Sea-River Barge dwt-5000 – ship wanted
http://www.shiplink.info/contents2.asp?refno=8696

- draft 4-4.5m(imperative)
- loa 100-120m
- twin engines

B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://groups.google.com/group/S-n-P
http://shipsales.wordpress.com/
http://www.wwtradeboard.com/view_offer.asp?cat=3413
Submit Your Homepage at Maritime URL Directory ; http://www.marURL.com

A photo of cotton being grown on one of Monsanto's research farms

Last week, I rode with two colleagues from work over to the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. We visited the Melvin Price Lock & Dam #26 just south of Alton, and then went on to Monsanto’s research farm at Jerseyville. One colleague, Nick, was working on a story about the lock and dam and its critical importance to agriculture (posted here); the other, Tyne, was developing a video feature on the research farm. As for me, well, I was on the trip mostly for the research farm visit, to listen to employees talk about what they do. They’ll be featured in a post in a few weeks.

What struck me about both visits was technology – two very different technologies that are critical for agriculture.

The technology that built Lock and Dam #26 was a collection of engineering and design disciplines. The lock is enormous; I didn’t ask the tour guide for the statistics on the amount of concrete used in construction but to see what’s constructed is to wish you had the contract for the concrete. (If you have to know, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers brochure says it used 800,000 cubic yards of concrete to build the structure.) (That’s my home driveway times 123,000.) Technology meets water.

I can recall the controversy when it was constructed – some said it wasn’t necessary; it wasn’t environmentally sound; it would damage the river system; it would cost too much. But one thing is clear – it works. And it’s critical for agriculture in the Midwest, because the Mississippi River is the main means of transporting grain south to the Port of New Orleans for export. Little known fact: this was as true 200 years as it is today, and one of the reasons the British sought to capture New Orleans in the War of 1812 – to prevent American farmers from shipping their crops.

From that huge structure on the river, we drove east to a Monsanto research farm. Here, the technology is decidedly different – for one thing, you don’t see it. It’s all contained with seeds.

It’s disconcerting to walk into greenhouses in December and see cotton and canola blooming, and corn, soybeans and wheat looking like they do in the early summer. A number of different research programs are underway, including improving nitrogen uptake (and use less fertilizer or use it more efficiently) and insect protection. All of these programs are aimed at improving yields and helping farmers succeed.

The people who work here are highly trained, many with PhDs in biology, entomology and other disciplines. And they get their hands dirty. A lot. We watched one group working in a greenhouse doing everything from checking soil conditions and temperature to taking cuttings from corn plants. Another group bagged seed for shipment to another research facility for testing. One team talked about planting 30,000 seeds – by hand. And they did it in a day.

Technology meets dirt.

The GPLN member Shipping.DK Spain project teams had transported a Herrenknecht tunnel boring machine from Kehl in Germany to Barcelona in Spain, totaling some 2240 cbm for the Girona AVE high speed train.

From Kehl to Rotterdam port cargo was transported by barge with direct operation of discharge and load into modern geared 400 ts vessel chartered specially for the occasion.

Pieces of 220 tons, 116 tons and various other cargos of an additional 90 tons, with the largest piece measuring 21 meters length and width exceeding 7 meters, were the more relevant pieces of the project.

“Several offices of the Shipping DK organization were involved in the project,” said Mr. Santiago Fontecilla, Managing Director of Shipping.DK Spain, “The Fredericia office chartered the vessel while the Rotterdam office took the operations of transshipment and the Spanish offices of Bilbao and Barcelona arranged the discharge and all formalities with forwarding company awarded and involved in the project. The full operation was carried out successfully and well organized between all of our offices involved.”

The Global Project Logistics Network (GPLN) is the premier non-exclusive professional projects logistics network of independent companies specializing in international projects movements by air, sea and land as well as specialized lifts and the special handling of oversized, out-of-gauge and heavy lift cargo.

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DWT 9200 t each.
Built 1973-74
Length 114,5 m
Breadth 27,2 m
Height 5,2 m
Freeboard 1,2 m
Class Russian River Register: *O-2,0 Ice, expired in 2007
Double Bottom/Double Hull
Tanks heating

Barges are in good working condition.

Price;  US$420,000 Each.

Add info:  The Barges operate on Volga.
FYI, due to length of the Barges, they can’t be delivered at Azov/Black Sea.

Possible navigation: Volga- Caspian Sea.

The Barges are inspectable at Volgograd.

This was no Thanksgiving Day but these people were having some kind of celebration, for sure ! It was a few years ago in Lyon (France). I was walking along the river flowing across the city and stopped beside this barge where a long table had been set and beautifully decorated. Obviously they were waiting for more guests. A young man was giving a sweet kiss – un bisou -  to his partner. Another man smiled to me and said “pas de photo, svp”,  “no photo please”. Jokingly.

Thanksgiving was not celebrated on this river boat but all the guests around this happy table were definitely thankful to be together on that day. An engagement or a wedding lunch ?  And two of them even more grateful to the paths of life that brought them together.

Today as I remember this moment in Lyon, I thought of sharing this picture with you. To all of you who celebrate this happy day I wish a wonderful Thanksgiving !

PASSIVE/AGGRESSIVE

Southern Exposure’s 2nd Public Art and Urban Intervention Day

JUROR: Jeannene Przyblyski, Dean of Academic Affairs, SFAI

Saturday, December 5, 2009‚ 11am to 5pm

Location: Sites throughout the Mission District

Selected Public Art/Urban Intervention Artists

Steven Barich

BARGE

Arianna Davalos

Christian Frock presents Invisible Venue

Packard Jennings

SoEx’s Youth Advisory Board (YAB)

Chris Treggiari and Jessica Watson

Linda Trunzo

Heather Van Winckl

Victoria Wagner

Jackson Wang

Situate yourself in the public realm for this day of urban interventions and public art projects. The PASSIVE/AGGRESIVE Public Art/Urban Interventions Day presents work by artists using the city as a platform for creativity and expression. A map locating these projects will be available soon at www.soex.org or pick one up at Southern Exposure and start exploring.

———————————

BARGE, Groundbreaking
822 Alabama St. (vacant lot behind Atlas Café) – 11AM to 5PM

BARGE will enter a vacant privately owned fenced-off lot and begin reframing it as a public park. The initial groundbreaking ceremony will be the daylong excavation of a ‘gash’ in the land, symbolically ‘liberating’ the buried potential of privatized space that could be re-purposed for public use. Instead of making earthworks we will be *doing* earth-work, foregrounding the collaborative labor required to reclaim the commons in the midst of gentrification pressures and the affordable housing crisis. Handouts will be available throughout the day, with hopes of producing a temporary and autonomous public artwork by the end of the day.

(AA)  BARGE BM1 – USD1.78m

Year : 2003

L x B x D  : 67.84m x 24.4 m x 5.5 m

Vessel subject to availability

(BB) TUG -2400BHP On behalf of ship owner, we are pleased to present the above-mentioned
vessels (with vessel specification as per attached ) for sale.

Price idea : US$ 1.65 M per unit ex Kalimantan

Engine is Cummins 1200HP x 2 ea=2400HP.

Built year 2009
Delivery time : Prompt
Vessel subject to availability

Barge – work and accommodation – Ship for sale

TYPE OF VESSEL : WORK SHIP
BUILT IN JAPAN 1982
REBUILT : 2009 IN JAPAN
CAPACITY : 150 PERSONS (EXTENDABLE)
TYPE OF HULL : DOUBLE BOTTOM
CLASS : NK
GRT : 16,161 TON

B.rgds/Operation Div – www.shiplink.info
http://snp-shiplink.blogspot.com/
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm
Submit Your Homepage at Maritime URL Directory ; http://www.marURL.com

Barge – work and accommodation – Ship for sale
http://www.shiplink.info/contents1.asp?refno=32010
TYPE OF VESSEL : WORK SHIPBUILT IN JAPAN 1982REBUILT : 2009 IN JAPANCAPACITY : 150 PERSONS (EXTENDABLE)TYPE OF HULL : DOUBLE BOTTOMCLASS : NKGRT : 16,161 TON

B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://snp-shiplink.blogspot.com/
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm
Submit Your Homepage at Maritime URL Directory ; http://www.marURL.com

Oil Barge dwt2000-5000 – ship wanted
http://www.shiplink.info/contents2.asp?refno=8659
either used or brand new size fm 2000-5000dwt.
B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://groups.google.com/group/S-n-P
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm
Submit Your Homepage at Maritime URL Directory ; www.marURL.com

Monarchs, that is  – five of them  on a day I didn’t expect any.  In fact, I walked for over half an hour and passed through prime Monarch territory at the south end  and didn’t see a single Monarch. But between the towers and the parking lot I was surprised by seeing five. also saw several  Cloudless Sulphurs, Cabbage Whites ,and I believe an American Painted Lady.

Yes, it was about 52 degrees and calm and near noon, so it was a good time for butterfly activity. No sign of the other migrants – the warblers though. Not a single Yellow Rump -  in fact, I don’t think I saw a single songbird, nor did I see any shore birds and I walked the entire east and south coasts before heading down the central road. I did get a glimpse  – in fact two glimpses – of something sleek and grey and flying very fast. My best guess – a Merlin, but there’s no way I can be sure.

Here’s a sampling of what I did see, starting with a barge towed by a tug so far off that it’s out of the picture. These are common – just as coasting schooners were common a century ago. I think I would prefer seeing a coasting schooner – we do pay a price for modern efficiency.

Click for larger image.

I think I read somewhere it takes the kids three years to develop the full, male suit of feathers. (I think that’s the same as the Herring Gull.) In any event, the different arrangements continue to catch my eye – here’s a mature male, an immature, and a female.

Click image for larger version.

Cloudless Sulphur – they are beautiful. They stay the winter, I understand. My biologist friend thinks they just sort of shut down – go into a form of hibernation. Wonder when they’ll stop being active?

Click image for larger version.

OK – here  he is – one of the five Monarchs.  Hope he still plans to head south!

Click image for larger version.

Dredger and Hopper Barges – ship wanted
http://www.shiplink.info/contents2.asp?refno=8649
4 x Split Hopper Barges600 cub mtr and onward capacitySelf propelledAny age, no restrictionsInsp/del ppmt Cont

B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://groups.google.com/group/S-n-P
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm

Doodle 246 - Robot Rowing

This is the last of my “r” robots as I have no interest in using any of the lame r verbs left and doing “re” verbs would just be cheating.

Oh and his leg fell off, so no more fun for him.

Travelled by barge on
canals in Burgundy, France –
great wine, cheese, and food.

Barge dwt5800 with Tugboat – Ship for sale
http://www.shiplink.info/photo/ss31692.htm
270ft Bargesize 270′ x 80′ x 16′ Class NKK Deadweight 5800 M/ton

B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://aabraham.tripod.com/
http://snp-shiplink.blogspot.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/S-n-P
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm

For this I used the image of my mother’s doorway – sitting here I can smell the stone and plaster walls (unless my sister is cooking ratatouille, bread pudding with ginger toffee, or some other deliciousness). The house dates back to at least 1595, the records before that were lost when the town was sacked in 1576, and when she moved in the only plumbing was a sink underneath the window to the right of the door, all cooking had been done in the fire.

I love row houses because I love town noise, and my mom’s house is so accessible when someone drops by for a visit, but my dream house would be a ‘portland’, a row house with a long strip of garden behind.  I recently stayed in a beautiful example of that in a medieval town outside London while visiting relatives (including my most adored aunt and uncle who are fixing up a barge in the gorgeous port of Sandwich), the garden was 40+ feet wide and 630 feet long, on a south-facing slope with orchard, pond and nuttery.  Perfection.  An upscale version, built 70 years after the one I stayed in, is Rothe House in Kilkenny, which has been restored and opened as a museum.  It would be great to be part of a project like that, they did such a good job on the gardens and orchard, and next time I’ll definitely spend more time in their library.

Welcome to Blokzijl’s website.

Please select one of the pages on the right hand side.

The last few weeks I have been photographing the wheat harvest and sharing aspects of that process.

Waiting to Load - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Yesterday as I was leaving Colfax on my way to Walla Walla I decided to stop at Central Ferry and watch another part of getting the wheat to market.

It is a colorful process watching the tugboats and barges as they wait to be filled and then start on the long journey downriver to market. Central Ferry is located on the Snake River and it is interesting to watch the large trucks unload and then eventually the grain is transferred from the elevators to the waiting barges.

Getting Underway - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009-All Rights Reserved

Take the opportunity to visit Central Ferry and you will get some great images as well as be able to see still another step in the wheat harvest.

Headed Downriver to Market - Copyright Gary Hamburgh 2009 - All Rights Reserved

Flat Top Barge 330ft – ship wanted
http://www.shiplink.info/contents2.asp?refno=8570
ONE UNIT OF 330 / 320 X 90 X 20 FT FLAT TOP BARGE BUILT 5 YEARS AGO MORE OR LESS

B.rgds/Operation Div – shiplink.info
http://aabraham.tripod.com/
http://snp-shiplink.blogspot.com/
http://groups.google.com/group/S-n-P
http://www.shiplink.info/linkboard/link_ggl.htm

I am her
royal highness perched low
on the Minnesota River’s north
bank. A beer cooler 

my throne, a grain
elevator screeching
over the mucky muck
water cheers me on. My fishermen 

hook big
flapping bottom
feeders, then hand me
one of their poles, and I bend 

to pull the line
taut, lower, repeat,
the rod steadied against my royal blue
bibbed breasts. This battle becomes 

the day’s drama—
it against me, the queen
23 times its size. Finally,
when I do pull it ashore, 

a blotch of red in its gill,
one of my fishermen attends
to its release, the needle
nose pliers freeing it 

unharmed—give or take
a lifetime of post
traumatic stress
disordering its course. I am 

the carp queen sculling
the air with a regal wave
to the boys on a barge
passing before us on this sweaty river.

I hear their megaphone
pleas for me
to flee my banked fleet. But
even as I flirt 

with those towing
cargo (be it soybean
or grain or freeze dried
myths) to the Mississippi River 

bound for Red Wing, Rock
Island, Saint Louis, Ripley,
Natchez, New Orleans, somewhere
in between, my heart belongs 

to these charming men seeking
the biggest carp, the better quip
to pass another Saturday
too hot for its own Minnesota 

not so nice. They remind me. Her highness
is not so high
left alone on her portable perch, potable contents
sealed tight inside for now. Her highness 

is referring to herself
in the third person again.