Cheap oil boom

T

thataway

Active member
I realize that few of your are on the gulf coast and perhaps even fewer are going to be effected by the spill. But you might pass this along. I have posted it on some of the other widely populated forums. This is the "Austin Boom":

I have experienced a number of oil spills in San Pedro in the 1940's and early 50's--you don't want to get the oil or tar on your boat. Also if possible you want to protect any wetlands. This boom will be protecting a large wetland with a narrow mouth and a canal with a dozen or so boats. Commercial booms cost about $30 a foot. They are stronger and better--but in calm waters, this will work well. Materials are resistant to the tars and petroleum products.
I have now finished my first boom. It is 85 feet long and cost about $60. I say to all of you who have shoreline or boats in the water, it is advisable to protect them the best you can.

The core of the boom is "pool noodles" from Wal-Mart (Sams, sporting goods stores). I used alternate 4" and 3" noodles strung on a 3/8" polypropylene rope. The major issue was going to be how to secure the 3 mil vinyl sheeting around the pool noodles. It turned out that a good high temp hot glue gun did the trick. You want the glue to just start to melt the sheeting and then put a block of wood, or a gloved hand on that glob of glue which is between the sheets of vinly. It fuses the sheets together, and allows a good secure rap around the noodles. I obtained 50' x 3' roll of sheeting and cut it in half. This gave me 100 feet of sheeting. I have also two 10' 3/8" rebar which I have cut into 20 1 foot pieces. These will be glued into the sheathing to give some barrier just below the surface.

The boom will be stapled to a bulkhead on one side and to a dead tree on the bank on the other side, with Monel staples--this will allow for tidal variation. It is an area protected fairly well from the chop. I am putting an 18" bright red ball in the center ($2) Wal mart--in a woven net.
 
If the oil goes up east cost very far and messes up wet land you might have every duk on eastern flyway stopping at your place! :lol:
Martin
 
Great idea Bob, saw your description earlier. Having seen some of the spills in my Navy life, it can be real bad if you don't protect your things. Wonder if we could put one between Cuba and Key West to keep it from getting to the East Coast. :roll:

If it gets around the tip of FLA and into the Gulf Stream, it'll be a whole 'nother story. Hope that the containment contraption works!

Charlie
 
I just saw a media report about human hair being used in oil booms. Apparently, it's perfect; absorbs oil, does not break down etc. THey showed a salon collecting it and shipping off somewhere for use in the Gulf. Who woulda thunk it?
 
The human air in panty hose is being gathered in this area. There are many absorbant materials. One post going around is that some farmer outsmarted all of the high tech folks and suggested straw and various grasses--Guess what? They were using that in the 1940's and it made a heck of a mess. Try and pick up all of that hay covered with crude oil!
There are better ways! We will use oil adsorb pads if we trap any oil.
 
Back in the day.(1963) .. I was a Seaman Apprentice in the Navy...I was on watch in the Oakland Estuary...midnight to 4am....on roaving patrol... and I noticed oil in the water... I reported it.... and the Officer of the Deck scolded me....he said it was normal........but I wrote it in my log every hour... in the morning when they discovered a barge close to us had sunk... he got the scolding...I was thrilled... sure made a mess... I loved it... I bet he could have killed me for writing it in my log....

Joel
SEA3PO
 
I must have shot this one down a dozen times. This is nothing new. The technique was used in oil spills in the 30's and perhaps before. I grew up on the docks in San Pedro CA. In the 40's there were frequent crude oil spills, and hay or straw was used to clean it up. Sort of...it ended up being a huge mess, with straw covered with oil all over the boats, the docks and shoreline.

There is a lot of difference between a couple of Stainless Steel bowls some used motor oil and hundreds (probably thousands by now) of miles of ocean, salt water, crude oil and multiple fractions of the oil.

On another note, someone has taken to stealing the booms. Over $200,000 worth of booms were stolen some time Sunday Night in Pensacola Bay. Pretty low life-and if they get caught---most likely the fishermen will take care of them before calling the cops.
 
Am I the only one thinking that oil spills keep happening... and, still no way to contain the stuff? What is done different now than after Alaska's Valdez mess...and other oil messes over the past 50 years? Lessons learned, simply do not seem to be happening here. Kinda interesting big oil and big politics and small solutions...or ...non existent solutions.
 
I have lost faith that our government is capable of much in this mess, other that pointing fingers. Our solution is we're taking the boat down to the Okeechobee Waterway, Tuesday, so it will be in fresh water for the summer.

Personally I don't care if it's hay, hair, or anything else, as long as progress is made, and there seems to be little of that going on.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCh3y5ycfns
 
I saw some of the "progress" today. I had heard that there was a boom placed across Perdido Bay, where HWy 98 bridge goes to Lillian Al. I rode down there in the Caracal, and there was about a mile of boom, streaming at right angles to the bridge and parallel to the shore--attatched to the bridge abutments, and some anchor at the far end. There was another short piece of boom tied to a tree further up the bay.

There were SIX boats from MS, each having 2 crew aboard, with shirts of some marine contractor logo. They were all tied up to the bridge. I asked what was going on. They were "taking a break"--but working on the boom--it had been in that place for 3 days already. I asked if it was going to be put across the bay, to protect from a spill. "nope" its staying right there" I asked who they worked for--"Contract for BP"--

These 12 guys are getting paid somewhere about $18 an hour to sit by a boom which is not being used--and is at least 100 miles from any oil--plus at least $1000 a day for each of the boats.

We (consumer of fuel and tax payer) will pay for this. I just don't understand it all.
 
Saw a report last night that Louisiana shrimp boat owners are organized and skimming on their own. One mayor of a coastal town said "Too many chiefs..." when refering to BP. Nothing but finger pointing in D.C. What a mess.
 
So you have a reference? Locally they have told people not to try and handle the oil by their selves (we are still going to depoly our boom, when/if the time comes as a secondary boom.

One of the problems is what to do with the skimmed oil or contaminated booms.
I have a plan, but the boom I made is only 85 feet long, and can be easily cut and put into trash bags.
 
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