Black Sea 2007, Day 8
The vehicles are back on deck, and it’s a miracle they made it. As I said yesterday, the crew of the Alliance handles the vehicles during launch and recovery. The recovery started at 4 am. The vehicles didn’t get on deck until 7:30 am. There are scuffs, cuts, and damage to the vehicles, tether, and the safety lines.
When the crew of the Alliance brought Argus on deck, the first time, they pulled the safety line in (which is connected to Hercules). They pulled the safety line in and started pulling Hercules in, then the boat took a hard turn to port and Hercules started moving to the opposite side of the Alliance. When the line tender started losing his grip on the safety line, he let go. The safety line got sucked into the rear thruster of Hercules.
Now, it’s dark out, they have no safety line, and most of the crew are asleep. So, the crew unsecured Argus and lowered it back down into the water. Once it got light out they tried again. Getting Argus back on deck is easy, it’s attached by the winch wire. Hercules doesn’t have a safety line to pull it in, so what would any sane person do? How about get in a little chase boat and snag it with another safety line attached to a hook. Did I mention it’s rocking and rolling on the Mediterranean?
The good news about the whole ordeal was that I wasn’t in the little boat. Jim Newman, who has been working with Dr. Ballard from almost the beginning, got the honor. The only way the driver of the chase boat could get Jim close enough to hook Hercules he actually drove OVER Hercules. That was bad! Then the crew on the Alliance pulled in on the new safety line and got Hercules on deck. I’m sure there were a couple of people who’s heart stopped on the vehicle was secured on deck.
The worst part about the recovery was getting the chase boat back on board deck. It seems one of the line tenders from the Alliance didn’t catch the stern line on the chase boat. The chase boat swung out, slammed into the side of the Alliance, all while at a 45 degree angle. Oops! Thank goodness Jim got back on deck safely.
posted by DaveandBrian @ 5:02 AM
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