Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Last one! Thanks for your time!

Another pic

Another pic

Great Lakes Bulletin article

Hey all,
I found some notes about all this that I made back then but had completely forgotten about & an article my late Mom got from a local newspaper! She must've wrote a letter to them, to get the article? Article appears in the July 14, 1989 issue of the Great Lakes Bulletin. I did a online search but online records only go to 1977? Emailed Illinois Digital Newspaper Collections but there's a gap in online editions for 1989, they suggested contacting the Naval Academy?
I have the article, will take pics & post here.
I boarded the vessel on june 15, 1989, I was a returning crew member, having joined the company originally in June 1986. We left Pasagoula June 18th, on July 2nd passed under Ambrassdor Bridge & dropped anchor on the 4th. My parents came from Saginaw, MI to see what I did for a living! We had a small inflatable boat to go ashore, get parents & took them back out to ship for a day.
Departed Waukegan on July 12 for Jacksonville/shipyard, arrived there 24th, finally left Sept 7 for Miami.
Don't recall sailboat report?
Later there's a note that we departed Mobile Oct 1 for San Lorenzo, Honduras, did our thing done there, I've forgotten what the cargo was and later arrived in Hampton Roads Oct 24. l went on vacation next day after 133 days onboard!
I sailed on that ship for 16 years, was later renamed to "Strong Texan". It was sold around 2002 to a foreign flag company, renamed again to "Ocean Team", after that I lost track of it but I believe it has been scrapped since then, at least I hope it has been! While I was on it, there was a running joke that it was rusting away from the inside out thanks to the Mississippi mud that got in everywhere due to it sinking years earlier!
I was able to "acquire" the original ships bell before I left & have it here at my home in NC!
Thanks to all who contributed info.
Happy Holidays

A bit about the vessel: Arnhemsche Scheepsbouw Maatschappij NV launched Dock Express Texas as Happy Runner at Arnhem, Netherlands, 22 October 1976 for Compañia Maritima Sequoia Lloyd SA, Panama, managed by Mammoet Shipping BV, Amsterdam. 81.82m x 74.40 x 9.15; 1599 gross and 654 net tons; twin Stork-Werkpoor Type 9 FC HD 240/900 Diesels, 240mm x 260mm, 2500-bhp.

The vessel capsized at Gretna, Louisiana, 17 April 1982 while transferring 340 tons of offshore drilling equipment at the Whiteman Towing, Inc., dock, sinking the tugs M. D. Whiteman and Whiteman 9. There were no injuries. Salvage of the vessel took three months, it finally raised in September and judged a constructive total loss, passed on to the underwriters 15 December 1982 when its Dutch registration was cancelled. It passed into Dock Express Contractors, Inc., Houston, EDS Services, Inc., manager, New York, the American subsidiary of Dock Express Shipping BV, Rotterdam, part of Mammoet. The vessel was reconstructed by Halter Marine Services, Inc., Chickasaw, Alabama, and christened Dock Express Texas at Mobile by Ms. Peggy Jones, 4 February 1984. Sealift Services, Inc., chartered the vessel which was admitted into American registry because of a dearth of American heavy lift vessels. The vessel made at least four trips into the lakes. Here’s a builder’s photograph of Happy Runner, January 1977.

I can't find much in newspaper archives except for a couple of items relating probably to your journey back home. Does any of this sound familiar?

July 25, 1989 the Dock Express Texas was due in Jacksonville at the North Florida Shipyards for "repairs".

Sept 27, 1989 the Dock Express Texas reported to the Coast Guard they found a vacant sailboat two and a half miles off Deerfield Beach, Florida. Its sail was up and its rudder was tied down, but no one was aboard. There were a few t-shirts, a radio, and a cooler with a few cans of beer and soda, but no papers or documents on it, and no markings on the vessel, which was said to be in poor condition.

October 3, 1989 it left Mobile, Alabama for a "foreign destination" and was due in Hampton Roads at the Naval Operations Base the week of October 23rd.

I believe that Fred has moved to Mobile Alabama and currently is a bridge operator .
He was in Port Huron at the nautical show in June.
I was told he can see the S.S.United States, getting prepared to be a diving destination offshore of Destin Florida.
He is still taking pictures, but now they are salties and tug/ barges.

Yes Fred is still with us but he moved from the Port Huron area a few years ago.

Ok, thanks MattM
Do you know if Fred is still with us?

I'm still looking for any other info for that voyage we made?
Does anybody know about the cargo we delivered?
Any former workers from the training academy here?
Any old pilots that might remember us?
I was there, but long time ago, too many beers since then!
Thanks

Fred lived in Port Huron so he shot up and down the St Clair River. This shot looks like it's right below the Blue Water Bridge.

I was a crewmember on the "saltie" M/V Dock Express Texas, a small heavy lift vessel that sailed the lakes once!
During the summer of 1989, we loaded a GL-47 Gas Training Turbine Facility in Pasagoula, MS & brought it to the Great Lakes Naval Training Academy in Waukegan.
I remember we anchored off Waukegan on or just before July 4th, 1989 cause we watched the Chicago fireworks in the distance!
The biggest piece (350+tons) was rolled off our stern ramp onto a barge, while the rest was offloaded using our cranes. We probably spent as least a week there at anchor, don't recall if there was a port or any kind of dock suitable?
I have 1 pic I found online, don't know where or when it was taken. Name in lower right corner -Fred Miller II. Don't know anything about this person!
So, I'm asking the this forum/community if anybody has any info about this.