Well, I’m back from sea for a couple days now, I think I’ve finally got my body on NYC time.
I joined the Matterhorn Spirit in Wilhemshaven, Germany on March 17th, and sailed all over Northern Europe, across the pond to Delaware, Venezuela, Louisiana, St. Eustatius, and back to Europe, before flying home from Norway on Sunday.
Didn’t take too many pics, but here are a few.
The ship was a crude oil tanker with a 28,000 HP electronic 2 stroke slow speed diesel engine. Slicker than sh!t. No camshaft, just software and microchips.
Marine Engineer
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Here are a few more:
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The main engine behind me is a B&W 7S60MCE, 7 cylinder 2 stroke electronic engine. Everything was hydraulically actuated, and controlled by microprocessor. We had a computer (running WinXP) in the control room that was our interface with the engine. Need to adjust the timing? click click with the mouse. Very sophisticated and state of the art.
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There was one of these for each cylinder, and then two for overall control of the engine. They were "plug and play" sort of. We had one fail (it automatically switches to the other one, no disruption in the operation of the engine) and we unplugged all the wire modules, replaced the circuit board with the spare, plugged everything back in and the computer found the new board and downloaded all the parameters to it.
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Here's the ship at anchor in the Mississippi. We were waiting to discharge Venezuelan crude at Good Hope, LA.
Marine Engineer
How long/wide was the ship and how much crude does it hold?
Do you have time when in port to check out the local areas or do you stay on board?
How long/wide was the ship and how much crude does it hold?
It was about 800 ft long, about 130 ft wide. We could carry around 110,000 barrels of product, which would take on average 18 hours to discharge if the terminal could accept full rate.
Do you have time when in port to check out the local areas or do you stay on board?
Not too much time. Most people don't want refineries in their backyard, so usually the tanker ports are pretty far from town, and it's painful to spend $50 taxi each way for a beer. I got an afternoon ashore in Le Havre, France (which was excellent), an evening in Kalundburg, Denmark (where the Danish hillbillies live) and to a mall in Deleware. Otherwise I was working or just couldn't be bothered to go ashore, nothing worth my time and money. In Primorsk, Russia, the customs/immigration wouldn't let me go ashore (me or the Canadian mate we had).
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Hi Marine Engineer,
Double check your cargo capacity, shoudl be around 1,000,000 bbls for this vessel not 110,000 Bbls typo.
I work with the big ones too. Enjoy your time off.
Virginbuild
right, make that 110,000 DWT, not bbls. And that's ballpark. I don't deal with cargo numbers, I keep the cargo pumps maintained, but that's as close as I get to it.fair winds and following seas
Teekay's website says capacity is 800,000 barrels. That's about $60 million.
How much fuel does a ship like this use?
at full ahead, about 60M3 per day, which is something like 55 tons.fair winds and following seas
Do/can you use cargo for fuel?SamT
On this ship, no. We carried unrefined crude oil, while the fuel we burned, through a residual product (as opposed to a distilled product, like gasoline or diesel oil), is still quite processed. In turn, we run the fuel oil through a purifier to remove even more dirt, water, and abrasive particles that wreak havoc on fuel injectors and cylinder liners.But even if we were a product tanker, you don't burn your cargo.On a LNG (liquid natural gas) ship, you do burn cargo. On those ships, the cargo is loaded at -160 deg C, and the cargo is constantly gassing off. You have to deal with this gas: you can vent it, reliquify it, or burn it. Venting is a waste, only now are ships finally being fitted with reliquification plants, so traditionally the LNG ship burned a portion of its cargo to maintain low pressures in the cargo tanks.There are parameters from the charterer, something like you're allowed to burn 0.02% of the cargo per day, maybe around 50-60 M3 per day.Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
How does fuel consumption vary with speed? Is the choice of 14.5 knots perhaps the point where going any faster will cost more in fuel than you'd make by moving more stuff per year?
-- J.S.
We had a computer (running WinXP)
I hope the ship's version runs more reliably than mine. Getting the blue screen of death at an inopportune moment could be messy.
What does Aframax mean? Is there some secret canal thru the continent? Keep the photos coming. Big ships are extremely cool.
I was a little concerned about it as well, but it only ran one application, wasn't connected to the internet, and we didn't look at too much p0rn on it, so it held steady.
Aframax is a size of ship that is able to enter most ports (due to draft restrictions, etc.). It's a known size, which helps the charterers and brokers do their negotiations. Kinda like containers are 20 or 40 foot, like plywood is 4x8, the tanker was an aframax.
Another common class of ships is "Panamax" which means it's the biggest size that can still pass through the panama canal.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Too cool, next to airplanes I like ships best.
Experienced, but still dangerous!
This is a spare cylinder liner
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you can see the ports on the bottom of the liner. This is where the fresh combustion air enters the cylinder. As the piston moves up the cylinder, it closes these ports and begins its compression stroke. Just before it reaches TDC, fuel is injected and ignites, and the power stroke begins. As the piston travels down, at some point the exhaust valve opens which is at the top of the cylinder, and then the ports on the liner are uncovered, and the fresh air flushes the combustion gases out. This type of engine is a uniflow. Older two strokes didn't have exhaust valves, they had two sets of ports, intake and exhaust. But no one has made that type of engine for decades.
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These covers are at the base of the engine and allow us access to the crankshaft and connecting rod, and the journal bearings which support the crankshaft. This engine had a crosshead, which allows the footprint of the engine base to be narrower in relation to the length of the stroke than it would be with the connecting rod attaching directly to the piston.
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finally, this is a shot of us sailing south on the Mississippi. I was down below, someone else took this. Not sure which bridge it is, but it's somewhere in the New Orleans area.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Thanks for the pictures, very interesting. How large are the cylinders? Somewhat above man height?
you can see the safety railing in the picture; that would come up to an average height mans belly button. So the cylinder might be around 15 feet tall?Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Some lovely engines there! In the 1980's I was allowed into the engine room of an LCT (Landing Craft - Tank). The engine was an amazing sight, all brass, copper, shiny with years of devoted care. Considering that these craft were intended for a single trip during WWII, they put a lot of care into their construction.
Can you tell us the cruise speed for that tanker? How long does it take to get it moving at that speed? How many miles? Same for slowing down or stopping, how long, how far?
Can you tell us the cruise speed for that tanker? How long does it take to get it moving at that speed? How many miles? Same for slowing down or stopping, how long, how far?
Usually the speed we need to go is stipulated in the charterers agreement (usually 14.5 knots) but balls to the wall all out we could do maybe 17 knots.
We can get up to 14.5 knots in around 30 minutes or so, when finally the fuel consumption will start dropping as we get momentum. About 30 minutes before we need to maneuver, we slow down to about 10 knots, so I guess that's 5-6 miles for slowing down. We could do an abrupt stop, but that's hard on the ship.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Why does the charterer stipulate the speed? I would think they would be more concerned wth the delivery date and not care how you got there."Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
I want to take a guess before he answers.
I'm thinking it has something to do with coordinating the arrival time at the terminal. Don't want to get there too early and tie up man hours waiting. You also have to have time for the brokers and what not to deal with negotiations and paper work.
That just seems logical to me.
.
You can't judge me man! You've never even kissed me, Man!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPONTneuaF4
That's not my end of the business. I'm not completely sure, all I know is that when we get a tender for a cargo, the minimum speed is stipulated, and they give a "laycan" (don't ask, cause I can't answer) of say, 8-9 August, which means we need to be there by 0001 on the 8th, where we give our "notice of readyness", but the terminal doesn't have to take us in to load until the 9th.For our ship, the contracts that were negotiated, the minimum speed was usually 14.5 knots, and depending on the weather, current, etc. we adjusted the engines to average that speed over the course of the voyage.It's a complex system that has evolved over the years, we get a set of parameters and try to meet them.Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Would you cruise at a speed faster than the minimum speed for a portion of the trip if you anticipate problems maintaining the min. or just deal with the consequences if you're late because of some unforeseen circumstances?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
If we anticipated having to slow down for something, or expected bad weather or something like that, we'd do what it took to make our arrival on time. It's really bad to be late, especially if it was avoidable with more careful management. The ship and the company develop a reputation, good or bad, and that helps or hinders the company to secure cargoes.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
I like these threads.Neat to see how other professions work, the scale of the equipment, etc.Sail safe,Mongo
the crankcase is monitored by an "Oil mist detector" which is one of the most critical safety systems on the engine. If a bearing were to fail, it would get really hot in a hurry, and cause the lube oil near it to boil and vaporize, creating an explosive atmosphere which could cause the engine to blow up.
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This is a "crankcase explosion cover" which is a big check valve, to allow pressure out if there was an explosion, but then to prevent air from getting back in and feeding the fire.
To turn the engine for inspection or maintenance, we have a turning gear. A full revolution takes about 3-4 minutes.
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Most of the coolers we had on the ship were plate type coolers, which have the most heat transfer for the size of the cooler.
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The ship had a "central cooling system" which meant there was one heat exchanger that had fresh water being cooled by salt water, and every thing else that needed cooling used this fresh water; this requires a higher initial capital investment, but the maintenance costs (and effort for the crew) is greatly reduced, as only the salt water side of the cooler gets dirty.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
This is a spare cylinder head with exhaust valve.
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The head bolts (and all the other big bolt/nuts on the engine) are tightened hydraulically. The nut is specially shaped, with small holes to insert a small tool, kinda like a center punch, to turn the nut through the openings in the tightening apparatus.
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the silver cover above the nut is to protect the thread. That comes off, and the the bolt extends past the nut by about 6-8 inches.
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The hydraulic unit screws onto the bolt, and the spacer thing with the slots goes over the nut, sitting on the surface of the head/engine block/etc. and the the hydraulics are pumped up, which causes the bolt to stretch. There will be a parameter such as pumping the hydraulics to 1500 bar and then making the nut finger tight.
This is great, because you can be precise as far as how tight the nut is; you can tighten all the head bolts at the same time, and to the same tightness; and it's a lot easier than using a giant torque wrench, for which you would need a 30 foot cheater bar to get the torque you needed.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Curious, if you don't mind...How did you get into this profession? Did you attend a maritime academy (if that even is a career path), or go another route?Mongo
so...
good to see your smiling face again..
will we be graced with your presence at Northfest ?Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike,if I can find a ride up there, I expect to go. Will be great to see everyone again. Really bummed I missed TPfest in my own backyard last summer, but I was sweltering in the persian Gulf at the time. Gotta pay those bills.And no golf for me. Though I'm a republican, I'm not quite bourgeois. Still a bit of the proletariat in me, though listening to Hilary campaign is helping me.... Go Rudy!Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
I have been reading your thread, and I have the same question as Mongo. What you do seems enormously complex, and I am curious to know what sort of training/education/experience brings you to such a position?I would imagine most of the ball game is preventive maintenance, but I'm wondering how much of your time is devoted to repairing stuff that breaks down?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
preventive maintenance is great, but it depends on the company and the resources that they give you. Some operators are slash and burn, and I try to avoid them. TK, the company I'm with now, seems pretty good, but I was on a ship that was only 1-1/2 years old. So I didn't have too many leaky pipes or corroded infrastructure. It might be different on a 10 year old ship.
Some companies like "predictive" maintenance, which involves doing things like infrared survey for electrical equipment, and vibration analysis for mechanical stuff. That takes an enlightened company, because if you do it right, all you see is the bill for the vibration analysis, not the failed pump and the off charter time.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
In an earlier post you noted that you worked for a company, and therefore circulated among all the ships they own. Assuming that each has different mechanical plant, doesn't that make your job especially difficult? I have a friend who is a pilot for NW airlines, and he must formally "qualify" for each type of plane he is rated to fly. And from what I can see, this is a very rigorous process. Is that similar to what you have to do for all these various ships?********************************************************
"It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."
John Wooden 1910-
sometimes you go on a sister ship, which makes things pretty easy. Otherwise you've got to figure it out. But after a while, you've seen a lot of ships, you know what should be there, it's just a matter of finding it.This main engine being electronic, that was completely new to me, so the learning curve on that was a bit steep (and still ongoing).As far as "qualifying" for different ships, the licensing structure takes into account the different disciplines. So my license is for Chief Engineer Motor, Steam, and Gas Turbine, while most of my colleagues have only a motor license, and so couldn't sail as an engineer on a steam ship. But it's not a per ship training. That's up to the company.The fellow I relieved last march rode parallel with me for a few days to give a smooth turnover. But the company had to pay both of us. That's a significant training cost.Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
But after a while, you've seen a lot of ships, you know what should be there, it's just a matter of finding it.
And, a lot of the steps are the same, getting the power to the water, only the methods of making the power tend to differ.
Let's see, raised on the lore of 400# & 600# steam; schooled on 800# & 1200#; served with marine diesels for a long stretch. Now, the DDX plants are to be turboelectric--go figure.
I'm just happy to not have to go get schooled up on the various tractor drives (the Voight drives just boggle my mind).Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Interesting thread,
Do you work with an international crew, or American? Are you a member of MEBA or one the other seagoing unions? How many people typically work in an engine room on a ship such as yours?
this ship was with an international crew. I'm a member of AMO, and we've begun negotiating with international companies who are so short of skilled people that they're willing to hire Americans at American wages, so far only senior engineers but the union is hoping to get a wide array of jobs from these companies.
The engine department had 7 people on this ship: Chief, 1st, 2nd and 3rd engineers, mechanic/fitter, oiler and wiper. Some ships have more, maybe another 3rd engineer, a cargo engineer for LNG ships, an electrician.
it was an unmanned engineroom, so unless there was cargo discharge, or tank cleaning where we were running the inert gas system, at 1700 we'd switch to UMS (universal monitoring system) which meant any alarm would annunciate in the common spaces (dining room, recreation room) and in the stateroom of the duty engineer. We'd have 200 seconds to acknowledge the alarm, before it rang in all the engineers rooms. That means, at 0200 an alarm goes off, wakes you out of bed, you have to get dressed, get down to the engineroom and hit silence/acknowledge in just over 3 minutes. I hate having the duty (once every 3rd day) because you're always on edge, laying in bed trying to sleep, hoping an alarm won't ring.
This ship was pretty good in that 60-70% percent of my duty days I didn't get any alarms through the night. The ship I was on last year, you usually got 2 or 3 per night, so you were always exhausted, not getting proper sleep (it's hard to fall asleep after running down to the engineroom and dealing with some alarm condition).
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Talked with Dinosaur this morning on the phone and he will be looking for your fees when you get conformation from the B&B.
He's on his way to court today to stop his X's motion of dismissal of his appeal.
Will be great to see you at the fest!"No doubt exists that all women are crazy; it's only a question of degree." - W.C. Fields
Chief, 1st, 2nd and 3rd engineers, mechanic/fitter, oiler and wiper
Most of the titles make sense. Is the mechanic the one who gets the dirty jobs? And I guess the oiler greases the bearings. What does a wiper do?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
The wiper is the entry level position. He does cleaning, and is a helper for the engineers/mechanic, can do fire watch for welding jobs, etc. He also learns to take readings and soundings (tank levels).The oiler will be more experienced, and can do more sophisticated stuff, like burning garbage in the incinerator, transferring sludge to the incinerator settling and service tanks, pumping bilges, etc. He also takes readings and fills out the logbook with the numbers, can start the cargo pumps at the discharge port.The mechanic/fitter is a very experienced and skilled guy, who can weld/burn, machine on the lathe, and knows how to dismantle pumps, change bearings, repack valves, etc.Analogy to the military: wiper = private; oiler = corporal; mechanic = gunnery sergeantfair winds and following seas
sophisticated stuff, like burning garbage in the incinerator
What's sophisticated about burning garbage?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Incinerators are notoriously temperamental. It's not like putting garbage in a barrel and lighting it off. The incinerator has diesel oil burners, flame eye scanners, temperature parameters, safety interlocks, etc.When it's finally up and running, the primary chamber is at 750 deg C, but the uptake has to remain below 350 deg C. You have to get a feel for how much garbage to feed so as to not trip the unit by exceeding the temperature settings. If you're burning oily rags, there's a lot more fuel there, it's easy to get things too hot. And it's a pain in the a$$ to get the incinerator up and running again.By sophisticated, I mean things that are too complex for the brand new seaman who has no experience, and more importantly, no situational awareness. This young kid I had as a wiper had no idea when he was doing something dangerous, and needed constant supervision. I expect more from an oiler.It's the difference, on a construction site, between the guy who cleans up, carries the sheathing where it needs to go, basically unskilled labor, and the guy who, while he may not be able to layout the framing, can be trusted to properly sheath the wall or the roof, without falling off, minimum of cut offs, etc.fair winds and following seas
Dang, you make me want to back to sea. An impossibilty now, I'm afraid.SamT
One of TK's ships, the Kiowa Spirit, blew an engine about 6 months ago, and was towed into port here (Saint John, NB) where it stayed for 3 or 4 months. A very expensive layover that must have been.
One of TK's ships, the Kiowa Spirit, blew an engine about 6 months ago, and was towed into port here (Saint John, NB) where it stayed for 3 or 4 months. A very expensive layover that must have been.
a fine mesh strainer in the lube oil system unraveled, and the threads of steel from the strainer got distributed throughout the oil system and tore up the bearings.
a big cost, not only to fix the engine, but to be off hire for 4 months. So an alert went out to the fleet to inspect the strainers on the main and auxiliary engines, and if there was even the slightest doubt, to remove it from service and replace with new.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
The shipping industry is not alone. In too many places the 'bean counters' are running things. The average bean counter is unable to see beyond the end of their nose, and the idea of preventive or predictive maint is a thing so foreign to them as to be incomprehensible. All they see is this month/quarter's profits and they don't want to see anything push this month/quater's profits down. Even if spending $1k will save them $10k a year from now...doesn't matter. They want the $1k now.
These are often the same people who freak out when the $10k problem arises. "how could this happen?!" "We need to fire whomever is doing the maint!"
The 4 month off stretches sound really amazing, but I doubt I'd be equally thrilled when I was cooped up on a ship with the same dozen guys for 4 months. And I would imagine vanishing for 4 months at a shot can be hard on personal relationships.jt8
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The 4 month off stretches sound really amazing, but I doubt I'd be equally thrilled when I was cooped up on a ship with the same dozen guys for 4 months. And I would imagine vanishing for 4 months at a shot can be hard on personal relationships.
"personal relationships" ????
I do not understand the term.
discontinuity is definitely one of the drawbacks to my job. But those 4 month chunks of time are nice, and it's hard to think of not having them anymore, of 9-5'ing it.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
I wanted to go to college, had no money, investigated my options, and found Kings Point, the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Went through all the rigor morale, got me an appointment from Daniel Patrick Moynihan, and started school in the summer of 1987.
Graduated in '91, said I'd sail for 2 years then reevaluate. Here it is 16 some odd years later ...
Lots of training involved, over the years. Lots of certificates, courses, etc. Not an easy profession to give a whirl to. Pay is good, working conditions depend on the company. Seems I'm permanent now with TK, so things look good, they're well managed and take care of their ships.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Congrats on the appointment to Kings Point.You're in a "road less traveled" career path. Very interesting. Took a look at your blog, good snippets of writing.Cleopatra's Needle is a place my wife and I almost always stop in at when we stay in NYC. Carmines, not too far away, is one of my kids' favorite food haunts.Mongo
Went to Cleopatra's Needle tonight with my sis and bro-in-law who are in town visiting. Awesome jazz tonight. I love the jam sessions.Carmines is OK, the experience is great but the food is mediocre. Try Patsy's Pizzaria next time. We went there tonight. 8 of us. 2 bottles of zin, salad, pasta and two pies, $165, it was spectacular. 74th and Colombus, they've got other locations too.Are you a Northfest attendee??? 'cause I've joined the elite few who are going. Kudo's to Vince Carbone who's giving me a ride!!!Cheers
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
Carmine's is definitely more for the experience.The reason my kids like it is that several years ago when my son was 4 and daughter 6, we went there.My son was singing a birthday song and one of the waiters though it was my daughter's birthday. So the staff came out, cake ablaze, and gave an impromptu "happy Birthday" song to my daughter while dancing around our table.My daughter told them it wasn't her b-day, so then then picked up my son in his chair and my daughter in hers, and danced them around the restaurant singing "A Very Happy Unbirthday to You", from Alice in Wonderland.And the kids got to keep the cake.Nope, won't be making it up north to the fest. They always conflict with our family vacation. I did manage to sneak a couple hours in at Rhodefest. Other then that I've been all talk and no action. So this year I didn't even bother talking.Mongo
Great pictures , I was in Augsberg, Germany a couple of years ago visiting MAN Roland ( the printing press division) . I got to visit the MAN Diesel/B&W engine plant next door , super nice plant . MAN started as a machine shop where Dr. Diesel worked on his first engines . If you want to see a realy strange setup check out the four stroke double acting diesel they made . Some one at the US Navy department realy liked it to because they install it in some of our early diesel submarines. I found an old US NAVY Submarine diesel engine training manual on Ebay great reading.
Interesting. Good to have you back on the forum.
So, are you just a boat ho, signing on for the best short-term deal? Do you like that better than a full time job?
What is behind the deck house? Looks like 50 feet of unused deck.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
So, are you just a boat ho, signing on for the best short-term deal? Do you like that better than a full time job?
This is my full time job. Been doing it for 16 years, got a pension going, etc. I work about 80 hours a week onboard, so 4 months on, 4 months off is about right. I have a permanent gig with this company, though not on this ship. They rotate you through the fleet.
What is behind the deck house? Looks like 50 feet of unused deck.
I guess you're referring to the aft mooring station. Mooring winches, etc on deck, and engineroom (steering, etc.) below deck. Since this was a tanker, all the cargo is in tanks in front of the house. If this were a container ship, there would be containers above the mooring stations on the stern.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
So that was a 4 month cruise? Is that a typical length? Sounds like a long dang cruise to me. The folks at portorico were probably glad to see you.
Were you playing Scotty on this cruise? Pretty cool looking engines. Can't imagine what things will be like in 20 years. Maybe unmanned ships by then (isn't THAT scary!).
jt8
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree." -- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
So that was a 4 month cruise? Is that a typical length?
4 months is typical for the officers. The crew does 8 months. That's a long haul.
Were you playing Scotty on this cruise? Pretty cool looking engines. Can't imagine what things will be like in 20 years. Maybe unmanned ships by then (isn't THAT scary!).
Yeah, I was Scotty. I don't think they'll ever go to unmanned ships. Too much can go wrong. They were really squeezing the size of the crews, but they've leveled out, and are sometimes increasing them, as they're finding out preventative/predictive maintenance is more cost effective than corrective maintenance. No doubt it's all about money, but sometimes what is good for people is good for the bottom line.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas
A Teekay ship.
We've done some work with TK, looking at new bilge and sludge pumps. Quite the operation they've got.
MarineEngineer, what a really interesting job...travel, high tech machinery, big ships, and probably good bucks. Very interesting a modern day "Jack Sparrow". Keep the pics coming I would love to see some high-sea shots. stinky
Marine-
Like others I'm interested in what you do for a living. Couple of questions:
1) how's the food on board?? Can u get a meal anytime you want or is the galley only open certain hours.
2) How many guys (in total) are on the ship?? Are there ever any ladies (no...not THAT kind) on board? I would guess not, but I don't know
3) What do you do for fun on the ship. I realize you're working 4 months, but I assume you do get some time off while on board. Play poker??? read??? (do you get TV reception out on the high seas?) is there a movie room on board??
http://www.grosshillrentals.com
1) how's the food on board?? Can u get a meal anytime you want or is the galley only open certain hours.
for meals, the galley is serving only during certain hours. There's usually bread and cold cuts available, and maybe ramen noodles, cereal, etc. for snacking or off hours meals. Some cooks put out the leftovers; the guy on this last ship didn't. As far as quality, it depends on the cook. The supplies he gets are generally adequate. This last guy pretty well sucked, but somehow I managed to find enough calories.
2) How many guys (in total) are on the ship?? Are there ever any ladies (no...not THAT kind) on board? I would guess not, but I don't know
This ship had 25 (which included 2 cadets, one of which was a girl). Women on board? getting more and more common. It can be disruptive, if she trades sex for privilege, and I imagine it's hard for them as there are always guys trying to get into their shorts. Very few women in the engine department, I've sailed with a few and none were ever up to the job. Women in the stewards department usually do quite well. Women mates often don't have the command presence that they need to command, during mooring for instance.
You tend to find lots of women on the government contract ships, where much of the job is paperwork, there are no commercial pressures to perform, etc. The sea is still very much a mans world.
3) What do you do for fun on the ship. I realize you're working 4 months, but I assume you do get some time off while on board. Play poker??? read??? (do you get TV reception out on the high seas?) is there a movie room on board??
I had a TV/VCR/DVD setup in my stateroom, but there is also 2 recreation rooms, one for the crew and one for the officers. We had a bunch of DVD's, a bunch of books, dart board, chess, etc. Guys hang out and drink beer and swap stories, we had a dart tournament (which was a lot of fun, as the blowhard C/M took an a$$whipping).
I try to bring quality literature with me. This trip I read Mark Twains "The Prince and the Pauper", The Dante Club, The Fourth Hand by John Irving, Sun Tzu's The art of War, Hugo's Les Miserables, Upton Sinclairs The Jungle, Keroac's On the Road (which I was finishing up at Northfest) and about 7 or 8 others I got from other guys onboard.
This company allowed alcohol, which was great, as it's nice to kick back at the end of the day and have a beer or a glass of wine. Some ships are dry, and guys tend to just lurk in their rooms and watch movies or read, not much socializing as there used to be.
Crews used to be much bigger, and there wasn't as much OT worked, and you would stay in port longer. Now the crews are small, you work a lot of hours (maybe 90 per week) and in and out of port is hectic and fast.
Marine Engineerfair winds and following seas