# anchor handling



## dtoet

In 2006, on the Bourbon Orca a new way of anchor-handling was introduced, on the Ulstein Verft webside there was a animation video-clip you could see how they did it.But i have never seen real footage of it, or could this method work in rough seas.any one a idea?


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## Blackal

Do you mean - anchorhandling with little if no manual handling (by deck crew)?

If so - I believe such a system is in (partial) operation on the Siem Pearl ? I have no real details of that other than to have read the advert and took a photo of the vessel.

Al (Thumb)


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## dtoet

Hello Al, i am not sure if it is the same sistem, but it seams to work with to kind of cranes that can pick up the buoi with a wire rope and the wire pulls up the the buio and later pulls up the ancher.you can find this on www.bourbon-online.com. i can not find how anchorhandling seems to work on the siem pearl. greetings, dick toet.


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## timo

The Bourbon Orca has a cranes running along both crash barriers that when jibbed out facing aft can drop a wire lasso over an anchor buoy, saves two guys standing on the stern roller swinging wires and maybe getting washed up the deck in bad weather, the anchor is'nt decked in the normal way, instead of a large stern roller there is a ramp, when the anchor is lifted off the sea bed, heaved up on to the ramp, the ramp is then lifted and becomes level with the deck, like an extension of the after deck, the anchor is now decked, saves any anchors doing 'backflips' or sliding around the stern, as far as I know with the Siem boat it has a large travelling gantry that can lift and move the anchors around the deck. All these new ideas are to make the job safer and easier, some body still has to be out on the deck to hammer shackles tight and put split pins in tho'.........it'll be a long time before a replacement will be developed to cover that me thinks!!


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## Eltel

Still need 2 guys to drive the cranes and someone to hook on etc. Break out the case of spare men in the foc'sle! Presumably there there are also Karm Forks, Triplex jaw etc. and the associated work. Do the cranes stay connected while the buoy is heaved up on the lassoe so as to get the pig tail in the jaw? How about the guy with the boat hook to help the lassoe over the crucifix!!! Sounds a good theory, does it work in practice?


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## Blackal

Timo and Eltel - you both sound rather sceptical? Or are you just uncomfortable with progress?

You should realise one thing - any safety improvements in anchor-handling will come from the Norwegians. 

Al


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## timo

Eltel, the cranes are jibbed out far enough to drop the lasso straight over the anchor buoy, whilst working on a BP charter in Egypt we were working with the Olympic Octopus, she had the two cranes running along the top of the crash barriers these cranes also had fittings on the end like claws, one crane holds the shackle, the other crane slips the shackle pin in, the AB just has fix the nut and split pin in, this boat also had hydraulic wire guides in the deck,steel guides rise up and push the wire into the forks/tow pins,no going on deck and using tuggers to pull wires over, all this was done with two guys on deck, not the usual three. Blackal I'm not uncomfortable with progress, maybe a little cynical tho' any ideas to make the job safer have got to be a positive thing, and yes, I agree, all safety ideas will come from Norwegians, wont be us Brits as there's hardly any Brit crewed AHTS left, two or three Maersk boats, three gulf boats and one Farstad boat, I think thats about it, I'd love to be proved wrong on that tho.


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## Onzie

Timo, the UOS Atlantis has some Brit crew on deck which you must have seen in Abu Qir? Also seen an old Bosun of mine in Aberdeen today, whilst the only AH up top dock was the UOS Columbus. So i presume he's on that one.

I believe the Octopus was the most 'advanced' AH in the world at her time of launch, which included 'rim-drive' thrusters.


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## timo

I never saw the UOS Atlantis in Abu Qir, not sure if she took over the charter of the AHTS I was on, I think they have Brit bosuns on deck and Indonisian AB's, not !00% sure on that tho', and yes, the Octopus was advertised as being the 'most advanced AHTS in the world' at the time of her launch, had a look around in Abu Qir, lots of labour saving idea's on her and built with safety in mind, as for the thrusters I'm not sure, all tho when she came along side us the only indication that the thrusters were on was the wash around the bow, nice and quiet, thats got to be a good thing!


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## tugboat

*Flippin' 'eck*

It will save the company money as the won't have to issue gloves and overalls any more. Mind you, they'll have to issue nail varnish to the girlies driving the cranes. It's probably all happening because of the Equal Opportunities crowd. Bring back the rufty-tufties, I say. Used to be a job for MEN!(LOL)


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## dowling

Iactually prefer the manicure we get after a rig move,makes your hands nice and soft before getting 'stung' for the price of a beer in Norway,but it makes the glass a lot slippier and there is no Emergency Stop before dropping the glass,crane controls are easier to work that way.


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## Onzie

Aye, and i bet you don't 'go on and stay on' either?
With 8 of a crew on the 704's, i remember getting cat-naps on deck in between anchors, and the cook taking the dinner out to us!
Still, i don't miss it now.


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