BLOG 68 - Getting a Vessel Ready for a Flag Change - Comments Received

A Lookout?

Foreword:

In all justice to those who do send in their comments by e-mail or in the 'comments' section, I intend, henceforth, to copy and publish some of them in subsequent blogs. Many a time, those comments include details of a parallel incident, the memory of which my blog would have triggered.

Comment on Blog 65 and training of Juniors, 'TAR' Book

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Being from your generation, I too faced the same problem. We were not really aware of this new system. I thought, in fact I still think the HRD from the office should send a special note for the master & chief engineer and make them responsible to ensure the contents of the tar book are strictly adhered to. Then both can delegate same to the c/o & 2/e and ensure the cadet concerned himself take the initiative. Learning to take initiative is part of the saying "well begun is half done". Before the tar book days many juniors were treated so harshly by some seniors that they actually believed they were good for nothing.

Amiyo

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Comment on Blog 61 and Carriage of Logs

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Now that I have turned to be Land Lubber, from 2014. Thinking back of these vessels (Log Carriers, Wood chip Carriers) looks to be so vulnerable and unsafe. In calm, still water they operate in good order. But the moment sea starts getting rough, they turn to floating coffins, at the mercy of Oceans. At the time I was operating on Log & Wood chip carriers, from Brazil to Europe, I thought nothing of being on them. Rather enjoyed the scenes of spotting a large snake among Logs, loaded from Brazil, Amazon forests. The name of the port was (hope I am right) San Juan, up Amazon river. Last port where vessels went for loading Logs.

Subin Das

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Comment on Blog 60 - "Rejuvenating a Dead Ship in Jeddah" from a batch mate and close friend

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Subin Das Aug 19

Dear Ranga, similar back breaking job was put on my plate by my Management. To take a vessel from Moth balled state to active. It was in Rotterdam. She was a vessel belonging to a Columbian Drug Cartel. Vessel was arrested in Rotterdam for shipping drugs from Columbia. Owners vanished, no one claimed the vessel. So, Dutch government impounded her and left her to rot in Anchorage of Rotterdam port.

Our great Management bid for her & got full ownership. None of the certificates were valid. Complete vessel smelled strange and looked like a vessel belonging to Ghosts. Well, once we boarded, scenario was same like yours.

Due to lack of valid Certificates, vessel sailed from Rotterdam for Congo, Sierra Leone, Ivory coast & Belgium Congo. Lovely experience of living with Rats, Cockroaches of different sizes, sleeping on lumpy mattresses. Air cond. being a rare commodity, till we fixed the Compressors, cleaned air ducts, renewed flaps, expansion valves etc. Complete steering system re vamped. Well lets stop at these,. We both know experiences, what we had to go through. But end of the day, no bickering, no complaints. Take care and stay healthy, happy.

Subin

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Chapter 3 – With the help of all Norwegians, I prepare the Ship for Flag Change (from Norwegian Flag to HongKong Flag)

During and after all their long standing problems being solved, all the Norwegian staff were suddenly very friendly with me and would help me in any way I desired, even the lady steward who made special omelettes for me regularly. I needed their assistance in going through the check list that had been given to me in Mumbai, before I flew out to join the ship. This had been couriered from Hong Kong to Mumbai by the Senior Superintendent who would be in charge of the ‘Talabot’, once it was taken over by Barber Ship Management.

The only two who were reticent in assisting were the Chief Engineer and the Electrician.

The ship was to be changed from Norwegian registry to Hong Kong registry – what is colloquially termed as a “Flag Change”. The Hong Kong authorities' rather vast check list of what they will be checking was what I had in my hand.

The entire ship’s staff lent me their full cooperation in the checks and inspections. As each item was ticked off, I kept rather detailed notes of how the checks were done, how or what was inspected and what were the findings. The check list was quite exhaustive and took us the better part of two weeks to complete.

BLACK OUT TEST

With the Norwegian’s co-operation, we even carried out a “Black Out Test”, where the running generator is deliberately tripped and there is a black out, the Emergency Generator starts automatically within 30 to 40 seconds, depending on the timer setting and comes on load automatically to supply power to all the machinery on the Emergency Circuit. Meanwhile, the “Standby" Generator also starts automatically within 30 seconds, comes on load and all essential “Standby” machinery, such as pumps, start automatically and come back on line. Everything is supposed to happen in a particular sequence. All was fine. The non-essential equipment needed to be started by hand. Also, a quick check needed to be made that all essential machinery was functioning properly before re-starting the Main Engine.

A 'flow chart' of the expected sequence with which power is restored (which was absent) was made, which also detailed the sequence of all machinery starting up automatically and also listing all non-automatic machinery that needed to be started manually. A copy of this was pasted in the Engine Control Room.

FIRST START ARRANGEMENTS

An interesting inspection that is made by Class or Flag State is that of “First Start Arrangements” for a ship. By SOLAS regulations, a ship should be capable of being restarted from a totally “Dead” condition. If there was no power, no air, all batteries dead, how would you start the generators to supply power to the ship?

This scenario is when a vessel is stranded mid-sea in such a condition. If the ship was in port, shore assistance can be sought.

The obvious destination is to get compressed air filled into the air bottles, so that the main generators can be started and power restored.

Various shipyards came up with viable innovations with Class approval.

The basic one was to have a hand operated pump to send in compressed air - probably to around 8 bar pressure - into a small compressed air bottle, fill it up and start the Emergency Generator, which will supply sufficient lighting. One Main Air Compressor and a Fresh Water cooling pump, which is connected to the Emergency Generator Switchboard, can then be started to pump up the main air bottles - in some cases, an auxiliary air bottle - so that the Main Generator can be started, put on load. Other cooling and Diesel Oil Pump can be immediately started and the ship awakens.

Another method I have seen is to use explosive cartridges to start the Emergency Generator, the rest to follow.

A third was to hand crank the Emergency Generator, building up momentum through a set of gears and, through a lever, engage with the toothed flywheel of the Emergency Generator and start it. I have seen this only on very few ships, as most Emergency Generators are beyond the size that can accommodate hand cranking.

On the Talabot, we had a hand compressor that was not working, which needed overhaul. After the overhaul, it was possible to fill the Emergency Air Bottle, which is the first step towards restoration of power.

SOME OF THE OTHER INSPECTIONS AND TESTS

Since this Engine Room was certified as “Unmanned Machinery Spaces”, 'UMS', there were a lot of items that went into the assigning of this certificate. All of them needed to be checked.

On my request, we stopped engines for two hours to test out all the Main Engine trips and alarms. All were good.

All Generators’ and Boiler trips and alarms were checked. All were good.

All Main Pumps auto change overs were checked. All were good.

The most difficult part was to get the Norwegian Electrician to ‘Megger’ all motors and circuits. A bottle of his favourite scotch sorted out that glitch.

One of the great advantages of all these tests and alarms and trips was that it was all recorded on the printer, with date and time. It was basically an affidavit, attesting to the operation being carried out.

Getting all tests done on the Radio Equipment was a pleasure, a very professional lady Radio Officer giving me all the co-operation.

All Emergency Equipment were tried out and performance criterion recorded. Some of the stuck Quick Closing Valves were overhauled. A list of Quick Closing Valves was made and pasted in the Engine Room, which also explained the methodology of the checks.

The reason I keep mentioning the making of 'Flow Charts' and 'Lists' that were pasted in the Engine Control Room was that these were the forerunners of mandatory documents that needed to be displayed after the implementation of the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) in the 1990s.

One of several traits that I admired in the Norwegians was the courage with which they would lower the lifeboats, take a trip, come back and restore the lifeboats to their original moorings. They exuded confidence which trait, I found during the years, was lacking amongst Indians. There was always an air of tension on the other ships when the boats were lowered and picked up. Why so, I wonder.

And so it went on, with practically the whole ship’s staff involved in what was to be my job.

The glitch came when I asked for the Official Tape or Wood Measure that is given to the vessel when the Plimsoll Markings are etched midships, on port and starboard sides. This tape or wood measure is marked in such a manner that, when hooked on to gunwale at the designated point and hung down, it should align with the immersion markings etched on the ship’s side.

This was to prevent the illegality of unscrupulous ship owners from changing the markings, for their own benefit. It was always given to the new ship either in the form of a long piece of wood with the markings shown or in the form of a steel tape with the same markings.

I asked for this tape or wood measure, after which a frantic search was instituted. The only person who even understood what to search for was the Captain. After 3 days of search, the Bosun found a polished wooden box in the recesses of the Bosun’s store forward. This contained the spring tape with the Plimsoll markings.

By then, we were about 3 days away from our destination port and I had completed more than 95% of the items in the Flag Change check list. The rest could be done only after we reached port.

20 days into the voyage, the Captain gave a party in my honour – as they were impressed with my work ethics. This party was held on the poop deck aft. I felt humbled.

Chapter 4 – We reach Bordeaux, France and the Flag Change Takes Place

In 2 days, the cargo was discharged and the entire Norwegian Crew left after shifting to a ‘lay berth’, leaving me to organise schedules for our staff. The Indian staff settled down quickly, like seasoned veterans.

INSPECTIONS BY FLAG STATE SURVEYORS

As we were changing Registry to Hong Kong Flag and with Hong Kong being a British Protectorate, the Hong Kong authorities had asked their London Office to send a team of Surveyors for all inspections, as the ship was berthed just across the English Channel. A team of 8 Surveyors boarded the ship with an agenda for 7 days of inspections. I really felt, then, that it was definitely over kill, but had no say in it.

On the first day, after noon, they went around the ship and left. The next morning, there was a meeting to discuss the methodology by which the inspections were to take place. This was attended by all the Surveyors, the Vessel’s Superintendent, the Captain and myself.

As background, I must mention here that the Superintendent had been on board for nearly 3 days and had been pretty abrupt with me, most of the time not very civil. He spent most of his time either going around the ship or staying in the Captain’s cabin. Usually, Superintendents spend a lot of time with the Chief Engineer and, always, went around the ship with the Chief Engineer in attendance. I was a little perplexed but did not give it much significance, as each individual is different in his approach. But I had a lurking suspicion that his slightly rude behaviour towards only me was purposefully done.

Anyway, the primary meeting took place. Each surveyor emphasised what and how he would be checking for the next few days and what he expected the ship’s staff to show him. The three of us, Superintendent, Captain and myself, were taking notes. The Surveyors had lunch and continued till all had spoken their piece, by which time it was around 1430H. They had given an estimation of 6 days to complete everything. There had been discussions in between, with the Superintendent deeply involved. Whenever I tried to say anything, I was rather rudely stopped by the Superintendent and I had to shut up.

1430H came and the Surveyors wanted to pack up for the day and asked a question if any of us had anything to say.

By this time, I was angry that, without any seeming rhyme or reason, I was being treated shabbily by the Superintendent, despite having prepared the ship, with a lot of hardship, for a 'Flag Change', about which nobody had questioned me. In spite of the animosity of the Superintendent, I told all of them firmly that I wanted to speak. They all sat down again and waited.

I took out my check list, my notes made during the sea passage and the notes made during the present meeting. I looked up the list of what they wanted, compared it with my check list and, from my notes, I gave them full details of what had been inspected, how it was inspected, what were the results and what was the evidence. I took each item and gave them my observations. I spoke for nearly two hours and, finally, told them that they would be treading on ground already trodden.

The Surveyors were amazed at the depth of my inspections and started looking at their work from a different light. Each of them questioned me for the next hour or so and made their own notes. Looking at what had already been done by me, they felt that their work could be wrapped up in the next two to three days, rather than their original estimate of 6 to 7 days. They also said that, to prove authenticity of my checks, they will check a few items personally. They wanted a copy of the alarm print out, which had to be sent ashore for copying. The meeting adjourned till the next day.

That same evening, I was alone in my cabin when the Superintendent came in and said “Can we talk?”. I asked him to sit down and asked him what he had in mind. I did not make any reference to his rather aggressive approach with me and waited for him to speak. When he asked for a beer, I realised a truce of some sort was brewing.

He said that my presentation was excellent and had covered all the points that could be a source of worries or delays. He was effusive in his praise. Only then did I ask him as to why he was rude with me. He replied that he had been given a wrong impression of me by his relative who had sailed with me as 2nd Engineer on my previous ship.

Things fell into place pretty quickly in my mind, as I knew who he was talking about. He then asked me why his relative had such animosity towards me. I told him that if he wanted to know, I would tell him the truth. He nodded his acquiescence. I gave him the details about which I have written in “Marine Musings 17 – Tysla”.

Following this we became good friends and we had a good working relationship for a long time till he left Barber’s sometime around early 2000 or so. I came into contact with him again in 2008, when he offered me a job as a Vessel Manager cum Consultant for Maersk USA. I worked there and with him - from Bangalore - till 2014, cementing our friendship which had become really close.

He passed away in Sept 2014. I was there. His name was Mr. BC Ganapathy, ‘Gana’ to me. He was senior to me in College by 7 years. Those 6 years of working with him – 2008 to 2014 – were astounding years, where I put my experience of 38 years at sea to really good use in the service of Maersk USA. In the process, I came to know a very decent human being.

From the next morning, I was with the Surveyors all the time, as I was the only one familiar with the ship, all others being new. The only other person who was familiar with the electrical aspects of the ship was the Electrical Officer, as he had been on the “Tysla” with me. As mentioned earlier, the Talabot and the Tysla were from the same yard, the only difference being the Tysla was a Multi Purpose Carrier and the Talabot was a larger sized Bulk Carrier.

Suffice it to say that the Surveyors completed their jobs within 2 days’ (or thereabouts) time and left. But we had to stay on at the lay berth for another 2 days, awaiting new fire fighting equipment from the United Kingdom, which had been shipped by road from Southampton. Why new FFA? Because Hong Kong did not recognize the makers of the Norwegian Fire Fighting Appliances – they had not been ‘type approved’. It was farcical, as most of the Norwegian safety equipment were several notches better than the British equipment that we were forced to install.

All done and dusted with the Flag Change, we resumed normal life and started sailing.

===== Continued in Blog 69 =====