Have you seen in the movies the Christening of a new boat or ship?
It's usually a pretty big deal.
I attended the Christening of a tug boat many years ago
and it was a big deal.
Our company bought an old beat up tug boat from Florida,
and we towed it up to our dock near Philadelphia, Pa.
After putting her in a shipyard for about 5 months for a makeover
a Christening date was set.
On that day there were approximately 50 people in attendance,
company managers, secretaries, mechanics and crew.
The wife of one of the managers had the honor of breaking a bottle of champagne on the bow.
"I christen thee "The Yabucoa Sun."
The bottle breaks, cheering erupts, a speech is made and then
everyone goes about their business.
Today, I was once again in attendance for a maiden voyage.
It was the first dip in the water for our new rescue boat
that was delivered to our tug via crane yesterday.
Lets just say there was very little fan fare.
Here is our new Coast Guard approved rescue boat.
It replaces our old rescue boat that was deemed not Coast Guard approved any longer.
I know.....don't get me started.
Much to my dismay
she was not christened .
I thought it would be appropriate to break one of those
little liquor bottles they serve on the plane
over the bow.
Our Captain did not share my celebratory outlook.
This particular boat is a requirement on this tug
by the Coast Guard.
We are a SOLAS class tugboat.
Not all tugs are.
SOLAS stands for Safety of Life at Sea.
To be classed this way you have to follow a plethora of safety regulations
and have equipment on board that is not the norm for a tug.
We need safety backup after backup.
One of those items is a Coast Guard approved rescue boat.
The idea being
we are capable now, of going after and rescuing someone at sea.
What this boat will actually be used for
is to pick up groceries.
As you can see from the photo below....
...we either need a bigger boat
or smaller deckhands.
The gentleman below who is smiling...
....is the Captain and he's smiling because he heard they bought donuts at the store.
Stan, pictured below, went shopping also.
He's a tankerman who lives and works on the barge we pull around.
So, that was part of my Sunday.
Hope yours was a good one.
6 comments:
Rescue boats that can deliver groceries... That's a very good thing. I have an old chevrolet that does both of those things, and that's a good thing. Actually, the rescue missions are more often escapes (from work) rather than forays... My wife has a better car, and I'm thinking I need the Coast Guard or some organization to declare that my old rescue rig needs to be retired. I'll work on it.
Very cool way of moving groceries ! Have a good day
Cool boat!! And I loved the photo of your two shipmates grinning from ear to ear! Donuts Huh??? I would be smiling too!!
Hugs
SueAnn
LOL! Yea - you're gonna need a bigger boat! LOL! Interesting...and funny!
I hope they bought some good stuff for meals. Who's cooking these days? I think it's a nice boat and it should've had some type of christening or other recognition. No fun, Captain!
Wow! This is absolutely awesome! So cool indeed! Thanks for sharing this!
-KuchiesTreasures.com
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