the way.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

Those floats look good they have a nice low freeboard on them. It must make it easier for the planes to dock beside them and easier for the passengers to get out. It makes me wonder why the seaplane terminal in my area doesn't use a floats like that seaplanes also use the gov't docks which are high floaters.

Seeing the pictures with the ice makes me glad I live on a warmer and wetter part of the
coastal west coast

 

[Lashlander]

Do you ever use different weights of counterweights or do you stick with the 45 ton?
How thick was the ice the tug had to bust? I would of thought the barge would break it as it moves through.

The counterweight is set up to remove half of it. I've never done it though. I want all the lead I can get.
Where it hadn't been disturbed it was pushing 8", he wanted to take us on his hip rather than make up his towline so he needed to break it up alittle for control.

 

[Ford LT-9000]

I guess with the load you had on the barge it was too tall to see over to push. One thing we never have to deal with is ice and I imagine that makes things a little more tricky.

Global warming will eventually change the cold weather in Alaska you will have palm trees and water so warm you could swim all year round

 

[Lashlander]

Weather has been so nasty, haven't got much done. The wind really messes with us. It was calm yesterday and got started laying out all the anchor gear. The uplands is coming along too.

 

[Countryboy]

The wind must be blowing really hard to need such a big anchor for such a little boat. :cool2

Is there a time frame you are working in or is it just when it is finished? I ask because it seems the weather isn't always on your side so it would seem to be hard to keep a schedule. :beatsme

 

[Lashlander]

Thats funny! The skiff is just pulling on the anchor to keep it from winding the chain up. We have until the 30th of June to get done. We need to finish it because we have other stuff coming up.

 

[wrenchbender]

Lashlander, I don't know who has the worst job you or Squizzy having to look at those views all day. I know it's gotta be rough.... but sombody has to do it right? I really enjoy these post it's kinda like going on a cruise without ever leaving home.:thumbsup

 

[Lashlander]

Another Barge loaded with good stuff!

This barge brought the ramp panels for the plane haul out a few days ago. You can tell its spring. The barges are coming up pretty loaded. After offloading Kodiaks freight she set sail for Dutch Harbor.

 

[Lashlander]

Haulout Ramp

Working on the Haulout installation!
The last pic shows all the floats installed.

 

[RonG]

This stuff is so interesting and many of us would never get to see the things you take for granted.
Imagine stacking a barge like that for shipping but why not?We just don't think about it because we don't confront such things.Thanks again for sharing such interesting things against a great backdrop.Ron G

 

[King of Obsolete]

once again lashlander excellent pictures, you know that is big when a high track cat looks so small. LOL

thansk

 

[jimmyjack]

do those trucks just sit there or do they get chained to the top of the container