Saturday, July 17, 2010

Put Lipstick Behind a Pig…

…and it’s still a pig. 

SkaugranMtStHelens

Even the truncated glory of Mt. St. Helens can’t do much to mask the clunkiness of a car carrier. 

There’s a reason for all of the visual shortcomings.  With Ro-Ros (roll on, roll off vessels), mile-high freeboard and ungainly appendages (fold down ramps, ventilation stacks, etc.) come with the territory.  They’re all part of getting their job done with maximum efficiency and without killing anyone.

If memory serves me correctly, this is one of the older car carriers in service, having been in the workforce about as long as I have.

Details really show her age.  Her hull plates are buckling twixt her frames, and she’s badly in need of the attention of grinders, needle guns and paint.  But, when you hear her pass, you know her heart’s in good shape.  The thrum of her screw blades thrashing the water were backed up by the steady drone of her power plant as the threw out her formidable bow wave.

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