Chapter 9: Class

The cost of preparing Speedy for ABS re-certification was rapidly overtaking Mr. Tyndall’s budget limit. Astute business man, he picked up a temporary partner with deep pockets. Speedy will be converted into a hybrid vessel, AHTS-DSV. After completion of a three year contract, Mr. Tynsall retains ownership of all the equipment and has a free agent status to market where he chooses.

My job just became much larger. Speedy and Mr. Tynsall have zero reputation in the dive boat field. I am responsible for building a great reputation for us. First, we have to cross an ocean, and before that, undergo some exacting inspections. Prior to the inspections, a major conversion and re-construction has to be completed. To complicate matters, just when I had the boss situation resolved, I acquired a posse of new bosses from the pipeline company. They did NOT agree Mrs. Tynsall has ultimate authority on expenditures. They do!

My adversary Phillip is a gossip, rumor monger, liar, slanderer, and benefactor. Benefactor? Yeah, he did me a favor though he intended me harm. Phillip was eaves dropping when he over heard Mr. Tysall suggest I might be unable to get along with anyone. Janice set him straight, but Phillip had already scurried away to spread rumors I was a scurvy elephant.

One of my early school teachers told my Mom I was a disruptive element and I overheard them talking, but I thought she said scurvy elephant. Phillip tells folks I am uncouth and abusive. To avoid me.

Mr Tynsall is not immune to Phillip’s influence and decided it’s best the pipeline executives not be subjected to my volatile and undiplomatic nature. All my requests go through Janice and she exclusively deals with the fellows who do the actual approving.

Phillip did me a great unintentional favor. My benefactor plotting behind my back.

One piece of equipment the suits can’t figure how or where to install is a sat system. Comprised of a large decompression chamber equipped for four divers to live in for weeks, while remaining at depth pressure, and a diving bell that connects on top. The bell transports the divers from their quarters to the bottom undersea work site and returns them again to their quarters at shift’s end. Their bodies remain saturated with the pressurized helium oxygen mixed gas all the time. They are only decompressed when the job finishes. That takes days.

Well, we have six condemned p-tanks. Holes have been torched in them so they will never again be used. They were used to transport dry bulk chemicals, like cement, barite, and gel, back in the days she serviced oil rigs. I order them removed along with the deck above them to ease the removal.

A great lakes ship breaker or scrapper sold us a hatch coaming, the hatch cover, and a hatch crane from a bulk freighter being cut up. Shipping this equipment to Houston by rail cost more than the sale price. New construction would cost many more. We now have a wide hatch behind the house. A crane on rails straddles the hatch, can lift and move the lid down the deck. It can also pick the diving bell up, move it aft to the slot, and then lower it to the sea bottom.