Captain’s Table

Tales from the drydock floor

For many, it is that time of year to schedule drydocks to conduct hull, tail shaft, and internal structure exams.

unobstructed winds from the easterly quadrant tormenting us the most. Once the fronts pass the winds shift behind them and eventually die down. Sometimes they’re not strong enough to deter us, but other times you need to wait them out. We typically move up and down the coast between these regular systems, pausing as needed to let conditions improve before leaving sheltered waters.

But this winter that pattern has been absent, replaced by no discernible pattern at all, just an endless series of chaotic movements of air masses. The net effect of this has been a lot like playing dodgeball with much more offshore swell than I’m used to seeing in this region in winter. And this affects operations.

When combined wave heights are higher than the freeboard of your barge, you will encounter water on the decks. Too much water on deck for too long, especially “green water,” can lead to equipment damages and possible cargo contamination. The NWS swell forecasts, which provide us with size, direction, and period information, have been a big help in avoiding negative outcomes.

things even more challenging, what date will you receive your credit for? Up to this point, it should have been credited to the last day of the month when the exam was completed, but the Coast Guard guidance update in 2016 created confusion.

BY CAPT. BOB BIJUR

Capt. Bob Bijur has been with Island Queen Cruises since 1994 and is also a partner of Biscayne Lady Yacht Charters. Bijur is a past president of the Passenger Vessel Association and a member of the PVA Board of Directors.

To begin, you must prepare the vessel to be examined. We power wash and scrape the sea life that has caused us to lose a knot or two over the years. We open sea chests, disassemble the valves, open, and expose shell plating along with anything else that the Coast Guard marine inspectors want to see.

Since this is a scheduled event, we need to be aware of all non-conformities in advance. These items must be disclosed to the inspection team along with a proposed plan of work. It is important that the inspector agrees with your work plan. We all know what lay days and change orders mean in terms of delays. Both need to be avoided.

What happens when there is a gray area or a request from an inspector to x something? What happens when the repair plan exceeds the time you have allotted for the drydock? Also, to make

So, the two-week drydock that started the second week of March, for example, was performed and the required work increased from two weeks to four or maybe six weeks. You could lose a month of credit under the 2016 guidance, which based the next drydock on the previous due date. This was to avoid “drydock creep.” If you are confused and frustrated by this, you are not alone.

Thanks to the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA), the Coast Guard has agreed to simplify the drydock credit process.

During the PVA Annual Convention in Long Beach, Calif., in February, the Coast Guard announced that it had standardized the drydock process to eliminate the loss of credit when drydock exams go longer than planned. In other words, when the vessel goes back in the water, and the inspection is complete, the credit is set to the end of that month.