Things to know for a watch keeperAs a watch keeper we should have a basic knowledge about performance of the engine room watch as this plays a major role in case of emergency situations on board.

The watch keeping engineer should make use of internal communication equipments.Escape route from machinery spaces.Alarm system and distinguish the various alarm special reference to fire alarm.Location of fire fighting equipments and damage control gears in the machinery spaces and their use And safety precautions to be observed.Any machinery not functioning or expected to be noted.Plans to be made for the finest action .If manned, watch keeping engineer should be able to operate propulsion equipments if there is any need to change direction or speed.

Things to know for a watch keeper

In UMS ships, the watch keeping engineer should be available if there is a call.All bridge orders should be executed.On going maintenance of all machinery to be carried out on all electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic mechanical works. Should know the isolation and by passing the machine when call for stand by he should be in state of readiness.Watch keeping engineer should not take any duties other than watch keeping adequate rounds should be taken in steering gear compartments.

Things to know for a watch keeper

Watch keeping engineer should not leave the machinery space Un-supervised, he should make substitute if necessary.Watch keeping engineer should take action to contain the effects of damages resulting from break down, fire, flooding, rupture and collision.All events related to main and auxiliary machinery suitably recorded before off duty. He should co-operate with the preventive maintenance work.Any malfunction of machinery or loss of steering and in the event of fire to be informed immediately to bridge.

Things to know for a watch keeper

Chief engineer to be informed incase of engine damage or malfunction and break down of propulsion machinery, monitoring and governing system and any emergency.He should make sure air or steam pressure is available for sound signals.In coastal or conjusted waters he should make sure adequate reserve of power for steering and manoeurving equipments.Emergency steering and other auxiliary equipments should be kept ready for immediate operation.

Bunkering Operations

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Bunkering is the process of refuelling the ship or it is the process of transferring fuel oil from a Barge or a Jetty going to the ship’s bunker tanks.

This operation is very critical and prone to incidents resulting to Oil Spill.

It is then very important to watchkeeping personnel to ensure that necessary preparations, precautions and alertness during watch to ensure that this operation is successfully completed.

Ships bunker operation involves many hazards and careful consideration will need to be made for safe planning and execution.

Bunkering Operations

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Bunkering is one of the main responsibilities of a Chief Engineer. He is the overall in charge in the bunkering operation and must ensure that all necessary plans and preparations are undertaken and shall be well implemented without any undue delays.  The following items should be considered first to establish the point of preparation needed for the bunkering operation:1.Has the Pre-loading plan been prepared?2.And has the plan been included followings?3.Identification, location, capacity of tanks receiving oil Level, type of liquid in each bunker tank prior to scheduled bunkering4.Planned final ullage/innage, and planned final percent of each to be filled.5.Sequence for tanks to be filled6.Procedures to monitor all bunker tank levels and valve alignments7.Also is Pre-bunkering Plan copy posted at a place where the plan is easily seen by vessel personnel engaged in bunkering?

Bunkering Operations

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CONFIRMATION AT BEGINNING OF BUNKERING a)Has bunker requisition form given by supplier had all information? (Specific gravity, Sulphur Content, Viscosity, Grade and Quantity etc.);b) Has the commence of the bunkering been notified to the watch keeping personnel in Deck department and announced on board?c) Is there any leakage from the hose connection?d) Is there any leakage from the bunkering-related line and valves? e) Has oil flow through the planned line been confirmed by listening to with the ear on the pipe?f) Is oil flowing into the prescribed tank? (Confirm the inflow by air blow, inflow noise, level change, and so on).g) Check the respective tank sounding manually and confirm.h) Has air blow through an air vent for the tank into which oil is to be supplied been confirmed?i) Is not there any change in level in the other tanks?j) Is continuous measurement kept until the inflow to the prescribed tank and the inflow rate are confirmed?k) Is oil supply rate proper?l) Has the time when the bunkering started been recorded?

Bunkering Operations

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Pre-Bunker Checklist1. State of adjacent waters noticed2. Vessel properly secured to dock3. Check suppliers product corresponds to ordered product4. Agree quantity to be supplied5. Check valves open6. Day tanks full and supply valves closed7. Warning signs in position e.g. No Smoking8. SOPEP plan available9. Clean up material in place10. Oil Boom in place 11. Foam fire extinguisher placed at bunker station12. Alfa Laval and transfer pumps off13. Fuel tank supply valves open14. Agree stop/start signals between vessel and barge/truck

Bunkering Operations

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Pre-Bunker Checklist15. Bravo flag flying/red light showing16. Agree pumping/transfer rate17. Agree emergency shut down procedure18. Specification sheet received19. Check hose and couplings are secure and in good order20. Fuel nozzle and hose secured to vessel21. Check barge/truck meters Reading:22. Check on board meters Reading:23. Bunker Valve open24. Unused manifold connections blanked off25. Master informed26. Signal pumping to commence

The above checklist has to be completely filled religiously by both the ship & barge personnel. Please move on to the next page by clicking below

DURING BUNKERING

During start of the bunker the pumping rate is kept low, this is done so as to check that the oil is coming to the tank to which the valve is opened.

After confirming the oil is coming to the proper tank the pumping rate is increased as agreed before.

Generally only one tank filling is preferred because gauging of more than one tank at a time increases the chances of overflow.

The max allowable to which tank is filled is 90 % and when the tank level reaches about to  maximum level the barge is told to pump at low pumping rate so as to top up the tank, and then  the valve of other tank is opened.

DURING BUNKERINGDuring bunkering, sounding is

taken regularly and the frequency of sounding is more when the tank is near to full. Many vessels have tank gauges which show tank level in control room but this is only to be relied if the system is working properly.

The temperature of bunker is also to be checked; generally the barge or supplier will provide the bunker temperature. Temperature above this may lead to shortfall in bunker.

A continuous sample is taken during bunkering with the help of sampling cock at the manifold.

Draught and trim of the ship is checked. Take sounding of all the tanks bunkered. The volume bunkered should be corrected for trim, heel and

temperature correction. In general for each degree of increase in temperature the

density should be reduced by 0.64 kg/m3. Four samples are taken during bunkering. One is kept onboard,

one for barge, one for analysis, one for port state or IMO. One sample is given to barge.

The chief engineer will sign the bunker receipt and the amount of bunker received.

If there is any shortfall of bunker received the chief engineer can issue a note of protest against the barge/supplier.

After everything is settled the hose connection is removed. The sample is sent for laboratory analysis. The new bunker should not be used until the report from the

lab.

• After Bunker Checklist

Sounding of Tanks

The process of quantifying the quantity of liquid present inside a tank is called "sounding". We all are aware of storing water in head/gravity tank in our house.

Sounding of Tanks

Responsible personnel should ensure that sounding of all tanks is done prior to bunkering to make sure that contents are verified & minimize the possibilities of overflow. Likewise, sounding must be conducted to the barge tanks to verify the contents of the barge and that the possibilities of deceit is minimized. .

Sounding of Tanks

As we are aware, bunker tanks are used to carry the entire volume of fuel required for the safe sea passage. When a ship sails from a port to other, the fuel is getting consumed everyday and subsequent transfer which has to be done from various fuel oil bunker tanks to ships settling & service tanks for the use of propulsion.

Bunkering Communication

The following are communication guides between the ship and the barge during Bunkering Operations as recommended by the Washington State Department of Ecology