Barge flips on Winnipesaukee

[Skip]

From the Union Leader

Does anyone know if this was an "offshore" barge...

http://www.theunionleader.com/articl...?article=39232

[Lin]

This came over my husband's FD newswire pager last night. It mentioned the spill of about 100 gallons of fuel. Not much more was said on his pager about it and that article doesn't give out much info.

[Belmont Resident]

Twin engines capable of 5 knots throws up a huge wake.
Better watch out it might upset baby ducks or loons.
Bummer about the fuel though.

[Paugus Bay Resident]

Originally Posted by Skip

From the Union Leader

Does anyone know if this was an "offshore" barge...

http://www.theunionleader.com/articl...?article=39232

Good one, Skip

[mcdude]

click here for Citizen article

[upthesaukee]

How about W. D. going down, getting pictures of those ever present Rock bass, and then putting the bobcat under one arm, and the excavator under the other and bringing them up.

[madrasahs]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

Twin engines capable of 5 knots throws up a huge wake.
Better watch out it might upset baby ducks or loons.
Bummer about the fuel though.

Diesel fuel is life-threatening to ducks and loons -- not wakes; however, wakes will cause damage to loon nests, and loons will abandon them. (Peaceful boaters already knew that).

That barge flip has great interest to me.

It's not easy to tell that barge from the photo of its underside for certain, but one Lakeshore Construction barge didn't appear at its usual "home site" yesterday at 5PM. ***

One season (2000), I picked the brain of that barge's operator as he repaired the winter damage to my dock -- and have been providing that dock information to this Forum. I also congratulated him on the obvious skills he brought to the handling of that barge. Later, as he criss-crossed The Broads to the islands, we'd exchange a wave -- from non-wake barge to non-wake sailboat.

This past week, my family reported that the barge appeared to be practicing rotating the front-end loader around on the barge while under way -- alternately tilting the barge from port to starboard -- (side to side for offshores). They also experienced a gasoline fuel spill last Saturday at their "home-site". (Yes, they work weekends, and transported loam -- presumably to an island -- on Memorial Day-Monday!)

Later, I encountered my buddy-operator at a New Durham yard sale, and he suggested (but didn't actually state) that something to do with wages caused him to leave his barge-operator job at the end of last season.

'Wonder if his old job is now available -- with a fat wage increase

*** "Home site" is a different multi-millionaire's lakefront private residence, and has been for four years. Remember "Nancy L's" Forum comment?

"...Is it who you know in this City...?"

[SPANKY]

i have always heard that there are daily fines imposed until ones property is recoverd from the lake, anybody know if theres any truth to this?

[samcracker]

That picture looks like it shows a tug boat or some variation of one.

[Orion]

Nope, it shows two construction barges.....one shiny side up and the other upside down .

[madrasahs]

Originally Posted by Orion

Nope, it shows two construction barges.....one shiny side up and the other upside down .

Now it's still a third green barge that has appeared at "home-base". A boat trip there found that it's chained to a 2" birch tree (with no leaves -- and mushrooms sprouting from its trunk). Hope it's not windy tonight or they'll have even more work backed up, fixing busted docks and moored boats.

The noisiest barge on the lake (two hard-working black outboards) seems to have taken over all the usual construction-shuttle duties.

How many barges does Lakeshore Construction own, and how can they legally transact a commercial business (loading Bobcats, front-end loaders, septic tanks) for years at a private residence on the lake?

(While the same town tells me I can't park my RV in front -- or back -- of my house)

[Mee-n-Mac]

Originally Posted by Paugus Bay Resident

Good one, Skip

What's this ... nobody has yet charged that some MP's wake caused the barge to flip. Must be a cover-up ...

Somewhat more seriously, the recovery effort to lift the 2 vehicles from the bottom should make an interesting photo-op.

[Joe Kerr]

You all have it wrong. The picture looks to me like they are doing construction on the lake bottom. That's what happens because undeveloped lake front property is so rare. You build on the bottom.

How else would you build stuff down there?

[Porch Potato]

Joe, thanks for the laugh

[madrasahs]

Originally Posted by Joe Kerr

You all have it wrong. The picture looks to me like they are doing construction on the lake bottom. That's what happens because undeveloped lake front property is so rare. You build on the bottom. How else would you build stuff down there?

Not so funny. I've seen the rules ignored by powerful monied interests to build right in front (and block the view) of other waterfront condos. They begin by "building on the bottom". Coming soon: "The Witches Condo Association"? "Middle Ground Shoals Resort and Spa?" "The Graveyard Buena Vista Estates?" (OK, maybe not that last one).

Meanwhile, at home [residential] base, three barges nursed the recovered barge to shore yesterday, where it is still leaking, and sporting a big dent in the port gunwale. ("Left-Cockpit-Rim" to offshores). And yup, it's my buddy's barge all right.

While lifting with a huge front-end loader, they managed to drop still another Bobcat into the lake at the shoreline (a chain broke, maybe?) . I heard there's a minor oil/fuel release -- and no boom -- although there's a white boom-looking device on board the damaged barge. Do oil-spill-control booms start out orange and turn white?

There's some action starting -- right now -- this morning. Stay tuned.