We spotted these two vessels on the Potomac River as we were departing from Washington, DC. From their markings, one can decipher that they are operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The vessel in the upper photo with a basket mounted on a forklift type hydraulic unit will scoop up large branches and logs floating in the water. The vessel in the lower photo is of the same design, however for this operation has a small barge attached in the front. The upper vessel scoops up the debris and deposits the material on the barge of the lower vessel. Just think of it as a very expensive dust pan and brush.
Are you sure those are government boats? I don't see a half dozen workers standing around, leaning on shovels.
ReplyDeleteYes Pam and Dave - This is a government run operation. There are 25 pencil pushers sitting behind desks keeping this operation afloat. This is a very much needed service as you will note in the photo from the size of the logs retrieved from the Potomac River. After all, we wouldn't want our congressmen to spill their adult beverages after bumping into one of these yule logs!
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