Summer is here, school is almost out and recreational boaters are more numerous on our waterways.  The USCG estimated that there were 18 million recreational boats using the waterways of the United States in 2005.  This number has been increasing at 11% each year.

 

What does this mean for the professional mariner using the Inland Waterways? 

 Let's keep this summer save for everyone! 

 

June 1 started the Atlantic Hurricane Season and predictions for this summer indicate an active one.

 

Below are guidelines to must be followed in preparation for a hurricane: 

At the your boat's next scheduled safety meeting, discuss the items listed above and other ways to prepare for the potential dangers of Hurricane Season. 

 

For More Information, refer to Fleet Alert-08-2007 .

 

Offshore drilling has dominated the news lately.  Offshore wells are now being drilled at 5,000 plus feet below the surface of the ocean.  The current water depth world record for drilling operations is 10,011 feet set by Transocean while working for Chevron in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.
 
An exploratory well is being drilled in the North Atlantic's Orphan Basin off Newfoundland will establish a new record in Canada with a water depth of 8,530 feet.
 
How did all this start?
 
In the late 1800's, the citizens of Summerland, California, began producing the numerous springs of crude oil and natural gas that dotted their landscape.  After drilling a large number of wells, these early oilmen noticed that those nearest the ocean were the best producers.  Eventually, they drilled several wells on the beach itself. Then in 1887, one citizen, H.L. Williams came up with the idea of building a wharf and erecting a drilling rig on it.   His first offshore well extended about 300 feet into the ocean.  As expected, it was a good producer and before long the entrepreneurs built several more wharfs.  The longest stretched over 1,200 feet into the Pacific Ocean.
 
Kerr-McGee Corporation drilled the first well from a fixed platform offshore out-of-sight of land in 1947. Its barge and platform combination was a major breakthrough in drilling-unit design for offshore use.
 
This event marked the beginning of the modern offshore industry as it is known today. By 1949, 11 fields were found in the Gulf of Mexico with 44 exploratory wells.
 
Today there are 591 deepwater wells and 4,515 shallow water wells operating in U.S. coastal waters.

Multi-tasking is good for some things but not always the best idea for complicated or even simple operations.   Most operations have specific tasks that have to be completed before undertaking the next and overlapping is not always a good idea.

 

We all have too much to do during a normal day, so we try to complete as much as we can in the shortest amount of time.  But, once onto the next task, we may get distracted and forget about the earlier task that is still uncompleted.

 

Here is an example of multi-tasking that is not a good idea....

 

Cooking in the galley and checking your barge couplings.  Once out on those barges, you may not be able to return to the galley before disaster strikes: a pot boils over or worst yet, a galley fire.

 

Every job no matter how small, has a critical path.  The critical path can help us see the operational consequences in the near future.  Map out a critical path in your mind before undertaking the next task.

 

Some simple thinking ahead can prevent an unhappy outcome later.

 

Have a great and very safe week!