Sea Life Chapter 6, 8 and 11

Eagle Centaurus

3^rd April 2001 to 9^th October 2001

26^th December 2002 to 31^st July 2003

14^th April 2005 to 19^th May 2005

This installment consist of three chapters, namely Chapter 6, Chapter 8 and Chapter 11. Usually the company like to send me to different ships for me to gain more experience and expose myself to different configurations and machinery type. But this vessel is one of the top three difficult vessel where Bunga Kelana Satu at first place and Eagle Auriga at second place. Even Neptune Orion and American Pegasus had to fall to fourth and fifth place.

I had sail on this vessel three times, twice as Third Engineer and once as Second Engineer. The Second Engineer duration only for about a month as I was activated last minute by the company to bring the vessel for docking repair in Portugal. The Outgoing Bangladesh Second Engineer had tender resignation and the Incoming Bangladesh Second Engineer still not confident enough after one month of double up.

The first time I sail on this ship I join with my Cadet Ship Professional Third Engineer Falzan, he just got married to Rogina and had pursuit his further studies of Class Two COC. I never understand why he always get very frustrated whenever he is unable to get his wife when he call, then one of the AB who join ship with me told me about the History of his wife.

She was Third Officer on one of the vessel and one of the AB going to get married with her, the AB already brought the Diamond Ring for the proposal but an incident happen during her cargo watch and the AB was one of the three casualty that die in the pump room. He met her when he attend the funeral and that was the remaining part of the story after that.

The Chief Cook like me a lot, he thought I bring luck to him when he gamble. So during one of the port stay in America I did not get to sleep for 72 hours. I am keeping 4/8 watch, the first evening the Third Officer want me to go Hong Kong Bar open by a Vietnamese guy with him. The next day morning I went to visit NASA Space Center, then that evening the Chief Cook want me to go Casino with him, The following day morning I go to shopping mall and supermarket get some stuffs for the SRC, then that night the cargo discharging finish and the ship not sailing off until the next day so Third Engineer want me to go Strip Club with him.

The first three months was quite ok with some short voyage to Mexico, but the last two months we are doing about 8 STS Operation per months. So we get to alongside port twice every week and have been keeping watch round the clock, the Chief Cook always prepare special for me in the kitchen and I put on 20 Kg of weight on this vessel. When I sign off and go back Singapore, my mom doesn't even recognize me anymore.

The ship staffs gamble a lot every evening, the Captain finally put a stop after Third Officer lose three months of his salary. But Chief Cook still visit casino often, I heard he miss the schedule for ship departure after I sign off because of his casino visit.

The second time I join this vessel with Chief Engineer Ahmad, Raphael was the Second Engineer who join later and sign off together with me in United Kingdom. There is another China Fourth Engineer Guang Dong onboard, we became very close and became the three musketeers.

Chief Engineer Ahmad is still very short temper as usual, and most Electrician are afraid of him because he always like to fiddle around with controller and spoil it. I remember I need to run around engine room to manually control Jacket Water Temperature, Scavage Air Temperature and Fuel Oil Pressure when we do maneuvering operation for 36 hours voyage up the Mississippi River to Baton Rouge during my cadet ship.

This time round I was told to overhaul the Jacket Water Cooling Pneumatic Control Valve as it is always stuck in one of the position. The telfon seal rings were found to be wear off and renew of the seal ring solve the issue, Chief Ahmad was very happy and start to take credit for his expertise in pneumatic control system.

Then the problem came for the sewage treatment plant, me and another Indian fourth engineer were appointed to carry out the repair as Chief Engineer Ahmad, Second Engineer Raphael and Fourth Engineer Guang Dong will be busy with the Main Engine Cross Head Bearing Replacement.

I found out that the three way valve for the sewage treatment plant was fitted wrongly, so whenever we open it to overboard it is going to the plant and whenever we open it to plant it is shut and not going to plant or overboard. This mistake must have been there since the last docking as the plant have a lot of waste which are not discompose by the bacteria. We have to dose the yeast to cultivate the bacteria again and ban the use of harpic on toilet.

Raphael told me they forgot the aluminum spacer for the cross head stopper plug during the replacement, as the material is very soft it should not cost any damage to the unit. It was later that I bring the vessel for docking that I found out that the office had to send a service engineer to supervise the cross head replacement due to damage on the gliding shoe bearing surface.

There is also another service engineer from Yanmar to supervise the Cam Shaft replacement for one of the Generator Engine as pitting damage was found on the cam surface. The service engineer became very close to me as I had provided a lot of assistance to him, I met him again when I encounter some problem with cargo pump on one of the new build project in Thailand.

There was an oil spill from the clean drain tank due to misoperation of the three way valve, the scavenge air pressure went into the clean drain tank and the tank overflow. It should have switch to the bilge tank with the orifice plate when main engine is in operation as the diversion to clean drain tank is just for drain of remaining water residue when the main engine is stop.

It was a very small issue but Chief Ahmad start to throw his temper, he threw the whole tray of fried fish on Chief Cook when he went for his dinner. He is very frustrated with the fixed weekly menu onboard the ship, we usually know which day of the week by just looking at what dish the Chief Cook prepare for that day. Fourth Engineer Guang Dong suffer most, he say before we join all the food is yellow in colour but now is all red in colour.

Fourth Engineer Guang Dong encounter some issue with the Purifier, he ask for my help. We could not figure out the actual problem, so we ask Raphael who had more experience. He found out that the telfon plugs supply by the company are not original but fabricated instead, we had to measure every piece to ensure the height match before we can get it to work.

Since I became Second Engineer I did not get any time to enjoy my paid leave, I met Kenneth on Eagle Tucson when I first became Second Engineer. I extent my stay for 8 months due to company unable to find replacement when i am due for sign after 5 months, and less than a month later they activate me to bring Eagle Centaurus for Dry Dock. I attend the wedding of Dennis right after I get off my flight and within two weeks I had to join Bunga Kelana Satu due to my Neptune Crux Second Engineer Saleh emergency sign off in Singapore due to steam burn on his leg when he overhaul the Boiler Circulating Pump.

The company promise me to let me enjoy my five months of leave after that vessel but finally activate me a month before to join Eagle Atlanta as Kenneth need to settle some paperwork on his property in Malaysia. Eagle Atlanta was the last vessel I sail with the company as I am getting married and was very disappointed with the Chief Engineer Patrick who sail with me before on Eagle Auriga.

I join the vessel for the third time in America as I will need to do tank cleaning for the bunker tank before the vessel enter dry dock. The two weeks long voyage from America to Europe are use to prepare the vessel for the docking, the crews standard had drop and most of the task I had to handle by myself.

I was having late dinner at the mess room when the service engineer from Sulzer and Yanmar arrive, they thought I was Chief Cook and ask if there are any food left as they had not have their dinner and came straight from the airport. As I know Chief Cook very well I ask Chief Cook to prepare some simple meal for them, a small gesture go a long way and they had been very close to me throughout the docking period as none of the other staffs actually care about their need when they needed it most.

I was dismantling the attached pumps on the Generator Engine when the Service Engineer came down to inspect the spare Cam Shaft for replacement, he was surprised that I as an Second Engineer was working alone and never give up even after they found out that the spare Cam Shaft does not have any timing gear install on it. We have to transfer the timing gear from the old shaft and during the process the Fourth Engineer who is suppose to assist on the job got chase away by the Service Engineer because of his attitude.

The Service Engineer was only suppose to supervise the replacement process and give advise, but end up he is the one working with me for the whole process. He taught me a lot of things about the design of the engine which I did not know previously, he also came to my cabin to drink and chat after we completed the job.

He told me about his ghost encounter where he wake up one night when he was in Indonesia Hotel and saw a small kid playing with his watch. As he did not do any bad deeds so he is not afraid of it, he start to talk to the kid and ask the kid to promise him not to disturb his sleep if he take off his watch and let the kid play with it.

I had to go sea trial to monitor the cross head bearing temperature after the docking repair as requested by Superintendent Seah, he ask me to get some him some steel wire and rubber gasket as he need it for the repair of his house toilet flushing unit. I left the ship after completion of the sea trial at late night and get to enjoy half day in town before I fly home in the afternoon.