Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
covery
's port side almost exactly parallel to the berth. It is a simple, graceful execution re-
miniscent of Michelle Kwan doing a one-foot turn, if her ice skate was 895 feet long.
It's 1725. The closer the tanker gets to the dock, the quieter it gets on the bridge. Two
tugs tie off to the starboard side and using them, both rudders, both screws and the bow
thruster, Pierce, watching the ship and the dock through the windows and issuing com-
mands to the mate at the controls, begins walking the ship into Berth 4.
The Port of Valdez presents a lot of challenges to the marine pilot, among them a con-
stantly changing degree of salinity in the water due to snow melt off the mountains meet-
ing the salt sea water coming up the Arm. “At certain times of year you can almost drink
the water at the dock,” Pierce says. The degree of salinity affects the buoyancy of vessels,
how high or low they ride in the water. The
Polar Discovery
is in ballast, empty of cargo,
and is riding high in the water. This means a lot of her hull is exposed to the wind.
The current, notoriously unpredictable here, is running very strongly. Pierce works the
Polar Discovery
in to about a hundred feet off the dock. “Put yourself in a good position,”
Pierce says. “Everything else you can fix.”
The commands come fast now, issued in a calm voice that is never raised. “Go hard
right rudder.” “Stop bow.” “Stop port engine.” “Stop starboard engine.” “Rudders amid-
ships.” “Starboard astern four.” “Hard right port.” “Thruster half port.” “All stop.”
1742. “I suspect if we just leave everything alone,” Pierce says.
The deck crew is in the bow and stern, waiting to throw out lines. The dock crew is
waiting to catch them. The ship doesn't move. “We've got current today,” Pierce says.
“She ain't going in there. I'm sorry, boys, we've got to start over. Both tugs push easy.”
“Stop both tugs.” “All stop.”
The tanker doesn't move any closer to the dock. “With wind on the dock,” Pierce says,
“and two 9000-horsepower tugs, she's still not moving. Both tugs push half.” “Both boats
easy.” “Both boats push dead slow.”
1805. The
Polar Discovery
is made fast to Berth 4. Pierce fills out a trip ticket and
Knowlton signs it. Pierce calls Valdez Traffic to report in, and gives them an estimated de-
parture time the next morning of 8am. He takes his leave and departs the ship. He'll spend
the night in Valdez and undock the ship the next day.
No two dockings in Valdez are the same.
