Weather Report & Ship Aground (Updated with Pics)

nic · Post by **nic** » Jun 21st, '07, 01:10

We had some weather here over the last two weeks; I ventured out in the Tennessee on the worst day: 45 -50 knots gusts, 8ft (face) "chop" on about a 15ft swell on Sydney Harbour at the Heads was as far as I went. The wave bouy that night off the Heads registered 45ft waves.

Very, very impressed with the handling, wet but not as wet as I expected, very stable in those conditions. The turn was interesting and the run back in was a complete hoot. The best part was I wasn't trying to get anywhere and I could just enjoy the wild ride as a brief sample.

This ship didn't enjoy it at all.

http://www.coastalwatch.com/camera/came ... &state=NSW

Sorry, Click "Hi Win" on the Live Vision Panel.

A salvage attempt is being prepared for the next few days with an an anchor ship and two ocean tugs. What are the odds?

See pics below of a similar looking but completely different ship apparently on the Great Lakes not the New South Wales coast sent to me by my idiot ex-attorney who thought it was the Pasha Bulker,

Nic

randall · Post by **randall** » Jun 21st, '07, 07:30

nic...must be a surfer thing....i've gone out a few times in ridiculous conditions just out of curiosity....boat did great.......once in santa barbara a friend and i took his 29 foot sloop out in a gale just to "practice"......soon as we cleared the harbor entrance the mast snapped in two.....we got more practice than we asked for......nice surf site...

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Jun 24th, '07, 11:55

The waves that put that beast on the beach must have been huge !

nic · Post by **nic** » Jun 24th, '07, 22:57

Doug,

Funny you should ask.....these just came in. Bear in mind she is running with the sea, so you are seeing the backs of these waves.
Ouch!

Is this it?

Lifting free!

Survived...but can't change course

Just imagine heading into that.

July 2nd your time there is a king tide and they will attempt to refloat her!

Nic

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Jun 25th, '07, 13:27

Wow ! I'll bet the embaressment of running aground is totally ofset by the joy to simply still be alive. Amazing pictures.

ScottD · Post by **ScottD** » Jun 25th, '07, 14:12

Call me a skeptic, but I don't think the ship at sea is the same as the ship on shore. I think I also remember seeing those (at sea) pictures before. Either way, pretty impressive.

ScottD

nic · Post by **nic** » Jun 25th, '07, 18:20

Scott,

I trusted my source - my attorney! but now you mention it even though the colour and size is a good match the mast at the bow in the pics is higher above the cross trees than the upper section of the bow-mast on the ship on the beach. I'm going to refer it back to him - charge him with false......what is the appropriate charge? Should I delete the pics?

The salvage attempt has started, the anchors are in place.

Nic

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 26th, '07, 17:21

Actually I posted these pics a few months ago here, they were supposed to have been taken by the son of a friend who is in the merchant marine. I believe he said these were taken on the Great lakes, but I am not sure of this.

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Jun 28th, '07, 17:55

The ship at sea is the Selkirk Settler. Here she is in calm water.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jun 28th, '07, 22:44

Earlier today (Thursday) it looked as if the ship was moving slightly back and forth with the wave action. Now it looks solidly aground again.

Harv · Post by **Harv** » Jun 30th, '07, 07:42

IRGuy wrote:Earlier today (Thursday) it looked as if the ship was moving slightly back and forth with the wave action. Now it looks solidly aground again.

I thought I saw the same thing but thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jul 1st, '07, 00:09

In his original post aboce Nic said.. "A salvage attempt is being prepared for the next few days with an an anchor ship and two ocean tugs. What are the odds?"

When the "Perfect Storm" hit New England many years ago I lived in MA with a view of the ocean, just north of Boston. During the storm a Greek freighter, the "Global Hope", which had come into a supposedly sheltered area behind some islands to weather the storm, dragged her anchor and went up on the bricks about 3/4 mile in front of my house. The papers and TV said the ship was going to be freed on the next high tide a couple of weeks later. She was there for about 7 months!

I wouldn't plan on using Noddy Beach for a while!

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jul 1st, '07, 08:03

Either the ship or the camera has moved in the last 18 hours.. we have a side view now.

nic · Post by **nic** » Jul 1st, '07, 18:24

Their plan is to swing the bow around to face the channel out through reefs off the beach. They've got the bow around 90 deg over the last 4 days, pivoting on the stern which is on rocks, broken three cables. They are hoping to get her off tonight on the tide but oil is leaking. I think they'll just go for it regardless.

The only smart thing the crew did when she went aground was to continue pumping ballast water back in to stabilise her and prevent her going further up. They have now pumped her ballast back out, that was when you saw her rocking. If they get her off tonight a lot of people here are going to lose a lot of money because of that ballast trick. The last one to go aground was the Cherry Orchard in 1974, she's still on Stockton Beach.

Nic

Doug Crowther · Post by **Doug Crowther** » Jul 3rd, '07, 19:41

looks like they got her off Monday evening. Bummed the video won't play.

nic · Post by **nic** » Jul 4th, '07, 01:30

Yeah they got her off, massive anti-climax, she floated and away they went! No grinding of metal or tearing the hull. The publicity hound Minister for Ports was holding a dopey press conference carrying on as if he were the tug-boat captain in charge at 9.30pm when the press had to tell him to get out of the way because the ship had gone and they all missed the shot.

Maybe that's why they haven't bothered with any video.

Looks like a dumb post now, an empty beach with a picture of where a ship used to be and somebody elses pics of a different ship in a different storm - lucky everyone was away, don't tell 'em.

Nic

IRGuy · Post by **IRGuy** » Jul 4th, '07, 06:40

Nic...

Thanks for the update. I wouldn't be concerned about you post.. while in the overall scheme of things we are all "small boat" people here we can appreciate the fact that even the "big guys" have the same kind of mishaps we are subjected to if we either don't pay attention to what we are doing, or the elements overcome us. I never see a grounding or sinking without getting a lump in my throat, and think that the ultimate responsibility in any maritime tragedy, large or small, rests with the captain for the safety of his vessel and crew, in spite of the circumstances. Probably millions of dollars lost, probabbly a career ruined, and the ultimate embarassment to the skipper, running aground in what looks to be a benign place.. a sandy beach.. for the whole world to see. An important reminder to us all.. and it could happen to any of us!

bertram31.com

Weather Report & Ship Aground (Updated with Pics)

Weather Report & Ship Aground (Updated with Pics)

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