Over the years I have heard

various things measured in various ways. I have measured speed in miles per hour, feet per second and even furlongs per fortnight. 

I have measured weights in tons, metric tons, pounds, ounces, grams and numerous others.

I have measured volumes in pints, gallons,ounces, liters, cubic meters, barrels and and numerous other units of volume

The most interesting way I have ever measured water is by the hour.

Barges generally don't get near shoreside water supplies. Many docks are supposed to have it but they shirk the rule by listing it as non-potable. Sometimes when we tie up at a company pier we can get water but generally we get it from a tugboat.

That's often hit ot miss. I think a big part of it was that several decades ago someone started a rumor that the water given to a barge comes out of the skipper's pocket at a buck a gallon because trying to get water from some of the skippers causes much moaning, wailing and gnashing of teeth. The handful of dumbasses out there probably still believe the ancient rumor from the days of galleys of oarsmen.

Actually most of them are pretty good about it to be fair.

Still, there are a handful out there that hoard it. When you finally bludgeon them into it they say, "I'll give you and hour's worth."

This means they will have the deckhand hand you the hose with you put into your water inlet and then the deckhand turns on the water. Ten minutes later the skipper tells the engineer to turn off the pump and fifty minutes later the deckhand comes out and takes the hose back.

Needless to say after the first time it happened to me I started sneaking over to the inlet and listened. When the deckhand came out for the hose I simply told him "You owe me another 48 minutes because the Chief turned off the pump." 

Needless to say, I was met with denials and threats so I retreated and picked up the VHF microphone and called the office. I had done the dispatcher any number of favors so the skipper was treated to a chewing out on the air that the entire fleet heard.

In the course of the chewing out the skipper was told to fill my entire tank any time I wanted it even if it ran him dry. 

Still, over the years I have been told "I'll give you an hour." a few times which is oddest way I have ever heard of measuring water.

"How much gas do you need for a fill-up?"

"Oh, about four minutes."

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY