U.S. NAVY SALVAGE REPORT DEEPWATER HORIZON ... - ESSM

Chapter 1: Introduction
During the months of May and June, pictures of SUPSALV boom or SUPSALV skimming teams
made it into local newspapers and were picked up by the national wires. As a result of this high
level of visibility, SUPSALV’s Oil Spill Response management team in Gulfport, MS, provided a
number of briefings and tours and considerable time was spent responding to written inquiries.
1-4.6 Weather – Sea State
Weather impacted ocean skimming operations a number of times during the 4-1/2 month
operation. Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricane Alex were the two named storms that hit the
Gulf that summer but high waves and wind associated with unnamed storms also reduced the
team’s effectiveness. The Vessel of Opportunity Skimmer System (VOSS) teams were directly
impacted by the weather. They sought shelter in port during the named storms, were forced to
take in their gear above sea state 3 or 4 and lost skimming effectiveness above sea state 2.
Oil containment booms were also affected by weather conditions. Unlike skimming vessels,
which could retreat in advance of storm conditions, boom, once set, had to ride out heavy
weather. This resulted in torn, damaged, and unmoored boom being washed up on shore or, as
in the case of boom laid in East Bay, LA, against oil well heads. Figure 1-2 shows an oil
containment boom which was torn from its moorings and washed ashore after Tropical Storm
Bonnie.
Figure 1-2. Oil Containment boom washed up on the shore of East Bay.
This boom was blown from its moorings (tied to well heads) after an
August storm on the Gulf.
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