Blew a hydraulic hose on the Mississippi River near St. Louis - took 6 hours to fix

I was dredging a tight bend and felt a bump that I thought was just debris. Then I saw fluid spraying everywhere from a burst hose on the boom arm. I had to shut down, radio the tow boat to hold position, and wait for a parts run from a shop 45 minutes away. The whole fix, from bleeding the system to pressure testing, ate up almost my entire shift. Anyone else keep a spare hose kit onboard after a nasty breakdown like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles94626d agoTop Commenter

Did your insurance cover the tow bill while you were dead in the water?

lily_singh226d ago

Yes! I had to get towed about 30 miles after my car just died on the highway and my insurance actually covered the whole thing. I was so relieved because I thought I'd be stuck paying like $200 out of pocket. They sent a truck within 45 minutes too, so that was nice. I always add roadside assistance to my policy now after that nightmare. It's only like an extra couple bucks a month and totally worth it.