21 Jan 2019
Stayed up late last night watching the Super Blood Wolf Moon. iPhones don't do a very good job of capturing events like that. It looked great through the monocular.
This morning I called the local Dodge RAM dealership service department as our pickup has developed a very intermittent high-pitched noise. As with most dealerships, there is a diagnostic charge that is waived when repairs are made, in this case $130. We would also have to rent a car while it is in the shop. We decided to go for a lengthy drive and see if we could get it to make the noise, and then head for the dealership for a drive with the service tech. Well we ended up driving way north and then back south to the dealership, nearly 40 miles and no noise. So, until it gets worse or at least until we can duplicate it.
So as long as we were out and about we decided to drive to Galveston to see the Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum.
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| The Ocean Star today |
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| How the Ocean Star looked in operation |
The Ocean Star Drilling Rig and Museum was a fully operational drilling rig that was taken out of service and converted into an educational center and museum. It was built at the Bethlehem Steel Shipyard in Beaumont TX in 1969. It was decommissioned in 1984 and purchased by the Offshore Energy Center in 1995. It was originally a "jack-up rig" and could operate in up to 173 feet of water. The resulting well could be drilled to a depth of 25,000 feet!
We paid for our tickets and then walked down the pathway to the Ocean Star where we were greeted by Michael. Today was Michael's last day and he is moving to Florida. The staff was very sad to be losing him.
So the museum is actually on the drilling rig on three floors. On the first floor and third floor you exit the museum and actually walk about the drilling rig. They have positioned various pieces of equipment on the drilling rig that you can inspect. Here are a few pictures:
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| Rig workers coming to work stand on this and are raised by a crane to the platform |
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| A drilling head |
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| Core samples that are analyzed to determine how much oil and gas are at that level/location |
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| Various drilling heads |
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| The drilling is not just vertical, as shown here. |
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| Dive gear used in shallower operations |
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| Rigid, pressurized dive gear allows deeper and longer dives |
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| The "Christmas Tree", includes control valves, pressure gauges and chokes used to control the flow of oil and gas from the well after it is completed |
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| This looks like a big generator but it is actually a "cementing unit", used to pump concrete in the space between the casing and the bore hole to seal it. |
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| This is a work-class remotely operated vehicle WROV can operate at least 9000 ft down and do all sorts of operations |
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| The rescue capsule can hold up to 28 workers should they have to abandon the drilling rig |
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| Inside the "Mudlogging Cabin". The rock cuttings are analyzed under a microscope to detect gas and oil |
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| What the operation looks like above the water |
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| What the operation looks like under the water |
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| The "Harvest Platform" |
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| Doreen with the drilling rig in the background |
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| The helicopter platform |
This was a very interesting and educational place! We then headed down to the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa.
The 1877 Tall Ship Elissa was a
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| The Elissa today, partially obscured by the dock |
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| How the Elissa looks back in the day |
The Elissa is an iron-hulled sailing ship with three masts. She was built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland by Alexander Hall & Company. The original builder's plate is still in place on the aft mast:
There are 19 sails all together and they would cover over 1/4 of an acre area! There is a lengthy history of the ship and we watched a movie first before touring the vessel. The ship has gone through several transformations, being retrofitted with an engine, etc. In 1970 it was found in the scrap yard in Greece and was salvaged by a non-profit group and restored. It is a magnificent ship and is fully functional. She sailed to New York to participate in the Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration. Here are some pictures:
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| The Galley |
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| The teakwood has been beautifully restored |
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| The iron hull |
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| Generator in the engine room |
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| Engine room |
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| First Mate's cabin |
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| Pantry |
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| The 'Saloon' area of the Captain's office |
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| Captain's office |
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| The capstan |
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| The charter house |
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| The wheel and mechanism that converts rotary motion of the wheel to steer the rudder |
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| The masts and lines used to hoist the sails are massive! |
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| The compass |
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| Where we headed, Captain?! |
After returning to to the RV park Doreen and I walked Liberty down to the pier, which is owned by the RV Park.
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| The path leading down to the pier |
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| From the end of the pier looking back towards shore |
We passed what appeared to be a huge house that sits unoccupied, in need of repair. They would probably make you a deal!!
Tomorrow at 1000 hrs we tour Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros
1 comment:
Interesting to see the oil drilling rig, the drill heads and other items. Not very often you get to see those up close and understand how they work. Nana: you have a license to drive that ship?!
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