Appreciation post for the old timer in Port Arthur

Back in 2018, I was running a dredge in Port Arthur and this old timer pointed out I was cutting too deep on the north side of the channel. He showed me how the sand bar was shifting there every spring, and after that I never had to pull up a hung cutter head again. Any of you guys deal with sand bars that move based on the season?

3 comments

3 Comments

kim.jake29d ago

Oh man, that's rough! I feel for you having to deal with folks who don't take the warning seriously. Those cutter heads aren't cheap to replace, and it's a real pain when you're the one who has to break the news to the boss.

betty_kelly91mo agoTop Commenter

Hell I gotta call you out on that "north side of the channel" part. Ive run a small crew down in that same area for years and the sand bar shift is actually worse on the south side come late winter. The way the currents sweep around the jetties pushes the sandpile way harder down south. You gotta watch it around March when the thaw starts. North side gets some movement but its nothing compared to what builds up on the south side. Ive seen guys burn out their cutter heads cause they didnt believe me on that.

miles_hall29d ago

Oh great, now I gotta consult a dang calendar before I start digging! Might as well pack a pair of reading glasses for the sand bar and a sundial for the current. Betty, you're telling me there's a whole other sandbar conspiracy on the south side? At this rate I'll need a GPS tracker for every grain of sand in Port Arthur. And here I thought my old timer buddy was just being dramatic about the whole thing.