THE NAIVE SAILOR, SUPERSTRIP - CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

THE NAIVE SAILOR, SUPERSTRIP - CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL


Here is an actual email from me to my shore office.

Glean from it.

Be safe.

I was relieved on my last ship by a Master, who told me that his Russian Chief Officer got heated liquid caustic soda ( concentrated ) in his eyes and became 100% blind--

--what a shame, a young life nipped in the bud.

Ignorance is NOT bliss on merciless chemical tankers.

Danger lurks everywhere.

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From: XXXX [mailto:master.XXX@gtships.com]

Sent: 17 March XXX 03:03

To: 'Technical (SG) - XXX'

Cc:  XXX

Subject: XXXX/ TRAPPED CARGO

gentlemen, 

pl  check out the attachment first. 

I had tried to explain this to the yard at XXX in XXX – during XXX delivery. 

however they have made the same mistake on XXX and XXX. 

the new marpol regulations allow only 75 litres ROB, after dec 31st 2006. 

in the quest to avoid piggy back small dia meter superstrip SS pipelines, the pump delivery pipelines have been tiled towards the manifold, so that the cargo slides down by gravity— even with a good stern trim.  the manifold is a low level amidships. 

so this is OK while discharging high MP cargoes in winter—BUT horrible while loading from barges.  the advantage it is also nullified if the shore connection is a metal chiksan whose top bend is at least 10 metres higher than the manifold ( instead of flexible hoses which tilts downward from the saddle ) .  

when the tank loses suction –the cargo remains from the top bend till the rotating impeller. 

if the pump impeller stops rotating –it stops acting as a N/R valve and the entire column slides down into the tank sump. 

this is the reason why we blow the pump stack. 

air blows pushes down the cargo in the stack and ejects it via a small pipe connected just on top of the impeller which connects to the outer side of the delivery valve.  

AIR ALWAYS REMAINS ON TOP AND LIQUID ALWAYS REMAINS AT THE BOTTOM—LAWS OF PHYSICS. 

so where is the problem? 

with viscous lub oils we get EXTRA ANNEX 1 OIL SLOPS. 

with sulphuric acid this trapped cargo slides down and remains at the pump sump—to HISS, SPUTTER and for EXHOTHERMIC HEATING of the impeller and clad steel at the sump . With salt water entry at start of tankcleaning the 2mm clad steel is eaten away, and the Chromic oxide layer of SS gets denuded. 

now the following has got nothing to do with XXX—but with XX yard ships XXX and XXX. 

there the yard has done even worse.  

despite being warned in writing on XXX —they have been very stubborn and made the same STUPID mistake on XXX. 

on XXX ships,  the delivery pipelines are NOT tilted towards the manifold. 

so all the tanks aft of manifold have rigid small dia SS super strip lines –riding piggy back on 6 inch lines to the manifold. 

they have given a HIGH manifold and a HIGHER ( what a joke !)  common collector.  

so even after , STACK STRIPPING and SUPER STRIP—the entire sulphuric acid slides back into the cargo tank.  

for the UN-INITIATED. 

what is super strip? 

superstrip is required to shove all the inboard contents of ship’s delivery pipelines OUTSIDE the manifold valve which is closed. 

from the manifold air blown at 7 kg pushes the cargo in the 6 inch pipelines back to the shut delivery valve of the cargo tank.  from there it is shoved into a small diameter SS pipeline which goes back to the manifold and connects OUTSIDE the shut manifold valve. 

andar ka maal bahar. 

AIR ALWAYS SKIMS ON TOP OF CARGO IN A LARGE 6 INCH DIA PIPELINE WHICH GOES UPHILL AGAINST TRIM , WHILE LIQUID CARGO REMAINS THERE — THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN IN  A ONE INCH PIPELINE WHICH REMAINS CHOCK-A-BLOCK WITH CARGO—SO AIR PUSHES THE CARGO OUT. 

so – this becomes a new post for the NAÏVE SAILOR SERIES-- in my website. 

but question—why are we so naïve at sea – or with anything to do with ships-- ashore?  

don’t we have basic commonsense ?  

we all deserve each other, right?

thanks and best regards

capt. ajit vadakayil

master

mt XXX ( imo no - XXX )

master's cabin phone : +870 xxx (Inm F77)-- first call

bridge  phone :  +870 xxx (Sing Tel-FBB ) -- second call

bridge phone: +870 xxx (Inm F77)

fax -  : +870 7xxx (Inm F77)

tlx ( sat c) : +580 xxx

Email:  master.xxx@gtships.com

 CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

29 YEARS IN COMMAND