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Got stuck on a job in the Gulf for three extra days because of a snapped umbilical line

We were doing a simple hull clean on a supply boat off Galveston last week when my comms and air line got caught on a sharp edge and tore clean through. The backup system worked fine, but the surface crew had to wait for a new umbilical to ship in from Houston, which took three days. Sitting on the barge with no real work to do while the clock ticked on the contract was a special kind of boring. It really drove home how one small piece of gear can shut a whole job down. Anyone have a good trick for spotting those hidden sharp spots before you send a diver down?
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3 Comments
felix_black
Yeah, that's the worst... I've heard some teams do a dry run with a dummy line first, just to snag on any hidden edges. Seems like extra work, but it beats sitting around for days. Might be worth the hassle next time.
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grace89
grace892mo agoMost Upvoted
Honestly that's just good planning in general. People skip the small prep steps to save time, then waste way more fixing the mess. It's a trap I fall into too.
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susan_wright34
Ever try a glow stick on the line? Might make those edges pop in murky water.
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