BUT - BUT I liked the Story ,,,,,,,,,
Doesn't surprise me, considering what happened to us coming up the Mississippi River from New Orleans in 1995
We broke loose from the Tug Boat pushing us North Bound towards Saint Louis, at 2am in the morning on a Foggy early morning, busted all cables and snag lines attached to our Ship, a 600 foot vessel.
Everybody on our Vessel was asleep, except me, my shift was from midnight to noon 7 days a week.
I was outside the engine room have a cigarette break,,,, and I noticed we were Drifting on our own back Southwards, so I ran woke up the Captain, turns out both our Captain and the TUGBOAT pilot had fallen asleep and the River current turned both Northward vessels sideways busting & snapping all steel cables setting us a drift on our own
so,,,, whats the problem
??????
The problem is that I-57 interstate hi-way Bridge were heading for at about 10 knots, that crosses the Mississippi river from Missouri into Illinois,,, that's what !!!!
All horns were set off and all hands on Deck, and I was sent back to wake up the Tugboat Captain in the Wheel house / Pilot House ,, who was sitting in the Captains Chair asleep
we had to hurry as the bridge was coming up fast , and we all had to get under our own power start all engines on both vessels quickly
We ended up barely missing the bride by 4 feet clearance , I watched from the starboard side as we passed the pier pilings by about 4 feet clearance heading back south bound
we were supposed to be heading Northbound but the swift current took us and flipped both vessels
we got back under control finally on our own and turned around and headed back north bound
only to get farther up the river and find out we were to Tall to Clear the brides goin' into Saint Louis,, which meant calling in super size cranes to take off the Pilot House and set it on the back deck then proceed farther north into & past Saint Louis and past the Lochs just North of Saint Louis where we then spent 2 more days putting the Pilot House / Wheel House back to its original location !
only cost $150,000 for 2 cranes and 2 days and an experienced crew.
So the story is because I had to have a smoke break that early morning, I ended up saving the I-57 Interstate bridge in 1995 from a possible collapse and our vessels sinking in the Mississippi river and possibly some crew deaths too if not all including myself maybe.
that's 1 time I can actually say - Smoking actually Saved my life as well as others and an interstate bridge too and the motorists on that bridge !
Winston tastes good,,, like a Cigarette should !!!
Mines NO Urban Legand or Myth tho :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lighthouse_and_naval_vessel_urban_legend [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSSi1Sy-vug[/youtube]
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