Sea Life Chapter 3

American Pegasus

24^th February 1998 to 7^th July 1998

I join this vessel as a Fourth Engineer for the first time, Fourth Engineering Eddie Batch Mate Raphael was there to guide me. This is the sister ship to Orion with a lot of similar setup, the voyage and the people onboard are very interesting. The vessel seldom do STS operation like other vessel because of it's machinery problems, the voyage are fixed to three short voyage to Mexico and one long voyage to Venezuela.

It was the first time I met Chief Officer Vijay, and he always left his collection of magazine in my room whenever he sign off. I met him again later on another ship and the deck crews seem to know who to look for to get their entertainment whenever Chief Officer sign off. Professional Third Engineer Wee always bring me out in Mexico for drinking at the disco pub, and Deck Cadet Randy is the party animal who always try to get me drunk.

The similar incident happen to me and Raphael like what happen to me and Eddie during the major overhaul of the Air Compressor, I thought he would have clear the crankcase while I went to get the lubricating oil, he thought I would have clear the crankcase before I pour the lubrication oil. So when we test run the air compressor we heard a loud noise and quickly stop it and open to check. A hammer was left inside and lucky other then the wooden handle of the hammer got damage everything else seem to be ok.

I was busy trying to rectify the Fuel Oil Purifier issues during one of the Cargo Discharging Watch when the Superintendent Vern from the Houston Office came for a visit. He was happy to see a hard working engineer working on machinery maintenance during cargo watch and try to get my attention by making remarks about me making the manual dirty. I just ignore him and continue working on the purifier so that it will not affect my cargo operation watch keeping.

Later when Chief Engineer came down to control room to welcome him he ask me about the proper opening and closing of the steam valve during cargo operation. I told him usually we just use the valve key to open and shut taking care to crack open for warming up to prevent water hammering of the pipe line. He say he notice that a lot of valve gland are leaking and we should have carry a spanner along and loosen the gland before we operate the valve and tighten it back after operation. I told him there are so many valves we had to open and shut during the preparing of cargo operation so we do not have time to loosen the gland for every valve we need to open or shut.

After Raphael sign off an Indian Fourth Engineer came to take over, since I am familiar with most of the machinery I let him choose what he is confident of. I was surprise that he choose purifier instead of boiler or air compressor, but later I found out that he did not know any of the machinery well.

The incident happen one night during one of the cargo operation after I hand over my watch and went back to my cabin for shower. After having my late dinner at the mess room I pass by the cargo control room and ask Chief Officer when the cargo discharging will complete as I will need to take bunker sounding for the completion of cargo operation and departure of port. Chief Officer look very stress and told me that the engine room inform him that the boiler had trip and all the cargo pump had to stop until they rectify the issue.

I was surprise that they did not inform me or the electrician about the boiler issue, so I just call electrician and told him to meet me at the boiler panel to trouble shoot the issue. When I went down to engine room I saw the Fourth Engineer keep repeating the procedure of resetting and firing of the boiler even after so many fail attempt, I ask him how many time he had to try before he would call me to open the burner unit to check.

Electrician came down and start opening up the burner unit with me, he test the ignition spark while I clean the rotary cup. I notice that the rotary cup was spinning very smoothly which is not normal, we open up the casing and found the belt from the motor to the cup was broken. After replacing the belt the boiler start up normally and I went down to see if the Fourth Engineer already open the dumping valve to the condenser at the cargo pump platform.

I really got a shock when I found that he is trying to start back the cargo pump and want to hand over the control back to the cargo control room. I told him he had to open to dumping valve first to ensure that the flow is constant before the boiler trip again due to high pressure cut out. He just ignore me and ask me not to interfere with his cargo watch and continue to start the cargo pump, I storm out of the engine room and electrician went to look for Chief Engineer to inform him of the whole situation.

One night when I was keeping cargo watch, Chief Engineer came down to control room and offer keep cargo watch for me. I thought I got sack from my duties when he finally say the Fourth Engineer had been working on the Purifier for three days but unable to solve the issue. He want me to take a look and see if I can locate the problem, I went to the Diesel Engine Platform beside the control room and start assembling the purifier.

Chief Engineer came out to observe my work and ask if I need to replace any Rubber O Ring. I told him the Fourth Engineer had already change two full set of Rubber O Ring and the existing one condition are still ok as it is new. I notice the top discharging pipe assembly were not tighten properly before the test run and a locating pin had shear off causing the pin hole became elongated.

I had to tap the screw thread on the hole and replace the locating pin with a screw so that the proper function of the purifier can be ensure. As I test run the purifier I notice that the solenoid valve SV11 which control the outlet is not closing, this had cause the water seal unable to hold during the initial start up of the purifier. I inform Chief Engineer about the issue and told him that the electrician had to open up the solenoid valve to check tomorrow.

Chief Engineer assure me that he is expert in solenoid valve and ask me to get him a screw driver for him to open up the solenoid valve. A spring jump out of the assembly as he open and he panic quickly searching the missing at the Diesel Generator Platform, he finally found it and give to me asking me to pass it to electrician the next day. As expected the electrician make a very big fuss about Chief Engineer trying to open up the solenoid valve without informing him, he would not able to get a replacement spare if Chief Engineer had lost the spring.

I was lucky that I only sail four months on this vessel as the company inform me that I had to go Japan to deliver a new ship. I will only get to rest for a month before I fly to Japan where I met Third Officer Dennis which became a very close friend.