Docking an Oil Tanker

Portland Pipeline receives several tankers a week. The process of bringing a
tanker in is always a carefully choreographed event. The tankers are around a
1,000 feet long and they don’t stop easily. The pilot and docking master with
his tugboats are responsible for the 50,000 tons of oil aboard.
1. The tanker Luzon Spirit enters the main shipping channel after picking up a
pilot. By law ships entering a harbor must have a local pilot. Only vessels
which call this homeport can enter without a pilot. Modern navigational aids,
although they help the pilot, cannot replace his skill or judgment. He knows the
currents and tides and typical wind direction as well as the boat traffic in his
harbor.
2. The pilot leaves the vessel at Spring Point Ledge Light and the docking
master goes aboard to direct the ship into a berth at Portland Pipeline. The
tugboats, Pete (7,000 hp) and Fournier Girls (5000 hp) of Portland Towboat and
Docking Co. at the bow and stern move the Laura, bow first toward the pier. They
communicate by radio with the docking master but they also use the old system of
whistles.
3. The tugs act as a team, one at the stern to brake the momentum and the
other to guide the bow.The ship has large arrows painted on the sides to
indicate where it is safe for the tugs to apply pressure.
4. Gradually the ship turns as it approaches the berth.
5. Two tugs snug the Laura in close to the pier.
Notice the boom spread around the ship. The tanker will have holding tanks
emptied and water and other supplies brought aboard. The boom contains possible
spills.
6. On a day with high winds and rising seas it can take a great deal of effort
to move the giant tanker in close to the pier. In all of these photos the
weather is clear and the sea calm, but all of this work routinely goes on in
foul weather or heavy fog.
7. Now off-loaded, the Orkney Spirit rides high in the water with its plimsoll
line showing clearly. The plimsoll line marks full capacity for a ship. It would
not be safe to load a ship so that the hull is lower than this line.
8. Her job safely done the tug heads back to port.

Pier 2 Improvement Project
Portland Pipe Line Corporation

Pier 2 was constructed in 1956 and extends approximately 1,000 feet over the
water from an outfitting pier originally used to construct Liberty Ships during
World War II. The outfitting section of the pier is also approxi­mate­ly 1,000
feet in length.
Pier 2 will undergo major strengthening and renovation work during the summer
and fall of 2002. Following completion of the work on the pier, the adjacent
berth area will be dredged to 57 feet during the November 2002 to March 2003
period.
The Pier 2 Improvement Project was commissioned to allow tankers carrying more
cargo to dock at the pier and includes the following major components:
• Driving stronger, larger piles to supplment existing piles, increasing the
unloading platform deck area, and replacing the existing fendering system with
state of the art fenders
• Replacing the existing hose and unloading arms with new unloading arms and
adding an improved hydraulic connection system
• Installing “smart” hook and mooring line management technology
• Upgrading fire response capabilities
• Dredging the berth area around the pier

Back to page 1 of "What Ship is This"