Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
"'Bama boatyards evaluate damage done by Katrina," Bayou La Batre, Louisiana boatbuilders |
Collection |
National Fisherman Articles by Larry Chowning |
Catalog Number |
2020.9.2.314 |
Date |
NOVEMBER, 2005 |
Scope & Content |
NATIONAL FISHERMAN, NOVEMBER, 2005, Pg. 47 AROUND THE YARDS, SOUTH "'Bama boatyards evaluate damage done by Katrina," By Larry Chowning Boatbuilders in Bayou La Batre, Ala., battened down hatches in preparation for Hurricane Katrina and most were able to weather one of the worst hurricanes in memory, but there are a lot of pieces left to pick up. Just before Katrina made landfall it dropped from a category-5 to a category- 4 hurricane, but that wasn’t much conso- lation with wind speeds around 145 miles per hour at some spots. "The problem with this hurricane was that it was a massive storm," says Charles Rodriguez Sr. of Rodriguez Boat Builders. "The worst winds hit land 100 miles west of Bayou La Batre, but it did as much damage here as I’ve ever seen." Rodriguez compares Katrina to hurri- cane Frederick in 1979, when the com- munity took a direct hit. "Frederick had more wind but didn’t do the damage because Katrina came with a 20-foot storm surge," Rodriguez says. Rodriguez got in a skiff Aug. 30, the day after the storm, and counted 87 shrimp boats, up to 90-feet long, beached in the marshes. Some were so far from the water that Rodriquez says it will take a crane mounted on skids and environ- mentalist turning their heads the other way to get the boats out. The Rodriguez family has five shrimp boats, and luckily only one of their boats was beached. "We had a $ 12-million boat underway in the yard for an oil company and nowhere to go with it,’’Tie says. "On Sun- day the day before the storm, I called the crew in and we cut big holes in the sides and in the ballast tanks so water could rise and fall in the hull. That’s what saved her." .Rodriguez lost most of his carpenter shed, large woodworking equipment, electric pumps and new gear for boats that are being built. "Everything was insured so we feel mighty lucky," he says. On Sept. 7, Rodriguez said he had his crew in on Labor Day cleaning up the grounds and getting the place ready for work. That day he had electricity working in one-third of the yard. Steiner Shipyard lost all of the com- pany’s welding machines and five employees lost their homes, reports Tara Steiner Marshall. "Everywhere in Bayou La Batre, everything is in disarray and spread all over," she says. Steiner was able to get new welding machines in on Sept. 9, and the boatyard hoped to be in full operation by Sept. 12. The storm’s impact goes beyond the boatyards. The local bank will not open for 60 days, and most of the seafood buy- ers and processors had major damage or were blown away. B & B Shipyard got Katrina’s "wave" or storm surge, which knocked a new shrimp boat hull destined for Africa off the rails and sent several boats into the marshes and woods. B & B also lost its storage warehouse, and a lot of equipment is in the bayou. Nearby Master Marine had 13 feet of water engulf the yard, though two boats on a dry dock were not damaged. Boat- yard equipment was damaged but the extent had not been determined. By Sept. 10, the yard had electricity and some phones were working. Ocean Marine lost its office and the business telephone is now connected to the home of owner Irvin Jemison. Kelley Jemison, Irvin’s wife, reports that work can’t start back up at the boatyard until several shrimp boats are removed from the dry docks. The shrimp boats, not necessarily Ocean Marine projects, broke loose and landed crossways on the dry docks. They have to be removed with cranes. Jemison moved his cranes to high ground but it was not high enough as they were damaged by the storm surge. His crew is working on the cranes and cleaning up, Kelly Jemison says. La Force Shipyard, Master Boat Builders, and Boconco Shipyard in Bayou La Batre were unable to be reached by phone. Over in Florida, Patti Shipyard in Pensacola caught the tail end of Kat- rina’s winds. Electricity was back a day after the storm and employees returned to work that day. Crews are in the mid- dle of cleanup, but by and large the yard fared pretty well. Patti Shipyard is build- ing a longliner for Alaska. Let’s all give a prayer of hope for all Gulf Coast yards and send what help we can to the region. |
Source |
Chowning, Larry |
Imagefile |
009\202092314.JPG |