Dry Bulk Carrier

Mostly confused for ordinary ships the dry bulk carrier is a specialized vessels that few ordinary civilians know about. The vessel is designed for transporting dry materials that could range from food grain to coal and other minerals or fertilizer. There is no limitation to the dry cargo that can be transport but there are constrictions to what a vessel could carry as discussed below.

There are limitations towards what cargo each vessel can and this is strictly followed to avid and form of contamination of the cargo on board. Food products are obviously not to be contaminated but limitation runs further that just food or grain. This is not realized by many people not involved in shipping but that are many elements or minerals that cannot be mixed with other minerals or elements previously transported and would react violently.

To avoid these problems in advance research is conducted on different elements to determine their level of hazardousness towards both the cargo and vessel. Mostly a dry bulk carrier will avoid changing cargo often and prefer to secure long term contracts with cargo manufactures or consumers thus keeping the product being transported fairly the same. This is a common trend and many dry bulk carriers have intended contracts with shipping agents well in advance before they are ordered from the ship yard.

dry bulk carrier that belong to smaller private companies may indulge in exchanges or different cargo shipping but they require to thoroughly clean the vessel before hand to make sure the dry cargo does not get contaminated. Coal, fertilizer and other mineral carriers cannot carry edible food products and are always limited to transporting the same category of cargo, and those that are licenses to carry food rarely change cargo shipping rights since food is always a products that is required around the world and during times of famine causes the sudden spike in shipping prices as food requirements increase in other nations.

A dry bulk carrier plays a major part in many international trade, supply and distribution of consumer products around the world and the demand for these vessels in increasing as the world population surpasses 7 billion. The future is expected to see many more vessels developed to transport cargo to satisfy those people, the problem that faced with such a rapid growth in population with concern of shipping in not the supply or manufacture of dry bulk carrier vessels but it is weather the world population will be able to sustain itself to produce the food or spare any natural resources to be transported.

This rapid population growth threatens even the shipping industry since the dry bulk carrier will require cargo to be able to distribute and this cargo seems to be reducing on a annual basis. The problem seems to be with modern tendency were people think the farming may be backward and the industry is noting a considerable amount to reduced production around the world yet people don’t realize that food would be the primary requirement for survival and not other manufactures products that may look or make life easier. The dry bulk carrier industry remains optimistic for the future but shipping in expected to slow down if future if food production does not improve around the world.

Roll on-Roll off Ships(Types of Ships)

Types of Ships: Roll on/Roll off Ships

75% of land is covered with water; hence it must be put to optimum use for transporting various goods from one place to another. There are various other means of transport like cars, trucks; etc which are difficult to be transported from one place to another, especially if the destination to and from are separated by water. Therefore roll of/roll on ships are designed specifically to solve this very obstacle. The term ‘roll’ is used to imitate the easy loading and unloading feature of these ships. They are also called RORO ships in abbreviated form.

RORO ships are specially designed ships, used to carry wheeled and tracked vehicles like cars, tractors, trucks, cranes as their major cargo load. The modern day RORO ships may even carry tanks, choppers, jets etc. They have their own ramps or use shores ramps to load-unload the vehicles and then carry them from place to place. The cargo usually varies in height and width and hence the below deck and volume utilization is comparatively lesser than other ships and hence can be costlier as well. Hence they are preferred transport for military vehicles and other such specialized jobs.

Various types of RORO vehicles are: ferries, cruise ferries, cargo ships and barges. RORO are classified as Pure car carriers (PCC) and Pure truck car carrier (PTCC).The cargo on RORO ship is measured in unit of lanes in meters (LIMs) instead of the typical metric tons.
 

The largest RORO ship passenger ferry is MS Color magic which entered the fleet of Color line in 2007 and weighs 75,100GT.It can carry 550 cars and 1270 lane meters of cargo.

The RORO ships are typically economical for short trips rather than the long ones owing to their storage factors and turnaround time. The RORO carriers have a ramp specifically designed to load-unload vehicles as they have wheels which makes the task very easy. These ramps are situated towards the stern/backside of the ship. The disadvantage of such location of ramps is they can cause water tightness if they leak and hence can lead to instability of the carrier due to free surface effect. Such accidents have occurred number of times.
 

During 1970s these carriers were initially designed as a result of increase in export-import trade of cars. The first Pure Car Carrier was built by Japans K-line in 1973 which carried 4,200 vehicles. The new age of RORO carriers began in 2007, when Wallenius Whihelmsen Logistic designed a large car and truck carrier (LCTC) called Faust.
 

There are several variations of RORO carriers which are used worldwide:

ROPAX (roll on-roll off passenger): These carriers can carry passengers as well.

ROLO (roll on lift off): Only vehicles can slide off the ramp. For other types of cargoes, crane is mandatory.

Image Credits:http://www.maritime-connector.com

Propulsor Types For Marine Usage

Other than fixed pitch propellers, what other types or propulsors are used on modern ships?

Introduction

We have already studied propellers used for ship propulsion. The conventional propeller used is the fixed pitch propeller. But now the modern developments had led to some other types of propulsors. In this article we will discuss about these various types of propulsors and their definitions. Some of these propulsors include:

• Controllable pitch propellers,
• Azimuth propellers,
• Vertical axis propellers,
• Paddle wheels,
• Shrouded propellers.

Though there are different types of propulsors, the fixed pitch propellers are used mostly on merchant vessels. The different propulsors finds application in warships, tugs, pleasure yachts, etc.

Controllable Pitch Propellers

What are the Different Types of Propellers Available in the Market?

We all know the use of a propeller in a ship but how would we find out what kind of propeller is suited for a particular type of ship. This article deals with the different types of propellers and their application according to the type of the ship.Let us have a brief overview.

Introduction

While designing a ship, the amount of resistance produced and the design of ship lines are the two important factors that should be taken into consideration. Both these factors depend considerably on the type and number of propellers used. Higher propeller efficiency attained within the desirable cost and least usage of machine power is the ultimate goal of any ship designer. The choice of a propeller mainly depends on the type and draft of the ship.

Factors affecting the choice

Livestock Carrier Ships

The importance of livestock carrier ships cannot be overestimated in high seas trade. The sea has not only been used by man to travel over vast distances, ingenuity has been used to transport various kinds of goods and commodities. Transportation by sea has the advantage of conveying commodities in bulk quantities to far flung places. Everything can be transported by sea, even livestock. International Trade in livestock and livestock products is big business for countries that are involved in it. The trade in this particular sphere is nearly one sixth of the total value of agricultural trade. The largest trade in this particular trade is from Australia to the Middle East.

About Livestock Carrier Ship

The ships that are used for transporting livestock are termed as Livestock Carriers. These are special types of ships that are made for transportation of animals like cows, goats, sheep deer, camels and horses. Special type of livestock carriers are even used for transporting live fish and even birds

These are container carriers that have been modified to transport livestock. The size of the vessels vary depending on the type of livestock that has to be transported and the market for which the livestock is intended. When it comes to dead weight tonnage, their capacities fall anywhere between 2000 to 2500. A modern day vessel can carry up to 125,000 sheep on an average.

 

Transportation of livestock is not easy, especially since the international regulations on the same have become stringent. Animal Rights Organizations maintain a continuous vigil on these transportations. The transportation is expected to be made in humane conditions and through specialized operators. The number of crew members on such ships are relatively higher than the crew members on any other ship. These crew members are required to be especially trained to handle the particular livestock.

Types of Carriers

The livestock that is transported via the sea route need to be taken care of in a thorough manner. Safety and health of the livestock is a critical issue. The livestock has to be guarded against disease, injury, or death being caused due to any cause. Fire on the ship, or sinking of the ship are dreaded. Ventilation is critical for the health of the livestock. If the pens are not properly ventilated, the toxic gases lead to reduction in the oxygen level  causing asphyxiation of the livestock. Based on this criterion, livestock carriers are primarily of two types:

• Open Livestock Carriers: These are open ventilation carriers. The animal pens are placed on the decks and it does not require artificial ventilation systems. The wind condition needs to be monitored continuously for effective ventilation even in the case of open carriers.

• Closed Livestock Carriers: In the case of closed carriers, the pens are placed in the holds of the vessels and as a result ventilation needs to be provided for. Pens in the hold area of the ships also helps to guard the livestock against hostile weather conditions and making feeding it easy.

The modern day carriers of livestock have automated feeding mechanism. The machines move the feed from the silos to the hold area from where it is further distributed to the animals. Conveyor belts and lifts are used to dispose off the manure.

Livestock trade has always had ethical, cultural and economic issues attached to it. Companies whose core business is processed foods and companies involved in trade of livestock stand in opposition to each other. The various issues involved are often a bone of contention amongst the two industries. The fact that mistreated animals are going to fetch poor proceeds is beyond any contention and doubt. It is in the best interest of companies involved in such trade to ensure more than humane conditions.

 

Bulker Ships

About Bulker Ships

International Convention for safety of life at sea(SOLAS) defines bulk carrier as “single deck, top side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces and intended to primarily carry cargo in bulk; an ore carrier; or a combination carrier”. Though this definition is not thoroughly followed by various classification societies yet they follow a broader version of it in some way or the other. Commonly known as a bulk carrier, bulk freighter or bulker, it’s a type of ship used to transport ores, cement, cereals and coal from one place to another.

They have their origin dated back in the mid of the 19 century around 1857 and today they constitute one-third of the world’s merchant fleet. They range in size from mammoth sized ore ships to single hold mini bulkers.

Discussed further are some types of bulkers:

Geared Bulker: These types of bulk carriers have got their own equipment or carrier to unload and load cargo in the form of cranes or derricks.

Gearless Carriers: These types of carriers depend on the on-shore facilities for providing the equipments to unload and load cargo. They do not carry gears of their own.

Combined Carriers: They can carry ore and bulk simultaneously and can even carry oil in its wing tanks. They are complex in design and are relatively costlier to make and maintain.

BIBO(Bulk in, Bulk out Carriers): These type of carriers are specially equipped to provide the services of bagging cargo at loading time.

Lakers: These types of carriers are commonly found on prominent lakes and they can be easily identified by a forward house which helps in transiting locks.

Self Dischargers: These types of bulkers have a conveyer belt or excavator which is used to unload cargo quickly and efficiently.

Another way of classifying Bulk Carriers is according to their size. According to this classification these are of the following types:

• Small;

• Handysize;

• Handymax;

• Panama;

• Capesize;

• Mammoth size

Some Interesting Facts:

Japan, Greece and China are the top three owners of bulk carriers and account for 53% of the world’s total fleet of bulk carriers.

Asian companies manufacture the largest number of bulk freighters in the world.

A bulker may be used for various types of cargoes throughout the year. In one season it may be used to carry cereals, in another ore and likewise.

Loading and unloading on a bulker is often time consuming and dangerous and hence is well planned by the ship’s captain and chief mate.



Operating Troubles - Main Engine Does Not Start/Fire When Starting Lever Is Pulled

In this article let us discuss the possible cause for not firing when the starting lever of main engine is pulled .

Operating trouble shooting -Main engine does not fire when started .

As a Marine Engine we should know the reasons why the engine is not abe to fire when starting lever is pulled in the control pannel.In Marine Diesel Engine there are various factors affect the starting of the engine it includes all the system which are inter-connected if any one fails the control will not start the engine .Before starting the engine the engine jcw temperature and pressure should be correct and lube oil temperature and pessure should be in the desired value then only the hydraulic interlocking control lever will be released for starting .

Possible causes for main engine not fired are as follows

1.If the Turning gear is engaged .It blocking valve prevents pilot air flowing to the pilot valve on the control stand .So Dis-engage the Turning gear before starting .

Operating Troubles Of Main Engine - Cylinders Do Not Fire

In this article let us see the trouble shooting of why main engine cylinder does not fire and what are the causes?

Cylinder do not fire :

1.The shut off valve on the fuel supply pipes or before the fuel filters are closed .

2.Insufficient fuel supply pressure .

Main Engine Operating Troubles

In this article let us discuss the trouble shooting of the main engine when it turns on compressed air but receives no fuel charge to start

Operational Faults - Engine Receives No Fuel to Start .

In marine diesel engine which are mainly started by air ,the highly compressed air is used to start the engine when the engine picks up the speed the starting air is closed and fuel is injected then the engine start running in fuel this is the normal procedure .The engine which gets the starting air and when the engine picks up speed the fuel does not inject and so the engine does not fire .
So let us see what are the cases the engine receives no fuel :

Trouble shoot :Engine Turns on air but receives no fuel to start

1.Lube Oil or Jacket cooling water pressure is too low, but the control air is given to the starting valve but the hydraulic interlock closes the fuel supply .

How to Choose a Main Engine for Your Ship?

We all know that the heart of the ship is its main engine.A ship cannot run without its main engine. But how can we say that a particular engine is optimum for use in a ship? What are the factors that needs to be taken into consideration while selecting a main engine for a ship? Read on to find out.

Main Diesel Marine Engine Selection - A Gigantic Dilemma

In this article we will see the different aspects that need to be taken into consideration when choosing a main engine for a ship. The criteria for selecting a main engine may change from ship to ship and also according to the requirements. The emphasis on each criterion will also differ. But there are few general aspects that remain same for almost all types of ships and we will enumerate them one by one, briefly.

The criteria includes: required horse power, weight, space, capital cost, running costs, requirement for electrical power and heat, reliability and maintainability, maneuvering ability, ease of installation , vibration , noise and availability. As you would notice the title takes into account the hull design as well. This is necessary because of the forces of vibration and weight of the engine would have to be borne by the hull, hence ship hull design is equally important to be taken into consideration.

Let’s learn about each of them.

Starting & Reversing Problems in Marine Engines

There are a number of reasons for starting and reversing problems in marine engines. This malfunction is one of the most frightening and dangerous situations to encounter when maneuvering a ships main diesel engine, but it can be avoided through regular maintenance of the air start components.

A ship’s main marine diesel engine is started on compressed air that is controlled by various components of the air start system. It is a well-tried and tested reliable system, but it can go wrong if not properly maintained.
The following sections examine a typical air start system, with the first section providing an overview of the system.

Overview of System

The air start system looks rather complicated, but it is quite simple when you examine it without the safeguards. These are put in place to prevent such occurrences as starting the engine without having a signal from the engine room telegraph, trying to start the engine with the turning gear engaged, or trying to start ahead when the telegraph asks for astern. There are also safety systems incorporated such as a bursting disk and numerous non-return valves in the event of a leaking air start valve.
The next section lists some of the problems that can be encountered when maneuvering.

Problems in Air Start Systems

What Is FPSO Vessel? Floating Production Storage and Offloading Vessels

About FPSO Vessels

Man has not only harnessed the seas for transportation but for industrial purposes also. The offshore industry owes all credit to the development of FPSO’s (Floating Production Storage and Offloading) units. Over the last 30 years, FPSO vessels have acquired a place of importance in the area of oil and gas production. They are an essential to exploit the reserves to the best of their potential. Oil has been exploited from off shore locations since 1950. The first oil FPSO was the Shell Castellon, which was built in Spain in the year 1977.

Why FPSO Vessel Over Pipelines

In our section related to deep ocean engineering, we have studied how underwater pipes are laid in the sea. Yet laying of pipelines is always not a feasible option. The scale of economics always does not run in favor of this option. Oil and Natural Gas are an absolute essential for the industry. Even a small reserve cannot be ignored and for such a small reserve laying of pipeline may not an ideal option. FPSO’s are the best alternative in such cases.

An FPSO is a floating vessel that has been designed in a manner that makes it conducive to receive, process and store oil or natural gas. These stages are necessary before the produce is offloaded onto a tanker or a pipeline. Oil tankers may be converted to function as a FPSO. Vessels may be used for oil storage alone. Such units are termed as Floating Storage Units or FSU’s.

FPSO vessels are broadly of two types:

• A Converted Oil Tanker
• A Custom Built

The FPSO’s can be permanently moored or diconnectable. It is the area in which the vessel has to be used that controls the basic design.  In calm waters a simple design can serve the purpose but in case of volatile waters the structures will be designed accordingly. The basic difference is in the injection lines, which are external in case of calm waters and internal any other case. The second factor that is kept in mind while designing an FPSO structure is the direction of the wind in that area. The effort is to reduce the effect of the environment.

With increasing environmental and safety concerns the functioning of FPSO vessels is continuously monitored by international agencies (International Maritime Organization) The organization has issued detailed guidelines for carrying out the various functions and handling of discharge which may be a by product of the processing done on the vessel.  With the very nature of the product stored on these vessels being inflammable, safety provision and training acquire immense importance.

The World’s Largest FPSO Vessel

The Girassol FPSO, is one of the largest FPSO vessel functioning in the world today. It was constructed in Korea. It has been constructed as a joint venture between Bouygues Offshore and Stolt Offshore within a period of 21 months. The vessel has a production capacity of 200,000 barrels per day and a storage capacity of 2,000,000 barrel storage capacity.

Operational Faults During Starting and Running

Let us discuss some of the operational faults which occur in the marine diesel engine during the starting and running of the main engine

1.The engine oscillates when being started or does not gain speed:

During the starting of the engine the engine is turned on air and during this operation the engine oscillates and it does not gain the speed to be started in the fuel.
So as the result the engine fails to start.

Possible causes for this are:

UNCLOS - Law of The Sea

For centuries laws have been put in place to ensure the effective and safe management of those at sea. This article examines the development and trends in the Law of the Sea and its place in today's society.

UNCLOS: Law of the Sea

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was signed in 1982 in Montego Bay, Jamaica and brought under its umbrella the maritime laws enshrined in four maritime treaties which were signed in 1958. Although it was signed in 1982, it didn’t actually come into force until twelve years later when, after seemingly endless discussions on policy that had kept the USA from signing up, modifications were made that allowed the US to give its conditional backing to the Agreement on Implementation, though to this day the US has not ratified the agreement. Up to this date it has 157 signatories and has come to be accepted as a rubber-stamping of the principles of the Customary International Law regarding maritime law.

The United Nations Connection!

Despite the name, UNCLOS is not operated by the United Nations, although the organisation does give its support to the Convention, providing premises for meetings of its representatives, and also administers the ratification of UNCLOS’s conclusions and the accession of new member states. The abbreviation by which the Convention is known was actually originally used in 1958 when it referred to the first-ever United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea which, though it reached many helpful conclusions, left open the issue of breadth of territorial waters.

Current Scenario

UNCLOS sat again in 1960 for six weeks, reaching no conclusions and basically taking the role as a

Maritime Law and Seaman’s Remedies

There is no doubting that employment on sea going vessels can be hazardous. This articles touches upon remedies for seamen should they be injured whilst employed upon the seas.

Seaman Remedies

It would be perfectly reasonable the first time one reads the phrase “Seaman’s Remedies”, to presume that the phrase refers to an old-wives’ tale kind of story regarding an improbable way of curing an illness or caring for an injury. After all, in days of yore, a mariner would often be away at sea for months on end and ready access to the best medicine could be limited, so the chances are that some great cough-soothing measures have been passed on down the ages. However, this is of course not what is meant by Seaman’s Remedies. In this respect, the remedies available to seamen are legal remedies under maritime law occasioned by personal injury suffered in the course of their work.
Of course technology has changed a lot thesedays and a mariner is not the same lonely person who had no contact with the outside world till the ship touched a port, still because of situations in which a vessel might be in deep seas when some mishap occurs, there need to be measures to make good any loss suffered by a seaman during the course of duty

Sources of Compensation

There are three sources of compensation available to seamen injured in the discharge of their duties which have been listed as follows

Maritime Law and Cargo Movement Contracts and Claims

With the majority of international cargo being transported by sea, this article provides a reflection upon the maritime laws that impact upon cargo movement contracts and claims.

Maritime Law Contracts

There are a number of different types of maritime law contracts that cover the movement of cargo by sea, particularly between different countries. The two most common types are as follows

1. Free on Board - FOB Contracts
2. Cost, Insurance & Freight - CIF Contracts

The following passages clarify the concept of both these types of contracts and their implications

FOB & CIF Contracts

FOB
A “free on board” or “freight on board” contract usually entails the buyer of goods paying for and arranging the carriage of those same goods, with the seller having responsibility for then loading the goods onto a vessel nominated by the buyer – thus putting the “freight on board”. Once the cargo has been laden onto the transporting vessel, this generally marks the point at which the cargo becomes the property of the buyer – indeed legally speaking this usually takes place when the cargo passes over the ship’s rail at the port of shipment.

The purpose of a FOB contract is, therefore, principally to determine which party in a deal is responsible for shipping costs and at what point responsibility for the goods changes hands. The contract will specify in its text at which point the seller ceases to be financially and materially responsible for the cargo. Within said text will be a short declaration along the lines of “FOB New York”, which legally means that the seller is responsible for the cargo’s arrival in New York in one piece, and will be liable to a claim from the buyer if damage is deemed to have taken place prior to this.

CIF
A CIF contract stipulates that the price paid by the buyer will include the carriage of the cargo, and furthermore that the seller becomes responsible for insuring the goods to a total of 110% of the price agreed in the contract. Again, the seller’s responsibility for the goods ends once the goods have been loaded on board. In the light of this, the buyer should make sure that he/she insists on an “all-risk” insurance policy.
Hence we can see that amongst the two types of contracts discussed above, the seller has more responsibility in case of the latter, namely the CIF contracts

DES Contract

Though these are the two main types of cargo movement contracts, there is also the option for a “Delivered Ex-Ship” contract. A “Des” contract, as it is commonly called, differs markedly from the main two types in that the responsibility for carriage is entirely with the seller who, for this reason, will almost always be the person to charter the delivery vessel. Once the goods are discharged at the port on arrival, responsibility passes to the purchaser. In addition to these types of contract there will also be a charter party.

Maritime Law and Seaman’s Remedies

There is no doubting that employment on sea going vessels can be hazardous. This articles touches upon remedies for seamen should they be injured whilst employed upon the seas.

Seaman Remedies

It would be perfectly reasonable the first time one reads the phrase “Seaman’s Remedies”, to presume that the phrase refers to an old-wives’ tale kind of story regarding an improbable way of curing an illness or caring for an injury. After all, in days of yore, a mariner would often be away at sea for months on end and ready access to the best medicine could be limited, so the chances are that some great cough-soothing measures have been passed on down the ages. However, this is of course not what is meant by Seaman’s Remedies. In this respect, the remedies available to seamen are legal remedies under maritime law occasioned by personal injury suffered in the course of their work.
Of course technology has changed a lot thesedays and a mariner is not the same lonely person who had no contact with the outside world till the ship touched a port, still because of situations in which a vessel might be in deep seas when some mishap occurs, there need to be measures to make good any loss suffered by a seaman during the course of duty

Sources of Compensation

There are three sources of compensation available to seamen injured in the discharge of their duties which have been listed as follows

Chuck Palahniuk, U.S. novelist-journalist

"After the unfortunate, often we will see the resurrection of life."

Ship Engine Room Watch Keeping Duties and Routines

Ship engine room watch keeping duties and routines are carried out by Engineer Officers. The watches are split into three 4-hour spells of duty, that goes by quite quickly as there are many checks to be carried out on the main and auxiliary engines, along with the numerous pumps and coolers.

A new marine engineer may need to learn several things on their own, since not everything can be taught at the marine school in a practical manner. Some of these things might seem very simple but could be quite confusing for a trainee engineer. So I thought of penning down my experiences of watch keeping and hence will continue in the next few articles along the same line
The purpose of these articles is to inform newbie engineers about the watch keeping duties of an engineer at sea in charge of a marine diesel engine and will include the following:-

• Engine-room layout
• Main engine components subject to pressure and temperature change
• The reason or cause of a rise or fall in temperature to an engine-room item of machinery
• The consequences of these changes in pressure and temperature on the diesel engine efficiency
• The rectification of a rise or fall in temperature or pressure
• The affect a rise or fall has on various cooling and lubricating liquids

Certainly it is not possible to indulge in all these in a single article as that would be an impractical idea so will proceed step by step and will start by talking about the standard temperature and pressure checks to be performed during a watch. Before I proceed with that, I would like to suggest another article about basics of marine watch keeping that will give you a broad idea about the entire concept in case you are not familiar with it.

I was at sea as an engineer for many years sailing on steamships and motor ships; the article will be mainly on motor ships with maybe a few references to steam turbines or boilers.
The next sections detail the checks to be carried out by the engineer regarding standard temperatures and pressures of various components, and what we are looking for during the checks.

Standard Pressure and Temperature Checks

There are standard pressures and temperature checks to be carried out by the watch keeping engineer, as he gains experience these will become second nature; the various thermometers and pressure gauges being scanned as he walks around the engine room checking the components. This means when a rouge value turns up it is spotted right away either on the component or the engine control station instrument board. This is situated just above the engine control station, either in the engine room or in the modern control room. The board contains the pressure and temperature gauges for the main systems such as; exhaust temperatures, jacket cooling and lub-oil pressure. We used an arrow to mark the optimum temperatures and pressures on these gauges, and endeavor to maintain them; again any rouge value will show up instantly.

The board is located above the controls, being easily consulted from here. The other main gauges and components that are easily reached are the engine room telegraph, rev-counter, air start reservoirs pressure gauges and of course the controls themselves. Depending on the engine manufacturer, these consist of two levers; left hand one usually air start, right hand lever; fuel control and are used when maneuvering.

A sketch of an engine room control station and board is shown below,

Heavy Fuel Oil System (HFO)
The temperature of the HFO system must be kept at the recommended value to control its viscosity. This is important as it must not turn "waxy" when being pumped through various heaters, the fuel pump and into the injectors.
Lube-oil System
The temperature of the lube-oil must be carefully controlled through use of the lube-oil coolers seawater inlet valve. Remember that as the temperature of the lube-oil rises the pressure drops. Conversely, a low lube –oil temperature will increase the oil pressure. A sudden unexplained rise in temperature could signify a bearing in the main engine running hot.
Jacket cooling System
The pressure and temperature of the jacket water cooling also need close monitoring and maintained at optimum values as the cooling water also supplies the turbo-blower air coolers. The pressure in this case is controlled by the circ pump, so any change could be a faulty pump, however, down to the pump or a loss of pressure through a faulty cylinder liner rubber sealing ring, or even a cracked liner.
Temperature is another matter; this must be kept at the recommended value. Any rise could signify a scavenge fire a rise in sea temperature or cooler problem.
The generators temperature and pressures are checked as per the main engine ones.
This leave the thrust block, prop shaft bearings, and stern gland. Here again the sense of touch should be used as a guide to overheating, but there will be temperature gauges on the thrust and prop bearings along with oil - level sight gauges.
In my next article I will continue along the same vein; talking more about these subjects and catch hold of another single aspect in more detail. So just keep a look out for my further articles and please ask any questions through the comments at the end of the article. Enjoy your time at sea – it is the best years of your life.

What are the Basic Dimensions of a Ship?

Before understanding a ship's structure, it is extremely important to known and remember the basic terminologies that are used in building a ship.Known as the language of naval architecture, these dimensions not only describe a ship but also exhibit its true worth. Read inside to know more.

Preface

Before we get deeper into the vast field of naval architecture let us first learn the language of naval architecture. Language of naval architecture means the basic terminologies of naval architecture that we will

Functions of Ships Main Engine Thrust Block, Prop Shaft, and Stern Tube

In a marine engine the function of the thrust block, propeller shaft, and stern tube are closely related, being responsible for the efficient transmission of the engine’s power to the propeller and ensuring the control of torque and propeller shaft alignment from the thrust block to the stern tube.

The thrust block is also known as the "Tilting Pad Bearing" or often the "Michell Bearing" after its inventor Anthony Michell, an Australian mining engineer.

Before these came along, ship’s engines were forever breaking down due to overheating thrust blocks. In those days (which were even before this old Irish Engineer’s day), multiple thrust collars were machined onto the propeller shaft with slots accurately machined into the thrust block to match these. Lubrication was supplied by a pump, but it was virtually impossible to obtain equal load on all the components, and hence the breakdowns.

Back to the present: the thrust block is situated just aft of the main engine and its purpose is to transmit the torque produced by the rotating propeller and shaft down into the ship’s structure.

The propeller shaft runs between the thrust block and the stern tube and is supported by a number of shaft bearings fitted along the length of the shaft. The stern tube contains supports and several seals for the propeller shaft as it passes through the ship’s stern before connection to the propeller.

The following sections examine the purpose of the thrust block, propeller shaft, and stern tube. We start by looking at the construction and operation of the thrust block.

Thrust Block Purpose and Operation

When I was at sea as a first tripper Junior Engineer, I well remember asking an old Auzzie chief engineer about the purpose of a thrust block. He thought for a few moments, and then answered that if there was no thrust block the propeller and shaft would try to push the engine into the foc’s’le head. That was over forty five years ago, and it was not a bad analogy.

A more technical answer would have been that the purpose of a thrust block on a large marine engine is to

Preparing the Ship for Dry Dock

For a vessel to maintain its class license, and comply with operational requirements, it must carry out planned dry docking every five years for the renewal of the license. In cases like collision or under water damage the vessel will be brought in for unplanned dry docking for repairs.

Introduction:

The main objective in carrying out dry docking is to ensure ships are operational and to maintain their class license. Structural machinery and various components are subjected to inspection and maintenance to ensure sea worthiness. Dry docking is also required if a ship has sustained damage to the under water structure due to grounding, collision or any other damage which will affect the water integrity of the ship’s hull.

Preparing the Ship for Dry Docking:

Drydocking Explained: Types of Dry Dock Methods

Maintenance at regular intervals of time is the key to have an elongated and efficient life of a ship at sea. Maintaining the internal parts of the ship is fine, but what if the outer parts or the parts under water require maintenance and repair? Let' see how these kind of repairs are done.

What is Drydock and why it is done?

Main Engine Layout Familiarization - B&W Engine Room Layout

The ship’s engine room watch-keeping engineer must be familiar with main engine layouts, including their components optimum operating pressures and temperatures. This familiarization should include a B&W engine room layout, as this is a modern, popular two stroke marine diesel engine.

The arrangement of a large two/four stroke marine diesel has not changed dramatically since I was at sea over forty years ago. The main engines then were Sulzer RD’s, Doxfords opposed piston, British Polar and Burmeister & Wain (I served my time in Harland & Wolff Belfast, who made B&W engines under license)
The main difference in layout is that most engine rooms now have a soundproof, air conditioned control room and are accessed by a lift from the engineer’s accommodation. Nowadays ships watchkeeping engineers don’t know they are living, we had to endure excessive temperatures and noise, but I still remain convinced, whilst open to the engine room environment we had a better feel for the job.
The next few sections examine the layout of a modern oil tanker engine room beginning with the main engine and major components; using a Burmeister & Wain two-stroke turbo charged diesel engine with the aid of sketches as an example. A sketch is provided referencing the components with their function and, where applicable the watch-keeping engineer’s duties in maintaining their optimum operating conditions.

Layout off Major Components

1. Fuel oil nozzle cooler

Marine Diesel Engines & Their Use on Board Ships

Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine but the marine engineers slog hard to keep it running on board ships. Just learn about the basics of diesel marine engines in this article.

Introduction

We are all familiar with the term diesel and diesel engines but not many of us remember Rudolf Diesel, the brain behind the invention of the diesel engine. Of course I will not go into much detail as this article is not meant as a biography but he was a German engineer (where else in the world is engineering such a passion?) who undertook years of experimentation and nearly lost his life when his first engine exploded upon ignition of fuel. The rest as they say is history and diesel engines are being successfully used in a variety of applications including diesel marine engines used on different types of ships.

The Diesel Engine

One of the places where diesel engines play an important role is the shipping industry. Diesel engines are

Role Of Compressed Air In Engine Starting

Do you know how diesel engines are started in ships? Equivalent in size to a four-story building, the main propulsion engine is started with the help of compressed air at a pressure of 30 bar. Learn more about how a ship gets its compressed air supply from.

Why compressed air?

Fresh Water from Sea Water on Ships

When preparing for a voyage ships take on fresh water which is supplemented throughout the voyage by water making plants. Fresh water is used in motorships as an engine component cooling medium, but steamships use only the distilled water produced by the water-making plant for boiler feed make-up.

When I was a lad at sea many years ago, I sailed on motor and steamships as an Engineering Officer. In those days we had evaporators which used steam from the boilers or the main diesel cooling water as a heating medium to evaporate the seawater. As I gained experience and promotion, one of my duties as 4th Engineer was looking after the vaps, as we called them (among other things).
Nowadays, there are several very efficient types of evaporators still using the same heat sources, and of course we now use osmosis as well.
In the following sections we will examine the current evaporators in use, fresh water and condensate storage tanks, and condensate feed water testing. In this article we shall examine two categories of water evaporators, tube and flash, and have a look at how osmosis equipment operates to produce fresh water from seawater.
We begin with an examination of the types of evaporators used aboard ships.

Types of Fresh Water Evaporators

What Is STCW training?

Who and What decides whether a seagoing personnel is competent enough or not? And if not, what should be done to make him seaworthy? Read in the article inside as to who set the rules that decide a merchant navy officer's calibers and eligibility to work on a ship.

Introduction and Brief History

Naguib Mahfouz, Arab Poets Nobel Prize laureate

"Smart people are measured from answers to questions posed. The wise assessed from the question he asked."

Maritime Law Liability for Losses Caused by Inherently Dangerous Goods Shipped By Sea

Maritime cargo often incorporates dangerous goods. This article explores the established liability when Dangerous goods are shipped by sea.

IMDG Code

The definition of “Dangerous Goods”, and the conditions for their carriage, are laid down in maritime law by the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code. The number of different items which could fall under the umbrella definition of “Dangerous Goods” means that there are nine different classes of item with provision under the Code, and in each of these classes there are then a number of sub-classes, which may differ in levels of danger, in what it takes for the item to become dangerous and other factors.

Classification of Dangerous Goods

The classes of dangerous substance are numbered, one to nine, and the list is as follows:

Government of the Oceans - International Maritime Organization

A ship is like an independent business hub which moves from one country to another. A ship of a particular country is abide by the rules of that country. But, what when the ship goes to some other country? Does the rules remain the same? Probably not, and that is when IMO comes into play.

What does IMO mean?

Legal Speciality: Maritime Law

Are you interested in studying maritime law? The article will provide you with some of the best schools worldwide that can help you enter this competitive field.

What Is Maritime Law?

Marine Safety Management - What is ISM Code?

There are so many regulations that govern the shipping industry that sometimes it becomes tough for a ship to organize and follow all of them. With a need to improve the organizational structure of the regulations body ISM code was established.

Most of the shipping regulations deal with safety of life at sea and marine pollution. ISM (International Safety Management) code is formed with an aim to organize all the regulations that deal with the technical aspects of the ship, traning of ship personnel and marine pollution. This is done to make the shipping process more streamlined. ISM forms a framework that enumerates all the regulations that the shipping companies are required to follow. Thus it emphasis on the aspect of Shipping managment. But this doesn't mean that ISM tells the companies how to do business or the ways to follow the laws. It is upto the companies to decide how they will go about following the codes.
By doing this ISM ensures safety at sea, prevention of loss of human life and preservation of marine environment.

What does it do?

Maritime (MARPOL) Law for Records Retention

This article is about all record retention of oil record book, cargo record book, and garbage record book as per the maritime regulations passed by MARPOL, a regulation under International Maritime Organization.

Marine pollution is the introduction by man, directly or indirectly, of substances into the sea that are harmful to the marine environment. Marine pollution results in harm to living resources such as fish and marine life, hazards to human health, hindrance to marine activities like fishing, shipping, and oil drilling, and reduction of amenities such as beaches, boating, and water sports.

 Oiled Bird - Black Sea Oil Spill 11/12/07

Image courtesy marinephotobank (Flickr) licensed Creative Commens Attribution 2.0 Generic

For many years it was assumed that the oceans could take all the waste that was dumped into them. This was true up to a certain extent… until the turn of the last century when marine activity was limited. As the population increased, industrialization and economic activities also increased, including marine activities like fishing, shipping, oil drilling, development of ports and harbors, passenger travel, and exploitation of the sea bed for minerals. These activities consequently generated waste grew to such an extent that marine pollution become extremely evident.

The first legislation against marine pollution was enacted by United Kingdom in 1923 and was known as the “Oil in Navigable Water Act.” Oil had become a major source of energy replacing coal and it was not only transported in larger volumes, but it also found favor as the fuel for marine diesel engines as well. It has led to increased marine pollution just as the transportation of oil as a cargo led to waste oils being generated as residues in tanks after discharging of cargo (as well as from the main engine).
The residues in the tank were discharged into the sea either during cleaning operations or when ballasting the tanks and discharging the “dirty ballast” into the sea before loading again.
At one point of time it was estimated that about 500,000 barrels of oil were being discharged into the sea. A new method for reducing the pollution was adopted called “Load-on-Top." In this method every oil tanker will be provided with a slop tank having a capacity of between 0.8 and 3 percent of the oil carrying capacity of the ship.
After cleaning the cargo tanks, dirty ballast residues and tank washing are transferred to this slop tank where they are allowed to stand for an adequate period without turbulence. The oil and water separates out and after determination of the oil/water interface by a detector, the water is pumped out from the bottom in compliance with regulations. The remaining oil residues are transferred to the shore reception facility or, if the new cargo is compatible, it can be loaded on top of this residue.

Plastic Ocean

See how many pieces of plastic you can find in this small sample of stuff that washed ashore after a storm. This is all over Ocean Beach in San Francisco. For more on plastic in the ocean and what it does to our food chain (and ultimately us humans), just Google or Bing "plastic ocean" or "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" or "North Pacific Gyre"

Quotation above and image courtesy Kevin Krejci (Flickr) licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution 2.0

So in order to avoid pollution by oil, cargo, and garbage the IMO introduced MARPOL regulations on which the discharge criteria are mentioned. So there is a need for record retention of the discharged items on board.

Record Retention of the Discharged Items On Board

According to MARPOL regulations, every ship has to maintain records of the following:

• Oil record book
• Cargo record book
• Garbage record book

Oil Record Book

The oil record book is in two parts. One is for the discharge of engine room bilges and the other is for the discharge of oil cargo wash from the slop tanks.
Oil Record Book Part 1:
Applicable for all ships, the following machinery space operations shall be recorded in the Part 1 of the oil record book.

1. If there is any ballast or cleaning of fuel tanks, it should be entered in the oil record book.
2. Any discharge of dirty ballast or clean water from fuel tanks should be entered.
3. Collection and disposal of sludges from engine room, bilge waters, and other oil residues should be included.
4. Automatic or non-automatic disposal of bilge water passing through oil water separator should be noted in it.
5. Accidental or exceptional discharge of oil substances in the sea should be entered.
6. Bunkering operation and the amount of reserve oil on board should be entered during and after bunkering.
7. If any failures of filtering equipment like the oil/water separator, its alarm, and stop devices should be made a note.

Oil Record Book Part 2:
Applicable for all oil tankers carrying cargo, oil and ballast operation of tankers shall be recorded in this part 2 of the oil record book.

1. Entries of loading and unloading of cargo oil should be made.
2. If there is any internal transfer cargo oil inside the tanks during the voyage, it should be entered.
3. Crude oil Washing should be noted.
4. Ballast operation of cargo tanks and the segregated ballast tanks is noted.
5. If any cleaning of cargo tanks, it should be entered.
6. Discharge of ballast water should be entered.
7. Discharge of water from slop tanks and the disposal of residues and oily mixtures are entered.
8. Failure of Oily Water Discharge Monitoring Control Systems.
9. If any oily water or residues remain after the tank washing and the delivery to the reception facilities, this should be noted.

Cargo Record Book

It is applicable for all types of ships especially for chemical tankers carrying Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk is as per the MARPOL regulation for controlling the pollution.
The following operations shall be recorded in the Cargo Record Book:

1. Loading of cargo, internal transfer, and unloading of noxious liquid cargo is entered.
2. Mandatory prewash and the transfer of slop to reception facility are noted.
3. Cleaning and ventilation of the cargo tanks should be entered.
4. Note any discharge of tank washing into the sea.
5. Ballasting and de-ballasting operations done during loading and discharge of cargoes should be noted.
6. Accidental or exceptional discharge of cargos in order to save the life of crew and ship should be entered.

Garbage Record Book

It is applicable to all type of ships where the discharge of garbage is entered in the Garbage Record Book.
Any discharge or incineration operation of any garbage should be recorded in the book.
The entries include:

1. Date and Time of disposal.
2. Position of ship during the disposal of garbage.
3. Description of the disposed garbage.
4. Amount of garbage disposed in sea, incinerated or given to the reception facilities in ports should be noted.
5. Amount of accidental escape or lost garbage and the reasons should be mentioned in the Garbage record book.

All these entries should be signed by the officer in-charge and at the end of these pages should be signed by the master. These records will be checked by the port state control and endorsed by them and it should be readily available for inspection. The record should be retained on board for at least three years after the last entry is made. In modern ships, all this record retention is maintained in the computer database onboard the ship, gathering the information from the control systems and operating systems of the ship. So there is no room for human error or malpractice in the recorded data onboard the ship.

References

• Author's experience and expertise
• Image Wikipedia - Oil water discharge monitor and record retention
• International Maritime Organisation - MARPOL
• Marpol Training - Oil Record Book
• Marpol - Oil Record Book

 

Inside the Engine Room of a Ship

If you are not a marine engineer, chances are that you haven’t seen an engine room. Most people avoid the place considering it an underground dungeon full of dangerous machinery, noise, and heat. Contrary to this the engine room is an interesting place and the heart of the ship. Take a tour!

The word “room” normally brings forth the image of a small or average sized room used for domestic purposes. If I mention the word “engine room,” the best you might imagine could be a compartment with a small engine placed at the corner. But remember we are talking in the context of ships and everything related to them is huge in size. So when I talk about the "engine room,” I am not referring to any small room or compartment, but a space which is several stories high and many times bigger than an average sized house. So let us begin this journey in the Wonderland of the ship engine room and bring out the Alice in ourselves.

The Engine Room

As the name itself suggests, the engine room is the space on the ship where all the machinery is located. Well, almost all the machinery, as there are several items of major equipment that are outside the engine room such as cranes, winches, and so forth. First you need to know where the engine room is located, and for that you need to see the two pictures below.

Cruise Ship Construction Methods

Learn about boat building methods and specifically how cruise ships differ from normal commercial cargo carriers as far as ship building processes are concerned.

Cruise Ship Construction Methods

Cruise ships are also known as passenger ships. There are certain similarities between cargo and cruise boat building methods with differences in construction happening at a later stage. The basic design and construction of the hull of the ships remain the same with difference in construction during the finishing of the vessel. As cargo vessels are fitted with container clamping and loading equipment, oil tankers are subdivided, sealed, and fitted with inert gas systems, and cruise ships are fitted with luxurious items to provide comfort to the travelers that shall be sailing on the vessel. Today cruise ship sailing is done for tourism purposes; this means that people are paying a lot of money to sail on these ships, so they require all modern facilities that are found in hotels.

Hull and Deck Construction

Basics of Ship Hull Design

Hull is known as the foundation of the ship. It withstands extremely harsh climatic and weather conditions. Hull should be designed in such a way that it is not affected by the different forces that acts on it while the ship is sailing. In this article we will have a look at different hull designs.

Introduction

The hull is one part of the ship that requires extra concern during design and construction. In the history of naval architecture, hull designs has evolved over a period of time, from cylindrical wooden shanks to steel columns. Engineers have been continuously innovating hull designs to provide greater structural strength. As hull is continuously in contact with water, it is under the effect of different types of forces acting at the same time. Not only that, a hull requires high durability and resistance to prevent structural damage in case of collision or grounding.
Naval architects use different methods for hull construction keeping in mind the purpose and type of ship. In this article we will have a look at the basic ship hull designs which are commonly used.

Terms in ship hull design

What is Marpol?

Marpol is a set of international regulations that prevent ships from spreading environmental pollution at sea.The idea of "marpol" came into being almost fifty years ago;however, the increased pollution at sea in the past few years has made it one of the most important regulations in the world today

Marpol

“Marpol,” the short form for marine pollution, is also the name of an international convention for the prevention of environmental pollution from any sea going vessel. Better known as Marpol 73/78, the agreement came into effect on 2^nd November 1973 at the headquarters of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, England.
The main aim for implementing Marpol was to minimize the pollution of the seas, which mainly occurs because of the dirty oil, exhaust gases, and hazardous chemicals from ships. The Marpol convention provides utmost importance to the marine environment by completely eliminating the usage of any type of substances that can prove harmful to the environment.

History of Marpol