Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Does anyone know if the barge will be returning to wherever the tug goes next or perhaps the barge was built especially for the crane transport and now belongs to the Navy. If it does not belong to them maybe it is owned by the crane builder or the towing company. If it is returned to an owner it must be equipped to go back in ballast I assume. Where does Ocean Tower go next? After all this time at sea delivering both cranes I hope the crew gets a long layover in Hawaii. So many questions....

1140h EDT. Saturday, August 22/26
Ocean Tower remains moored at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii since her arrival there Thursday, August 13. Two things have been filling out the time. First the site for the permanent location of the crane is in the last stages of preparation. The second job will be to remove the fastenings that held her steady on the barge during the sea voyage will need to be removed. Can find nothing regarding timing for all of that. No indication of next move for the tug, Ocean Tower.

2200h EST Sun. Aug. 16/26
I’m writing to thank Guest for the appreciative post of .Fri. August 14.
Glad they enjoyed my posts covering the voyage of note to Hawaii by Ocean Tower and big blue crane p-82.
I enjoyed the ride as well.

Awesome journey and a great job reporting the progress. Thank You.

2146h EDT Thurs. Aug. 13/26
Checked for the Ocean Tower big blue crane p-82. They have reached Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In fact if they met the tracker stated time of 1423h. Mooring has likely just taken place. Congrats to Dann towing and the tug crews who made this happen.

1107h EDT Thurs. August 6/26
The Ocean Tower continues on a course of 259 deg. at 6.8 knots. Her basic position is 30 deg. N lat. x 127 W Long. Their local time now is -7h to US mainland.
Temperature is 19 - 21 C. Winds are NW moderate NW at 10 - 20 kts. Sea swells are running 1.5 - just over 2 metres.

0114h EDT Thurs. Aug. 6/26
Ocean Tower’s position at this time is 30 deg. N latitude and 127 deg. W longitude. The tow is moving at pretty well maximum safe speed of 6.8 knots. By my rough calculations the tow is around 600 miles west of San Diego.
Feel badly that the security system that is part of the Boatnerd posting protocol has for some reason been rejecting my posts for the last 5 days or so! I am still following the tow. Hope folks are still following this historic for our times event as well

Hope you get back in Steamboater66, I look forward to your reports!
Currently cruising at 6.8kn, 259°, location 30°45'N, 128°1'W and a long way to go.

Steamboater66,

Received your message from Monday morning stating you were having trouble posting here. Please try again. I suspect it was an issue with either the PHP forum software or the hCaptcha security software, which Boatnerd cannot troubleshoot. It must be working sometimes since your Monday morning message came through, and if you are seeing this message, I posted it as a guest, without logging in.

Thanks
Boatnerd volunteer.

Thanks for all your updates

Is it now on its direct route to Hawaii? No more land in sight till then?

00:00h EDT Fri. July 31/26
Ocean Tower has been on the move.Friday, July 31/26 she is at sea some 200 nm off of San Diego. Ships time would presently be just past 2100h PT. Departure was on Thursday. I have not been able to locate the exact time. As there are
No land bodies within range weather-wise; I have no meteorological sources. I know they are on a 259 deg. course making 6.1 kts. Latitiude 32-01.659N/Longitude 120-33.94W.

0850h EDT Mon. July 27/26
ARRIVAL!! Ocean Tower and crane 82 are approaching their next destination point San Diego. They left Manitowoc WI on May 29 to deliver this crane to the naval base in Hawaii. San Diego will allow the tug to be re-supplied, fuelled, and for the crew to have some long-awaited rest.

0005h EDT Mon. July 27/26
With a 2kts W wind and a 331 deg. course Ocean Tower and blue crane 82 are about 60 nm offshore of Ensenada. THEY have 65 -70 nm to cover to reach their next major stop, San Diego. ETA there is 0600 h Monday ( TODAY).
They are sailing at 7.1 kts under a clear sky. That 2 kts breeze is creating 1.2m of wave action from the SW. Rest, replenishment of food and supplies, and refuelling will likely take 2-3 days. The run to Hawaii is 2400 - 2500 nm.

2126h EDT Fri. July 24/26
On a 316 deg, course, the blue crane tow continues the generally northward track to San Diego, their next stop before making the turn westward toward the ultimate destination of Hawaii.
Ocean Tower is making 5.8 kts. A steady breeze out the W has seas of 1.8 m crossing her path from the SW.At this time they are abreast Isla Natividad. The sailing distance remaining to San Diego is 360 to 400 nm. Tonight’s temperature is 28 C.

0028h EDT Fri. July 24/26
The compass has swung even more toward North…330 deg. at this hour!. Remrember ETA San Diego is July 27…just 3 days off.
Speed tonight is 6.6 kts. The closest weather land reference point tonight is Pueryo Alfredo Lopez Mateos in this rather sparsely populated, remote Baja region
The wind is NW 8 kts and steady. The seas are running from the SW. wave activity is cresting at 1.2 m.tThe temperature is 25C. I would estimate the distance to San Diego to be 450 - 500 nm.

2358h EDT Wed. July 22/26
Ocean Tower’s course has taken a few more degrees of a northerly direction. Tonight they are on a 319 deg. course.as they make their way through the 650-700 nm run to San Diego for arrival July 27.
Tonight they are making 6.8 kts under partly cloudy skies. The wind is NW 8 kts gusting 11. Waves from the SW creating wave action to 1.8m. On the map they are 45-50nm at sea abreast of Punta Pescadero State Beach, Mexico.

2400h EDT Tues. July 21/26
Ocean Tower is making 6.8 kts on a 307 deg. course tonight under overcast but rain-free skies. She is just NW of the Islas Maria island group and will be coming off the tip of the Baja Peninsula in another 250 nm. Winds are NW at 13 kts gusting 15. The sea surface has waves out of the SW at 1.8 m.The air temperature is 31deg. c. The current ETA San Diego is July 27. The estimated sailing distance to San Diego is 750 - 800 nm.

0033h EDT Tues. July 21/26
Ocean Tower and that huge crane are under cloudy rainy skies again tonight as they glide NW on a 301 course at 7.1 kts. They are about 60 nm off Ipala on Mecico’s West coast. Ipala looks about 200-300 miles south of Puerto Vallarta.
A whisper E wind is steady at 2 kts. The water is almost still with scarcely a ripple at 0.5m of activity. The temperature is 31C. The next port call will be as I predicted, San Diego. The sailing distance into SD is 1 000 nm.

0052h EDT Sunday July 19/26
Ocean Tower is proceeding on a course of 291 deg. at 6.8 kts. She is almost 50 nm at sea off Acapulco de Juarez, Mexico. It is rainy. The wind is WNW at 5 kts, gusting 7. Seas are running 1.5 m out of the SW. The air temp is 27 deg. C.