OSG Constitution

**Tugs** · September 20th, 2011, 01:54 PM

Last weekend the OSG Constitution and Barge 400 were being towed dead ship to the Bahamas to be sold. She broke out of the notch and was drifting towards the beach. Rescue Tug got to her before she could ground, luckily. Tug took Constitution into port for inspection and to rig her for tow to the Bahamas.

I relived on this rig several times over the years plus I worked on her in the yard she was first being put into service. This tug did not ride very good in the notch. At sea she would almost bounce around the notch while underway. I can not say how she was secured in the notch for this tow but I do not think there was any way to keep her in the notch while being tow dead boat. Anyone that worked on her or any other deep notch rigs would know this also, these tugs do way too much moving around to be able to keep everything tight with out someone to watch all of the wires and lines and take up on them as necessary. But I'm only a dumb Chief Engineer. LOL

I am just glad the the crew on the rescue tug were able to get a line on her without anyone getting hurt.

**KennyW1983** · September 21st, 2011, 12:14 AM

I was on the rescue tug. I'll comment more later, it's to much to type on my phone.

edit

On second thought im going to keep my mouth shut... I will say that it was a little hairy out there and my tugs captain did an excellent job keeping us and the tug safe. As far as I could tell the Constitution was held in the notch by friction blocks and 2 inch cables as push gear from the stern.

**cmakin** · September 21st, 2011, 05:59 AM

Interesting. I see that she is the old CAROLE G. INGRAM. I seem to recall that the Carol was fixed in the notch, however from the pictures that I can find, it appears that she was converted to some sort of ATB. It is tough to tell from the pictures that I found, but it looks as though she had a similar connection system to the Belcher ITBs. I don't see a hard connection point on the tug. Very interesting.

**injunear** · September 21st, 2011, 07:51 AM

I believe it was an old Texaco tug used in the refit.

**Tugmatebob** · September 21st, 2011, 11:32 AM

She was/is a bludworth retro fit.

**cmakin** · September 22nd, 2011, 06:24 AM

Originally Posted by cmakin

Interesting. I see that she is the old CAROLE G. INGRAM. I seem to recall that the Carol was fixed in the notch, however from the pictures that I can find, it appears that she was converted to some sort of ATB. It is tough to tell from the pictures that I found, but it looks as though she had a similar connection system to the Belcher ITBs. I don't see a hard connection point on the tug. Very interesting.

According to the info I have from ABS, it was the CAROLE.

**cmakin** · September 22nd, 2011, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by Tugmatebob

She was/is a bludworth retro fit.

I will have to try and look closer because I don't see the bow ram. Of course, John Cook may have come up with an updated system, since the Bludworth system that I used to operate was one of the first generation type.

**Tugs** · September 26th, 2011, 05:56 AM

She does not have any type of connection device. She was very heavily modified in 1990 to convert her to fit into a normal deep notch. All she has is articulating Pads, two forward and two aft. She also is set up with two hydraulic rams on the stern with wires that run to the stern of the barge.

**cmakin** · September 27th, 2011, 05:12 AM

That is similar to the system used on the Belcher tub/barges. They also had a row of airplane wheels and tires on the bow to ride up and down in the notch. I guess history has proven that type of system not to be very practical.

**KennyW1983** · September 27th, 2011, 03:25 PM

The constitution arrived yesterday in Freeport Bahamas never to sail the Delaware river again!!

**Neil F.** · October 24th, 2011, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Tugs

She does not have any type of connection device. She was very heavily modified in 1990 to convert her to fit into a normal deep notch. All she has is articulating Pads, two forward and two aft. She also is set up with two hydraulic rams on the stern with wires that run to the stern of the barge.

Yes this is correct.I was one of the Maritrans assistant engineers with the first crew.