New toys! New toys!

The company I work for has been working towards putting in a wind turbine ever since I came here. There were talks and negotiations. Finally, the deal was about to be struck then the bottom fell out of the market. Steel price went wacky as China was gobbling up production, the currency exchange was unfavorable and the recession was in full swing. It seemed like we’d never get our turbine. Then, when all seemed forgotten, the deal was struck, the turbine was built and today it arrived in Gloucester harbor by barge.

I was hopping that I’d catch some shots of the barge coming through the front yard, however they brought it in while I was in the shower! Oh well, life goes on.

Lifting the hub that will hold the three blades.

The 2.5Mwatt turbine has arrived in port. It came through my front yard and I didn’t see it. But on my way to work, I did spy the barge at the Cruise Port. During lunch I went down to State Fish Pier to get some snaps.

For the last few week, there have been cranes building even bigger cranes at the Cruise Port and at the job site. This monster is lifting the sections off of the barge.

I took this shot from the Maritime Gloucester pier after work.

Back to the lunchtime photoshoot.

I think that is a generator at the end of the barge. There is the Success lending a hand from Chelsea, Massachusetts, just north of Boston.

Lifting some of the cargo. (Why does cargo go by boat and shipments go by truck? Sorry, I digressed.)

Above, the Orion up from Boston lending a hand. The barge Chemcaribe below.

Just to give you some scale, some of the crew stand beside one of the tower sections. And look. It hasn’t been in Gloucester for a day and the sea gulls have already made it feel at home.

The tips of the three blades.

This is going to be a big turbine. I’ll show you more pictures later. Cheers.