Customer visit last week

[matt1978]

Last Thursday I had to visit to do some product training. Nothing unusual about that, but what made it interesting was that the contractor who had purchased the machines was in the middle of a refit on a oil refinery ship.

It was docked up at Newcastle, and is undergoing a major refit, when it's all completed which should be by the end of the year, it will be placed off the coast of Edinburgh where it will remain for atleast the next 15 yrs. The sheer size of the vessel astounded me!

The boards you can see on the floor was supported by scaffolding. That particular part was inside the water ballast tanks and directly below the planks was a sheer 40 meter drop to the bottom of the boat

In the tank next door was a company who specialises in a type of abseiling, they was literally welding with the man hanging from ropes or laying in nets! They was also about 40 meters from the bottom with just a bit of cargo net for safety.

View attachment 45986

All flux cored wire, MicorMigs with 30 meter interconnection cables. This is a typical joint, horizontal and Vertical Butt welds.

The designers added so much kit above deck, they realised that they needed to strengthen the supporting beams underneath in order to cater for the newly increased weights

 

[Cyberprog]

Lunatics! Bet they get danger money!

 

[matt1978]

Everyone on the project is on what you'd term as decent money. It's still classed as working offshore, so they get offshore pay and conditions. Most of them was on 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. But they are also bound by the same offshore health and safety regs, on the spot drug and alcohol tests etc if you refuse the test it's instant dismissal

 

[Cyberprog]

Everyone on the project is on what you'd term as decent money. It's still classed as working offshore, so they get offshore pay and conditions. Most of them was on 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off. But they are also bound by the same offshore health and safety regs, on the spot drug and alcohol tests etc if you refuse the test it's instant dismissal

Aye, and when you're offshore for 2 weeks, I bet you bloody well need a drink too! Wouldn't be an issue for me as I rarely drink anyway though

 

[matt1978]

That's the thing though, although classed as offshore the ship is docked, they are nt literally offshore so the lads go back to their hotels/digs etc every night so the temptation for them must be hard.

 

[Parm]

I spend most of my working life off shore all round the world. There are some crazy mad contraptions out there and even bigger ones that build and move them !

 

[matt1978]

I'm in Aberdeen this week demo'ing and visiting at a lot of fab shops that all specialise in offshore work so it should be interesting.

 

[Rig Pig]

If anyone's interested I keep getting messages from the company doing the refit looking for platers & welders, not a lot of use to me as I'm a greasy old mec tec!

 

[500e]

We do radio systems for dock work & sea trials.
Used to think the kit we sold was expensive, then looked at other kit being used & realized is was less than the tea money in the scheme of things.
When you see these projects in real life they are BIG

Matt View attachment 45986
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[Wedg1e]

Looks like an FPSO? I've been on a couple of those and the Solitaire pipe-layer, IIRC thebiggest vessel that had ever been seen on the Tyne up to that point.

The 'abseiling' guys are rope-access technicians; a lot of NDT work is carried out that way.

If you want mind-boggling projects, how about a ship that can pick up and carry oil rigs... Allseas' Pieter Schelte:

http://www.allseas.com/uk/19/equipment/pieter-schelte.html

 

[Rig Pig]

The Rats weld as well!

 

[rory1]

Those abseilers prefer the name " dopes on ropes".........

 

[CRB]

Last Thursday I had to visit to do some product training. Nothing unusual about that, but what made it interesting was that the contractor who had purchased the machines was in the middle of a refit on a oil refinery ship.

It was docked up at Newcastle.....

....and you never called.....

During my days, years, as a modelmaker I was lucky enough to get on or very close to a number of vessels. ACLs Atlantic Conveyor, I am sure this is 'mine' and HMS Ark Royal which was much smaller than expected, among them. The Conveyor was indeed massive 292m long against the Ark Royal 210m