In 2005 Gulf Copper purchased a very large drydock (AFDB-9) in Philadelphia. The drydock was inactive and one of the largest in the United States at that time. Our Vice President Jonathan Hale took a small crew of men to Philadelphia to reactivate the drydock and prepare it for tow to Galveston. This was a challenging project, especially considering it involved winter weather and on some days, waist deep snowdrifts on the deck.

One day, while working on the drydock, the men noticed 2 peregrine falcons dive bombing another bird near the wingwall. Upon closer inspection, Jonathan noticed that the other bird was a large owl and all three birds had nested in the wingwall openings. It was a very unique circumstance especially since the birds appeared to stay with the drydock as it eventually left Philly under tow towards Galveston. Whether or not the birds made it all the way to Texas is not known, but they were always considered an omen of good luck. Our experience with this drydock was excellent and created many jobs for our Galveston yard.

Fast forward 17 years, and you see that Gulf Copper has purchased another large drydock to replace the AFDL-9. This drydock is in the Bahamas and represents an even bigger challenge to reactivate and relocate to Galveston. Once again the project is headed by Jonathan with assistance from our full team.

Last week, as Jonathan went aboard the drydock in the Bahamas to start the workday he noticed something strange on the deck. Lo and behold it was an owl, also nesting in the wingwall. He is convinced this is another good omen for Gulf Copper’s success on this project. His granddaughter has named the owl “Owly”, a “wise” choice.