That morning on the Mississippi where my cutterhead locked up and I learned a hard lesson on debris

I was working a stretch near Baton Rouge, about 5 miles south of the port. Hit something underwater, big log maybe, and the cutterhead just seized. Had to bring up the ladder, spent 4 hours flushing mud out of the gearbox. Maintenance guy said I should have been running the flow meter slower in that silt. Has anyone else had their cutterhead lock up from hidden debris?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretj407h ago

Bet that maintenance guy's been waiting to say "I told you so".

benlewis6h ago

Three times last month I saw the same pattern play out at my local coffee shop. The barista told the new hire the blender pitcher needed to go on the bottom shelf after use or it'd crack on the counter edge. Guy didn't listen, pitcher cracked, and @margaretj40 you're exactly right - the barista just gave this slow nod while cleaning it up. It's the same thing with my neighbor's lawn mower, the mechanic told him to use ethanol-free gas last spring, he used regular gas, and now the carburetor is shot and he's getting the same quiet "told you so" treatment. People just don't want to hear it until the damage is done.