A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Hey Lonesouth: My take is this: There is a large plume of oil out there just waiting until the right moment to jump ashore and kill all the women and children playing at the beach. O.K., that's my attempt at a little humor (not directed towards you but rather the media in general). This is a good and accurate story except I would have to disagree on the diagnosis of there being "hundreds of thousands of mats of oil" out there. Our aerial and boat surveillance over the last few days indicates that there is very little oil left out there on top of the water. We know for a fact that there is some oil buried in the sand and we know that there is oil in the sediment off shore buried as well. Furthermore, we suspect that there is some oil lingering out there in the subsurface, but the amounts out there do not appear to be in quantities that you can see (i.e. you have to sample to find that oil and it's in very low ranges). There was a lot of burning done, there were a lot of dispersents used, a lot of oil was skimmed, and nature has done a lot of work as well. In turn, it doesn't surprise me that we are having a hard time finding oil. Of all of the skimmers used in our AOR yesterday, we recovered no oil........... That's pretty awesome. I'm not saying we are done, I'm not saying there are not going to be long term impacts, I'm saying we need to get the word out that the beaches are looking way better and it's getting hard pressed to find oil on the water, so that our businesses can "Save Our Summer" and try and recover.
Hey Fellas: Currently, all is well and we are moving forward. I am still cautiously optimistic that by the end of this weekend, we will have the “static kill” conducted.
I am promoting the Save Our Summer program. It's not a legitimate program, there is no funding, no sponsors, nothing else, but I offer you this: If you, your buddies, your clients (those that have rental properties, captain licenses, bait shops, restaurants, etc.) want a question answered from someone who has the intel from the inside, throw it this way. Enough is friggen enough, let's try and Save Our Summer and get some funds headed towards the coast. So, ask a question. Post a comment (be prepared for an honest insider's view for an answer, etc). We need to help our local businesses and get some funds headed this way. As the Mayor of Gulf Shores, Al recently told me: "When a storm comes, the weaker trees fall, but the strong ones that stay are the genesis for the future". Needless to say, he's an old tree farmer.
Here's the deal: We are nearing the end to the worst environmental disaster in America's history. That being said, when I say "nearing the end", that's relative. There is work that must be done for years, but that work does not and will not impact the tourists from coming on down and enjoying a great time on our coasts, i.e. the emergency is ending.. Therefore, if you, or your clients, friends, co-workers, in-laws, out-laws, acquaintances, etc. have questions about the spill and need some answers to help decide whether or not they want to head this way some time during the rest of the summer, please shoot a question to this thread, etc. I am extremely busy, however, as you all have deciphered over the summer, I will shoot you straight and will put facts first. I’m just tired of the media beating this neck of the woods down and am ready (here we go quoting Tony Hayward, BP) “to get my life back to normal”………………… What everyone should remember is this: I am a Son Of The Gulf, I am a native Floridian and live in the Area of Response for this spill. So, as I have said before, this spill is not only professional for me, it’s actually personal. Therefore, I want everyone to have factual information, so that they can make informed decisions.
If ya’ll think it’s worthy, I may entertain meeting up at HammaKnockers Oasis down in Ochlochonee Bay for a Question/Answer session to discuss the spill. I am not sure when the next NFGFC meeting is, but I know this, I am headed back to Wakulla on the 6th of August and I will be heading to HammaKnockers that evening for some BBQ. If ya’ll want to get together and kick back a few brews and talk about the spill, I am open for it. I am also cool with coming to the next NFGFC meeting to discuss the spill as well if the schedule permits (probably November time frame). This summer, it seems every time the NFGFC meeting is held, I am away. I promise I will try to make it before too long.
In summary, shoot an email to the thread and let me know if it’s worthy of getting together on the 6th of August to chat about the spill (either way, the beer is cold and the BBQ is good). I will do one of the “roll call” threads to gauge the interest as well. This late in the game, since the oil has stopped, the interest may have faded. Just let me know and we’ll see what we can do to facilitate open and honest dialogue.
Just wanted to let you know how I've enjoyed reading your reports. I'm one of hundreds that have been silent, reading and praying. You have an air of honesty in your reports which I respect. I am well aware of what we think are facts being wrong, changes take place that point us on a different path and so much is unknown or misunderstood but your reports ring true.
Thank you for some sanity and honest information we can trust.
After the well got capped, I had a lot of inquiries about my rental condo at Cape San Blas for the last two weeks of summer and I rented one of the weeks. Folks still want you to give the rental away, but at least they are asking again. I just wish you had been the media coordinator for all the idiots at national broadcast news tv stations. They really butchered the reporting and ruined the summer for so many businesses on the gulf shore.
Looks like the Static Kill has been pushed back a little bit and now may happen on Tuesday morning.
Here is a little piece of work a friend of mine put together (he's an engineer and their minds are a little different, but he makes a good point):
Assume 60,000 barrels a day for 85 days = 5.1 million barrels
5.1 million barrels X 42 gallons/barrel = 214 million gallons = 214 X 10^6 gallons
Volume of Seawater in the Gulf of Mexico = 643 quadrillion gallons = 643 X 10^15 gallons
The ratio of water to oil is (643 X 10^15)/(214 X 10^6) = 3.0 X 10^9
This equates to 1 gallon of oil per 3 billion gallons of seawater! If you have trouble visualizing the aforementioned - Try 1 ounce of oil distributed among 937 In-ground (18 X 36) swimming pools!
Obviously, the oil is not equally distributed throughout the Gulf of Mexico but I am also not considering the amount of oil that has been skimmed, burned or dispersed. I realize this does not help the beaches, marshes and fisheries that are already soiled but if we can concentrate heavily on cleaning these areas, life could return to normal much much sooner. (i.e. I can fish again!)
All of this makes one wonder if an active hurricane season and/or a few more tropical depressions like Bonnie might provide some nice mixing/dilution. (or send the oil via the loop currents to larger bodies of water for more dilution)
Looking at nasty oil on the beach is depressing. Pondering these type of perspectives makes me feel good
Just heard FDA has approved State waters in Miss. and Florida to be opened up for fishing but it's up to the States. Mississippi has already stated they will open some of their waters tonight. "Heard" it may be Monday before Florida does, don't know that to be a fact, just "heard" that. I hope it's quicker, it's the weekend and I'm sure our fellow fishermen over in the western part of the State want their waters opened up as soon as possible.
The pressure on the well is still holding (and climbing little by little). The relief well lines have been cleaned out, casing is going to be in place soon, and everything still points to a Tuesday morning static kill start.
We are starting to have "troubles" in our Area of Response due to the cutting of VOO's, beach cleanup folks, and other contractors. Some of the VOO's that have been taken off hire are boycotting and scuffling with the other boats still working, it's a dang shame. A lot of those off-hire VOO's were paid more on this response than they usually make fishing. Now that they are off-hire they can make a claim and recover costs. I just don't understand the problem personally. There are a lot of people wanting to "hang on" to this response. Let's close out the emergency phase and concentrate on remedial/recovery. Pure craziness.......
Hope all of you got a chance to get out on the water today. Take Care.
Scoop Sea wrote:A lot of those off-hire VOO's were paid more on this response than they usually make fishing. Now that they are off-hire they can make a claim and recover costs. I just don't understand the problem personally. There are a lot of people wanting to "hang on" to this response. Let's close out the emergency phase and concentrate on remedial/recovery. Pure craziness.......
Once the hand out start, the line grows. When the hand outs stop, anger grows. Look at Greece.
I don't do this kind of legal work, but I had a guy I know and that I have fished with ask me if I would take his case. When I asked his case, he said his claim for lost fishing revenue was being denied. I asked him wasn't it true you got paid for you boat and crew patrolling for oil? Yes he replied. Weren't you paid more for that than for fishing? Yes he replied. Where is the problem I asked? Others are getting both. I told him he needed to find the "others" lawyer and use them, because I thought what he was proposing was a sham. He didn't like my answer, but that made us even, because I didn't like his question.
"He didn't like my answer, but that made us even, because I didn't like his question."
Hey MudDucker, I don't know if that quote is a MD original or not, but consider it stolen........... That was great.
I was being very mellow in my post about how I really feel about what has been deemed the BP Welfare Program. At this point in the response we are starting to see the cohesive response postures being replaced with the realities associated with the long term financial implications this response will have. My point being, everyone was willing to throw everything they had at this response to get the oil to stop flowing and the oil cleaned off the water/beaches. Now that the ER portion is subsiding and we are looking long term, folks are starting to realize we don't need as much equipment, staff, etc. This doesn't sit well for those in the cleanup business or those who have grown accustomed to "easy money".
Recently a certain IC told another certain IC (let's use for example, the first IC being an environmental type guy and the second IC being in the hydrocarbon business), why don’t ya’ll see if you could get your claims office co-located with the government public assistance office, so that there could be one stop shopping. I’m just saying….. You thought the Brits didn’t like us before……….
Nothing really new to report. We are still on track to start the Static Kill tomorrow. The liner on the relief well has been run and pressure tests will be conducted today. Once we know everything is good to go on the relief well set up, the static kill can take place. I fully expect that come tomorrow evening we'll have some good news about the static kill.
It's looking fairly good that this well can get killed before the next storm threatens us.
SEMPER FI