No night personnel transfers are allowed (they said) so 0630 this m orning saw me waking the crew of Sea Weasel in order to get a ride out to the Polar Prince. Don't know why they were so surprised, I told them I'd be early. Tch tch.
A quick 30 minute ride at a very bouncy 23 knots saw me at the Prince, hard up against the side with her specially designed and fendered bow and I was just about to step onto her decks when a voice boomed over the radio that such practice was dangerous and I was to wait until the risk assessment findings had been implimented. Hmmm. One hour and a gigantic 'surf' ladder in place later I boarded. This involved leaping from a bouncy small boat deck through what seemed like a massive chasm of nothing and grabbing a vertical steel ladder that sat higher than the Prince's deck. It was frightening and wholly un-necessary. Heh, that's the safety industry for you, wankers making things even wankier!! Bless them!!
In rigging the gigantic surf ladder the 200 tonne rated Kenz crane managed to clip and destroy a vital bit of cable installing equipment. This will put the project back around 5 days it seems. That was one hell of a risk assessment... see what I mean about wankers?
The Sea Jack, said by some to be a self elevating work platform and by many others to be a pile of crap, lived up to the latter name last night and broke one of her legs. They towed her to Sheerness to inspect the damage with divers. While the divers were in the water, said leg made an uncrontrolled 12 metre free fall to the seabed. Cooo, bet the water turned brown near the divers. Latest is they'll get a crane barge from Holland, lift the leg, secure it, then tow the lot back to Holland for repairs.
All in all then, not a particularly good day for Fannit Wind.