Page 20: of Marine News Magazine (September 2013)

The statement made by the great chronicler and river pilot himself over 130 years ago is arguably as true today as it was then. But what has changed dramatically in the six score and 10 years since is the variety and complexity of the daily challenges that river pilots confront in our modern world. The sophistication of locks, dams and the proliferation of bridges, the mercurial ? uctuations in water levels and the consequences to those who fail to factor in all of the above when planning their commercial river trips can be career killers. Even in Twains day, one key concern of any experienced river pilot was the depth, width and height of his own vessel and, as importantly, what his vessel was pushing or pulling. While those measurements were a constant for his vessel, the variances of the sizes of that days job were un- predictable. And, while water levels change and navigable channels widen and narrow, bridge heights dont. Its up to the pilot to make adjustments to his calculations and safety margins according to that days river conditions. If that isnt done, the consequential bridge allision could be the beginning of a very long and dif? cult battle to defend a pilots license, career on the river and professional repu- tation. The case highlighted herein is not at all unusual in the set of facts, and sadly in its outcome as well. A CASE IN POINTIn late fall of 2011, our pilot was serving on board a towboat on a Midwest river and towing a 50 x 50 ? exi- ? oat spud barge astern. On board the barge were two ob- servers and a deckhand. The towboat captain had towed ? exi? oat barges previously, but it was his ? rst time towing this speci? c ? exi? oat spud barge. The trouble began when he eye-balled that the spud height above the water was 35 feet. Unfortunately, he did not directly measure the spud height, inquire about the exact height or go on board the barge to check the height himself. What made matters worse, was the fact that these particular spuds could be positioned either all the way up or all the way down. The captain commenced what was planned to be a four-mile transit route requiring passage under a vertical lift railroad bridge. The bridge, which has a vertical clear- ance of 35 when down and 135 when raised, was manned 24/7, and the operator could raise it partially or complete- INSURANCECOLUMNBridging the Trip Preparation Gap Precision Is Imperative. By Randy ONeill?Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the riv- er, and the pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings.? ? Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi (1883) September 201320 MNMN Sept2013 Layout 18-31.indd 208/30/2013 12:59:56 PM