carwreck.com: around Boston harbor...

Yesterday, I accepted a position with the Boston Pilots. I had contacted them on a whim while looking for work for the winter but hadn't expected to come up with anything as solid as a full-time, year-round position such as they offered me. I will be working with five other captains running the pilots boats which transport the Pilots to and from all of the large ships which come in and out of Boston Harbor. These ten Pilots are the only people authorized by the State of Massachusetts to pilot foreign-flagged ships into the harbor. This amounts to nearly all of the shipping in the harbor since there are virtually no US owned ships involved in international trade anymore.

This new development curtails last week's plan which was to go out to San Diego for the next couple of months to help start a new Sea Tow. The job with the Pilots also means I won't be coming back full-time to Sea Tow Boston in the spring.

DUUUUUUUUUDE!!!!!

Very cool!!

AWESOME, CONGRATS.

73

Pat

I recently went out to George's Island from Hull by kayak. I noticed two large platforms with cranes accompanied by barges between Peddock's. I didn't remember these from previous trips to George's. Do you know what they are? I had heard about this post some time ago via Boston Common and remembered it when I saw them and thought maybe these platforms are where the pilots meet the incoming boats.

The platforms you saw are called "jack-up barges" and are there working on a tremendous natural gas pipeline project called the Hubline Project (www.hublineupdates.com). The project is running a 36 inch undersea pipe from Danvers down to Quincy. It's an insanely huge project which, like all other projects in the Commonwealth, is way past its deadline and way over budget.

The tall poles (spuds) on the jack-up rigs push down to the sea floor and lift the barges out of the water creating a stable work platform. The rigs you saw are drilling a hole under George's Island for the pipeline to run through. These type of work vessels are far not common in the Northeast and are far more likely to be seen in the Gulf of Mexico, working near an oil rig.

Congratulations. I too am looking for similar work in the Boston area.Are the pilots looking for additional help operating their boat/boats? Would be interested in full or part time (relief) employment.

Live in Marblehead and am quite familiar with Boston Harbor, North & South Channels and adjacent rivers.

Thanks,

Chuck