Chapter 6: Get Underway

Mr Tynsall, I have researched as thoroughly as possible the legality of installing a notch in the stern of Speedy without first seeking pre-approval of plans by the ABS and the Coast Guard. Only regulations for certificated vessels or seeking certification were found. An un-inspected tug is uncertified and I can’t imagine how certified regulations could apply. The next paragraph defines major modification and again I don’t see a regulation applying. Also most of the regulations apply to vessels five hundred gross tons or more and don’t apply to Speedy at less than two hundred tons.

“MAJOR CONVERSION or MODIFICATION: Major conversions or modifications include jumboizing, lengthening, and modifying for a change in service. Re-powering may be deemed a major conversion if the intent is to extend the economic life of the vessel. Other re-engining modifications may not be deemed a major conversion if the economic savings of the conversion would be realized during the vessel’s normal life. In general, conversions of steam plants to diesel propulsion for fuel efficiency reasons on vessels in good condition have not been classed as major conversions.”

A notch does not appear to be classed as a major modification.

You said “Speedy” after arriving in Africa will stay overseas, never returning to the US waters. I don’t foresee a problem in creating a notch. We aren’t applying for certification or a class.

That is the letter I wrote and personally handed to Mr. Tynsall, and he passed it on to his naval architect who is designing the construction drawings. Approval can take years to achieve. Either we do it without approval or not at all. We are doing it. It’s a go for modification without first submitting plans for approval.

It’s a simple notch anyway. We only lose a little ballast water capacity. In normal operation, wraparounds are pressed full to help keep the stern down and the rudders completely immersed.

Finally blueprints arrive. We can begin making the modifications.

A towing winch will be reinstalled on the existing winch base close behind Speedy’s house, as soon as we locate a suitable on. The wire will spool off the bottom, low on deck. The wire will pass between the pushboat towknees when the pushboat is secured in the notch. A carpenter stopper and bridles just forward of the notch, limits the wire’s range for sweeping from side to side across the stern.

Major modification is planned for the push tug itself. The lower cabin will be sacrificed to accommodate the tow wire’s passing through. The new pushboat house will resemble a scaled down car ferry. The wheelhouse and former sleeping cabin behind it sit on top of four hollow columns at the corners. The aft two columns house exhaust pipes and blower intakes. A breezeway comprised of only the cabin sides connects the columns, and is totally open for free passage fore and aft. The tow wire can pass unobstructed through the former galley space. Engine-room access will be via laddered escape trunks with raised coaming hatches located on the wheelhouse level. These trunks will be integral with the towknees and watertight doors at the sides on the maindeck level, can be opened in calm waters. The wheelhouse will be enlarged encroaching into the former sleeping quarters behind the wheel house and will have settees to stretch out on, a table between, and a coffee bar. The aft end of the old sleeping quarters will be fitted as a head (toilet room). Plumbing runs inside a shared exhaust trunk. Looks pretty smart.

Tiger is devising a plugin connection cable to carry signals from Speedy’s bridge. A remote control of the push tug’s engines and rudders.

The sales contract stipulated repairs to the river barge are complete except for final painting. I have blueprints for modifications to the river barge as well. This work is paid for by Mr. Tynsall on a cost and material basis. Before the barge is painted and flipped right side up, skegs are to be added to the barge’s forward rake, exact copies of the existing skegs on the aft rake.

Once the barge has been turned right side up again and properly sitting on its bottom, pushknees are to be added on deck fore and aft, as extensions of the bottom skegs at both ends.

A lift boat has been purchased in Texas and is being refurbished and modified. It is being fitted fore and aft with towknees that will match up to the barge pushknees. And other improvements. It’s Tiger’s old boat. Mr Tynsall bought the captain with his boat. When we arrive in Africa, Tiger will resume command of the liftboat. Tiger is a little upset his boat is being modified without his supervision. Mr Tynsall flies Tiger back to Houston to oversee that project.

We retire Tiger’s hotel room when he checks out, but Warren and I keep our separate rooms. We are not sharing. Warren has a steady stream of women passing through his room. Typical sailor.

On the side of precaution, we Butterworthed the pushboat’s tanks. Best to start clean all around. Before he left, I recommended to Tiger he do the same with the liftboat tanks. Tiger laughed, assured me he knows what he is doing and tank cleaning is already in the schedule.

Warren and I have a bit of a heated discussion over whether the pushboat should carry bunkers or not. I say not. Even though the pushboat is well protected in the notch, I want her riding as high as possible. Warren doesn’t want to have to constantly transfer fuel to the pushboat’s daytank at sea. He prefers her already loaded with fuel in her own tanks, to transfer pump to the daytanks. My arguments against that are several. First, the pushboat can’t carry enough fuel to cross the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and the Atlantic. Even if we used her tanks, we would have to refuel her. Another aspect is the pushboat will be lashed in the notch with steamboat ratchets and river tow barge rigging wires. Just as Mississippi river tows are lashed together. A constantly changing draft on the pushtug as she consumes bunkers, will overstress the lashings and eventually break them. Warren counters, how about our own changing draft as we consume bunkers? We can compensate by ballasting. Warren shakes his head in frustration.