Blew a hydraulic hose on the Mississippi last Tuesday, lost half a shift

I was working a cutterhead dredge near Vicksburg, clearing out a silt buildup by the river bend. Around 10 AM, a 1-inch return line just burst right at the fitting, spraying oil everywhere. Had to shut down the pump, radio the shore crew, and wait 45 minutes for a replacement hose to come out on the supply boat. The whole time I'm thinking, I should've replaced that line last month when I noticed the fraying. Has anyone else had a hose fail on them in the middle of a job and what did you do to get back running faster?

2 comments

2 Comments

ericjackson24d ago

Lost a discharge hose on the Ohio last summer, same kind of mess.

the_ray23d ago

Used to think a loose hose was no big deal, just a quick fix on the water. That was before I saw what happens when one lets go on the Ohio in the middle of summer. All that muck and oil just coats everything, took me two days to clean the bilge out proper. Definitely changed my mind on checking those clamps every single trip.