Docking at an Oil Platform in Long Island Sound 

I was thinking about what happens if a person goes overboard and your rescue procedures right before you launched into your "rant." Timely and informative. Perfect discussion.

I was born and raised in Minnesota, and now live in Alaska. It doesn't matter if it's salt water or fresh water. You respect the water, because it does not respect you. Great video! It was nice to see something different. CUOTO

When you're moving hundreds and thousands of tons around and men are required to place themselves in positions of danger, you can't be too safety conscious. Never apologize for ranting about it. We want to see you and the rest of the people that work these jobs around for a long time.

Not sure you can have too much emphasis on safety when your life is on the line! I can't imagine the anguish of seeing one of your crew going overboard. Stay safe and warm!

I actually had the unfortunate experience of seeing one of our Polish sailors going over the side as he was putting out the gangway platform by himself at a berth in the River Thames. Quick shout of "Man overboard!!!" on the VHF radio and I raced down to the main deck to the spot where he had gone over. We had berthed on a strong flood tide, starboard side to, so I wasn't expecting to see him come up (if he did) where he went over. No chance of getting further aft beause of our dredge gear. Well very much to my surprise he did pop up where he went over. I nearly didn't grab him as I was amazed to see him still wearing his glasses and smiling. Managed to grab the collar of his work jacket holding onto him till the rest of the crew arrived and we him out of the water. Seems to be a bit of a family tradition, not one I really want, as my father saved the life of a Norwegian captain during WWII. Anyway another interesting video and different aspect of your job Tim. See you Red - Red. 👍

Captain, I don't think that's a rant, I think it shows how much you respect your crew and the sea.

I attended more than a few ice hammering parties on deck to prevent us from being top heavy in the eighties. A no-bounce sledgehammer is great for busting ice on railings and decks without causing damage or chipping paint. CUOTO

Tim, you are so very correct about going overboard in the winter. I know personally how it feels to hit that cold water in winter. I was working on a small oyster boat, just outside Bridgeport CT, when I went overboard. The haul-line of the oyster dredge was freezing up, and the ice cause it to jump out of the winch, just as I grabbed the dredge to swing it aboard. I don't remember the year, but I remember it was a Saturday just before Christmas. I fell in right shoulder first, and immediately was pulled back aboard by my father. It was literally seconds that I was in the water, just long enough to soak my clothes under my rain gear, fill my boots, but NOT get the contents of my wallet wet, except to corner of 2 pictures. Even in that short time, I could not breathe, and I was shaking violently. My father, always prepared, handed me a thick wool sweater, and told me to strip off the wet shirts. Then joked about making a few more tows, before going in, because we "Need gas money", as we were heading for the dock. The water is a very dangerous place in the winter. I love your videos, on both channels. Stay Safe!! CUOTO

I used to work at a plant just south of the tanks that that platform feeds. If the battery in a GoPro became compromised the heat energy very likely would not be contained by the case, nor would a cell phone, vaping device or many other battery operated consumer products. I would imagine there are many such items that would not be welcome in a fuel transfer or storage environment. When that cold water hits your chest and face your body enters a drowning preservation mode which inhibits your breathing. It's simply "breath taking" in a literal sense. You open your mouth and your diaphragm refuses to move and draw in any air. I found this out once when I ran my sailboat aground on a lake which was iced over at the edges. When I tried to walk out my anchor so I could winch myself towards deeper water, I found I could not breathe once that cold water hit my chest. Luckily I was able to retreat and make it back aboard. Years later I learned about what caused the reaction.

I really like the “acid” analogy. LIS to Casco Bay and have done it early spring. . .I know the water is so cold it does feel like it burns. . .while your body can’t even breath! Great video. . .as always. Thanks Cap.

Closed Captioning is often a bit funny! I think the "safety" term you want is "Intrinsically Safe". CC puts an "S" between the "N" and the "T". I notis thees thingz becaz eye ahm thee wurldz worse speler! Regardless of the spelling, I am impressed with your safety concerns for your crew! An outstanding leader, a real Captain! 👍

I remember being on ship in the Puget Sound in Washington State in conditions where there was ice on deck and the water temperature 35 degrees F. We were talking about the survival time in just a few minutes. Basically don't fall off the ship because you are not coming back alive. All safety rules are written to cover the company and are written in blood.

I got it S V Paquita, I turned on my Closed Caption - that was the ticket. now I'm going to try it.

I was employed on a couple jobs at the Northport power plant, We repaired an leak from an oil pipeline coming ashore from the platform. Right close to where it came ashore. We took quite a beating a couple times. We had a cutter head dredge to dig a channel to the leak one night the wind shifted and blew the water out from underneath us , the Dredge sat out of the water for 12 hours. I was also took part in a couple cable repair jobs , and was on the water for 5 months on a job where we laid a natural gas pipeline from the Northport power Station and came ashore by the Maritime college in the bronx. Quite the project , would never do that again.

Good rant. Much appreciated. Safety first and above all. Always, all the time. Because you've only got one of you.

hello Tim, I’m a retired truck driver after 45 years of driving absolutely love your channel. I have learned a lot. You have a most interesting job. 😎

That tug on your T-shirt looks like the Ambassador, most of the boats are still in service in different places today.

Tim, it would be interesting to see a video on your snow removal procedures on the tug. Shovel? Blower? Salt? Love the videos.

Tim ,never a boring video! Just awesome one's !😊

This was a blast! Your commentary is always extremely helpful in helping the viewer understand what’s going on in your head. I loved the ride… And the contrast of you in a T-shirt and the crew bundled up.

Winter operations are no joke! I remember well coming down a gangplank and the slope in January had just enough ice to give me a sore shoulder as a reminder of the deadly fear conditions - we never expected anyone overboard to be seen until MARCH. Great content Captain Tim! Please keep up the safety songs - A shanty fer shure! #CUOTO ~__/)__*

Tim I enjoyed your video, but wow some of these comments read like a novel, I super enjoyed reading them. There's so much knowledge in this video and comments.

Interesting, I worked on and at offshore production and drilling platforms for over 10 yrs. never remember a barge . Great videos CUOTO..

I like to photograph this platform with a telephoto lens from the beach on the island. It's cool to see it up close like this for the first time. Thanks...

Very interesting. Loved being along

I’ve sailed by that platform many times on my annual cruise down the sound. Rarely seen a ship tied up to it let alone making up to it. Many thanks for providing me the opportunity.

I remember one visit there back in the early 80's, it was late summer and the fog set in when we were a mile of so off. Of course the radar decided to take a break at the same time. The Captain told EVERYONE to get up on the Barge as lookouts. We could hear him trying to raise the platform on the VHF, when the finally answered, I remember him telling them to "Light it up". What happened next is funny only because nothing happened. When those lights came on, the Platform was right off the bow! As the Captain was twisting the hell out of it he screamed "TURN THOSE LIGHTS OFF". LOL Somehow he got that barge to land flat and we all had a good laugh after everyone stopped shaking!

Great Video Tim, I lived on Long Island all my adult life and never knew there was an oil platform, I guess when you boat on the south shore

Tim, I just want to say that a good Boss always puts their crews safety first and foremost. You do that a lot and I wish more Bosses would, I always told my ladies and gents that them getting back home to their families safe and sound after each shift was more important than anything else we had to accomplish at work. I always worried about my crew as I see that you do as well! Keep up the safety culture!

Now you are in a area I am familiar with..Worked for 30 years many with oil and gas off shore platforms...

Not a rant. Valuable information that is better spoken more often. People think I'm weird when they get on my boat. I make everyone look to see the location of the fire extinguishers and life jackets. Safety first!!

Not a rant when you are ultimately responsible for everything, your concerns are valid and you are not "too much on safety". I knw exactly how this feels, and they are not "crew" they are "tribe", we want to protect them. Wisdom comes with experience........

Hahaha, the intro is a great illustration for why pre arrival checks are important 😂

You are a Great Captain! You ranting is perfectly acceptable! Cold water like you said robs the body of strength.

Thank you, Tim, for another great video. Never apologise for repeating safety information. You never know who might hear what you say, and take more care as a result. I, for one, had no idea about how quickly freezing cold water can kill. Great footage of the assist tug helping out.

It's called a Chiksan, and that is actually just the swivel joint itself. Love your videos Tim, I'm up in Alaska and considering a job on the water. Safe travels!

Tuesday is Tim B. at Sea! Another good one. I was a little confused at first. To me, the term "oil platform" means oil drilling platform, and I never heard of oil drilling in Long Island Sound. (I live in Connecticut.) But an off-shore oil terminal platform, for off-loading fuel products to eastern Long Island, makes perfect sense. A thought on deck work in the winter. I'm a retired construction worker. Whenever we needed to work outside the safety lines, we needed to be "tied off" with a harness and lanyard. They're cumbersome and a real pain to work with, but given the dire consequences of a worker falling from hight, or a tugboat deckhand entering the water in the winter, it seems it might be worth a consideration. Just a thought. Thanks again for another entertaining and informative video.

I love standing over your shoulder and just watching and your knowledge is awesome

thanks for the cool journey...i didn't know these existed in L.I. Sound

Safety first and drilling it in is a great best practice cold water is shocking and slows down reaction and the slims down a chance of surviving greatly. Great job Capt.

I enjoyed your conversation regarding the intrinics safety aspect of Gopros or any electronic device. I'm an electrical engineer for over 25 years and have specified intrinic systems/devices during those years. Your statement was corect when dealing with Fuel Oil sytems, There are enclosure ,energy (voltage/amps) and distance requirements that all play into what can or cant be used to prevent ignition sources in flammable enviroments. I commend you and the maritime comunity for understanding such a complex design concept. For those that might be wondering, those radios used by your dock crew are IS (Intrinic Safety) rated. BTW: I have a boat on the hudson, hope to see you up here again soon. Love your channel.

What a dance this is. It looks so simple, but the consequences of a mishap could be catastrophic. Capt. Tim. The real deal. CUOTO.

I enjoy your rants. Keep them coming. CUOTO.

Always enjoy your videos…It’s great to now watch these videos and understand what it takes to maneuver these tugs and barges around. Growing up in Elizabeth and spending time along the shore of the Arthur Kill and throwing rocks at the tugboats many years ago. Now I photograph the tugs when I get the opportunity….I’m a Battalion Chief in Elizabeth, let me know when you pass through, Stay safe to you and the crew!

Id have to say, we haven't seen a real life Ruh Roh Raggy moment in a while. Damn auto pilot

Grew up watching this built . Before the platform there was a large barge moored there and smaller tankers tied up to it to unload gasoline. Originally owned by Northville gas stations. They went out of business. The property changed hand numerous times. Last owners are Connoco Phillips and its mostly home heating oil although they have tried to get gasoline back. Many more neighbors around now and the have protested against putting gas back there . The crew and maintenance boat docks 7 miles to east in Mattituck inlet. Like all the other points of land on north shore of long island theres shoals inside of a mile. This platform is built on the edge of the shoal.

Thanks for the great seamanship

I had no idea we had oil platforms in the Sound. I just checked the charts and I saw a platform that I can see from the beach in Riverhead that I thought was a dredge but it’s actually feeding those tanks by Jacobs Point… I thought it was a landing for a cross sound pipeline. Another great video and I bet it sucked coming back from those nice, warm islands on M/V Paquita.

One can't safety rant enough. 😃 A nice long Atlantic sail and you will be going when you see 4ft waves and a nice wind, This is nice sailing weather. It is so nice to see something maritime that is completely not what you do, I am learning new tricks of coming up to a dock from you.

Wow! And one of your videos you said that you couldn't multitask lol! Yes it gets slippery in the winter as a fishing men on the coast of Maine we definitely know about that! Be safe to all of your crew and you!

Great overview of the goings on Cap! It was odd not seeing that certain colored letter on the assist tug but glad to see everyone cooperating. CUOTO.

The Northport Power Plant stacks... A familiar landmark. Great job, Captain. A lot of action.

Another great video. You gave a good rant on cold water exposure. As a former ice and cold water rescue instructor, I know you were spot on.

Having experienced two incidents during my seagoing career and having moaned at one time or another about safety meetings and drill; the value in them showed their value in the response of the vessel’s had during those incidents. There is no such thing as too much safety or drills.

Since I'm a Patron via Patreon, I got to watch this video over the past weekend. This video is different than in-harbor vids. Very interesting. Tim, always enjoy your play-by-play descriptions. CUOTO.

Another enjoyable video. Like your attitude towards safety. To easily given to lip service, you could tell your's was genuine.

Another good one Tim. Thanks. And yes, you don’t mess with water that cold. Even with a pfd it is serious trouble. Especially if you go in head first and take that involuntary breath of water.

What a great Channel you are sharing Tim, thanks for the ride along

Been there, done that! My Dad worked for EXXON and got me on a coastal tanker from Port Jefferson to the Northville platform. It was just the Captain and me and he let me take the wheel from PJ to Northville. I was about 14. My Dad was way cool.

Great video. Very interesting combination of wind, tide, and mass as it hits a pinpoint in Long Island Sound.

Judging by his accent, the guy on the platform must be from the deep south of Long Island. Tim, I enjoy your rants. CUOTO.

You are an effective communicator and have a nice way of doing things with your crew and the others involved. Nice Vid.

Interesting to see how you moor a barge to an oil platform in those windy and streamy conditions. It went well and the assist tug did a good job getting you closer to the oil rig. Nice video Tim!

That is exactly what I always wanted to see

Haha, great video, Capt. Tim ! Finally a little sea room for ya. And no mushroom clouds either !!

Love the LIS videos...keep 'em coming Cap!!!

Another beautiful landing cap you walked right in I salute you

Intrinsically safe, Tim. I bet GoPro would easily pass the UL testing for intrinsic safety. Static discharge from clothing is FAR more of an explosive threat than a GoPro camera, but that is not the point. Glad to see you are so vigilant about safety!

This is Awsome I wish I would’ve learned this trade I love the water and the skills and thinking and planning of this would be up my alley

I love your channel, I'm a sailor in Brazil. I'm learning a lot.

I always get excited when I see a McAllister tug. I was a little squirt in the 1950s when my father was VP and we towed a barge up the East River. My father didn’t like “working for somebody”. Back in 1929 his divorce made front page news in NYC. Back then they referred to him as “the tugboat millionaire”. At around the age of 8 I began making cartoons complaining about Moran tugs pushing all the sexy ships. My father would share these with the President of Moran.

Those Macalister crews are great guys

Tim, Snot sure if it's the platform I think it is, but if it is, some of the Sound's best fishing is west of there between "13", "11B" and the obstruction buoy, that area is locally known as the triangle. As you know, the topography, tides and winds can make things interesting there without much warning. The tug MV Gwendoline Steers went down near there at the mouth of Huntington Bay during a winter storm. The Long Island Sound was once known as the Devil's Pass. Stay safe and CUOTO, Harry

Excellent CAPT.

Excellent and different thanks Capt

I'm always at Pier Beach and looking at that oil platform. Another load for the Northville tanks...Thanks Tim for the vid.

Great to watch. Never had time when i was trucking off new Haven terminal ( gateway now) back in the day or Cilco ( bridgeport). Nice work….

That is why I much prefer the engine room! Warm, clean of ice, and close to food and drink… CUOTO 🇺🇸⚓️

Finesse, finesse, great job.

Yep, have a couple less friends and coworkers due to going overboard in winter arctic heavy weather. Have one or two others who are with us due to rescue by someone knowledgeable in cold water near drowning rescue. Winter water is a shock to the system when you first go over and swimming back up to the surface can sometimes be impossible. Lots of care is a good thing.

Great stuff, as always.

Thanks again Tim a very nice trip !

excellent video thank you tim

Great content!! Thanks for sharing!

Tim, I have no idea how I missed this video but it must’ve slipped past me somehow but it was an amazing one. When it comes to anything in the maritime field, no such thing as ranting, your right safety have to be #1 with no exceptions. If I was younger it would be an honor to work with a captain like you, keep up the great job you’re doing and stay safe on those open seas, it’s the most powerful element on or each and it’s not forgiving. Ron

The word is "Shipmate" I have a few very close ones after 22 years in the Navy! No one knows more about being dumped in cold water than P-3 aircrewman! Training is mandatory!

Awesome job. CUOTO Tim.

Great video! Great to see professionals at work.

Another great video AND safety briefing👍🏻

Great educational episode!

‘’Courage taught me no matter how bad a crisis gets ... any sound investment will eventually pay off." - Carlos Slim Helu

Another great video!

SAFETY deserves a rant! Tim cold water is no joke .

Good show, thanks for taking us along with commentary.

Fun stuff. Great video! 👍👍👍👊😎

Another great episode

Bravo Zulu Tim & crew 😎. Another awesome job. Bravo Zulu as well to Capt & crew of the Alex 😎

Thanks for taking us for the ride

what a superb video, many thanks for taking the time, appreciate your efforts indeed.

Another great video