Had a main pump coupling let go on the 'Mississippi Queen' near Baton Rouge

It happened yesterday afternoon during a gravel pull. The coupling just sheared, no warning at all... we had to shut down and float for about two hours while we swapped it out with the spare. Anyone know a good supplier for heavy-duty split couplings that can handle the vibration on these older ladder dredges?

3 comments

3 Comments

betty_kelly91mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh, that's a rough spot to be in. Having a key part let go with no warning is the worst kind of surprise. Floating for two hours on the river with a load must have been incredibly stressful. I've heard those old ladder dredges can really shake themselves apart. I hope you got the spare in and made it back to the dock without more trouble.

elliot_gibson271mo ago

That two hour float sounds like a total nightmare.

ivanscott1mo agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, those old dredges shaking apart is no joke. Had a pump coupling go on me in a tight bend once, felt like the whole boat was coming apart. Elliot_gibson27 is right, that float is a special kind of panic when you're just waiting for the next thing to break. We were lucky and had the spare bolted in before we hit the next set of rapids.