Sea Life Chapter 12

Bunga Kelana Satu

3^rd June 2005 to 2^nd November 2005

This vessel was the most challenging of all the vessel which I had join, the company show me a 15 pages list of 193 oil major observation before I join the vessel.They also had to replace all the Liner for Main Engine due to crack and leakage as told by Superintendent Ang when I met him on Eagle Tucson.

“This is Mission Impossible!” I say.

“Mission Difficult will be a Walk in the Park for you.” said Superintendent.

On top of that they are also planning for the vessel to operate in America which I came to know much later. I spend two month getting the ship to good condition and manage to clear the oil major inspection with only 19 minor observations. The company informed me that they plan to bring the ship for operation in America after that.

I was surprise that they are able to arrange for USCG (United State Coast Guard) Inspection in Singapore Anchorage. The inspector was rushing for time, and with just a boat drill and fire drill he clear the vessel for America Operation which mark the start of our nightmare.

We had an oil spill during cargo discharging when the stripping line for one of the cargo pump give way due to rust corrosion, they trip the cargo pump and I went on deck to find out what is the problem. The deck crews were shock and I manage to get Bosun to help me bring the saw dust from his forward store at the bow to stop the spill from getting worst.

There are some leakage from the ship side plug as it is unable to seal tightly due to rust corrosion and we manage to discover it early and arrest it with mop before it touch the water. Captain Chowdury from Houston Office visit the ship and told office that it is not suitable for America Operation. We had long voyage to Caribbean and South America after that due to this incident.

When I first join we had problem with ballast pump suction valve, it is indicating opening and shut according to the hydraulic indicator but it is actually stuck shut inside the line. After checking the hydraulic system with no issue I decided to access the valve from the sea chest filter side with calculated risk.

It is not a pleasant experience as I can feel the pressure coming direct on my face every time a wave hit the suction side of the system. They were suppose to station one person outside to ensure my safety but due to shortage of manpower I can only use constant interval reporting to the wheel house by a walkies talkie.

There are a long interval when I was busy cutting the fishing net from the valve spindle that I am unable to communicate with the bridge and that is when they got worried and send a cadet down to check on me. I had to drill out the broken stud in order to install new bolt on the valve secure to the spindle.

After I had finish with the repair, I met the Burmese Captain Zaw Min in the Accommodation Passage Way. He was so stressful about the vessel condition that he started speaking Burmese to me, I try to listen with patient and understand that he is talking about the Deck Air Supply for their power tools to carry out deck maintenance. Suddenly he realize that I am Second Engineer and not Electrician Min Aung, I assure him that I will provide higher pressure from my main air compressor instead of using the portable deck air compressor which the company provided.

One morning we heard a loud bang and we saw the fan blade from the forward port side ventilation fan had protrude out from the trunk casing. Upon opening up, we found that the whole assembly was rusted and and the fan impeller had broken from the shaft. We had to grind off the foundation bolt before we can remove the motor for shaft replacement and repair the trunking while trying to balance the fan impeller.

I had a very heated argument with Chief Engineer when he show me the Docking Report and told me all the 20 over Fan, Turbine and Pump Impellers are already send for balancing test during the last docking. It is only possible to balance about two impellers for those big size machinery like Vent Fan and Turbo Charger, and the report show all the impellers are balance on the same day.

My prediction came truth when we are doing gas free operation at Venezuela Anchorage, the Inert Gas Fan Impeller also damage the casing when the shaft broke. Before we carry out the operation I had told Chief Engineer that the vessel configuration was different from other vessel which we had sail before. Usually one fan is only 75% of the maximum throughput but this vessel is design with 100% throughput according to the system manual.

They wanted to complete the gas free faster and so the Superintendent decided to run both fan together. The back pressure became too high and the star delta connection switching of the motor control was not long enough to build up enough momentum to overcome the inertia force.

The repair took me 72 hours and me and my crew work round the clock without any sleep or break for three days at the IG Fan Platform. The Superintendent send the Fan Impeller ashore for balancing test and true enough I win the bet and doesn't had to go home without any replacement.

It was actually quiet sad for me as I had to manage manual firing of the boiler for cargo operation later when the control circuit board got damage. I had requested for emergency spare and expected to receive it within two weeks, but the ship had been calling all the remote location port and the spare took three months to reach the ship. All my engineers had been so familiar with the manual operation that I worry they would not get use to automatic control after I fix the issue.

We discover that the fuel oil control piston are leaking and need to service, Chief Engineer ask for the company to send the repair kit as I had carry out the servicing of the control system when I did my docking of Eagle Boston. As Chief Engineer smoke and drink a lot, his hand are shaky and I had to be the one adjusting the control air pressure from 3.5 bar back to 2.0 bar after we complete the servicing of the pneumatic pistons.

The vessel also not discharging with Inert Gas System when I first join, I found out that the three way pneumatic control valve had been damage and would not be able to control the vent of the inert gas when the pressure became high. I did not have any spare for it so I had to modify another similar one to fix the issue.

We had become expert in mechanical seal as most of the pumps doesn't have any spare for overhaul, we had a treasure chest in the work shop where we keep all the unknown spare inside. We would go to the treasure chest and savage any useful part and assemble a modify mechanical seal for most of the pump repair.

I had raise the requisition for the shaft and mechanical seal, but due to delay of the supply of spare I am only able to get the machinery working condition from 30% to 70%. I was suddenly told by the office that I had to sign off after 5 months as I had already overstay my temporary permit from the Malaysia Port Authority.

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 Third 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.