Interesting Boats: Giant Super-Skimmer A. Whale Sails to Gulf

It's now time for Obama to get off his ass, stop protecting U.S. organized labor, tell the E.P.A. and U.S.C.G to get the hell out of the way, and give this vessel and crew a chance to clean up the mess in the Gulf. All it needs is an OK from the E.P.A., the U.S.C.G. and a temporary exemption from the Jones Act, the latter requiring Presidential authority. Duh! Like what the hell is he waiting for?

The A. Whale is a Liberian flagged, Taiwanese-owned supertanker that was just retrofitted in Portugal as a humongous skimmer. According to the vessel's owners, it can skim and recover 500,000 barrels per day of an oil/water mix. It can process the mix on board and pump mostly water back into the ocean.

Although this vessel is untried and unproven, it is a potentially life-saving addition to the Gulf of Mexico clean-up effort.

This vessel fueled-up in Norfolk yesterday and is en route to the Gulf today. However, it can't start operations without Presidential action.

Please, Mr. President, stop worrying about those Union heads who helped get you elected and make this happen.

~seabgb