[Ted Davisson]

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Just a few more things that you don't see on the river every day ! In the shots below is the M/V Swan , a submersible class of ship that makes numerous visits to the Mississippi River and New Orleans .
What makes this particular submersible is its ability to lower itself well below the surface of the water in order to load any manner of marine vessel and when loaded it simply pumps out the water from its holding tanks , returns to its original position above the surface of the water and then transports its cargo to all corners of the marine world !
In the shots below is the M/V Swan in route to South America with two river boats and literally an entire fleet of river barges !
The M/V Swan and the M/V Swift have made numerous trips to this particular Gulf Coast port and the question that in my mind that begs to be answered is simply what is going on in South America for some one or for that matter some corporation to be purchasing all these river boats and dry cargo barges ?
Furthermore , it is my understanding that South America will be this countries next grain competitor and these marine vessels will play a vital role in getting the harvested grain to the respective sea ports of South America !
Literally food for thought !
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

Originally Posted by Ted Davisson

Greetings From New Orleans ,
Over the last two days I have witnessed two things on the river that over the last thirty-six years of working on the river I have not witnessed !
The first thing that I witnessed was two days ago when I was on a ballasted ( empty ) tanker at the Valero refinery located in Good Hope , Louisiana , river mile 125 ahp , LMR . I was walking out to the dock on the cat walk and was enjoying a typical glorious Louisiana fall day when some thing on the shore line caught my eye ! I first thought that is was simply a log or some drift wood until it started moving ! Then upon close inspection I soon realized that this was no simple drift wood or beached log but in fact it was a full size and mature alligator that was sunning himself and was also enjoying this fall day as well ! Over the years of working the river I have been questioned my many if there were alligators on the river and having never seen one , I would answer that I did not believe that they inhabited the river but as a wise man once said , " You learn something new everyday " ! Go figure !
Then just yesterday , I was on board a north bound loaded Chinese bulk carrier bound for the Mile 180 buoy system and during the course of the trip I made radio contact with a south bound river tow boat , the M/V Frank Raider . He was south bound above Philadelphia Point and I was north bound below Eighty-one Mile Point . The skipper on the Frank Raider and I agreed to meet and pass above Eighty-one Mile Point on the " One Whistle " ( port to port ) side and I just assumed that he was pushing anything from a moderate to heavy tow and he was running slow as to allow me to get above Eighty-one Mile Point before we met . Well , needless to say that I was a bit surprised when the Frank Raider and I first made visual contact with one another , due to what he was actually pushing and had in tow !
Now having said that , it is not that unusual to see one tow boat pushing another tow boat , but in my life and times on the river I have never seen one tow boat pushing more than just one other tow boat , but in this case the Frank Raider had in tow with him a total of three other tow boats and no barges ! Go Figure ! I made radio contact with the Frank Raider once again and we both went to another channel and I quizzed him about this rather unusual tow and its configuration !
The skipper on the Frank Raider told me that for him too this was very unusual and that this event was all by happen chance and that he picked up these other two tow boats on the fly and that he was headed down to Bayou Fleet to drop this rather unusual tow of his !
Now what are the chances of witnessing these two rather bizarre events and sightings in the same number of days after going over thirty-six years of seeing nothing like or similar to them ?? I guess it just goes to show you that there is always something interesting to see on the river !
Just another day at the office ??
Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141