I stopped by the boatyard to say hi to some of the hommie's

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

They just started this barge when I left last year. It's 93' and it will have 4 / 6-71's in it.

[dburt]

What will it haul? It looks like a flat deck? So does that mean the cargo will be on the deck?

[ezrablu]

Really cool photos Dennis! How lucky you are to live by the water like that. I live about 5 minutes from a lake. We have ALOT of lakes and rivers here in Wisconsin, but it's still not the same as the big open seas/oceans.

Oh, say hi to Popeye for me the next time you see him

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

These guys build docks, bulkheads and also do dredging. We have lots of cannels here and they need to be scooped out every 5 to 10 years so they just drive a huge crane up on to the deck of these barges and drive it up in to the cannel and scoop and pump out the mud and such. I think the coolest part is that when they need another one, and he has lots of them they just build it. This is not just welding that you and I would do, these need to be deep strong welds. If not done right the barge would just brake of it's own weight. You know what else is weird is that they don’t prime or paint the inside of the barge. What the do is before they seal it up they go through the hull and put sterno can all over and when there ready to seal the hull up they ignite all the sterno cans, weld the hull shut and the burning sterno cans burn up all the oxygen there for it will not rust any further That somethin ain't it

[rlaggren]

Hmmm. I think I'd only bet on that after a pressure test... Though I guess w/the inner/outer pressure never too different, a pinhole here and there probably wouldn't let a lot of fresh air in.

Rufus

[Stealth Camper]

That's pretty clever. Seems like I remember from childhood school days that would lead to slightly lower internal pressure than outside. Burning a match in a jar with a lid would pull the lid on tighter if I remember right.

Anyone got a better memory than me?

[ezrablu]

Very interesting stuff, Dennis. Look at the knowledge that can be shared now....what did we do before the world wide web???

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

I’d like to park my both buses, 2 solar trailers and put up the 20’ Tipi and head up the Mississippi river

PS: They use some kind of epoxy primer and paint on the outside of the barge

[Headache]

I’d like to park my both buses, 2 solar trailers and put up the 20’ Tipi and head up the Mississippi river

That would be a sight I'd love to see pics of!

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

With a string rapped around my toe with a hook on the other end hopin to catch me somethin dinner

[Headache]

Catch ya a big ole fat catfish!

[Dennis The Bus Dweller]

Yepper