Millport Mashing Drill Ship Risks Crushing Clyde Resort

[Deleted member 36384]

Ship adrift in high winds sparks rescue operation
WATCH: Drill ship drifts from Hunterston towards Cumbrae sparking emergency response
Google Maps
https://s23.q4cdn.com/956522167/files/doc_rigspecs/drillships/VALARIS-DS-4.pdf


For those who are interested the Valris DS4 Drill Ship broke free from it's moorings alongside the old Hunterston coal quay. The quay was built about 50 years ago to unload coal from bulk carriers for onward transport to Ravenscraig Steel Mill (long closed, demolished, removed, grassed over and now has houses built on the site). The quay is in deepwater but a narrow channel, between Great Cumbrae and the mainland with Largs Marina at one end and Hunterston Nuclear Power station cooling water intake at the other (not likely threatened as it is in shallower water). All praise to the 8 crew members on this stacked (laid up) rig, who dropped the anchors and arrested the drift of the vessel. The quay was rejected for Cruise Ship berthing but now has two huge drill ships tied to it.

I visited a large semi submersible in Norway and a gale came up when along side. The master used the thrusters to push onto the quay because the bollard permitted loading was less than the windage loading on the vessel. The master had a plan that the harbour authority required for that size of vessel. The DS4 has thrusters but will not be running all engines to save fuel and may not have had the available crew to power up the 11kV boards to run the thrusters.

Disaster averted. I wonder if the bollards pulled out on the old quay, or if the lines broke. Either way, Valaris are near bankrupt and this won't help.

 

[JumbleDuck]

For those who are interested the Valris DS4 Drill Ship broke free from it's moorings alongside the old Hunterston coal quay. The quay was built about 50 years ago to unload coal from bulk carriers for onward transport to Ravenscraig Steel Mill ...

Point of information: The original plan was to land iron ore at Hunterston; the coal would be supplied locally. Then Ravenscraig closed, the Scottish col industry (was) collapsed and the facility was repurposed to transfer coal from ships to merry-go-round trains feeding mainly the power stations of Yorkshire.

 

[wully1]

Point of information. Ravenscraig was the most profitable steel plant in the UK supplying sheet steel to BMW amongst others.
It did not fail, it was closed and the Concast plant sold to China as it was politically more expedient to close plant in Scotland instead of England or Wales. (Thatcher and Kinnock had votes to loose down south)

 

[john0740]

The easterly gales were forecast. Seems odd to me that there were not more robust plans in place to reduce the likelihood of coming off the quay and to deal with the eventuality of doing so. The ship still on the quay looks to have four tugs pushing it on. The one anchored now has two tugs in attendance. I wonder how much this is costing the ship owners? Would be interested to read comments from the big ship operators on the forum.

Also, continuous lifeboat cover now on site for 24 hours, local GC teams out and the helicopter was buzzing around last night. This must be keeping the CG very busy!

 

[Bilgediver]

Ship adrift in high winds sparks rescue operation
WATCH: Drill ship drifts from Hunterston towards Cumbrae sparking emergency response
Google Maps
https://s23.q4cdn.com/956522167/files/doc_rigspecs/drillships/VALARIS-DS-4.pdf


For those who are interested the Valris DS4 Drill Ship broke free from it's moorings alongside the old Hunterston coal quay. The quay was built about 50 years ago to unload coal from bulk carriers for onward transport to Ravenscraig Steel Mill (long closed, demolished, removed, grassed over and now has houses built on the site). The quay is in deepwater but a narrow channel, between Great Cumbrae and the mainland with Largs Marina at one end and Hunterston Nuclear Power station cooling water intake at the other (not likely threatened as it is in shallower water). All praise to the 8 crew members on this stacked (laid up) rig, who dropped the anchors and arrested the drift of the vessel. The quay was rejected for Cruise Ship berthing but now has two huge drill ships tied to it.

I visited a large semi submersible in Norway and a gale came up when along side. The master used the thrusters to push onto the quay because the bollard permitted loading was less than the windage loading on the vessel. The master had a plan that the harbour authority required for that size of vessel. The DS4 has thrusters but will not be running all engines to save fuel and may not have had the available crew to power up the 11kV boards to run the thrusters.

Disaster averted. I wonder if the bollards pulled out on the old quay, or if the lines broke. Either way, Valaris are near bankrupt and this won't help.

Here is a bit more in Offshore Engineer.



Valaris Drillship Goes Adrift off Scotland

 

[JumbleDuck]

Point of information. Ravenscraig was the most profitable steel plant in the UK supplying sheet steel to BMW amongst others.
It did not fail, it was closed and the Concast plant sold to China as it was politically more expedient to close plant in Scotland instead of England or Wales. (Thatcher and Kinnock had votes to loose down south)

Noted. Thanks.

 

[steve yates]

Point of information. Ravenscraig was one of 3 steel plants in the UK. The UK had what it considered over capacity at the time. One of the plants was earmarked to close. The one they selected was Ravenscraig, the most productive steel plant in Europe.

But I'm glad Millport wasn't flattened by the drilling vessel

 

[dimdav]

(Thatcher and Kinnock had votes to loose down south)

Not quite, plant closed in 1992 fully 2 years after Thatcher had been ousted but yes I'd agree votes had a lot to do with it.

 

[ProMariner]

Now Clydeport is based in Liverpool, they've lost all their local knowledge, like what a Largs Channel Easterly can do.

The lifeboat, helo, CG teams, police, ambulance, fire brigade, SEPA, Marine Scotland, Royal Navy and Weightwatchers all turned up mob handed to this, guessing many just wanted an excuse to get out of the house.

Hopefully they'll get her back alongside without any more drama.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Point of information. Ravenscraig was one of 3 steel plants in the UK.

That seems very low, but I presume it's because a lot of other had closed first. What else was left by then - Redcar and somewhere in south Wales?

 

[Martin&Rene]

You can see them in the background on the Largs Yacht Haven Webcams. It seems the one that moved is still in mid channel.