Walk-a-bout at work with a camera. No more off shore for me.

[DaveR]

Now the good stuff.
Engine room.
There are 7 engines down there, different sizes.
Here is are 2 of the biggest, this end of the engine is the generator.


Now the other end.


The engine on the right is slightly smaller.


Now standing on the deck above, looking through the removeable grating, is a turbo from 1 of the large engines, with my size 12 boot for measure.

[oldmate]

Mmm is that a boot or a shoe?? Lol

[DaveR]

Mmm is that a boot or a shoe?? Lol

Took a while, but I get it now, good for a laugh on the oher thread.
Umm, well, i took my "Deck Shoes" off and dressed more manly for this pic...

[oldmate]

Lol

[DaveR]

Here we go folks, some great pics coming now.
I have failed to get good pics here on this project. 

But good news is I have a good collection for other projects in the past, so here we go.
The first pic shows a diver and above him are the 2 x diving bells are depth.





Here a diver is standing on some concrete matresses, which they are currentlly laying on the sea bed as I type.



Now the 3 divers are posing for the photo. The 3rd guy would normally not be in the water, he is the bellman but does act as the recovery diver should something go wrong.



I know the following pics look fake, but these are real I can assure you, I am not that clever with computers. 
They are take from when I was on a job in Trinidad about 4 years ago.


What you see here is a gas pipe lying on the sea bed, the task was to alter the set up.
The divers had to raise the pipe up of the sea bed, this is done with left bags, the balloon looking things, they are just filled with air and lift what they are attached to. Behind the lift bags is a temporary cradle with hydraulic lifting hoists in it, such as engine removing equipment in a truck repair place.


This next pic below shows the flange they are working on, the divers had to align the 2 pipes to ensure the flanges align perfectly prior to bolting it closed.
To the left of them is the tool basket which is lowered to the sea bed.




Here is a parts of the hydraulics for the lifting frame. The frame has a large fott print so it wont sink into the sea bed when the weight is on it from the pipe.


Now for the local Barracuda which did laps of the Bells the whole 3 months of the project.

[callmejoe]

What.
No shark sneaking up behind the drivers.
I thought it was a must.
salt water, sand = shark. Driver tasty treat

but really great pic's

[DaveR]

It took a few goes to get the above pics done, internet keeps dropping out.     

[DaveR]

Some times, the divers must sit around waiting for things to happen.

[DaveR]

Now for some rough seas.
Here is a different vessel I worked on for a few years.


Now here is the view from the bridge windows when we were "Punching into it" to get to Aberdeen harbour in time before it was closed due to bad weather and many of us missed our crew change day. The day to go home......
Guess why I was up the bridge 
Yep, making sure there were no messing about on the throttle I was, soon found the captain was due off to.
We made it, many folk were not happy about it either..

[SteveandViv]

Now for some rough seas.
Here is a different vessel I worked on for a few years.


Now here is the view from the bridge windows when we were "Punching into it" to get to Aberdeen harbour in time before it was closed due to bad weather and many of us missed our crew change day. The day to go home......
Guess why I was up the bridge 
Yep, making sure there were no messing about on the throttle I was, soon found the captain was due off to.
We made it, many folk were not happy about it either..

How come they weren't happy?

[DaveR]

They didn't crew change, but suffered several hours of terrible conditions so some of us could get off and go home.
Normally, the vessel would just find a comfy place and sit it out till the weather passes.

[Hairs]

G'day Dave,
Thanks for posting that, I enjoyed that heaps, so did the young fella.

[Beatle]

Yeah, very cool Dave.  Thanks for the insight into something that happens every day but which most of us never get to see or understand.

I guess being a diver is not a job for anyone with a short fuse     Everything would happen in slow motion.   26 days on the job at 'depth' takes a special person.  Not like you can say you've had a gutful, drop tools, and walk away.

[Terry W4]

Dave - very impressive but just feel that money good - but I bet you love getting back here and strapping on your 4WD!!

[knoath]

Gee, some people have boring jobs.... oh wait, that's me!!! 

[steptoey]

This reminds me of that movie when a mining crew went to the astroid to blow it up, these divers would make great astronauts. Dave this is a top 10 post which I enjoyed alot, im always love watching the shows on mega ships. I have a couple of trades and nearly scored a gig on an oil rig years ago,yell out if you are ever looking for someone.

[aussiex]

Looks really interesting.
Beats the ship I was last on, was glad to see it blown up

[GU_Thomo]

Dave that is beyond amazing.
Thanks for posting that, fascinating and enjoyable.

Cheers
Parry

[DaveR]

Looks really interesting.
Beats the ship I was last on, was glad to see it blown up

Would have been interesting to watch that at least, hope you got to do so.

[aussiex]

Unfortunately we weren't even told.
A lot of the crew would have loved to see it & were still serving in WA.
Was fun pulling it apart with axes & sledge hammers, getting it ready to be sunk
It even made it to a movie -
The torpedo hitting Torrens was used in the 2001 film Pearl Harbor as part of a black-and-white 'newsreel' montage.
Only found that out recently
If you want to see the video - search for "HMAS Torrens sinking"

[Beatle]

Dave, in the Trinidad photos I assume they are in wetsuits (as opposed to dry suits)?   I realise the Caribbean water is warm but I would think they could still suffer heat loss working in water for hours at a time?

I bet the North Sea divers don't go exposing themselves underwater, regardless of how hairy-chested they are   

[DaveR]

Dave, in the Trinidad photos I assume they are in wetsuits (as opposed to dry suits)?   I realise the Caribbean water is warm but I would think they could still suffer heat loss working in water for hours at a time?

The suits are a neopreme type material, without the shrink fit, more like lose fitting overalls. Under the suit they wear a variety of things, each guy has something different, but it all has a name of "Wooly Bear".
The suit material is strenghtened and has a capiliary system in it for the hot water to circulate.
We pump hot water to the divers for several purposes, these are:
1. To keep the gas from freezing in the Bell Umbilical
2. Keep the bell and divers insdie warm
3. keep the divers warm
The temperature is set by what the inwater divers ask for and the adjustments are made top side at a controller.

I bet the North Sea divers don't go exposing themselves underwater, regardless of how hairy-chested they are   

That pic was in the nth sea, up past the shetland islands actually. They wern't uncovered for long.

[Terry W4]

That pic was in the nth sea, up past the shetland islands actually. They wern't uncovered for long.

Lot of sunken ships up there - my dad was based at Scapa Flow 1940 with RN on a cruiser - when Battle of Norway started.

[DaveR]

Well folks
I am glad you have enjoyed this.
I don't have anything else of interest to add for now, 1 and half shifts to go then I head of to Singapore for a week prior to going home.
Then I shall tinker with the CT, and get ready for a trip to Straddie....... I hope 

[achjimmy]

Well folks
I am glad you have enjoyed this.
I don't have anything else of interest to add for now, 1 and half shifts to go then I head of to Singapore for a week prior to going home.
Then I shall tinker with the CT, and get ready for a trip to Straddie....... I hope 

Thanks Dave, was amazing. Safe travels home, and hope you enjoy the r & r. Look forward to a beer with you some time whilst camping.

Cheers.