in their safety management system manuals, the cargo plan is of much importance as it is ship specific and has minute details of measures and sequences.
The loading plan is reviewed, discussed and signed by all other officers onboard including captain.
The plan comprises of detailed and step-by-step instructions of various stages involved in the cargo
transfer. It specifies the record and measure of stre sses, GM, Righting lever, drafts, trim, propeller
immersion etc.
Critical stages such as commencement and
completion of unloading or loading of cargo, checking cargo manifests, loading / unloading of holds, ballasting / de-ballasting, changeover of pumps, tanks, stripping of cargo tanks, educting, and crude oil washing require additional
precautions and personnel.
In these stages, the Chief Officer's presence is of great significance and mandatory in most of the stages.
The plan also specifies personnel on watch and their duties while the cargo operations are taking place, along with requirement of additional
personnel and trainees and when to call them.
The loading plan is broadly classified into
the operations with respect to the stability of the vessel.
SOLAS CHAPTER VI, Carriage of cargoes, Part B, Regulation 7 mentions a booklet containing various information like
• Stability data
• Ballasting and de-ballasting rates and capacities
• Maximum allowable load per unit surface
area of tank top plating
• Maximum allowable load per hold
• General loading instructions considering ship’s design, strength criteria and other averse situations encountered during loading/unloading operations
• Any restrictions imposed by the administration
• Where strength calculations are required , maximum permissible forces and moments on ship’s hull during the loading, unloading and the voyage
2.)Loading and Unloading Instruction : The main function of loading plan is to keep the ship stable at all times.
It describes step-by-step instructions to be followed as the various stages of the operation progress.
The instruction contains specific information such as which hatches to be worked, their sequence, which containers to be lifted first and their
Loadicator
arrangement, when the vessel should commence ballasting and de ballasting and by what means, which valves, manifolds to be opened at which stages, status of IG valves, which pumps to be used, when to commence ballasting and de
ballasting, line up of valves for Cargo and Ballast transfer.
Bulk cargoes when loaded should be trimmed at reasonable level to prevent the risk of shifting.
SOLAS CHAPTER VII, Carriage of dangerous goods in packaged form, Regulation 5 states that
the Cargo, Cargo Units and Cargo Transport units shall be loaded, stowed and secured throughout the voyage in accordance with the cargo securing
manual approved by the administration.
International Grain Code adopted by MSC shall be referred for compliance while carrying out cargo operations and during the voyage to avoid any miscalculations and to minimize errors in the operation.
Foam Extinguishing System Arrangement on Deck
Most of the ships nowadays are prevalently
managed by various management companies. Cost cutting has been a abundantly practiced term even in ownership companies. This in turn forces ship owners from placing new deliveries and continue with the existing ones with minimum expenditures that are sufficient to meet the safety norms .
With due course of time, the older a vessel gets, the breakdown maintenance becomes prominent and the vessel needs more attention along with routines.
The role of a mate includes identifying or
accessing, planning, delegating and monitoring different maintenance jobs carried out onboard ships.
Maintenances can be broadly classified into two types - i) Routine and ii) Breakdown.
For Routine maintenance, the most effective means provided onboard is the PMS or Planned
Maintenance Schedule.
A PMS contains all relevant details about various jobs and their frequencies, along with the nature and extent of work involved. However, do note that a Planned Maintenance System may or may not necessarily cover all maintenance jobs.
For example a vessel trading in US Waters may be required to comply with National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Regulations as per Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Thus for complying with CFR the vessel might have to carry out additional maintenance jobs which may or may not be included in the PMS or their frequency might differ from the PMS.
In case of doubt, it is always advisable to refer to the Company specific Shipboard Management Manual (SMS), which will lay out clear guidelines in case of any ambiguity.
Thus, the role of a chief officer becomes very crucial while a vessel is engaged in various ship operations as he/she is the key person to co- ordinate and get tasks executed within time .
Supervision of Deck Jobs
Important factors which a mate must consider before planning jobs are :
The trading area of vessel. For e.g In cold weather areas with sub zero temperatures taking appropriate cold weather precautions might be of higher priority than carrying out other
maintenance jobs.
Duration of present voyage. If vessel is on short voyages, then greasing and lubrication of machinery are more relevant and important than painting or jobs related to cosmetic appearance.
Number of weather working days in a voyage.
Some days vessel might get better weather for the paint to dry up. But if the weather is moist and damp it is better to carry out jobs inside
accommodation or enclosed, confined or sheltered spaces.
Breakdown maintenance and prioritizing jobs and hazards involved. Some important jobs which involve breakdown of machinery parts, bearings, wearing down of brake liners of mooring winches etc. should be given priority over other routines jobs.
Any pending surveys or dry dock preparations.
If any intermediate, annual or dry dock surveys are due the major items of survey should be prepared well in advance.
Location of work areas and favorability of weather. For e.g It can planned to complete the jobs which need personnel to work aloft or
overside when the vessel is at anchor or when in calm seas.
Manpower required, availability of spares and stores. For e.g. Before planning and repair or
replacement jobs, spares inventory and stores to be
considered to ensure sufficient back up supply.
Whether the job involves hot work or cold
work. For e.g. on oil tankers hot work can only be carried out when the vessel is in gas free state. So whenever such an opportunity is available all relevant hot works are to be identified and carried out.
Note: Do take prior permission from port authorities when performing hot work in Ports
Common Problems
Some of the very common problems faced onboard can be listed as:
• Failure of hydraulic valves inside tanks or on deck: Most of the hydraulic valves onboard are operated by combined use of remote electric transmission through electric
circuits, solenoid valves, control units, and local hydraulic operating mechanisms
through hydraulic pumps and actuators. This system over a period of time is prone to faulty indication errors and reduced
operating pressure due to losses in the line and leaks. These faults are quite frequent on ships which are several years old
• Leakage of hydraulic oil from valves and actuator seals
• Damaged seat rings of valves: Sometimes use of incorrect material of seat ring leads to inefficient sealing between the valve seat and the disc, preventing the valve from holding.
This issue can be observed by a duty officer or chief officer in cases where ullage of tanks are changing even when the corresponding
Hot-work on ship
valves are shut
• Wearing down of brake lines for mooring winches and windlasses
• Wearing down of lowering, hoisting, sliding wires for gangway and accommodation ladders
• Oil leakages from hydraulic cranes or hydraulic operated davits for life boat and rescue boats
• Leakages from seals of ballast and cargo pumps
• Damaged and corroded hydraulic lines and chocked filters on the return line. This leads to less hydraulic oil being replenished to the return or main tank, resulting in low level alarms or low flow. The amount of oil
supplied to the valves through the main line reduces further, causing decrease in oil pressure, which is required to operate the valve
• Faulty valve position indicators and solenoid valve transmission blocks: Sometimes either
the command to operate the valves is not sent to the solenoid valve or the valve gets stuck and fails to give the feedback to the cargo panel. In some cases the valves operate but their position indicators do not respond and transmit correctly as required
• Faulty transmission by Remote Sensor of IG pressure of tanks: The pressure sensors
which are mounted on the topside of the tanks on the main deck transmit the pressure readings from inside the tanks to the cargo control console. They often show erratic readings particularly in cases where heated
Hydraulic Valve on deck with position indicator
cargoes are carried or loading cargoes at high temperatures
• Failure of Inert Gas valves to hold due to damaged valve seat rings when two or more grades are carried
• Failure of Pressure Vacuum relief valves, leading to over/under pressurization of cargo tanks: When carrying highly volatile cargoes which have very low flash points within the range of prevailing temperatures, there is higher risk of cargo expansion. Failure of
primary and secondary means of venting can lead to buckling/crumbling of tank tops, side tanks or interconnected frames and brackets between compartments
The above listed breakdowns are commonly found onboard and are not new to chief mates. Thus the presence of chief officer is indispensable during the critical stages such as change over of tanks, grades, parcels, pumps and commencement or conclusion of loading or unloading of different grades of crude oil, chemical, and associated petroleum products.
Inert Gas Panel
Real Life Incident
A petroleum tanker was loading gas oil and diesel together at Rotterdam using two different lines and the relevant cargo tanks were segregated by bottom crossover valves and manifold crossover valves . Thus the two parcels were segregated from each other using double valve segregation.
However at discharge port where the samples were taken by independent surveyor the diesel samples were found to be contaminated with gas oil vapours.
When P & I club was called for investigation, it was found that the I.G. valves for the tanks with gas oil parcel were common and open during the voyage whereas the I.G. valves for tanks with diesel oil parcel were kept shut. However the I.G.
valves for the slop tanks which contained diesel oil parcel were not holding and thus during the voyage due to temperature variations the vapour contamination of cargo took place. Thus the gas oil vapours entered the tanks containing diesel and the diesel cargo was found off-specification amounting to heavy claims.
While carrying out welding or hot work on deck a hot work permit is always to be obtained from the company in the prescribed format and all relevant checks to be carried out, for e.g. fire watch,
measuring concentration of HC and other gases in vicinity etc. The company SMS provides clear guidelines to be followed and adhered to.
Welding, Hot work and Other
Special Jobs on Deck
Inspection and maintenance of cargo hold
• Cargo holds to be thoroughly washed and swept before loading. Even a slight
contamination can lead to huge losses during the voyage
• Bilge suctions also are to be tried out satisfactorily. This is of prime importance because if bilge suctions are choked, it can lead to flooding
• The cargo holds and bilges should be free from any traces of previous cargo. If any dunnage is laid for the cargo it should be clean and uncontaminated
• The steam pipes inside the tanker holds to be inspected for any leakages
• In the container ship cargo hold, check the condition of container guide rails for dent and cracks
• In bulk carrier ship, check the condition of transverse bulkhead, side shell frames and end bracket
• Check cracks/defects in lower & upper bulkhead stool
• Fractures in way of collision bulkhead at intersection with topside tank structure in foremost cargo hold
• Buckling and fractures of side shell plating in foremost cargo hold
• The cargo hold hatch coamings to be
“It is imperative to strictly adhere to company specific checklists and carry out operations in a
manner prescribed within the SMS manual.
In case of an incident which involves loss of life and property, a seafarer can justify his part
only when he has complied with all relevant instructions as per the company manual.
Sometimes company specific SMS manuals are Found lacking in procedures and instructions.
In such cases if a mate has the time and Oppurtunity then the guidelines laid in ISM
code should also be reffered to.”
- Mahesh Gadhavi, Chief officer, Scorpio Tankers.
checked for rubber packing, cracks and fractures in the coaming
• Ensure that all the lights, ventilation fans and alarm system fitted inside the hold are in working condition
The chief mate has to be very careful prior carrying out ventilation of cargo holds during voyage. Factor such as dew point of the cargo, relative humidity, and the temperatures of outside air must be taken in to consideration.
Inspection and maintenance of chain locker,
anchor, ropes, mooring wires, hatch covers, wire, gangway: Jobs related to these machineries are specified in the planned maintenance system which includes routine checks basis weekly,
monthly, three monthly, quarterly, six monthly and annual inspections and overhauling.
Company specific instructions for replacement, oil sample analysis, and change and overhauling of these machineries can be found in the Shipboard Management Manual.
Galley Maintenance : An important part of shipboard jobs is to ensure that the hot plates of galley and the galley mesh are free of oil to avoid any fire hazard. Often galley fires are reported due
Cargo hold inspection
to clogged mesh. On older ships a mate often
encounters choked and clogged drains from galley, sanitary system, or FW supply lines.
LSA Equipment Maintenance : Davits, falls and wires for lifeboat and rescue boats need to be inspected regularly by third mate as well as chief mate. The most vulnerable parts of davit prone to damage are its moving parts and the stand across platforms. Falls also need to be renewed within a 5 yearly interval or whenever there are signs of
substantial damage.
SOLAS , CHAPTER III, Regulation 20 quotes -
“Falls used in launching shall be inspected
periodically* with special regard for areas passing through sheaves, and renewed when necessary due to deterioration of the falls or at intervals of not more than 5 years, whichever is the earlier.
* Refer - Measures to prevent accidents with lifeboats (MSC.1/Circ.1206).
Ship's Galley
“As per the Maritime Labour convention 2006, which came into force from 20 Aug.
2013 – “ Each Member shall ensure that ships which fly its flag provide and maintain decent accommodation and recreational facilities for seafarers working or living onboard, or both, consistent with promoting the seafarers’ health
and well-being.” Thus it clearly states that clogged drains, stinking cabins and poorly maintained sanitation will no longer be accepted
onboard and has legal implications.”
– Chief Eng. Pankaj Kumar, Seaarland Ship Management.
Lifeboat Maintenance
A chief officer may also be a designated as Ship Security Officer or back up SSO as per ISPS Code. While a vessel is in port or at sea transiting piracy areas, it is mandatory to comply with
various security measures as specified in different security levels of the ISPS Code and Best
Management Practices by UKMTO. For this the mate has to thoroughly study his/her role as an SSO as per the Ship Security Plan.
Various roles of chief mate primarily include:
• Carrying out stowaway search prior arrival and departure ports
• Carrying out security drills and training
• Compliance with security levels while in port
• Following anti-piracy measures while
transiting GOA and other piracy prone areas
• Securing and sealing various security access points to cargo/ballast tanks, void spaces and accommodation
• Ensure compliance and measures prescribed within the SSP including annual testing of Ship Security Alert system with shore Role as Safety Officer
Being a key person for carrying out various jobs involving deck maintenance and cargo operations, the chief officer is often the designated safety officer onboard ships. Chief officer has to oversee the safety aspect of almost every operation in one way or the other.
Safety and Security of Vessel
In the very first place before planning a job, a Tool Box Meeting is carried out with department heads and crew members to discuss and identify the hazards and risks involve, along with the safety standards that are to be complied as per the company SMS and STCW 2010.
The chief officer then has to carry out and
document a detailed risk assessment and hazard analysis before materializing the job. During the process he/she has to oversee, point out and address any shortcomings related to safety. For this several companies use tools such as the near- miss reporting system, safety committee meetings and safety officer’s inspections.
The purpose of these tools is to continuously improve the safety culture onboard and prevent accidents by spotting issues of safety aspects.
Good examples safe practices onboard are:
• Correct methods of rigging or staging of Bosun’s Chair while working aloft
• Use of approved safety harness or fall arrestors while working aloft
• All fire fighting precautions/isolation of adjacent spaces to be monitored while carrying out hot work
• Personal protective equipment used by crew members should be job specific and donned correctly
• Enclosed space entry procedures to be
strictly adhered to while entering, inspecting or working in confined spaces
• Operation at Mooring/anchor stations to be carried safely and efficiently with attention being paid towards snap back zones
• Inspection of tools used for de-rusting/
painting/washing
Cargo work is an important commercial and
operational aspect onboard any ship. Utmost care and due diligence must be exercised my the chief mate at each and every stage starting right from loadable cargo planning to completion of
unloading.
The objective of efficient cargo planning is to achieve maximum possible outturn of the cargo with minimised use of resources, within the stipulated time as per the charter party clauses, including prevention of pollution or damage of property and life.
Main points which an experienced mate should always consider are :
• Maximum available space or capacity to load with regards to trading area, load line zones, bunkering before/during/after voyage, draft restrictions at various ports
• Difference in sea water densities at various ports
• Maximum stresses & bending moments during the voyage should never exceed permissible limits
• Minimizing free surface effect. Vessel must at all times comply with the relevant stability criteria for its type as per by IMO regulations
• Maximum loadable rate for the vessel due to structural limitations, consideration of de- ballasting operation and time required to complete it
• To attain maximum output from the
machinery used in cargo operations such as cranes, pumps etc. for minimizing duration of port stay, but not running machinery at