Ferry Explosion!

Hugh R · 08:28 AM

We blew up a car ferry today on the Mississippi River in New Orleans for an upcoming movie Deja Vu I was about 1/2 second slow on the explosion which was a lot bigger than you see. We'll be repainting the ferry, and doing some other fixes on it and then it will return to service ferry cars from Algier to Canal Street in New Orleans. The last picture is before we blew it up, you can see the primer cord and the gasoline mortars.

Here are a few photos. We used 800 gallons of gasoline and several hundred feet of Primacord.

Hugh R · 04-09-2006, 06:12 PM

Left out one pic

Rick V · 04-09-2006, 06:12 PM

Man I want your Job!

Jared at Pelican Parts · 04-09-2006, 06:19 PM

FIRE! heh heh

Cool

island911 · 04-09-2006, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh R
Left out one pic

Wow!

Mean while, back at the local prolitariate camp, 432 people took time off work and waited in line to have their cars sniffed for unburned hydrocarbons.

FrayAdjacent911 · 04-09-2006, 06:27 PM

If that were me, it would be like this:

Fine woman: So, what do you do for a living?
Me: I blow $hit up.

Hugh R · 09:33 PM

As I said, I was about 1/2 second slow on the initial explosion. The entire ferry was engulfed down to the waterline. Rats, I can't believe my camera took too long. Gotta get a faster camera. And, get this, there were 15 special effects guys on the ferry when it happened!! They were deep inside the ferry in rooms with no windows and the water tight doors locked down. They had on fireman turnouts and charged firehoses to put the fire out afterwards. The fire was out in less than two minutes.

vash · vash's Garage

damn hugh, you need an intern?

i would love a job that didnt put me to sleep! so who is the big moviestar in deja vu?

Jared at Pelican Parts · 04-09-2006, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FrayAdjacent911
If that were me, it would be like this:

Fine woman: So, what do you do for a living?
Me: I blow $hit up.

ROFL

Por_sha911 · Por_sha911's Garage

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh R

Someone tell me why its OK to blow up 800 gallons of gas but the environmental wackos want to pay smog nazis to be sure that my car to has a catalytic converter?

BRPORSCHE · 04-09-2006, 07:07 PM

i hate work...I missed it by a hour!

URY914 · URY914's Garage

That looks cool and I'm sure it it fun to do, but this is one of the reasons I don't like "action" movies. It just too over done. I'm sure the director wants it to be big and flashy but it just not real. Nothing explodes like that except in the movies. It's like when a car goes off a cliff and explodes half way down. WHY? Did the driver flick his butt in the gas tank?

If the story calls for the ferry to be hit with fire bomb I quess it is OK, but still.... I know, it's what people want to see. I'm too much of a realist.

Sorry for the highjack. Nice work.

BRPORSCHE · 04-09-2006, 07:47 PM

Hugh--I'm looking for the @#$% usb cable, so I can download the MP3 from Kathy's camera. I found the cable for Tom's, so I'll post the jpgs from his camera with this post.

Thanks for the wonderful afternoon. I've never seen anything quite like that......Gerry

this is one of the cameras setting up. More were on a barge (down the ladder) and up on the bridge.

If you look closely, you can see 55 gasllon drums and parts of cars flying in the air. A sinking car made the big splash in front of the ferry.

BRPORSCHE · 04-09-2006, 08:05 PM

Here's more.

If you look closely in that last pic, you can see the camera mounted on the front of the chopper.

This last one is a pic of today's photographers. Kathy (BRPORSCHE's moderator--i.e., his mom) and Hugh.

BRPORSCHE · 04-09-2006, 08:11 PM

Hugh--These are the shots Monica took of the cars that were "fished" out of the river. Look for these in a Baton Rouge used car lot tomorrow.

Monica wants to know whether you need a summer intern?

rattlsnak · rattlsnak's Garage

Uh, repainting the ferry and returning it to service???

i use those ferrys all the time!!

Hugh R · 09:31 PM

Vash:

Denzel Washington is the Hero, and the supremely bad guy who blows up the ferry as a domestic terrorist is Jim Caviezel (last gig he was Jesus in "Passion of the Christ"), guess he doesn't want to get type-cast. Its an FBI action thriller, and I can't give away any more except to tell you that its a really, really good script. Lots of action. I'm not sure when its coming out, but go and see it in a movie theatre, we make more money on movie tickets than DVD rentals. Its directed by Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide).

Howard Agency · 04-09-2006, 09:29 PM

Great stuff. Thanks for posting!

Jims5543 · 04-10-2006, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh R
I'm not sure when its coming out, but go and see it in a movie theatre, we make more money on movie tickets than DVD rentals. Its directed by Tony Scott (Top Gun, Crimson Tide).

I am fully planning on seeing this in the theater. I'll give you a call to come by and babysit my 2 y/o so we can go out and see our 1 movie a year in the theater. j/k

I wish we could get out to the theater more. We rarely do anything alone. I am not complaining, we prefer to spend our spare time as a family doing things. So grown up movies are out.

This sounds like a good movie. Not a huge fan of Denzel but in all honesty his movies are good. I have been plesently suprised by all of his recent efforts.

dhoward · dhoward's Garage

Hugh,
"Gasoline mortars"?
Is there a charge of some sort that disperses the gas prior to ignition?