# Mysterious object being towed????



## mikey54th (May 1, 2006)

Can anyone tell me what the mysterious item is, being towed on 7th October 2006 off the coast of Portugal. Sorry the picture is not a close up. It looked to me like 3 ships, one on top of the other ???????????


----------



## Ian (Mar 27, 2004)

Hi Mikey how do you know its being towed?is it not a ferry?
Bobby.


----------



## mikey54th (May 1, 2006)

Hi Bobby,
There was a tug a little way in front and you could see a tow line, sorry the pic is so bad. The bottom was a familier ship profile, but with 2 more decks on top with exactly the same profile....very odd!


----------



## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Mikey
It is very similar to the accomodation barges we have here in the Caspian Sea.That would be my guess


----------



## timo (May 25, 2004)

Looks like a flat top barge loaded with some sort of pontoons, .......at a guess


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

If the pic is enlarged to edge of reason, it does
look like an accommodation barge ....
I had a sight of an unusual tow in Mount's Bay not long ago.
Tug and payload were some 3 and a half miles out, 
waiting out the winds.
Any ideas, please, as to what it was on the barge?


----------



## Thamesphil (Jul 22, 2005)

I would say that is a barge loaded with newbuilding hulls from China (or somewhere cheap) that are to be fitted out and completed in Europe.

A fairly typical phenomenom these days.


----------



## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

treeve said:


> If the pic is enlarged to edge of reason, it does
> look like an accommodation barge ....
> I had a sight of an unusual tow in Mount's Bay not long ago.
> Tug and payload were some 3 and a half miles out,
> ...


Treeve

Looks like a self unloading crane


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Thanks for that Gdynia -
another mystery solved and a new subject for me
to be following ..... Not that I haven't got about thirty others ongoing!!


----------



## R.Philip Griffin (Jan 16, 2006)

It looks like a Kiwi Love Boat. Used for carting sheep to the Middle East. But then the Piccy is a bit small. Grifmar


----------



## BarryM (Jan 19, 2006)

*Treeve's Tow*



treeve said:


> If the pic is enlarged to edge of reason, it does
> look like an accommodation barge ....
> I had a sight of an unusual tow in Mount's Bay not long ago.
> Tug and payload were some 3 and a half miles out,
> ...


The Mount's Bay tow reminds me of a floating workshop equipped with a large ringer crane that used to operate from Invergordon. Could be same/similar?

BarryM


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Hi BarryM - I was also curious, the more I looked at it,
there seems to be a large hopper at the rear with some kind
of mast/aerial/lights array at the back. I am still trying to
assess it's geometry. I am not familiar with either the self
unloading or ringer crane. There have been two other objects
towed into Mount's Bay of late, neither of which is clear as
to what purpose it has.


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

*srange and interesting plant*

I thought I may as well post the other two pictures....
Any suggestions, please? I doubt it is the Audrey2.


----------



## gdynia (Nov 3, 2005)

Treeve
Your first photo is a pontoon barge with two spud poles. Once the barge is in position instead of the more traditional mooring up the spud poles are lowered into seabed and held in position. We use them all the time here in Caspian Sea. I would say your second photo is a loaded cargo barge


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Thanks for that, Gdynia,
without that, I get left with a sensation of
the sound of Rolf Harris, saying,
"can you tell what it is yet, hh, hh, hh"


----------



## sandman (Jun 11, 2005)

I have seen a photo similar to this,and it was a barge with 6 big Barges built in china bound for holland for fitting out for dutch owners,and this photo looks like it has 8 barges on?


----------



## Bob S (Jul 12, 2004)

mikey54th said:


> Can anyone tell me what the mysterious item is, being towed on 7th October 2006 off the coast of Portugal. Sorry the picture is not a close up. It looked to me like 3 ships, one on top of the other ???????????


Check out this photo of the tug & barge Salvage Champion with Sainty 3 on

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=302172

arriving in Holland a few days later.

Bob


----------



## Santos (Mar 16, 2005)

Bob S said:


> Check out this photo of the tug & barge Salvage Champion with Sainty 3 on
> 
> http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=302172
> 
> ...


*BINGO* Bob spot on by the looks of it. Well spotted.

Chris


----------



## sandman (Jun 11, 2005)

treeve said:


> I thought I may as well post the other two pictures....
> Any suggestions, please? I doubt it is the Audrey2.


The barge on the left and work boat is the Datchet and the barge is the severn seas,on its way from the IOW to bideford they are owned locally (Thumb) (Thumb)


----------



## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Thanks for your help, I often see these "odds and ends"
in the Bay, I knew the one on the right was towed by the Charlotte W,
but that is where it ended. 
All the Best


----------

