FLOODING ON CHEMICAL TANKERS-- CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

FLOODING HULL

No.	Action	Tick
1	Emergency alarm (internal and external ) sounded
2	Master informed	<><>
3	Announce on PA system location and nature of emergency	<><>
4	Watertight doors closed	<><>
5	Reduce speed of engines	<><>
6	Alter course to reduce water pressure on bilged compartment or stop engines	<><>
7	Check if there is pollution of leak of cargo	<><>
8	In case of pollution activate response as per SOPEP/ VRP	<><>
9	Note down time ,date and position of occurance	<><>
10	Ascertain location and cause of flooding	<><>
11	Ascertain extent of flooding and if the compartment pumping out can cope with ingress.	<><>
12	If flooding is too fast , consider possibility of beaching the ship	<><>
13	Monitor if ship is listing/ trimming	<><>
14	Monitor if adjacent compartments are affected.	<><>
15	Assess the permeability of the flooded compartment	<><>
16	Cut off all electrical power to damaged compartment	<><>
17	Initiate damage control measures	<><>
18	Use all available means to pump out water ingress incl portable pumps	<><>
19	Do damage stability calculations	<><>
20	Explore possibility of temporary repairs till port of refuge	<><>
21	Shore up weak bulkheads	<><>
22	Ascertain wind, current, sea swell analysis and prognosis	<><>
23	Reduce rolling by altering course or coundings to ascertain rate of ingress will be wrong.	<><>
24	Send URGENCY broadcast	<><>
25	Notify the nearest coast station	<><>
26	Note the names of ships in the vicinity	<><>
27	Keep LSA in readiness , prepare LB and LR for launching	<><>
28	Check new stability situation due to possible free liquid surfaces effect	<><>
29	Check all the compartments close to the flooded area.	<><>
30	When doing ballast handling, consider stability reduction due to the FSE	<><>
31	Work out the SF/BM	<><>
32	Inform the Company and DPA	<><>
33	Notify all relevant parties including charterers, agents and cargo interests	<><>
34	Check charts available to suitable nearest possible port of refuge

  

FLOODING ENGINE ROOM

Ser No	Description
1	ER flooding if not swiftly controlled will lead to abandon ship . Sound engineers alarm and inform bridge / Master
2	Ask master to verify if ship will drift on to lee shore – in case engines are unavailable for an extended period of time.
3	Top 3 engineers to carry walkie talkies and establish communications.
4	Good leadership is required now. Do not panic. All you need to do with a cool head is to reduce the ingress.
5	Check if all the sounding pipes are capped and self closing weighted caps are securely shut. They are a dangerous source of progressive flooding.
6	If pollution is imminent, or potentially possible, pollution control measures to be put into effect. ( refer to SMPEP/ VRP)
7	Start pumping out the water using the emergency bilge suction.
8	Use every available means to pump out the water including portable pumps.
9	Change over to DO and stop main engines. There is no need to wait till the water touches the fly wheel.
10	Selectively cut off electrical power at the lower platform to electricalmotors like ME LO pump motors etc.
11	Take precautions asap to prevent sea water from entering the MECC and sump.
12	Ascertain the reason for flooding and the location—is it a hole on the shipside or a holed sea water pipeline.
13	Assess the rate of water ingress. Take photographs with digital camera.
14	If the water ingress is still greater than the pumping effort , start the emergency generator.
15	Make arrangements to provide cooling water to the generators using fire hose water from emergency fire pump. You may need to shut off the sea chests.
16	Consider the most appropriate way to stop the ingress. For a ship side hole OR a failure of pipe that leads directly to shipside shell below waterline , this could be plugging from inside , using weighted collision mats from outside , shoring with pads, listing/ trimming the ship.
17	Rate of flooding =…. (3A x H Tons/ Sec where A =Area of hole in sq. mtrs, where H= depth below water line.
18	For pipeline rupture change over to high sea suction. Shut valves on either side leading to the overboard valves/ sea suctions to isolate it. Use cycle tubes (especially if the hole is at a T joint or elbow ) before you can do an effective temporary repair with straub clamps.
19	Consult the ER sea water pipeline diagram. This is not the time to rely and bank on the memory.
20	If the vessel is loaded , consider deviating from voyage to do effective repairs.
21	Check the probability of jettisoning cargo to increase reserve buoyancy in loaded passage.
22	Master to check weather and possibility of stranding vessel to save ship and cargo.
23	Master to be given frequent situation reports till the ingress is less than pumping out volume.
24	Influence of flooding on stability and stresses to be ascertained.
25	Once the flooding is controlled and water pumped out check and overhaul all submerged electricals before switching on to prevent short circuit.
26	Submerged motors can be replaced with identical ones temporarily, till the insulation is built up after   overhauling/ electro cleaning / baking.
27	Check the contents of MECC oil for water ingress.
28	In case of sea water pipeline corrosion hole, check the adjacent pipes for similar thinning/ weakening and take preventive measures to prevent recurrance.
29	Test the High level alarm of ER bilges.

Note: Hemetically seal leaking cargo / oil tanks after removing head above sealevel by internal transfer.

CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL
29 YEARS IN COMAMND
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