Sea Life Chapter 5

Eagle Austin

25^th May 1999 to 18^th December 1999

I decided to sail one more vessel before I go back for my Class One and Class Two Combine Course, I already got the 18 months sea time required but I just want to gain more experience. I join this ship as the second batch, it is also a new vessel but delivered from Korea. I heard about the oil spill incident and the detention in North Korea before I join, the vessel was at anchorage for few months and the official from the port board the ship every day to take stuffs from the ship.

After investigation it was found that the sea chest valve for testing the cargo pump during sea trial was not blank off, it had cause leakage during the cargo loading. The vessel had to survive on minimum provision for few months until the company send someone from the office to negotiate for the release of the ship.

The ship had a very impressive computer control monitoring system but it is not really practical as it always give a lot of false alarm. The system cannot withstand vibration and heat and very sensitive to small variation of electrical current changes, I encounter a major problem later in another ship when we did a docking in Europe.

The most common false alarm is the Vacuum Failure for the Sewage System, the pressure sensor pipe is too small and get choke easily. I usually will shut and open the cock a few time and use my adjustable spanner to give a few knock to clear the line.

Professional Third Engineer Donald is a very good temper guy, he help me improve my welding skill as there are a lot of repair work due to sub standard material use for piping work. This had benefit me later in my career when I become second engineer and I am the only person skill enough to carry out repair on boiler steam pipe and main sea water cooling pipe. I did suffer welder eyes on a few occasion and it had affect my eyes condition to be extra sensitive to bright sun light.

Eric was there too as Fourth Engineer, he sail with me for a short period and sign off. Second Engineer Aun Aun and Third Engineer Teoh join later, Second Engineer Aun Aun sign off together with me after he suffer some injury onboard. We both went to the Clinic and Hospital twice and was misdiagnose, I had hit my toe against the coffee table when rushing down to engine to answer alarm, he had cramp and numbness on his leg.

The first clinic we visit at America, he was diagnose with muscle strain and I was diagnose with dislocation. But after two weeks both of us still did not recover and we went to a Hospital in America, this time the doctor took X Ray for me and found hair line fracture. He was diagnose with Hamstring Tear and recommended for sign off, I advise him to seek a third opinion in Singapore and found out that it was spinal cord slip disc.

He station in Singapore Office for a year helping the Container Fleet install the CCTV Monitoring System while receiving his Physio Therapy Treatment, I visit him when I went to the office to settle my paperwork before I join as Third Engineer after I got my Class Two COC (Certificate of Competency).

As Teoh just join the vessel and I was ask to bring him for Saturday Routine checking on all the LSA (Life Saving Apparatus) and FFA (Fire Fighting Apparatus). We manage to finish early and Teoh wanted to fabricate a Tool Board for his Generator Platform. As we were busy in the workshop, we heard a cry nearby and as I lift my head in that direction I was shock to see a man whole body on fire running towards us.

I thought I was dreaming as it is only something you will see in Hollywood Movies, but when I heard him trying to speak Hindi to the Electrician Ranjit I realize he is the Engine Cadet. As Ranjit is trying to remove his boiler suit with Fifth Engineer, me and Teoh connect the Fresh Water Hose to spray on his body to put out the fire and cool his body. Second Engineer call the Wheel House but the Second Officer did not believe what happen, I told them to bring the cadet to the hospital first then go to wheel house to drag second officer down for the treatment.

I went out of the workshop following the trace of the oil and found a burnt plastic bucket near the incinerator, I collect the content inside the bucket as I know we have to investigate the cause of the incident. As I clean up the oil stain on the floor plate, I notice Electrician came over and isolate the pneumatic system of the incinerator to shut down the equipment.

The cadet had been told to carry out some cleaning on Main Engine Crankcase, as I am doing Saturday Routine with Third Engineer Teoh in the morning he could not find me and decided to take the chemical from Steering Gear Room himself. The cleaning chemical had a lower flash point of 25 degree Celsius and I usually mix a little bit with half pail of water for them to clean, he had took half pail of concentrated chemical for cleaning instead.

He saw Electrician helping the deck crew burning cardboard at the incinerator, the Electrician had bypass the safety limit switch so that they can open both the loading door and the ram flap together for faster loading and burning of the garbage. The cadet should have dispose the chemical into the sludge tank but we are not sure why he decided to dispose it into the incinerator instead.

The rest of the incident as you can guess, the low flash point chemical back fire when it touch the hot metal plate of the ram flap. The fire burn the cadet face and he panic and drop the bucket of chemical on his body, his clothing start to caught fire and he was lucky enough to remember there are people working in the workshop nearby for him to seek help.

The cadet suffer 70% of second degree burn, he was lucky to survive. The Captain did not want to incur additional cost for Helicopter Evacuation and decide to let the Cadet suffer for a day before we arrive port. In the end we still having to send him by Helicopter as the Ambulance is unable to enter the jetty.

I had seen a lot of accidents throughout my sailing career, I am lucky to survive in one piece after ten years of sailing without any major injury. I had seen Burmese Fifth Engineer injure his fingers when the Piston Stuffing Box slide down during Main Engine Overhaul during my cadet ship. I had also seen fourth engineer finger crush by the Auto Back Wash Filter Gear later when I become third engineer on another ship as he try to make adjustment without isolating the control system.

The incident had create a mental stress on most of the ship staffs, some of them even question whether they should continue their career sailing onboard ship or to find a shore job and stay safe and alive. I am not sure if the company arrange for any psychology counseling for them as I took a year to study for my advance diploma in polytechnic after that.

Sea Life Chapter 2

Neptune Crux

26^th April 1997 to 29^th November 1997

After I completed two and a half year of my national service, I thought of quitting my sailing career. I took Diploma in Computer Studies during my national service and work for about six month in the IT industry. But I realized that office desk job was not suitable for me, so I join back as fifth engineer and join the vessel in Singapore with an Indian Chief Engineer. It was a smaller product tanker as compare to the Alfamex Crude Oil Tanker of my Cadet Ship, the voyage are tramping around Asia and Middle East region and should be more interesting than the fix STS operation in America.

The first Loading Port was Keelong Taiwan, we arrive at the anchorage and met with force 10 typhoon. The famous Technical Superintendent Tiger Tan visit the vessel during the one week anchorage and wanted to lower the life boat in extreme weather condition. Burmese Third Engineer got Sea Sick after trying to rectify the releasing mechanism of the hook and came to engine control room looking for a replacement. Fourth Engineer Eddie also very prompt to sea sick so I was the only choice left, I manage to board the life boat quickly due to my previous army training and the Superintendent was very impress.

But due to not getting enough sleep the night before because of maneuvering duties and the constraint and stuffy environment, I do not have the mental power to fight the sea sick. Chief Officer Manji send some cold drink down for us it was nice but my stomach just can't hold the orange soft drink and throw up outside the life boat. They thought the paint from the life boat had peel off when they saw orange patch floating away from the life boat, then the Superintendent saw me vomiting at the side and decided to get me up. I had to lay down on the roof of the life boat for a while for some fresh air before I recover my strength to climb the ladder.

The Bangladesh Second Engineer is very afraid of the Superintendent, got a few occasions he saw the Superintendent coming into engine from one of the stairway and he quickly escape from the other stairway. I was helping Second Engineer updating the PMS (Planned Maintenance Schedule) in the ship office at night after our dinner and the next thing I know I am alone with the Superintendent in the office and Second Engineer was nowhere to be found.

The Superintendent like to chat with me while we make coffee near to midnight, he say not much local are willing to sail anymore and we are rare breed like endangered species. There is a China Cadet who join before me, he is not happy with the life onboard as he had to work very hard. He told me he use to work government job in Suzhou and all he have to do is just to show his face in the morning and he can do whatever he please for the rest of the day.

 

Fourth Engineer Eddie always suffer under the Bangladesh Second Engineer, I became his assistance when I join the ship helping him on various maintenance for Boiler, Air Compressor and Purifier. Got one occasion we were ask to replace the lagging material for the boiler and while he is removing the rivet with a drill the asbestos fell on him and he was scratching all over for a week or so like the monkey king.

We also once ask to replace the canvas trunking for the Air Conditioning Unit at the upper level, while we were tightening the bolts and nuts, a small 10 mm spanner fell inside. We look at each other, shine the torch light to see that the spanner never land close to the blower impeller and decided to forget about the whole incident as it will be too much trouble to open up the whole blower casing just to get it back.

A Malaysian Deck Cadet Joe became very close to me because we speak the same dialect Hakka, the other Engine Cadet Eric join later and we became the Iron Triangle due to our friendship. I found out later that I did not get to meet Third Officer Dennis as he had sign off before I join, but fate manage brought us together when we deliver a new vessel in Japan a few years later.

After Joe sign off another three China Deck Cadet join, one of them is from Guangxi and two of them are from Suzhou too. So the five of us became the lowest form of life on the ship and always sit at the same table for our meals.

The vessel went to a lot of places, from Korea to Middle East and even Sri Lanka toward the later part of our voyage. Middle East was very hot and dry, I bet with Eric to see how long will it take an Ice Cube from the Mess Room to melt on the Deck. Eric guess 3 minutes and I guess 1 minutes, to our surprise it disappear withing 10 seconds.

We encounter a lot of issue there, the cooling pump filter were choked by sea weed. We had to remove the filter to clean every hour and the valve can only be force shut with the help of chain block. We also had to clean up all the sand inside the engine room which is blow in by the blower, I was told later that they actually sold the sands as a souvenir as the sand got 7 different colors for each different state.

We saw a lot of crabs floating on the surface and manage to hook a few with just aiming the weight and projecting the lines of hook to get it by chance. We saw a lot of bird migrating during the season and they decided to rest on our ship, the deck cadets had a hard time cleaning bird shit on the deck after they left.

We saw volcano eruption when we pass by Sumatra, and the Second Mate is skillful enough to navigate between two ten stories tall wave and sail in between two wall of water like Moses splitting the red sea.

We arrive at Pusan Korea and Burmese Third Engineer want to find Ginseng Chicken Soup, as we are unable to speak their language we had to act like a chicken to make them understand what we want. It is like the Radio Officer cannot take Beef and we had to act like a pig to order Tacos which is Pork instead of Beef in Mexico during my cadet ship.

I fall sick after we departure Korea, I pass out blood from my urine and had high fever, they suspect Kidney Stone and send me to an hospital Dubai for check up when the ship arrive. I was suppose to carry out the video scope inspection but the company call the agent to cancel the medical examination as it is too expensive. The doctor prescribe some medicine to clear my kidney stone and by the time we arrive Sri Lanka I am already alive and kicking.

They still insist on sending me to a clinic in Sri Lanka to complete the video scope examination but the clinic doesn't have the facilities to do that and the urine test result only show infection which is probably cause by the stone scraping the passage when passing out.

Sri Lanka was a very dangerous place, I had to walk an hour passing three security check point before I reach the town. Every time the security guard ask me the three standard questions of Who am I? Where am I from? And Where am I heading? I start to question life and did some soul searching on what is the purpose of life.

Some vendors came onboard ship to sell precious stone, Chief Cook brought two ruby and later found to be fake when he bring to town for verification. I brought some cat eye, sapphire and topaz from town at a cheaper price but never really bother verifying it as it is just a souvenir. I also brought some cray pottery bowl for my mom and a leather bag for my sister.

Chief Cook sign off at Sri Lanka with Bosun and two AB (Able Bodies), they were lucky that the hotel they stay got bombing by the Tamil Tiger just a few days later after they fly back Singapore.

Superintendent decided to send the whole valve block for the stripping pump for replacement, it took eight of us to carry the parts down to pump room. We had been doing mechanical seal replacement for the cargo pump every month as the stripping pump is not working and using the cargo pump to strip will cause the mechanical seal to run dry and damage easily.

The ship went to Suez and all of us were very excited to visit the Pyramid in Egypt, the Captain refuse to grant shore leave and everybody were disappointed. We also did not get shore leave when we are in Japan too, and maybe is retribution that our ship bang into the jetty when we are going along side and three different loading master came onboard each day to ask for cigarettes to compensate for the damage to their railing.

The Captain decided to lock himself inside the room and never went for his meals, Chief Officer use Master Key to open his cabin to ensure that he is still alive and nicely sleeping after we left port. Most of the people doesn't like the Captain, he was selfish enough to cut ration to get bonus from the office. Only meat and rice were order for other race provision and dahl and chapati for his own race, no fruits or vegetable for months and constipation became a common issues for all onboard.

A lot of the staffs decided to request for early sign off to shorten the period of their suffering and I am the few lucky one who manage to sign off from the vessel when it reach Singapore.