Watchkeeping Guidance

Engineer Officer of
the Watch
Watchkeeping Practices & Guidance
Duncan Isbister
Faculty of Nautical Studies

Senior Marine Engineering
© 2018
City of Glasgow College
Riverside Campus
21 Thistle Street, Glasgow
G5 9XB
Faculty of Nautical Studies (Senior Marine Engineering) © 2018

Written by: Duncan Isbister｜Reviewed by: DK ｜Reviewed Date: June 2018 ｜Version: 01
Contents
1. Legislation ......................................................................... 6
a) The purpose of MCA Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Guidance Notes and
Marine Information Notes _________________________________________________ 6
b) The Code of Safe Working Practices for Seamen, risk assessment & assessment
procedures, permit to work ..................................................................... 7
c) Basic working knowledge of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code and
of the SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW Conventions ............................................... 8
2. Watchkeeping .................................................................... 11
Watchkeeping Procedures ...................................................................... 11
i. Regulations (STCW ’78 as amended) ___________________________________ 11
ii. Taking over a watch ________________________________________________ 11
iii. Routine watchkeeping duties and responsibilities ______________________ 12
iv. Keeping of the log and other records ________________________________ 12
v. Changeover of systems from remote / automatic to local control and manned
to UMS ________________________________________________________________ 13
vi. Handing Over a Watch _____________________________________________ 14
Basic Voyage Planning .......................................................................... 15
i. Fuel ........................................................................................... 15
ii. Water ...................................................................................... 15
iii. Stores...................................................................................... 15
iv. Spares ..................................................................................... 16
3. Maintenance..................................................................... 17
a) Maintenance Procedures ............................................................... 17
b) Written and computer-based record systems ....................................... 18
4. Pollution ......................................................................... 19
a) MARPOL and annexes ................................................................... 19
b) Special Areas ............................................................................. 20
PSSA__________________________________________________________________ 20
ECA __________________________________________________________________ 20
a) Construction and operation of oil-water separators and discharge monitors _ 21
b) Sewage pollution prevention including regulations (MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV) 21
c) Garbage pollution prevention.(MARPOL 73/78 Annex V) __________________ 22
d) Atmospheric pollution (MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI and ECA – Emission Control
Area) _________________________________________________________________ 22
e) Pollution by refrigerants (Montreal Protocol and F-Gas Regulations) ________ 24
f) Ballast Water Management ___________________________________________ 24
Page 2 of 73
5. Bunkering and Fuel Transfer .................................................. 26

i. The Bunkering Plan _________________________________________________ 26
ii. Safety ____________________________________________________________ 26
iii. Monitoring fuel quality and contamination____________________________ 27
iv. Transfer stability and free surface __________________________________ 27
v. Dispute procedures _________________________________________________ 28
vi. Record keeping and Oil Record Book entries __________________________ 28
6. Sewage Systems ................................................................ 30
i. Construction and operation of sewage treatment plants ............................. 30
Aerobic Biological Sewage Treatment Plants ________________________________ 30
Continuous sewage plant ________________________________________________ 30
A zero discharge system. ________________________________________________ 31
ii. Difference between aerobic and anaerobic ......................................... 32
iii. Environmental impact of untreated sewage ......................................... 32
iv. Dangers associated with the operation of sewage treatment plants ............ 33
7. Air Conditioning ................................................................ 34
a) Principles of air conditioning .......................................................... 34
i. Relative humidity and maintaining ‘comfort zone’ _______________________ 35
ii. Dangers associated with the operation of a.c. plants _____________________ 35
8. Fresh Water Maker ............................................................. 37
a) Fresh water makers ..................................................................... 37
i. Construction and operation of an evaporator ___________________________ 37
ii. Construction and operation of a reverse osmosis plant ___________________ 38
iii. Neutralisation and palatability _____________________________________ 40
iv. Water sterilisation methods ________________________________________ 41
v. Sampling and testing of potable water _________________________________ 41
b) Inspection and cleaning of water tanks and system ................................ 42
c) Superchlorination ........................................................................ 43
9. Stabilisers ....................................................................... 44
a) Types of motion ......................................................................... 44
b) Passive roll stabilisation systems ...................................................... 45
Bilge Keels ____________________________________________________________ 45
Passive Tanks __________________________________________________________ 45
c) Active roll stabilisation systems ....................................................... 46
Active Tanks ___________________________________________________________ 46
Retractable Fin Stabiliser ________________________________________________ 46
Page 3 of 73
Gyroscopic Stabiliser ____________________________________________________ 46

10. Fire-fighting ................................................................... 47
a) Fire prevention; use and care of fire-fighting appliances; fixed machinery
space installations; escape and breathing apparatus ...................................... 47
Fire Resistant Bulkheads _________________________________________________ 49
Extinguishing Methods ___________________________________________________ 50
Water. ________________________________________________________________ 50
Foam. ________________________________________________________________ 50
Dry Powder. ___________________________________________________________ 51
Carbon Dioxide. ________________________________________________________ 51
Extinguishers.__________________________________________________________ 51
Portable Water Extinguisher. _____________________________________________ 51
Portable Foam Extinguisher. _____________________________________________ 51
Portable dry powder extinguisher. ________________________________________ 52
Portable Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher. _____________________________________ 52
Fixed Machinery Space Installations _______________________________________ 54
Fire Pumps, Fire Main, Hoses, Nozzles and Foam Branches. ___________________ 54
Fixed Water Fire Fighting Systems. ________________________________________ 54
Sprinkler System._______________________________________________________ 54
Fog Systems ___________________________________________________________ 55
CO2 Smothering Systems _________________________________________________ 55
b) Appropriate action in response to fires on board, within and external to
machinery spaces; shut-down and isolation of plant and equipment .................... 57
4.3 Action in the event of fire ____________________________________________ 57
c) Organisation of emergency parties and drills; fire and safety plans. Correct use
of life-saving appliances and equipment. Organisation of abandon ship drills ......... 59
Organisation of emergency parties and drills _______________________________ 59
Fire and Safety Plans ___________________________________________________ 59
Correct use of life-saving appliances and equipment _________________________ 59
Organisation of abandon ship drills ________________________________________ 59
11. Emergency Response ......................................................... 61
Crankcase Explosion ............................................................................. 61
Initial Response to Oil Mist Detection Alarm ________________________________ 61
Procedure to follow after re-entering engine room __________________________ 61
Exhaust Gas Boiler Fires ........................................................................ 62
Small Scavenge Fires ............................................................................ 62
Large Scavenge Fires ............................................................................ 63
Page 4 of 73
E/R Blackout ..................................................................................... 63

Measures in case of Electric Shock ............................................................ 64
Mechanical Breakdown.......................................................................... 64
Flooding Response – Initial actions ............................................................ 64
Grounding ......................................................................................... 64
Collision ........................................................................................... 65
Fire Response – small fire ...................................................................... 65
Fire Response – large fire....................................................................... 65
Going for CO2 Extinguishing ______________________________________________ 66
12. Ship Construction ............................................................. 70
Terminology and definitions ................................................................... 72
Page 5 of 73
1. Legislation
a) The purpose of MCA Merchant Shipping Notices, Marine Guidance Notes and
Marine Information Notes
M – Notices: Published for FISHING and SHIPPING industries, and contains important
safety, pollution prevention and other relevant information. Each series of Marine
Notices are suffixed as either ‘M’ or ‘F’ or ‘M + F’ to indicates its audience.
(M) for merchant ship

(F) for fishing vessels
(M+F) for both merchant ships and fishing vessels
MCA, from time to time, issues new notices to reflect the changes in the best practices
and new research. It can be determined from a particular notice if it supersedes and
previous notice on the same subject. Additionally, it can also be determined by
checking the historic record of the notices online from MCA’s website.
What Marine Shipping Notices, MSNs, are about

MSNs contain the technical detail of regulations called ‘statutory instruments’ (SIs).
This is mandatory information, and must be complied with under UK legislation.
What Marine Guidance Notices, MGNs, are about

Marine Guidance Note (MGN): provides guidance and strong recommendations about the
best practices to the industry
What Marine Information Notices, MINs are about

Marine information notes (MINs) tend to give information that’s: valid for a short period
of time, such as timetables for MCA exams relevant to a small group of people, such as
training establishments or equipment manufacturers
Page 6 of 73
b) The Code of Safe Working Practices for Seamen, risk assessment &
assessment procedures, permit to work
The Code is an authoritative manual on best practice in health and safety on board
ships and is endorsed by the National Maritime Occupational Health and Safety
Committee (NMOHSC). It deals with the regulatory framework for health and safety on
board ship, safety management and statutory duties underlying the advice and gives
practical advice on working safely.
This comprehensive code released in 2015, including latest revisions, extends to 34
chapters and 525 pages. Rather than reading the entire document, one can focus on the
particular task they will undertake and adopt the guidance within. Many chapters
contain annexes such as template Permits to work, standards and requirements lists.
Risk assessment & assessment procedures
The risk assessment process identifies hazards present in a work undertaking, analyses
the level of risk, considers those in danger and evaluates whether hazards are
adequately controlled, taking into account any measures already in place.
Effective risk assessments:
 correctly and accurately identify all hazards;
 identify who may be harmed and how;
 determine the likelihood of harm arising;
 quantify the severity of the harm;
 identify and disregard inconsequential risks;
 record the significant findings;
 provide the basis for implementing or improving control measures; and
 provide a basis for regular review and updating
Examples of risk assessments

A simple oil change conducted on a piece of equipment could include risks of slips trips
and falls, oil spills and crush injury within crankcase. One would assess each risk for
severity of damage such as Minor, Major or Fatal, and the likelihood of occurrence. To
minimise the risk, preventing the startup of equipment coupled with correct use of PPE
and use of cleaning materials would be adequate.
If working on an electric motor the severity of electrocution is fatal, but unlikely. To
eliminate or at least minimise the risk, one would open the breaker, prove dead,
remove fuses and activate emergency stops and change to local control.
Permits to Work
Based on the findings of the risk assessment, appropriate control measures should be
put in place to protect those who may be affected. Permits to work (PTW) are formal
records to confirm that control measures are in place when particular operations are
being carried out.
The permit to work system consists of an organised and predefined safety procedure. A
permit to work does not in itself make the job safe, but contributes to measures for
safe working.
Best practice would ensure that PTW are only issued by a competent officer, once a
risk assessment has been completed and all isolations made and proven adequate.
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There are separate PTW to cover different job types that involve different risks that
require monitoring and control. Examples such as hot work, electrical work, working
aloft and enclosed space entry would list specific requirements before work can start.
For example, hot work may require an appropriate fire extinguisher to be nearby
whereas enclosed space requires atmosphere testing.
c) Basic working knowledge of the International Safety Management

(ISM) Code and of the SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW Conventions
In November 1993 the ISM Code became effective. In May 1994 it was incorporated as
Chapter IX in the SOLAS Convention and its requirements became mandatory.
The purpose of the ISM Code is to provide the international standard for the safe
management and operation of ships and for environmental pollution prevention. The
main feature of this Code consists of the transition from organising and monitoring of
safe navigation and environmental protection to the management of them. The safety
management objectives of the shipowner/ship manager should be:
Provide for safe practices in ship operation and safe working environment
Establish safeguards against all identified risks
Continuously improve safety management skills of personnel ashore and aboard ships,
including preparation for emergencies
Every company should develop, implement and maintain a Safety Management System
(SMS) which includes the following functional requirements:
 A safety and environment protection policy·

 Instruction and procedures to ensure safe operation of ships and environmental
protection in compliance with relevant international and national Legislation
 Defined levels of authority and lines of communication between shore and
shipboard personnel
 Procedures for reporting accidents
 Procedures for preparation for emergencies and response to them
 Procedures for internal audits and management reviews
Every company should establish procedures to identify, describe and respond to

potential shipboard emergency situations, which may be required in order to
implement SMS. The document which is used to describe and implement the SMS may
be referred to as Safety Management Manual.
The company should carry out internal safety audits to verify whether or not its safety
and pollution prevention activities comply with the SMS. The results of the audits and
reviews should be brought to the attention of all personnel having responsibility in
areas involved.
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Document of Compliance
A document of compliance is issued for every company complying with the
requirements of the ISM Code by the Administration (Government of the State whose
flag ship is entitled to fly), or an organisation (e.g. Lloyd’s Register, DNV, BV etc.)
recognised by the Administration or by the Government of the country. This certificate
is issued for a period of five (5) years with four (4) annual verifications.
Safety Management Certificate

This is a certificate issued to a ship by the Administration, or an organisation
recognised by the Administration or by the Government of the country. This certificate
is issued for a period of five (5) years with four (4) annual verifications.
Internal Audits
The purpose of internal audits is to assess the effectiveness of the safety management
procedures. The company determines the scope of the audit; it also establishes
responsibility of the staff in the course of preparation and in the course of SMS audit.
People are appointed who take responsibility for effective audit of planning systems,
reports and correction activities. Independent auditors and inspectors are hired to
carry out these tasks.
The company plans a schedule of internal audit covering all elements of the SMS. After
the audit, a report is produced which states the outcome of the audit. In the event of
“non-compliance” report, corrective measures are taken to eliminate the discrepancy.
The conclusion about the state of engine room maintenance is based on results of its
inspection. The presence of unserviceable or disconnected spindles of the quick-acting
valves, disconnected or unserviceable handles and levers, the absence of valve hand
wheels, continuous leakage of steam, water, fuel and oils, dirty surfaces of the tanks,
bilge courses, ship structural members or excessive corrosion of the machine
foundations – are all indications of poor organisation of technical operation and
maintenance.
Within the Safety Management System one should find templates of all risk assessments
and permits to work as well guidance on how to complete these competently. All Chief
engineer standing orders and emergency response checklists would be present and
updated as required. Regular training and proof of familiarisation would be the
responsibility of the Chief or his deputy.
IMO Conventions
The Safety Management Code is only one small part of SOLAS, or International
Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. This convention covers security, Life Saving
Apparatus, safety of navigation, communication, ship construction and fire fighting
arrangements plus many other aspects of shipping safety.
The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping

for Seafarers (STCW) ensures that all crew members serving onboard a vessel have met
the minimum requirements of seafarers and that this training has been conducted in
accordance with the STCW Code and that this training will be of similar content and
quality worldwide. Examples of these standards are the need for the STCW courses such
as fire fighting, personal survival techniques and first aid prior to joining a vessel. The
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training requirements to become a certified engineer officer of the watch is contained

within STCW regulation III/1.
This convention also gives guidance on best practice to conduct watchkeeping duties
onboard a ship.
The recent 2010 Manila Amendments require all seafarers to refresh some of their
STCW courses while obtaining new training relating to modern technologies and
techniques.
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the
main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine
environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It has six annexes covering
Oil pollution prevention
Noxious liquids in bulk
Harmful substances in packages
Sewage Pollution
Garbage Pollution
Air pollution
These annexes state the minimum requirements that cover national and international
waters. Individual Nation States can impose stricter requirements if desired. Failure to
meet these requirements can lead to prosecution, fines and imprisonment for both
crew and shore based staff.
The IMO, which is the body made up of many seafaring nations, has set these minimum
standards for shipping but it is up to individual nation states to create the laws that will
govern ships under their flag or foreign ships that enter their waters. For instance, in
the United Kingdom the Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for enforcing
laws set by the UK government, based on IMO conventions. These laws apply to UK
flagged vessels worldwide operating in International waters.
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2. Watchkeeping
Watchkeeping Procedures
i. Regulations (STCW ’78 as amended)
The STCW Convention Chapter III, “Standards regarding the engine department”
provides guidance on the skills and capabilities watchkeeping staff are required to
have. This minimum level of qualification is ensured by having ship crew be trained and
assessed to be competent in the skills as listed and have appropriate certification
issued proving the crew member is qualified i.e. a certificate of competency.
In STCW Convention Chapter VIII, part 3-2, the PRINCIPLES TO BE OBSERVED IN KEEPING
AN ENGINEERING WATCH are provided. These are best practices that should be
implemented on your ship.
As a watchkeeping engineer officer you will be responsible for all operations taking
place in the machinery space while you are on watch. You must be aware of what jobs
are being done and where. Should something unexpected occur your quick and correct
response may prevent injury, damage to equipment and keep the vessel safe.
To help you make decisions there is a support network in place to assist you at all
times.
• Chiefs standing Orders
• Emergency response plans
• Senior officers are always available to advise and help
• Bridge watchkeepers can also assist
ii. Taking over a watch
Taking over of the watch should be carried out according to the instructions provided
by the chief engineer and company’s standing orders.
• Report to ECR, inform off-going watchkeeper you are going down, get an overview of
situation. E.g. Ongoing work, isolated equipment, check for abnormal sound, smells,
bilge water.
• Inspect essential equipment – engine, generators, boilers, etc.
• Check tank levels (bilge, ballast, fuel, sewage etc.)
• Read log book, ensure last watch has completed their entries
• Read chiefs night orders or day work plan
• Check all system pages and alarm pages on computer monitoring system
• Check fire fighting system in automatic release mode, if not check with off-going
watchkeeper the reason why
• Commence handover discussion
• What work has been completed or is ongoing. Bilge discharge, fuel transfer?
• Unusual problems encountered or solved. Upcoming work?
Ensure everyone in your watchkeeping team are fit for duty. If not inform the Chief
engineer.
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iii. Routine watchkeeping duties and responsibilities
The first responsibility of a watchkeeper is to conduct a safe watch of all the machinery
plant. This includes regular rounds of the engine; inspecting the general condition of
the engine, looking for leaks, abnormal vibration and noise. Observing exhaust gas
temperatures are correct and lubrication and cooling system pressures and
temperatures are satisfactory, making note of any defects and if they cannot be
immediately fixed, record in the log and plan the maintenance at next suitable
opportunity.
Routine jobs would be the transfer of fuel to the daily service tank. Tests on boiler and
cooling water condition. Creating fresh water with the fresh water maker and treating
it to make it potable. Work with the other engineering team members to conduct
planned maintenance when required. The watchkeeper is responsible for isolating
equipment and ensuring risk assessments and permits to work are issued.
With regards to auxiliary equipment, ensure that there is adequate electrical power
provision and that the system is operating correctly. Observe that the air conditioning
plant is functioning well and clean filters if required. Check the steering gear oil and
grease levels. Ensure the fuel polishing equipment, potable water heaters, boilers and
sewage plant are all functioning correctly.
Make contact with the bridge to see if there will be any manoeuvring situations, rough
weather, close approaches to land etc. and make preparations accordingly.
The routine duties are many in number and vary from vessel to vessel depending on
equipment fitted and vessel size.
iv. Keeping of the log and other records
The engine room log book is an essential document that must be completed every
watch. It is a legal requirement that this is completed by the watchkeeping staff and
checked by the chief engineer.
The log book should be completed before the end of watch and readings compared with
previous entries. Abnormal readings should be investigated and highlighted to the next
watch to continue monitoring closely. Any significant events, maintenance or
breakdowns should be noted.
Other logs that must be completed are the environmental records including the oily
record book, the garbage management log, oil to sea interface log etc. The
maintenance log should be updated with any significant work done during the watch.
Page 12 of 73
v. Changeover of systems from remote / automatic to local control and

manned to UMS
When changing systems from remote control to local control, the watchkeeper should
be certain that the local controls are in the right position and that all operators are
aware you are making the change. The clearest example is main propulsion control; the
speed telegraph levers should match the bridge telegraphs prior to taking local control
or else the engine speed will change dramatically or stop.
When operating some systems in manual mode, safety systems may be bypassed. The
electrical distribution system will not permit automatic start or load share of
generators when switchboard is in manual. Fire suppression systems will not function
when set to manual operation and so a manned engine room must be maintained until
returned to automatic. Bridge must be informed in this scenario.
Unmanned Machinery Space - UMS

It is very important that the correct procedures are carried out when going UMS at the
end of the day. Instructions are provided by the chief engineer and your company’s
standing orders.
• Duty Engineer Inspects all equipment and areas for noise, smells, leaks and correct
operation.
• Tank levels, bilges, main engines, auxiliary engines, steering gear, fire alarm
monitoring & extinguishing systems etc.
• Duty Engineer to test the alarm functions of UMS system in his cabin and public
spaces; this is done in cooperation with the bridge.
• Duty engineer returns to ECR to complete the logbook and make final checks.
• All personnel to leave the machinery spaces. Duty engineer activates UMS monitoring
system and informs Bridge that ship is running under UMS conditions. The time is
entered into the engine logbook.
• On reaching accommodation, duty engineer informs bridge within a reasonable time
by phone or in person.
Engine room alarm under UMS conditions

• Duty engineer accepts alarm – in cabin or public spaces
• Proceeds to machinery space promptly
• Once in engine room informs bridge on type of alarm and predicted time to
fix/repair.
• Change system to engine room manned and activate Dead Man Alarm
• Once fix/repair complete, inform bridge, activate UMS system and switch off dead
man alarm.
• Inform bridge once accommodation has been reached.
Page 13 of 73
vi. Handing Over a Watch
When completing your watch it is good practice to try and have all paperwork such as
engine room logbook, oily record book and garbage management log completed prior to
the next watch coming on duty. This provides an accurate overview of the engine room
condition for the next watch. Additionally, one should aim to have any maintenance
completed and the work area cleared of tools or debris, unless the next watch will be
tasked to assist with or complete the necessary work.
The condition of each member of the next watch should be evaluated to ensure they
are fit to take over the watch; they are not drunk, unwell or in some other way unfit
for duty. If this is the case the Chief engineer should be informed and other
arrangements made.
The incoming watch should be briefed of any currently ongoing maintenance or
operations within the machinery spaces that will be continuing into their watch.
Highlight any unusual incidents or conditions of machinery that could significantly
affect engine room operations. For example, an elevated exhaust gas temperature in
one unit that is currently not serious, but should be monitored closely so that it doesn’t
go excessively high.
Once briefing is complete, answer any questions then ask if they are happy to accept
the watch. Some vessels require signatures on the logbook to indicate satisfactory
watch handover.
Page 14 of 73
Basic Voyage Planning
The intended voyage of a vessel should be planned in advance taking into consideration
all pertinent information such as incoming weather, tides, traffic etc. The navigation
team will inform the engineers of the intended destination, the estimated steaming
time and the minimum speed required. The chief engineer in consultation with the
bridge can recommend the most fuel efficient use of the propulsion plant.
i. Fuel
To ensure there is adequate fuel on a vessel, the specific fuel consumption usually
measured in grams per kilowatt Hour, g/kWh, will give the most accurate estimate.
The SFC is multiplied by the required power output of the engine for a particular speed
and also multiplied by the voyage duration in hours. This minimum volume of fuel
carried onboard for a particular voyage should be at least 20% more than the calculated
amount to allow for unpredicted events. If engine power output is increased to combat
a headwind the fuel consumption will increase; similarly having to make course
deviations while maintaining speed will also lead to higher fuel consumption. In
addition the fuel required to run the electrical generators both at sea and in port must
be factored into final calculations.
ii. Water
When calculating the volume of water to carry onboard a reasonable figure to use is
that of 350 litres per person per day. This initially sounds a lot but this figure includes
not just drinking water but also water used for bathing/showers, regular use of flushing
toilets and washing of hands. Then there is the water used in the preparation of food,
the washing of pots and dishes and the general upkeep of the accommodation area with
regards to cleaning. Finally there is the technical water consumption, the waters used
in the boiler, purifiers, oily water separators and the maintenance of cooling water
systems and air conditioning.
When planning the voyage one should calculate the rough figure required based on
voyage duration and crew complement and also consider the capacity of the fresh
water maker if one is fitted onboard. A good practice would be to fill all tanks by
bunkering from shore, after giving due attention to stability in consultation with the
bridge, and refill or top up a tank with fresh water maker as the need arises and
conditions allow. Very little attention then needs to be focused on fresh water
consumption except in the rare case when fresh water maker is unavailable and
bunkering opportunities are scarce. At least a full days’ worth of water should be held
in reserve to allow for unforeseen delays, such as being forced to anchor outside a port
due to bad weather.
iii. Stores
With regards to stores used onboard, most people think only of the food and drinks
normally consumed. But there are many items consumed daily including soaps, both for
Page 15 of 73
personal use, public bathrooms and those used in the galley and laundry. Uniforms,
personal protective equipment, office stationary, chemicals and oils/greases should all
be considered when planning a voyage.
A safe location for storage should be maintained and regular inventories taken to
monitor consumption and allow for advance ordering of replenishments to be available
at a future port.
iv. Spares
When considering how many spare components to carry onboard, the typical voyage
length and the intended route and therefore the ease of obtaining correct parts must
be evaluated. The predicted use of machinery based on past experience and the
age/condition of a particular machine will give an indication as to how many spares to
carry. Machines of similar construction, such as purifiers may allow the carriage of only
a few gasket sets that can be applied to whichever machine requires them based on
performance or running hours.
Essential equipment, necessary to navigation, must have spare parts carried to ensure
repairs are possible at any point during a voyage.
Accurate monitoring of equipment running hours coupled with the use of condition
monitoring may allow for reduced carriage of spares and therefore less space needed
for storage and reduced chance of component aging and/or getting accidentally
damaged in storage.
Page 16 of 73
3. Maintenance
a) Maintenance Procedures
There are three types of maintenance commonly done on board ship.

Planned or preventative maintenance;
Unplanned or reactive maintenance;
Condition based monitoring.
Planned maintenance is the most common type and is usually based on the running
hours of the propulsion plant and the manufacturers recommended schedule. An engine
running continuously for five months will have totalled 3600 running hours, 24 hours x
30 days x 5 months. Modern engines are designed and constructed with excellent, hard
wearing materials and if they have been operated correctly and regularly inspected, it
is typical to perform a first major overhaul more than two years after the engine
entered service. Below you can see a sample maintenance schedule for MAN B&W
engines.
Unplanned maintenance, as the name suggests, is usually unexpected and comes after
having conducted a routine inspection or perhaps after a failure of a component. For
example, during a regular cylinder head inspection you notice a broken valve spring.
The engine will probably still work OK but the broken spring may lead to future damage
that is avoidable and much more expensive. If you cannot change the cylinder head
that day you would plan to do it at the earliest opportunity.
Condition based monitoring uses historical data to analyse the performance of a

component and predict when it needs maintenance or replacement. The most common
example of this is to evaluate the cleanliness of your turbochargers, air coolers and
economisers. Differential pressure (DP) compares the upstream and downstream
pressures across a component. A large pressure difference indicates the component is
getting dirty, restricting flow and making engine less efficient. Based on how quickly
the DP is increasing, engineers can plan the next cleaning accordingly with minimal
disruption to the planned maintenance schedule.
Page 17 of 73
b) Written and computer-based record systems
Written records have been the usual method of record keeping on ships for centuries. It
is normal for most ships to require a written log be created every day to improve
watchkeeping information transfer and monitor performance of engine room
equipment. Modern systems allow constant monitoring of a vessel using engineer inputs
and sensor data recorded over several months. This allows performance data to be
tracked and analysed very easily over long periods and also assist in problem solving
and accident investigations.
With regards to maintenance records, many ships are going paperless by having
engineers enter the regular maintenance and monitoring results into a computer which
allows easy retrieval of historical maintenance records, assist in tracking and ordering
spare parts, plus also allowing shoreside staff access to same data to assist shipboard
staff.
Page 18 of 73
4. Pollution
a) MARPOL and annexes
The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the
main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine
environment.
The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from
ships - both accidental pollution and that from routine operations - and currently
includes six technical Annexes. Special Areas with strict controls on operational
discharges are included in most Annexes.
Annex I Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil (entered into force 2 October
1983)
Covers prevention of pollution by oil from operational measures as well as from
accidental discharges; the 1992 amendments to Annex I made it mandatory for new oil
tankers to have double hulls and brought in a phase-in schedule for existing tankers to
fit double hulls, which was subsequently revised in 2001 and 2003.
Annex II Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk
(entered into force 2 October 1983)
Details the discharge criteria and measures for the control of pollution by noxious liquid
substances carried in bulk; some 250 substances were evaluated and included in the list
appended to the Convention; the discharge of their residues is allowed only to
reception facilities until certain concentrations and conditions (which vary with the
category of substances) are complied with.
In any case, no discharge of residues containing noxious substances is permitted within
12 miles of the nearest land.
Annex III Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged

Form (entered into force 1 July 1992)
Contains general requirements for the issuing of detailed standards on packing,
marking, labelling, documentation, stowage, quantity limitations, exceptions and
notifications.
For the purpose of this Annex, “harmful substances” are those substances which are
identified as marine pollutants in the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code
(IMDG Code) or which meet the criteria in the Appendix of Annex III.
Annex IV Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships (entered into force 27

September 2003)
Contains requirements to control pollution of the sea by sewage; the discharge of
sewage into the sea is prohibited, except when the ship has in operation an approved
sewage treatment plant or when the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected
sewage using an approved system at a distance of more than three nautical miles from
the nearest land; sewage which is not comminuted or disinfected has to be discharged
at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles from the nearest land.
Page 19 of 73
Annex V Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (entered into force 31

December 1988)
Deals with different types of garbage and specifies the distances from land and the
manner in which they may be disposed of; the most important feature of the Annex is
the complete ban imposed on the disposal into the sea of all forms of plastics.
Annex VI Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships (entered into force 19 May 2005)
Sets limits on sulphur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from ship exhausts and
prohibits deliberate emissions of ozone depleting substances; designated emission
control areas set more stringent standards for SOx, NOx and particulate matter. A
chapter adopted in 2011 covers mandatory technical and operational energy efficiency
measures aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships.
b) Special Areas
MARPOL defines certain sea areas as "special areas" in which, for technical reasons
relating to their oceanographical and ecological condition and to their sea traffic, the
adoption of special mandatory methods for the prevention of sea pollution is required.
Under the Convention, these special areas are provided with a higher level of
protection than other areas of the sea.
Different areas are applied to the various annexes of MARPOL, a full list of which can
be found on the IMO website. The most common examples are the North Sea, the Baltic
sea, the North sea, the Caribbean sea and the Antarctic area.
PSSA
A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) is an area that needs special protection through
action by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) because of its significance for
recognized ecological or socio-economic or scientific reasons and which may be
vulnerable to damage by international maritime activities. At the time of designation of
a PSSA, an Associated Protective Measure is adopted by IMO to prevent, reduce, or
eliminate the threat or identified vulnerability. Each PSSA needs its own particular
protection regime, so specific Associated Protective Measures are introduced for each.
These APMs might consist of areas to be avoided, compulsory ship routeing, ship
reporting, or recommendations on how shipping should pass through an area.
ECA
ECA’s are emission control areas of ocean that relate to MARPOL Annex VI. Within these
areas vessels are required to meet certain exhaust gas emission standards relating to
sulphur oxide content, nitrous oxide content and particulate matter. Sulphur oxide
content is predominantly controlled by ships using fuel that contains small percentages
of sulphur (0.1%). Nitrous oxide content is related to engine design, with newer ships
operating within these areas regularly having to meet the strictest targets. Particulate
matter is controlled with a mixture of fuel selection, proper engine maintenance and
management with the possibility of exhaust gas treatment such as scrubbers or
catalytic converters.
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a) Construction and operation of oil-water separators and discharge monitors
Marpol annex 1 covers oil pollution and looks to prevent malicious or accidental oil
release into the ocean. The primary method of doing this is tracking how much fuel oil
and bulk lube oil is bunkered onto the vessel and also tracking how much waste oil and
sludge is disposed of or landed ashore.
In addition, the volumes of bilge water collected and then discharged overboard or
landed ashore is carefully monitored.
The rules for discharging bilge water overboard as stated in MARPOL Annex I are that:
The vessel is proceeding en route; and oil content is less than 15 parts per million; and
oil discharge monitoring and control system and oil filtering equipment to be operating.
IN ADDITION if operating in a special area system must be fitted with an automatic

discharge shutdown should the oil content rise above 15ppm
All modern OWS will comply with the special area requirement.
The construction and operation of oily water

separators vary greatly but generally can be
grouped into either static coalescing filters or
centrifugal separators. Both system types separate
the oil from water using the different specific
densities. In both types the efficiency of
separation is improved by heating the bilge water
and/or changing the water flow rate and treating
the water with chemicals that help the oil droplets
coalesce.
The outlet of a separator will be continuously

monitored using a 15ppm oil content monitor
(OCM) that will stop the overboard discharge if oil
content rises above this value. The sample point
for the OCM will be located immediately before
any control valves that might redirect the flow
either overboard or back to the bilge tank. The
sample water that passes through the OCM will
not be passed back into the separator and is Oily water separator Cut-away version.JPG
normally redirected back to the bilge tank by S.J. de Waard (2009) CC BY 2.5
through save-alls or other arrangements suitable
to the ship.
b) Sewage pollution prevention including regulations (MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV)
The regulations for sewage require that all ships must be fitted with a sewage
treatment system. This can be as straightforward as a holding tank that can be
discharged when in open ocean or to shore facilities. Usually it also involves a sewage
treatment plant, described in chapter six of this course.
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Untreated sewage may be discharged into the ocean when the vessel is more than 12
miles from shore and travelling at more than 4 knots. Treated sewage. The effluent
from an approved sewage treatment plant, can be discharged when more than 3 miles
from shore and travelling at more than 4 knots.
c) Garbage pollution prevention.(MARPOL 73/78 Annex V)
Garbage means all food, domestic and operational wastes produced on board (except
sewage). This includes food wastes, paper products, rags, glass, metal, bottles,
crockery and similar refuse from all vessels.
Ships that operate in deep sea areas must follow international law laid out in MARPOL
Annex V. Ships over 12m in length must display these international garbage rules on
placards to crew and passengers. Ships over 100GT or carrying more than 15 passengers
must have a garbage management plan.
The table on the next page lists the rules for garbage disposal according to MARPOL.
d) Atmospheric pollution (MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI and ECA – Emission Control

Area)
The current global cap on fuel sulphur content is 3.5% but this will be dropping to 0.5%
in the year 2020. The equivalent drop in vessel sulphur oxide emissions can be obtained
by using exhaust gas scrubbing technology while still using high sulphur fuels.
The sulphur limit imposed within emission control areas is 0.1% which usually means
vessel without scrubber technologies must change over to the use of marine gas oil.
The limits imposed on nitrous oxide emissions is applied based on the engines operating
speed and the age of the ship. Most ships sailing within ECAs will need to meet the tier
I standards while vessels constructed after 2011 must meet the stricter Tier II
standards. Vessels constructed after 2016 and who operate predominantly within ECA’s
(think North Sea supply vessels and Caribbean ferries) must meet very stringent Tier III
standards. Tier III NOx requirements do not apply to recreational vessel under 500GT
and over 24m in length.
Page 22 of 73
Page 23 of 73
e) Pollution by refrigerants (Montreal Protocol and F-Gas Regulations)
In 1987 the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was agreed
upon and came into force in 1989. The Montreal Protocol (MP) is an international
agreement (treaty) to protect the ozone layer by reducing & controlling production,
trade and the use of substances that deplete the ozone layer. The use of CFC and HCFC
gases on ships has been effectively banned within Europe which prevents any system in
Europe being recharged with CFC based refrigerants, the most common of which are R-
12 and R-22. Ships do sail with these gases in use and it is still manufactured in some
countries but will be effectively become unavailable (no legal manufacture or trade)
after 2030.
There have been ozone friendly HFC gases available for many years which have little to
no effect on the ozone layer but all refrigerant gases have a Global Warming Potential
(GWP) as they are ‘greenhouse gases’. Refrigerants commonly in use now have a GWP
of several thousand, meaning the warming potential of 1KG of this gas is thousands of
times worse than 1KG of carbon dioxide. For example, R-134A replaced R-12 and R-
404a replaced R-22 but these have GWP of 1430 and 3922 respectively.
The F-Gas regulations created in 2006 and updated in 2014 follow two tracks of action:
 Improving the prevention of leaks from equipment containing F-gases. Measures
comprise:
o containment of gases and proper recovery of equipment;
o training and certification of personnel and of companies handling these
gases, and
o labelling of equipment containing F-gases.
 Avoiding the use of F-gases where environmentally superior alternatives are cost-
effective. From 2015 the volume of HFCs which can be placed on the EU market
will be subject to quantitative limits which will be phased down over time. In
addition, measures include restrictions on the marketing and use of certain
products and equipment containing F-gases.
The regulations will eventually ban the use of F-gases with a GWP greater than 2500 on
ships so when installing or overhauling refrigeration equipment onboard, the use of
environmentally friendly f-gases should be encouraged.
f) Ballast Water Management
In 2004 a new convention was issued by the IMO, the International Convention for the
Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM). It only came
into force in 2017.
The BWM aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to
another, by establishing standards and procedures for the management and control of
ships' ballast water and sediments
Under the Convention, all ships in international traffic are required to manage their
ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific ballast
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water management plan. All ships will also have to carry a ballast water record book
and an international ballast water management certificate.
All ships where practicable must exchange their ballast water in the open ocean, at
least 200 miles from shore. Entries in ballast water record book will prove compliance
and this will be subject to port state inspection along with possible sampling of ballast
water tanks.
Additional requirements are being phased in which require the ballast water to be
treated onboard. Research has shown that most manufacturers are choosing systems
combining filtration and UV sterilisation to remove sediment and destroy invasive
aquatic species and pathogens. Other systems use sterilising chemicals such as chlorine.
These systems will be subject to certification and inspection.
Page 25 of 73
5. Bunkering and Fuel Transfer

Bunkering is a routine operation for ships but, despite this, it has potential dangers.
The risk of spill can be virtually eliminated provided the whole bunkering operation is
planned beforehand with a tank plan and check list.
i. The Bunkering Plan
The bunkering plan basically consists of the following:

A list of the tanks to be filled
The order in which they will be filled
Start and finish tank ullages/ soundings
Tank quantities
Responsibilities of ship’s staff involved in the bunkering operation
It is important to avoid mixing fuels from other bunkering operations as the fuels could
be of a different type and may not interact well. This can lead to sediment forming
that will rapidly block fuel filters. Prior to bunkering, all low fuel tanks should be
stripped to empty.
The Bunker Checklist

There are many tasks to carry out prior to and during bunkering. These may be
forgotten with all other activities going on while in port. Using a checklist ensures no
task is missed. This is also a requirement for the US coastguard.
During Bunkering
Under normal circumstances only one tank should be filled at a time. Trying to gauge
more than one tank at a time increases the risk of an overflow. As one tank gets near
to its final ullage, the second tank should be partially opened up to allow the first tank
to continue to fill at a slower rate. The maximum volume allowed in each tank is 90%.
After Bunkering
A full set of soundings and ullages should be taken, even if the tanks have gauges. The
soundings should be corrected for trim and heel to determine the total volume
delivered.
ii. Safety
The safety of the ship, the bunker facilities and the local environment is of prime
concern. Taking the following straight forward steps will minimise the risk of fire and
exposure to harmful substances.
1. A person should be present at the bunker manifold at all times. They are
responsible for direct communication with the barge, checking for leaks and
monitoring pressure at the manifold.
2. A means of communication and an emergency stop signal should be agreed with
the bunker facility. This could be an air horn, radio or megaphone.
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3. There is to be no smoking, naked flames or any other source of heat permitted

near the bunker manifold during the operation. No smoking signs should be
posted.
4. Appropriate PPE such as coveralls, non-slip safety shoes and gloves should be
worn during manifold connection and disconnection.
5. Rags, drip trays, tools should be present to clear up any minor spills and tighten
up connections if required.
6. For all ships over 400GT (and tankers over 150GT) a Shipboard Oil Pollution
Emergency Plan, SOPEP, is required. This is the vessels response to an
unintended oil spill that is most likely to happen during bunkering operations.
The plan details each crew members responsibilities during the emergency and
requires that a dedicated selection of oil spill equipment be available at all
times. Common practice is to have this SOPEP equipment moved nearby to the
bunker manifold prior to bunkering operations.
iii. Monitoring fuel quality and contamination
Residual fuels and distillate fuels are manufactured to an international standard, ISO
8217:2017 (6th Edition), and should be of a predictable quality, as outlined on the
bunker specification notice. This chemical analysis will tell the purchaser the
percentage content of certain impurities like water, ash, sulphur and catalytic fines
and also the properties of the fuel including kinematic viscosity, density and the pour
point temperature.
What the bunker specification can't always predict is how the fuel might react when
mixed with different fuels already held onboard. Fuels that are incompatible would
lead to normally soluble particles, asphaltenes that remain in a liquid state, starting to
precipitate out as a solid which would lead to blocking of filters, fuel injectors and
increased sludge production. The onboard tests needed would be to take two samples
of fuel and mix a few drops together and see if any solids appear after some time.
Good practice is to avoid mixing fuels by bunkering into empty tanks and only start
consumption of those tanks once the old fuel has been almost exhausted.
During the bunker operation a drip sample should be taken at the manifold which would
allow basic tests such as viscosity and density measurement and water content to be
conducted. These tests can give a good indication that the bunker specification notice
is accurate and the fuel is good enough to be used. A sample will be sent ashore for full
analysis.
iv. Transfer stability and free surface
Transferring fuel internally from a DB tank to a wing tank will affect stability in two
ways. It will raise the centre of gravity of the ship thereby making it less stable as the
metacentric height, GM is reduced. It will also cause the ship to list to the side as the
centre of gravity is moved off the centreline and this will need to be countered by
using the heeling pumps or transferring ballast. During transfer the DB tank will become
slack along with the tank the fuel has been transferred to. The free surface effect of
the liquid fuel will become apparent making ship less stable.
The free surface effect is the term given to the reduction in stability caused by an
unconstrained body of water contained within a vessel. The body of water can move to
Page 27 of 73
one side of the vessel or the other and will cause the ship to list in that direction
because the centre of gravity has moved sideways. The effect on stability is modelled
by raising the centre of gravity which will reduce overall stability and the ability of ship
to right itself.
To minimise the free surface effect of the fuel system, good practice is to have only
one storage tank in use at any one time. The relatively small settling and service tanks
will always be slack and the bridge will make accommodation for these in their stability
calculations.
v. Dispute procedures
To protect the vessel and company from the possible damage and downtime that can
be caused by the use of poor quality fuel, samples of the fuel should be retained by
both the supply barge and the recipient ship. Most bunker quality disputes will centre
on the samples taken during and after delivery.
A competent member of the ship’s crew should attend on the barge before and after
the delivery to measure and record the contents of all the barge tanks. This involves
sounding or ullaging the tanks, taking temperatures, establishing the barge trim and
using the calibration tables to determine volumes. If possible the sounding should
include the use of water finding paste to establish the amount of free water at the
bottom of the tank.
Throughout the delivery the sampling on the barge and the ship should be constantly
monitored. It may be necessary to adjust the drip sampling to ensure that about 5 litres
of bulk sample is collected by the end of the bunkering. This volume of fuel to be split
into samples to be retained onboard for the company, MARPOL samples in the event of
spillage, a sample is given to the barge and another sample is sent to a shore side
testing facility. Each sample must be allocated a sample number and the bottle label
should contain the ship name, barge or installation name, type of fuel, date of
loading/date of sample, signature of supplier’s representative, signature of receiver’s
representative, sampling method and seal number.
Prior to and during the bunkering, if the Chief engineer is not happy with the fuel
supplied, either in volume, quality or in the business conduct of the barge personnel, a
Note of Protest should be issued to the barge Master. The note of protest should give
details of the problem and a copy should be retained on board for reference and
submission to the bunker supplier.
Typical documentation in a bunker dispute would include, ship’s log books (deck,
engine and scrap logs books), oil record books, maintenance records, pre-arrival
checklist, bunker start up and completion times, bunker tank contents records,
consumption records (which fuel used when), bunker receipts, historic sample results,
photographs of damaged parts, survey reports, class records, statements of engineers,
invoices for spare parts, other costs documents and correspondence.
vi. Record keeping and Oil Record Book entries
Bunkered FO is entered into the oily record book after each bunkering operation is
complete. The figure quoted whenever purchasing FO is that of Metric tonnes, MT. FO
density varies with temperature which leads to the volume of the fuel reducing when it
cools down, whereas the mass of the fuel never varies. Therefore when entering the
Page 28 of 73
bunker process into the oily record book, the figure entered into each tank is that of
MT but the Remaining on board figure is usually in m3. Some companies are happy to
monitor fuel consumption using the number of m3 used each day while others require
conversion of tank contents into MT using the temperature at that immediate time to
accommodate for volume changes.
Page 29 of 73
6. Sewage Systems
i. Construction and operation of sewage treatment plants
Aerobic Biological Sewage Treatment Plants

These plants use the extended aeration process where air is bubbled through the
sewage this promotes a colony of bacteria within the sewage which will digest the
sewage, in the presence of oxygen, to produce an inert sludge, water and carbon
dioxide. The sludge produced is chemically and organically inert.
Continuous sewage plant

Hamworthy Super Trident Sewage Plant
This plant consists of three main stages.
Stage 1
Sewage and toilet water enter the first stage either directly or they are first passed
over a grid to remove any foreign objects.
Air diffusers are fitted at the bottom of the first stage, these are supplied with low
pressure compressed air from the plant's air compressors. The air compressors are
usually of the oil free sliding vane type. The air leaves the diffusers through small holes
and then bubbles upwards through the sewage, the holes in the diffuser expand over
time and this causes the air bubbles to be too large so there is not enough surface area
in contact with the sewage.
The air bubbling through the sewage and the sewage provide the bacteria with the
nutrients they need to thrive. The bacteria will start to break the sewage down into
water, carbon dioxide and an inert sludge.
Stage 2
Liquid from the first stage can pass from this stage to the second "hopper" stage by
passing through a course screen.
Any solid matter will drop to the bottom of the second stage and any floating particles
will move to the top of the second stage. The solids at both the top and bottom of the
second stage are removed by air lifters which act to return the solids to the first stage.
If the air lifters stopped operating the second stage would eventually block up
completely.
The liquid near to the surface of the second stage is skimmed off and overflows to the
third section.
Stage 3
When passing into the third section the liquid passes through the chlorinator where it
passes over chlorine tablets. The tablets dissolve at the correct rate to fully, chlorinate
the effluent. After being chlorinated the effluent passes into the third stage which is a
holding tank. The effluent must stay in the tank for the correct contact time with the
chlorine to ensure complete disinfection, this is usually 1 hour.
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An alternative design has the effluent from the second stage passed directly into the
third stage. A chlorine dosing pump is connected to the third stage and it operates to
dose the stage with chlorine every time the discharge pump has emptied the chamber,
this again ensures the correct contact time with the chlorine.
The effluent is pumped out of the third stage and into the sea by a discharge pump
operated by a start and a stop float switch.
A zero discharge system.

In a zero discharge sewage plant the raw sewage is first passed over a moving
perforated belt to separate the liquid from the solids.
The solids are then macerated and sterilised before passing to the sullage retention
tank.
The separated liquids pass to the treatment tanks where they are sterilised, treated for
colour and smell and are started to be broken down by chemical addition. The pH of
the liquid must be carefully controlled to ensure minimum corrosion in the system, this
necessitates tests to be carried out daily.
Any solids that have been suspended in the liquid will settle out in the treatment tank
and can be periodically drained to the sullage retention tank.
The liquid from the treatment tank then passes through a filter and into the pneupress
tanks where it becomes flushing water for the toilets. Any solids filtered out will pass
to the sullage retention tank.
Advantages of Zero Discharge Systems

 Does not have to rely on a colony of bacteria.
 Can be started up and shut down at will as the ship enters and leaves regulated
waters.
Disadvantages of Zero Discharge Systems
 Requires more attention while in use due to filter and screens which require
regular cleaning.
 Solids accumulate at a faster rate than in biological plants.
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ii. Difference between aerobic and anaerobic
Aerobic and anaerobic sewage breakdown are both caused by the bacteria naturally
occurring in sewage. Aerobic breakdown is preferable on ships and is ensured when
proper aeration is maintained.
In the event that air supply fails for a prolonged period as might occur with faulty
blower or blocked aerators then anaerobic breakdown will occur.
Should air supply fail, anaerobic bacteria become dominant. These produce harmful
and flammable gases such as hydrogen sulphide, methane and ammonia.
iii. Environmental impact of untreated sewage

Sewage treatment is a legal requirement under Marpol and flag state regulations. The
main goal is to preserve a safe aquatic environment. When sewage naturally breaks
down it consumes oxygen dissolved in the water. This is no issue in the open ocean
where large water volumes can absorb the sewage. Untreated sewage may be
discharged when outside 12 miles. Near coastlines and in restricted waters releasing
untreated sewage would lead to a reduction in the amount of oxygen present in the
water. This harms aquatic life including fish and plants.
BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand is a measure of how damaging sewage effluent can
be to marine life. Following treatment in a sewage plant, the BOD of the effluent
should be zero. The only solids left will be an inert sludge.
The other aspect of treatment is sterilisation. Normally the effluent of a sewage

treatment plant is dosed with chlorine to kill of bacteria and viruses normally present
in sewage. This can take the form of a liquid dosing pump or solid tablets that dissolve
over time. Some systems may use ultraviolet sterilisation as a replacement or as
additional treatment for sewage effluent.
Page 32 of 73
iv. Dangers associated with the operation of sewage treatment

plants
In normal operation, sewage plants are very safe with few moving parts and are quite
robust when properly maintained. The most significant hazard associated with sewage
plants on ships is that of anaerobic operation. As previously stated we require a
constant supply of fresh air to maintain aerobic sewage breakdown. That can be
interrupted due to mechanical fault with air blowers or perhaps dirty suction filters. If
the air bubblers or supply pipes become blocked, the air supply is also restricted to
that area within the sewage plant.
In the absence of oxygen, the aerobic bacteria die off and anaerobic bacteria start to
proliferate. The by-product of these bacteria are toxic and flammable gases such as
hydrogen sulphide, methane and ammonia. The sewage plant is an enclosed space with
vents leading to the open deck. The harmful gases are not only a risk to personnel
working with sewage plant but also any personnel on the open deck.
The first indication of a problem would be a noticeable rotten egg smell; hydrogen
sulphide. A person exposed to this in high concentrations, may lose their sense of smell
temporarily. This could fool the individual into thinking the noxious gas was a once off
event and has cleared itself, but in fact they continue to be poisoned. It is a toxic and
flammable gas that has led to fatalities on ships. Monarch of the Seas (2005)
Methane is a colourless, odourless gas. It is also flammable and can form highly
explosive concentrations. Ammonia is a gas that is colourless and has a sharp chemical
smell; it is both corrosive and toxic to biological life. All of these gases are very
hazardous within the enclosed areas of an engine room. It is important to maintain air
supply and exhaust fans around the sewage plant to maintain proper operation and
protect personnel nearby. A good practice is to check that each bubbler has its air
supply maintained by feeling the supply pipe. It will feel warm due to the heated air
passing through it. A cold pipe Indicates a blockage and should be checked as soon as
practicable.
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7. Air Conditioning
Refrigeration is used for many different applications at sea.
1. Accommodation Air Conditioning

2. Cold rooms for food storage
3. Spot coolers
4. Air dryers
Fig 1. Vapor_Compression_Cycle.png by WGisol - (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The compressor pressurises the dry refrigerant gas which is then cooled in the
condenser.
The high pressure gas then changes to a liquid and collects in a reservoir tank, usually
located below the condenser.
The high pressure liquid is admitted to the evaporator through an isolating solenoid and
an expansion valve.
The low pressure liquid absorbs heat through evaporator to become low pressure gas
Using the above refrigeration circuit we can cool down air taken from outside a ship to
a comfortable temperature.
a) Principles of air conditioning

To achieve this air conditioning systems have to treat (or condition) the air, by passing
it
through the following processes:-
Filter the air to remove dust.
Heat the air (if the outside air temperature is too cold for comfort).
Cool the air (if the outside temperature is too hot for comfort).
De-humidify the air (if the outside air is too humid for comfort).
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Re-humidify the air (if the outside air is too dry for comfort) or (other processes within
the air conditioning system have lowered the air humidity too much).
Re-heat the air (if the previous conditioning processes have lowered the temperature
below a comfortable temperature).
Distribute the air evenly around the living or working space(s).
Re-circulate some of the air once distributed to minimise costs.
i. Relative humidity and maintaining ‘comfort zone’

Temperature alone is not the only factor relating to comfort levels for people onboard.
The other is relative humidity. This is a measure of how much water is absorbed within
the atmosphere. Hot air can hold much more water than cold air. In tropical climates it
can be both hot and humid, meaning people feel sweaty and uncomfortable.
For a European most people will feel comfortable if the temperature and relative
humidity is kept within the following range.
200C at 70% RH to 270C at 70% RH

220C at 40% RH to 290C at 40% RH
To get the ships atmosphere within this region, the air can be treated with cooling,
dehumidifying, heating or humidifying processes in different sequences.
ii. Dangers associated with the operation of a.c. plants

Legionella bacterium is a type of pneumonia which may be fatal to older people and its
presence has been associated with the air conditioning plant of large buildings. The
outbreak which led to the first investigation and discovery of the bacteria occurred at a
convention for American ex-servicemen (the American Legion), and the identified cause
of the problem was therefore labelled Legionella bacteria.
The bacteria flourish particularly in damp stagnant conditions, and the condensate drip
trays on air conditioning systems are ideal breeding grounds for the bacteria to
develop. Other vulnerable places concerned with air conditioning systems are the
water stack type coolers often used ashore for condensing the refrigerant in large air
conditioning systems. There is a risk that the bacteria could flourish in the air
conditioning systems of ships and consequently a Department of Transport M Notice has
been issued to give warning and to recommend preventative measures.
The M Notice explains that the organisms breed in stagnant water or in deposits of
slime/sludge. Possible locations for bacteria colonies are mentioned as being at the air
inlet area and below the cooler (stagnant water), in the filter, in humidifiers of the
water spray type, and in exposed insulation.
Provision of adequate drainage is recommended to remove stagnant water. Guidance is

given for weekly inspection and cleaning as necessary of filters with a 50 p.p.m. super-
chlorinated solution; and for the solution to be used on the cooler drain area at not
more than three month intervals. Regular sterilisation is called for with water spray
type humidifiers (steam humidifiers being preferred).
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Other than legionella it is also possible to spread smoke, other gases or pathogens and
noxious smells round the ship. Chemicals accidentally spilled or mixed in the engine
room would be extracted by the exhaust fans into the open atmosphere. There the
gases could affect people on the open deck, or be sucked back into the vessel through
the normal AC intake fans and be spread throughout the entire ship. Care must be
taken to shut down the ventilation in a toxic area to prevent the atmosphere spreading.
MGN 38: Contamination of Ships’ Air Conditioning Systems by Legionella Bacteria
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8. Fresh Water Maker

a) Fresh water makers
Fresh water makers, or desalination plants extract fresh water from the salty waters
that the vessel passes through. They typically come in two designs: an evaporator that
applies heat to boil seawater in a vacuum and a reverse osmosis plant that uses filters
to remove salts from the inlet water. The evaporator is better suited to large merchant
vessels that can use the substantial amounts of waste heat generated in the main
engines to make fresh water economically.
Smaller vessels with engines of reduced size or that run intermittently cannot rely on
engine heat and therefore use reverse osmosis plants.
i. Construction and operation of an evaporator
An evaporator works by using the principle of distillation to produce pure water from
sea water. The distilled water is produced as a result of evaporating sea water either
by a boiling process or a flash process. The salt content of the water can be reduced to
1 or 2 ppm in an efficient evaporator.
The plant has a combined condenser cooling, ejector water and feed water system. Sea
water is supplied to the condenser from a separate sea water pump. The sea water
condenses the distilled water vapour and gains heat at the same time, this sea water is
then led to 2 places:
1. The combined air and brine ejector and then overboard.
2. (The sea water feed control valve and then into the evaporator plate heat
exchanger as feed water. Due to the fact the water was used in the condenser it
has been pre-heated so increasing the efficiency of the plant.
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The feed water in the plate heat exchanger is heated by the main engine jacket water
and will evaporate inside the heat exchanger, at between 40 - 60°C (corresponding to
vacuums of 95-85% or 0.95-0.85 Bar).
The vapours generated pass through a demister where any drops of sea water entrained
are removed and fall due to gravity to the brine sump at the bottom of the generator
chamber.
The distilled vapour continues to the condenser plate cooler where it is condensed in
and the resulting distillate is removed from the plant by the distillate pump.
The quality of the distillate is measured by the salinometer and if the quality is
acceptable the water passes to the auto chlorinator and the feed tanks otherwise it is
directed back into the base of the evaporator and is withdrawn along with the brine.
Feed water anti-scale chemical dosing is required at heating temperatures above 75°C,
these pre-treatment chemicals are added to the feed water before it enters the
evaporator heat exchanger.
ii. Construction and operation of a reverse osmosis plant
Osmosis is the natural tendency of a pure liquid to flow towards an impure liquid to try
and dilute it. When a salt solution, which has a chemical potential, is separated from
pure water, which has a lower chemical potential, by a semipermeable membrane,
then pure water will flow through the membrane so as to reduce the potential of the
salt solution, see figure 2.
This, process will continue until all of the pure water has passed through the membrane
or until the hydrostatic head of the salt solution is sufficiently high so as to arrest the
process, at this latter point the hydrostatic pressure is known as the osmotic pressure
of the salt solution at its particular concentration.
Reverse Osmosis, as the name implies, is the use of this phenomenon in the reverse
direction resulting in water being forced through the membrane from the concentrated
solution to the more dilute. This reverse flow is achieved by applying a pressure higher
than the osmotic pressure of the concentrated solution to the concentrate side of the
membrane (Figure 3).
Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3

Operation of reverse osmosis plant, Duncan Isbister, COGC
Page 38 of 73
Reverse osmosis (RO) plants use a semi permeable membrane as the filtering method.
This resembles a plastic sheet that has holes too small for the human eyes to detect. It
allows molecules of water, H2O, to pass through it bit larger molecules such as salts and
bacteria cannot pass through.
The seawater used to make fresh water is sometimes prefiltered through a bed of sand
or specialised microfilters prior to reaching the membrane. These would remove the
microorganisms normally found in seawater and increase the time between membrane
cleaning.
The pressure of the feedwater is then raised above the osmotic pressure of seawater;
this is approximately 30 bar. The higher the pressure of the feedwater the faster the
RO plant will make fresh water. The consequence of this is higher fuel costs to make
electricity to run the pumps.
The quality of the water is good although not perfect. There will be a small number of
salts present in the water that do get past the membrane but you cannot taste them.
Anything below 1000us conductivity will be potable. This water cannot be used in a
boiler.
The quality of the water produced varies with water temperature. In a cold climate the
membrane and the holes within contract and the volume of water produced is less but
is very clean, maybe 300µs. In Tropical climates the membrane and its holes expand
leading to a higher production rate but also reduced quality.
The most common construction of RO plant membranes is the spiral wound membrane.
This is constructed as a multiple layer sandwich consisting of a central permeate carrier
covered on both sides by the semi permeable membrane with porous layer support.
This sandwich is glued around 3 edges to prevent feed water from contacting the
permeate. The RO element is formed by attaching the fourth edge of several
sandwiches to a central perforated permeate collection tube, placing a coarse mesh
spacer outside of each sandwich which enables the raw water to flow across the
membrane surface, rolling up the whole assembly around the permeate collection tube
and finally covering with a glass fibre outer wrap. The completed elements are then
fitted into a glass fibre pressure vessel. Water is pumped under pressure into one end
of the module and flows over the membrane surface: Permeate passes through the
membrane, flows through the inner section of the membrane and is collected in the
central tube. The concentrate leaves the module via the opposite end to the feed. The
permeate water quality is measured by a salinometer, usually based on the water’s
electrical conductivity; any water that is of pure quality would be rejected and
sometimes fed back into the membrane with the feedwater. Water that meets the
purity requirements is directed to water treatment and the storage tanks.
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Spiral flow membrane module-en.svg by Daniele Pugliesi - (CC BY-SA 3.0)
The feedwater that flows across the membranes helps to remove the build up of salts
left behind on the membrane surface. Eventually some salts will permanently build up
on the surface of membrane and these can be removed with chemical cleaning when
plant is shutdown. An operator can expect to replace the membranes every 3 years.
iii. Neutralisation and palatability

Fresh water produced from sea water has virtually no mineral salts present but it must
still be treated before use for drinking water. The three steps required are:
Neutralisation
Re-mineralisation
Sterilisation
Seawater is slightly alkaline in nature but the permeate that an RO plant generates is
slightly acidic as is the outlet of an evaporator. This is not a major concern to human
health, consider how acidic your stomach acid would be in comparison. But the acidic
water could lead to corrosion within pipes and tanks if left untreated for long periods.
The permeate requires to be mineralised to make it potable and improve the taste.
These minerals would be normally present in land based tap water and are essential for
good health and water softening. The permeate is passed through a filter containing
limestone calcite and sometimes activated carbon which adds the required minerals.
This tends to have a secondary effect of increasing the pH of the water which may
negate the need for chemical addition to achieve neutralisation.
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iv. Water sterilisation methods
Sterilising the water is essential to guarantee the cleanliness of water generated from
the ocean and is mandated by the IMO through the MLC convention and is regulated by
the flag states. In the case of the UK, this comes under MSN 1845 for commercial
vessels and MGN 525 for all other vessel types. There are three recognised sterilisation
methods.
Chlorination - Sodium hypochlorite or similar chemical is dosed at a low level of at least

2ppm. This method offers residual protection as the chlorine remains in the water for
some time keeping the tank and all potable water piping sterile. The chlorine can
evaporate especially in hot climates. A minimum residual protection of 0.2ppm is
required throughout the whole ship and this can be achieved with additional chemical
dosing at the fresh water supply pumps if required. A possible downside is the
chlorinated taste of the water that is sometimes encountered.
Silver Ion - The permeate water is treated with a silver ion dosing system that involves
water passing over silver plates or anodes through which an electrical current is applied
causing the silver ions to detach and flow with the water. A minimum dosing level of
0.1 ppm is required, while the minimum residual content is 0.08 ppm. This has benefits
over chlorination as the silver ions do not evaporate with time and they have no effect
on the taste of the water.
Ultra violet - This method will sterilise the water efficiently by using high power UV
lamps that will kill 99% of any bacteria. However there is no residual protection and is
commonly used as a secondary sterilising method fitted downstream of the fresh water
supply pumps but can be suitable as the prime method depending on vessel size.
v. Sampling and testing of potable water
The MLC and MCA both state that regular water testing be done on a potable water
system. The tests will include tests for water pH, water hardness and the level of
residual sterilisation which is either chlorine content or silver ion content. It is
recommended to test this daily and best practice is to test 4 samples from random
locations within the ship. Additional tests required for water on ships is that for E-Coli
and bacteria. These tests require taking a carefully controlled sample, avoiding
contamination with fingers or other materials, and incubating the sample for 24 hours
at an elevated temperature.
It is recommended good practice to conduct these tests prior to putting a water tank in
service and test the system as a whole at least once a week.
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b) Inspection and cleaning of water tanks and system
Potable water tanks require regular inspection and cleaning to reduce the chance of
bacterial contamination. When conducting the cleaning work, tools and clothing should
be specific for purpose and not have been used in any other capacity.
The below schedule for tank inspection is taken from MGN 525.
Fresh Water Storage Tanks
Persons inspecting or working in fresh water tanks should wear clean protective clothing and
footwear which has not been used for any other work area and they should not be suffering from
any skin infection or communicable disease.
Actions Intervals
To be thoroughly pumped out and where necessary hosed prior to refilling 6 monthly
To be opened up, emptied, ventilated and inspected and thoroughly cleaned, 12

recoated as necessary, aired and refilled with clean fresh water chlorinated to a monthly
concentration of 0.2ppm free chlorine. The cleaning process should include
disinfection with a solution of 50ppm chlorine.
The system (from machinery space to furthest outlets should be charged with super- Refit or
chlorinated fresh water at a concentration of 50ppm for a period of 12 hours then dry dock
completely flushed out and refilled at 0.2ppm residual free chlorine
Distribution Systems Maintenance
Filters Clean or Change Monthly or according to

manufacturer’s
instructions
UV Clean According to
exposure manufacturer’s
area instructions
Calorifiers To be opened up, inspected, scaled and cleaned. Periodically (general

Before draining temperatures should be raised to 70˚C recommendation –
for at least an hour to ensure destruction of bacteria annual inspection)
which may have colonised the lower and cooler zone of
the unit
Shower Flush and fill with 50ppm chlorine solution and allow to 3 monthly
heads stand for at least an hour before emptying and stowage
FW Hoses Flush and fill with 50ppm chlorine solution and allow to 6 monthly or more
stand for at least an hour before emptying and stowage frequently if required
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c) Superchlorination
This practice of superchlorination is done on a regular basis as described in the table

above. This involves sterilising all surfaces of a tank using fresh water with a chlorine
level of at least 50 ppm. The disinfection process should last for at least one hour. This
can normally be achieved by entering the tank and coating all surfaces with a mop. The
alternative is to fill the tank with super chlorinated water and hold for 12 hours. This
would be a considerable waste of fresh water but would involve less manual labour and
ensure that all areas and surfaces of a tank are treated.
The same process is required for the distribution system. Water should be circulated at
50ppm through the entire system. All the taps, showers and other outlets would need
to opened and allow the superchlorinated water to reach all points in the system,
avoiding dead legs where water does not usually flow, i.e. empty cabins.
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9. Stabilisers
a) Types of motion (roll, pitch, yaw etc., damping coefficient)
b) Passive roll stabilisation systems
c) Active roll stabilisation systems
a) Types of motion
A ship at sea has 6 degrees of freedom.
(a) Roll
(b) Heave
(c) Pitch
(d) Yaw
(e) Sway
(f) Surge
Of these, only roll can be reduced in practice by fitting bilge keels, anti-rolling tanks or
fin stabilisers.
Ship Movement, City of Glasgow College
A ship is a damped mass elastic system. It has a natural rolling period and large rolling
motions, may be induced by resonance, with relatively small wave forces. Large
resonant rolls can be avoided by generating forces equal and opposite to the impressed
sea force.
In practice, rolling is the most dangerous, and uncomfortable motion, and fortunately
this is the one that can be most easily controlled.
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Rolling can be reduced by various methods of "stabilizing" the ship. The methods are:
(a) Bilge Keels;
(b) Passive Tanks;
(c) Active Tanks;
(d) Fin Stabilisers;
(e) Gyroscopic stabilisers.
b) Passive roll stabilisation systems
Bilge Keels
Bilge keels are flat plates, or offset bulb plates intermittently welded to a stub plate or
round bar strongly welded to the ship. The bilge keels run along the parallel middle
body of the ship for between 30-50% of the ships length, and if they hit an under- water
obstruction, they tear off easily, leaving the hull of the ship undamaged. Bilge keels
take 20-30% off the roll, which means that the rolling is only 80 or 70% of what it would
be without them.
Passive Tanks
This is the most common method of passive tank stabilizer. Two tanks, as far apart as
possible to give maximum righting moment, are joined by a large diameter pipe. In
good weather the tanks are empty, but if the ship is running into bad weather, the
mate will fill the tanks to between one quarter to one third of their capacity with sea
water.
When the ship rolls, water on the high side is given potential energy, and this is
converted into kinetic energy as the water accelerates across the ship down to the low
side. By the time the water has reached the "low" side, it will have been raised by the
rolling of the ship, given potential energy, and accelerated across the ship in the other
direction.
This method of stabilization is not completely under the mate's control as the rolling of
the ship can be unpredictable, and if things go wrong, the mass of water can end up on
the low side, thus making the rolling worse, instead of better.
The advantage of this passive system is that the passive tanks are up in the
accommodation so they don't occupy valuable cargo space, and they don't consume any
energy from the ship's fuel.
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c) Active roll stabilisation systems
Active Tanks
The active tank system is rather similar to the passive tank system, the difference
being a large pump which moves large volumes of water across the ship in a few
seconds.
In bad weather the mate starts up the pump, and puts some sea water into the tanks.
The pump runs continuously in the same direction, so it does not stop and start as the
ship rolls - instead when the ship begins to roll in one direction, the movement is
sensed, and one pair of suction and discharge valves shut while another pair open.
Therefore, with this active tank system, there will always be water taken away from
the low side and transferred to the high side, no matter how wildly the ship is rolling.
The disadvantage of this system is the high energy consumption in running the pump to
move large masses of water. This costs so much fuel that most ship owners prefer to
use stabilizing fins instead.
Retractable Fin Stabiliser

This retractable fin is turned by a rotary vane motor that is an integral part of the fin
assembly. The fin is supported in a crux which in turn is mounted onto the ships
structure by two trunnions.
The vane motor stator is secured to the crux, the rotor keyed to the fin shaft. The vane
motor is housed in an oil tight casing secured to the fin. The whole of the casing and
the interior of the fin is full of oil with a static head of 4-6 metres. above the waterline
to prevent the ingress of sea water.
The fin is stowed by a hydraulic double acting hydraulic cylinder attached to a
quadrant.
Gyroscopic Stabiliser
A gyroscopic stabiliser uses a large rotating mass to reduce vessel rolling. Multiple
devices can be placed on the same vessel to work in partnership. They are also fitted
inboard and add no resistance to the hull, unlike fin stabilisers. A relatively small motor
is used to accelerate the rotating mass and keep it at operational speed. To increase
efficiency, it may operate in a vacuum to reduce air friction and reduce noise.
The ship gyroscopic stabilizer typically operates by constraining the gyroscope's roll axis
and allowing it to "precess" either in the pitch or the yaw axes (forward to aft or port to
starboard). Allowing it to precess as the ship rolls causes its spinning rotor to generate
a counteracting roll stabilizing moment to that generated by the waves on the ship's
hull. Its ability to effectively do this is dependent on a range of factors that include its
size, weight and angular momentum. It is also affected by the roll period of the ship.
Effective ship installations require rotors having a weight of approximately 3% to 5% of
a vessel's displacement. This will be a constant increase in vessel weight and lead to
increased fuel bills.
There are several different designs and manufacturers but these systems will usually
come as a package with all ancillary equipment provided such as motors and pumps.
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10. Fire-fighting
a) Fire prevention; use and care of fire-fighting appliances; fixed
machinery space installations; escape and breathing apparatus
Fire protection requirements for ships are determined by IMO, these are included in the
SOLAS (safety of life at sea) regulations.
The fire safety objectives of SOLAS are to prevent fire, reduce risks, provide means of
escape and contain, control and suppress fire. In order to achieve the objectives of
SOLAS, the following requirements set out by the UK Government for all vessels.
• Division of the ship into main vertical and horizontal zones by thermal and structural
boundaries.
• Separation of accommodation spaces from the remainder of the ship by thermal and
structural boundaries.
• Restrictions on the use of combustible material.
• Detection of any fire in the zone of origin.
• Containment and extinction of any fire in the space of origin.
• Protection of means of escape and access for fire fighting.
• Make fire extinguishing appliances readily available.
They can vary according to ship class and size. The two sets of regulations that apply
are The Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998, and The
Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Large Ships) Regulations 1998. The small ships
regulations apply to all vessels under 500GT which can include pleasure vessels, fishing
boats, tugs and passenger ships. The large ships regulations apply to all vessels over
500GT but can vary greatly according to vessel size and class.
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Fire Protection: (small ships) Summary Table

Type of vessel Passenger ships Passenger ships Fishing vessels, Fishing vessels,
Class II Class III to VI tankers, tankers,
pleasure pleasure
vessels Class vessels Class
VII to XII VII to XII
Size of vessel <21.34m >21.34m 150> <500GT <150GT
Fire Pump External to One powered One powered One powered
requirements machinery pump plus pump plus pump, can be
space, motor additional additional powered by
or hand pump outside pump outside propulsion
powered machinery machinery engine plus
space space additional
outside
Machinery 45l foam or 45l foam or 45l foam or Two 9l foam
space fire 1x16kg co2 plus 2x16kg co2 plus 1x16kg co2 plus portable
extinguisher minimum two minimum two minimum two extinguishers
9l foam 9l foam 9l foam
portable portable portable
extinguishers extinguishers extinguishers
Fixed Fire N/R MSN 1666 – MSN 1666 – CO2
Fighting system foam, CO2 or foam, CO2 or
watermist watermist
Fire Hydrants 10mm hose FM, hydrant FM, Hydrants 10mm hose
and hoses plus hoses at plus 3 hoses
each hydrant
Fireman’s N/R 1 outfit 1 outfit Fireman’s axe
outfit
All ships over 500GT require at least one dedicated, powered fire pump, plus a
crossover supply from another SW pump in the engine room, i.e. ballast or general
service.
All ships over 1000 tons require 2 independently powered fire pumps, passenger vessels
over 4000 tons require 3. If the pumps are centrifugal they must be fitted with non-
return valves so that the pump remains full. One of the fire pumps is usually located in
a space other than the main engine room, this pump could be powered from a diesel
engine or from the emergency switchboard.
An International shore connection must be on board to allow a shore fire main or
another ship's system to be connected into the ships fire main. The location of the
International connection will be marked on the ships fire plan.
Fire main isolating valves must be provided; these allow the fire main to be split up in
case of any damage to a part of it.
Every machinery space must be fitted with a fixed extinguishing system using, CO 2,
foam or water mist.
The requirements for portable extinguishers, fireman outfits, hydrants and hoses are
similar to that for small vessels but the minimum number required is greater dependent
on vessel class and size.
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Fire Resistant Bulkheads

Bulkheads and decks are required to have certain fire integrity standards, A, B or C
Class. Each Class has to have the ability to withstand certain requirements during a
standard fire test. In a standard fire test specimen panels of bulkheads or decks are
exposed to a test furnace with temperatures corresponding to a standard time-
temperature curve ranging from 556°C to 925°C after 5 minutes and 60 minutes. The
requirements are:
A Class.
 Must be constructed of steel or equivalent materials.
 Must prevent the passage of flame and smoke for 60 minutes.
 The unexposed side must not have an average temperature above 139°C or the
A60 60 minutes
A30 30 minutes
A15 15 minutes
A0 No requirement
B Class
 Must prevent the passage of flame for 30 minutes.
 The unexposed side must not have an average temperature above 139°C or the
temperature at any one point above 225°C after certain times:
B15 15 minutes
B0 No requirement
C Class
 Must be of incombustible material and does not have to meet any requirements
of the standard fire test. Incombustible material is one which neither burns nor
gives off flammable vapours when heated to 750°C.
Page 49 of 73
Extinguishing Methods
Water.
Suitable for class A fires, but as a mist, fog or spray it can put out class B fires.
Can be used as a jet, spray or a mist, it acts by removing the heat from a fire, if used
as a fine spray it has a high cooling and also a smothering effect.
Water is used on board in portable 9 LT extinguishers, through fire hoses and in spray
and mist systems.
Certain additives like antifreeze are sometimes added.
It cannot be used on electrical fires.
Foam.
Suitable for class A and class B fires but not for use on electrical equipment.
Foam acts by excluding oxygen from a fire.
Foam is used on board ships in 9 LT portable extinguishers, 45 LT semi-portable
extinguishers, foam branches on the standard fire hoses and in low, medium and high
expansion foam generating units for flooding compartments.
Foams remain effective after use as they provide a blanket that excludes air.
There are 2 main types of foam, protein foam and synthetic foam from an
environmental viewpoint protein foam is better.
Expansion ratios for foams are:
Low expansion foam 2 -20.
Medium expansion foam 20-200.
High expansion foam 200-2000.
Foam concentrates deteriorate with time.
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Dry Powder.
Suitable for class B and class C fires although some powders have been developed for
class A, B and C and some for class D.
Dry Powder acts primarily by affecting the surface chemical chain reaction of a fire.
Dry powder is used in portable extinguishers, 12kg and smaller.
They can be used on electrical fires but they do leave powder behind and some class A,
B, C powders leave behind a sticky residue.
Carbon Dioxide.
Suitable for use on class B and C fires or class A, B and C if used in total flooding
arrangements.
Carbon Dioxide acts by excluding the air from a fire.
It is found on board ships in portable extinguishers, larger semi-portable extinguishers
and in bulk both in pressurised bottles and in refrigerated tanks.
It is the preferred medium for electrical fires, as it leaves no residue behind.
Carbon dioxide is suffocating and poisonous
Carbon dioxide can react dangerously with certain chemicals
It does have some environmental problems associated with global warming.
Extinguishers.
Portable Water Extinguisher.
It has a 9 litre capacity, a minimum range of 6m and a discharge time of 65s. It is

operated in the upright position, to operate pull the pin and press the handles
together, this pierces the CO2 cartridge and pressurises the extinguisher body, which
forces water up the siphon tube. Releasing the handles will stop the discharge. There
may be additives to the water such as anti-freeze.
Maintenance and inspection is carried out annually.

Inspect the inside and outside of the extinguisher body for corrosion or damage.
Examine the gas cartridge and weigh it, compare this with the weight stamped on the
cartridge.
Clean the vent holes.
Check the mechanism.
The extinguisher body and the gas bottle must be hydraulically tested every 10 years.
Portable Foam Extinguisher.
It has a 9 litre capacity, minimum range of 4m and a discharge time of 40s. It is of the
same construction as the water extinguisher except that it is filled with a foam solution
and has an aspirator nozzle on the end of the discharge hose, which induces the air,
this is how the foam is created.
Maintenance and inspection is the same as for the water extinguisher but one should
also check the quality of the foam solution, replace it if it smells bad or has gone
black.
Foam has a limited life span and has to be replaced at approximately 4 yearly intervals.
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Portable dry powder extinguisher.
These come in 2 types:

Stored pressure, where the extinguisher is pressurised with nitrogen or dry air.
Cartridge type, where the gas charge is inside a cartridge inside the extinguisher. The
extinguisher incorporates a balance valve, the purpose of this is to ensure that the gas
passes through the powder and completely fluidises it. The extinguisher is operated in
the same way as the water type.
Maintenance and inspection is the same as for the water extinguisher but also:
All maintenance must be done in the driest of conditions as the powder will absorb any
moisture.
Agitate powder to avoid compaction.
Weigh the whole extinguisher to see if any powder has been lost
Portable Carbon Dioxide Extinguisher.
It commonly has a 6kg capacity, which gives a discharge time of 17s, the gas is stored
at 55 bar. The extinguisher is designed to release liquid CO2 which is turned into a gas
in the horn which can ice up as the liquid expands. They are fitted with high pressure
relief devices and for this reason are not allowed in accommodation spaces.
Maintenance and inspection.
They are serviced ashore but onboard inspection consists of checking the body for
corrosion or damage and weighing the cylinder to see if any contents have been lost.
The cylinder should be hydraulically tested every 10 years.
Page 52 of 73
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Fixed Machinery Space Installations

Fire Pumps, Fire Main, Hoses, Nozzles and Foam Branches.
All ships over 500 tons require at least one dedicated, powered fire pump, plus a
crossover supply from another SW pump in the engine room, i.e. ballast or general
service.
All ships over 1000 tons require 2 independently powered fire pumps, passenger vessels
over 4000 tons require 3. If the pumps are centrifugal they must be fitted with non-
return valves so that the pump remains full. One of the fire pumps is usually located in
a space other than the main engine room, this pump could be powered from a diesel
engine or from the emergency switchboard.
An International shore connection must be on board to allow a shore fire main or

another ship's system to be connected into the ships fire main. The location of the
International connection will be marked on the ships fire plan. Fire main isolating
valves must be provided; these allow the fire main to be split up in case of any damage
to a part of it.
Flag states set the exact requirements for hoses but they must be of non-perishable
material, be at least 10m in length and have a nozzle and couplings. Due to
considerations of handling, maximum hose lengths are 15m in machinery spaces, 20m in
other spaces and open decks. Standard diameters are 64mm made of unlined canvas
and 45mm made of lined canvas. It is common to find permanent hose reels of smaller
diameter non-collapsible material in accommodation spaces, these are intended for use
by less experienced personnel. Hoses must be regularly inspected.
Nozzles must be of the dual type giving both a jet and a spray and they must also
incorporate a shut off. Nozzles must be regularly inspected, serviced and freed off.
Foam branches are fitted to the end of a fire hose in place of the normal nozzle. They
use an inductor to draw foam concentrate from a container, mix it with the sea water
coming from the fire hose and then pass it through the foam making branch where air is
induced, the foam is then discharged and directed at the fire. The system can be quite
cumbersome as the container of foam concentrate is with the fire fighter at the end of
the fire hose. Fog lances can also be fitted to the end of a fire hose, these allow water
to effectively fight oil fires.
Fixed Water Fire Fighting Systems.
Sprinkler System.
Sprinkler systems are used for accommodation spaces and public areas in passenger
ships, they provide a way of automatically detecting a fire, sounding the alarm and
fighting the fire.
The whole system is keep under pressure so that there will be no delay in dealing with
a fire, in order to do this the initial charge of water is held under pressure in a storage
tank the pressure being provided by an air charge in the storage tank. The system is
split up into sections, each section may contain up to about 150-200 sprinkler/detector
heads. As soon as a sprinkler head activates water is released from the system through
the sprinkler and onto the fire. As soon as the water in the system starts to flow it
Page 54 of 73
activates a section fire alarm, which acts as an indicator as to where the fire is. As soon
as a pressure drop is sensed in the system the sea water fire pump will cut in and start
supplying water to the system at the same time a low air pressure will be sensed in the
storage tank so more air will be admitted to the tank.
Fog Systems
Fog systems use water under high pressure and specifically designed spray heads which
cause the water to be discharged into a space as a fine fog / mist at high speed. The
small droplets give a very large total water surface area which provides efficient
cooling of the fire and surrounding gases. The high speed of the fog enables it to
penetrate hot flue gases and reach the combustion source even in large fires. The
system consists of a pressure pump and accumulator unit, control and monitoring unit,
section valves with stop valves for monitoring water flow, fog sprinklers. The system
operates in a similar way to a conventional sprinkler system except that the system
pressure is a maximum of 140 bar at the pumps and between 60 and 135 bar at the
sprinklers.
CO2 Smothering Systems

Inert gas smothering works by displacing oxygen away from the seat of the fire. This
normally comes in the form of CO2 cylinders that can come in large arrays necessary to
flood large engine rooms or cargo spaces. For smaller vessels this could be one or two
large cylinders that can be remotely released from outside the engine spaces.
EEBD
Smoke Hood(IEvac1.jpg) by Xt5h7l(2009) - (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Emergency Escape Breathing Device - EEBD - are located within confined spaces such
as engine rooms or where there may considerable risk of smoke inhalation in the event
of a fire. They are a portable self contained breathing apparatus with enough air stored
to provide ten minutes breathing capacity. They are there solely for escape purposes
and not to be used for approaching and extinguishing a fire.
The construction is a simple plastic hood which fits over the head which is directly
connected to an air cylinder through a pressure regulating valve.
Page 55 of 73
Smoke Hood
A smoke hood is another device to be used for escape purposes only. These would
typically be located in accommodation spaces that are located below the waterline.
They do not provide clean air but filter smoke, dust and certain poisonous gases that
may be present within the existing atmosphere.
Page 56 of 73
b) Appropriate action in response to fires on board, within and

external to machinery spaces; shut-down and isolation of plant
and equipment
Fire is the number one risk to ships due to the enclosed nature of a vessel. A relatively
small fire can produce large volumes of toxic gases. The correct response to any fire
onboard a ship is the same for any location.
Find Inform Restrict Extinguish

If a crew member discovers a fire they should immediately shout fire and alert anyone
in the near vicinity. Bang on nearby cabin doors as you move to locate the nearest call
point/phone. Activate the call point to alert the bridge of an incident; the alarms will
not sound but a signal will occur on the bridge.
Inform the bridge of the location of the fire, its extent and the nature of the fire. E.g.
is a class A bin fire or an oil based fire in the galley.
Try and restrict the fire by closing nearby fire screen doors or operating ventilation
dampers. If there are emergency shut offs for gas/oil supplies nearby these should be
operated.
Make one attempt to extinguish the fire if it is relatively small by using a portable
extinguisher or nearby fire hose. Operate fixed fire extinguishing systems if they are
fitted, such as water mist within the engine room. If the fire cannot be extinguished
retreat to a safe location and wait for assistance.
The fire teams that will come will require the first hand knowledge of the crew
member who found the fire. Once they are debriefed they can be released to their
regular muster station. As they may be fighting the fire with substantial volumes of
water, it would make sense to shutdown local electrical supplies to avoid risk to the
fire teams as long as safe navigation of ship is not impaired.
Below is text quoted from the Code Of Safe Working Practices (2015) relating to basic
firefighting.
4.3 Action in the event of fire

4.3.1 The risk of fire breaking out on board a ship cannot be eliminated but its effects
will be much reduced if the advice given in this chapter is conscientiously followed.
4.3.2 A fire can usually be extinguished most easily in its first few minutes. Prompt and
correct action is essential.
4.3.3 The alarm should be raised and the bridge informed immediately. If the ship is in
port, the local fire authority should be called. If possible, an attempt should be made if
safe and practicable to extinguish or limit the fire, by any appropriate means readily
available, either using suitable portable extinguishers or by smothering the fire as in
the case of a fat or oil fire in the galley.
4.3.4 The ship’s personnel should be aware of the use of different types of fire
extinguisher and their suitability for different types of fire. Water extinguishers should
not be used on oil or electric fires and foam extinguishers should not be used on
electrical fires.
Page 57 of 73
4.3.5 Openings to the space should be shut to reduce the supply of air to the fire and to
prevent it spreading. Any fuel lines feeding the fire or threatened by it should be
isolated.
4.3.6 If practicable, combustible materials adjacent to the fire should be removed,
boundary cooling of adjacent compartments should be considered and temperatures
monitored if spaces are not otherwise accessible.
4.3.7 If a space is filling with smoke and fumes, any seafarers not properly equipped
with breathing apparatus should leave the space without delay; if necessary, escape
should be effected by crawling on hands and knees because the air close to deck level
is likely to be relatively clear. Where available, emergency escape breathing devices
(EEBDs) should be used.
4.3.8 After a fire has been extinguished, precautions should be taken against its
spontaneous re-ignition.
4.3.9 Seafarers should not re-enter a space in which a fire has occurred without
wearing breathing apparatus until it has been fully ventilated
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c) Organisation of emergency parties and drills; fire and safety plans.

Correct use of life-saving appliances and equipment. Organisation
of abandon ship drills
Organisation of emergency parties and drills

Every vessel will have a muster list which is maintained and updated by the master of
the vessel. The muster list must show the duties to be carried out by each member of
the ship’s complement in an emergency. Such duties include the preparation, swinging
out or deploying of survival craft and other life-saving appliances, the closing of
watertight and fire doors, and all other openings such as skylights, portholes and side
scuttles and any openings in the hull. Duties in connection with fire-fighting, the use of
communication equipment and the equipping of survival craft must also be shown.
The general emergency signal plus other signals used on that vessel must also be
present on the list in the crew emergency instruction and passenger emergency
instructions as appropriate.
Fire drills and abandon ship drills should be held at least once a month. After a fire drill
an abandon ship drill should be held which proceeds at least to the first stage, which
involves a muster at designated muster station and survival craft. Other drills involving,
tank rescue, collision, flooding etc. may be held instead of a fire drill as long as the
requirement of one fire drill a month is met.
Fire and Safety Plans

The fire and safety plans contain an overhead plan view of each deck detailing the
layout of rooms and hallways and indicates where fire resistant bulkheads, ventilation
dampers and fire detectors are located. Information about the location of fire
extinguishers, hydrants and other fire fighting equipment throughout the vessel is also
included.
There are copies of the fire plan available on the bridge, engine control room and
public areas and also in two weathertight containers fitted either side of the
accommodation. These external copies are for the use of shore side fire fighting
assistance.
Correct use of life-saving appliances and equipment

It is important for each crew member to be instructed on the correct use and location
of all life-saving equipment. This can include the donning procedure for life jackets and
immersion suits, which should be practiced until crew member is competent in their
use. It is important to become familiar with the equipment on your vessel as different
models/brands will have different features.
The correct launching procedure and use of lifeboats and liferafts should be covered as
part of the onboard training and the familiarisation with these appliances can be done
during the abandon ship drills.
Organisation of abandon ship drills

As previously mentioned it is required that an abandon ship muster is held after each
fire drill. The drills can periodically be extended to include the boarding of lifeboats
while in the stowed position to practice the quick boarding procedure and letting crew
members become familiar with the use and location of equipment that is found on
Page 59 of 73
board. The engine should be test run in the ahead and astern direction when safe to do
so.
When a drill is held in port, the offside lifeboat should be launched and tested for
correct operation in the water. Each lifeboat found onboard should be launched at
least every three months.
Page 60 of 73
11. Emergency Response

In all of the following emergency situations the quick response of the EOOW can
prevent small problems becoming much more serious ones.
In addition the EOOW should think of the engine room holistically. That means to keep
in mind the whole operation of the ship and not to focus on only the emergency
situation.
For example if the ship is required to slow down, the Exhaust gas boiler will produce
less steam and the main boiler will be required to start. The EOOW should check it is in
automatic operation and functioning correctly. If a shaft generator is fitted and ship
slows down or stops an auxiliary generator should be started otherwise a blackout may
occur.
Crankcase Explosion
Initial Response to Oil Mist Detection Alarm
Raise alarm
Inform Bridge and request immediate slowdown. Request to stop ASAP if it is
navigationally safe
Report to C/E
Maintain LO pumps circulation for cooling. On medium speed engines, ensure pre-
lubricating pump is running when engine shuts down.
Stop fuel pumps
Stop auxiliary blowers
Vacate the E/R
Allow 20 – 30 minutes before re-entering
If main shaft is gearbox driven, immediately decouple engine with clutch then
shutdown.
If vessel is diesel electric, reduce propulsion RPM (reduce electrical load) and
immediately shutdown affected engine.
If a crankcase explosion does occur immediately shutdown engine, activate water mist
fire suppression, activate quick closing valves and continue normal fire response for
engine room fire.
Procedure to follow after re-entering engine room
Stop main L.O. pumps and open the c/case doors with caution. Perhaps have a charged
fire hose ready.
Inspect ALL bearings and running surfaces for any hot spots, including the thrust
bearing
Inspect the bottom of the crankcase for any signs of bearing metal
If evidence of overheating is found the affected bearing must be opened up for
inspection
If the cause of the oil mist cannot be found it may due to a fault with the oil mist
detector, but this should not be an automatic assumption. Other causes may be:
Page 61 of 73
 stuffing box blowby

 excessive water in the L.O
Start the main L.O. pump and turn the engine with the turning gear – check oil is
flowing from all the bearings and gear
Close the crankcase doors
Start the engine
Stop the engine after running at slow speed for 15 minutes
Check all the bearings as before
Repeat after running for 15 minutes at full load
Exhaust Gas Boiler Fires
Raise alarm
Inform Bridge
Report to C/E
Inform Bridge and request immediate slowdown
Ensure EGB circulation pump is running
Monitor exhaust temperatures and funnel smoke to determine if fire may extinguish
itself
If fire persists, stop engine

Cover T/C air intakes – to starve the fire of oxygen
Do not use soot blowers for fire fighting – this could fan the fire
Some EGB have drencher systems fitted which can be utilised
In case of high temperature fire, the EGB tubes could melt causing rapid loss of boiler
water indicated by low level alarm in boiler or hotwell. Stop EGB water circulation and
close the valves.
Carry out boundary cooling until fire is extinguished
Small Scavenge Fires
Raise alarm
Inform Bridge
Report to C/E
Reduce engine speed to slow or dead slow
Lift the fuel pump of the effected unit(s)
Increase cylinder lubrication; this may add a little fuel to fire but also lubricates liner
preventing seizure and engine immobilisation
Keep scavenge drains closed
Monitor exhaust and scavenge temperatures and let the fire burn itself out
Once the fire appears to be out, engine revs can be increased cautiously
Continue to monitor for any signs of re-ignition
If the fire repeatedly re-ignites after it has been extinguished it may be necessary to
open up the scavenge spaces for inspection after allowing the engine to cool down.
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Large Scavenge Fires
Indications
High scavenge air temps in several units
Surging of T/C
Smoke in the E/R
Smoke from the scavenge drains
Black smoke and sparks from the funnel
Paint blisters on the scavenge doors
Actions
Stop the engine
Engage turning gear and keep turning engine to avoid seizure
Maintain crankcase lubrication
Shut down the auxiliary blowers and cover the turbochargers with a plastic sheet
Extinguish the fire with a smothering system, if fitted. If this system has not been
fitted, the scavenge trunking should be boundary cooled until the fire has died out.
This will prevent heat distortion
Once the fire is out and the scavenge manifold cooled down, the scavenge spaces
should be opened for inspection and cleaning.
E/R Blackout
If a blackout occurs for any reason the ship’s staff should be familiar with the
procedure for re-establishing electrical power. The main cause of blackout is usually
overloading, due to starting another machine when there is insufficient spare capacity
to accommodate it. It can also be caused generator engine failure including mechanical
breakdown, oil mist detector trip and poor fuel supply.
Dirty fuel filters occur in bad weather when sediment in fuel tank becomes stirred up.
An indication of this is a fluctuation in busbar frequency and, if this occurs, the engine
should be checked to ensure exhaust temperatures and RPM are steady.
Once the main power has been lost the emergency generator should start up and supply
emergency lighting. If the diesel engine has failed then a standby generator will have
to be started. The reason for the engine failure should then be determined.
If the generator has tripped on overload and the engine is still running, the power
should be restored as quickly as possible as the engine may lose its cooling supply.
The circuit breaker will most probably need to be closed manually and the
synchronising system may have to be switched to bypass. Usually there is a locked
automatic synchronising switch on the front of the switchboard.
Once the power has been restored all the main pumps for the engine should be started
and the engine temperature stabilised for a period, before starting the M/E. Some
pumps may have sequential starting and will start up automatically once power is
restored.
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Modern ships have advanced power management systems which may be able to restore
the ship completely with no human intervention. In this case the EOOW should monitor
the process and ensure everything happens correctly and in sequence. Then investigate
the cause of the blackout.
Measures in case of Electric Shock
Do not touch the victim

Inform the bridge of the situation and request assistance
Isolate the electrical supply, if this can be done rapidly. If not then try to remove the
victim by pulling them clear with a jacket or a length of wood or rope – do not touch
the victim directly
Once victim is clear, check they are breathing and carry out artificial respiration if
necessary. Continue until assistance arrives
Seek medical attention as appropriate
Mechanical Breakdown
Any significant fault with the main propulsion engines or other essential equipment
should be communicated to the Chief engineer and the bridge.
Take appropriate actions to minimise the damage which can include slowing down or
stopping the main engines, starting standby equipment etc.
Flooding Response – Initial actions
After receiving a high-level bilge alarm, inform bridge you are entering to investigate
flooding further and enter the engine room using dead man alarm system.
Once flooding has been confirmed, inform the bridge and the Chief Engineer.
Make efforts to minimize bilge ingress by shutting down systems or isolating if possible.
If flooding is uncontrolled you can make decision to operate emergency bilge discharge
systems.
Once support arrives inform Chief engineer of situation and actions taken.
Grounding
If vessel is suspected of having touched bottom or has run aground, the main propulsion
should be stopped.
Inform the bridge and chief engineer.
Close the water tight doors.
Inspect the engine room bilges to see if any flooding is occurring. Or if any significant
damage has occurred. Check that the SW pumps are still operating correctly; if
pressures are low perhaps the SW inlet filters have become blocked.
Working in partnership with the bridge engage the engine in reverse and use the
steering gear to try and get vessel free.
Take soundings of all the tanks to check the contents are the same as last recorded
entry in logs. Changed contents could indicate a damaged tank and possible
environmental pollution.
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Collision
In the event of collision, have the bridge shut down or reverse the propulsion as
required.
Close all watertight doors and inspect the engine room for signs of flooding.
Observe the actual area of collision for damage. Look for any signs of environmental
pollution. Take soundings of all tanks and compare readings with last known entry in
log.
Keep a close eye on all running equipment for abnormal noises or vibration that could
indicate misalignment or damage.
Fire Response – small fire
For a small fire, such as bilge fire or collection of ignited rags

Sound the fire alarm. Phone the bridge to inform them of the exact location of the fire.
Attack the fire with an appropriate fire extinguisher or use other appropriate methods
in an attempt extinguish the fire.
Make efforts to isolate machinery that may be providing fuel to the fire.
Fire Response – large fire

1. The general response for finding any fire should be as follows. Your ships Safety
Management System will outline how your crew will respond to an emergency.
2. Raise the alarm, by manually activating a local call point. Shout ‘FIRE’ to alert
personnel near your location.
3. Phone the bridge to alert them to the exact location of the fire.
4. If the fire is in its early stages it may be possible to attack the fire with an
appropriate extinguisher.
5. If available locally activate the water mist extinguishing system.
6. If not successful in extinguishing the fire on the first attempt, evacuate the area
and isolate the fire using fire screen doors and shut down/ isolate affected and
maybe nearby equipment.
7. Use Quick closing valves, shut down ventilation and use ventilation dampers as
appropriate. Isolate electrical panels in the compartment from the main
switchboard.
8. If safe to do so, run out nearby fire hoses in preparation for fire party arrivals
and boundary cool.
9. Brief the On-Scene Commander/Chief on the fire situation when they arrive.
Page 65 of 73
Going for CO2 Extinguishing

1. Inform the wheel house of the serious nature of the fire. The Chief Engineer
should take the decision in consent with the Master to flood the engine room
with 𝐶𝑂2 to extinguish the fire.
2. The Emergency generator should be started as 𝐶𝑂2 flooding requires all
engine room machinery, including the auxiliary generator to be stopped.
3. Reduce ship speed and stop the main engine at a safe location. The Master
should inform the nearest coastal authority if the ship is in a coastal zone.
4. Open the cabinet of the 𝐶𝑂2 operating system in the fire station with the
“Key” provided nearby in the glass case. This will give an audible 𝐶𝑂2 Alarm
in the engine room.
5. Some systems and machinery including engine room blowers and fans etc. will
trip with opening of 𝐶𝑂2 cabinet. Check all these have tripped.
6. Ensure there is no one left inside the engine room by repeating a head count.
7. Operate all remote closing switches for quick closing valves, funnel flaps, fire
flaps, engine room pumps and machinery, water tight doors etc.
8. The air condition unit for the ECR should be stopped.
9. Close all the entrance doors to the engine room to make sure it is air tight.
10. Operate the Control and Master valve in the 𝐶𝑂2 cabinet. This will sound
another alarm and after a 60-90 second time delay the 𝐶𝑂2 will be released.
The time is variable for each ship, become familiar with each vessels system.
11. If there is a need to enter the engine room, SCBA sets and life lines should be
used. Safety of personnel should be of the highest priority during such
incidents.
12. Maintain boundary cooling of machinery space and monitor the situation
inside however possible. Laser temp probes, CCTV cameras, frequency of
boundary cooling etc.
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12. Ship Construction

Use these sketches to refer to the following pages of ship construction definitions
Page 70 of 73
Page 71 of 73
Terminology and definitions
Fore Perpendicular (FP) : Where the design/load waterline meets the forward side of
the stem.
Aft Perpendicular (AP): Where the design/load waterline meets the sternpost or the
centreline of the rudder stock.
Length between perpendiculars (LBP) is the nominal length used for calculations.
Length overall (LOA) includes overhangs, fenders and fittings.
Midships line is a vertical line halfway between the AP and the FP - LBP/2
Bilge: If there is no hard edge between bottom and side, but a smooth, curved
transition, this is called the bilge. If it is an arc section, it has a bilge radius.
Breadth: ‘moulded’ dimensions are measured to the inside of the hull. ‘Moulded
breadth’ is to the inside of the hull plating. ‘Extreme breadth’ is measured over
fenders and projections.
Camber: The camber is the side-to-side curvature of the deck, measured as the
difference between deck height at side and centre. It sheds water and improves
strength.
Centreline: The centreline runs down the centre of the ship, dividing port from
starboard.
Deck: The deck is the floor of any area of the ship including weatherdeck,
superstructure or engine room. It can also refer to the general area of one level of the
ship i.e. “your cabin is located on deck C”.
Deckhead: The deckhead is the ceiling of any area of the ship including weatherdeck,
superstructure or engine room. Generally speaking the deckhead will be the underside
of the deck above but will have cables and pipes attached underneath.
Depth: The depth of the ship is measured from the keel to the deck.
Draft is vessel depth in water measured from the keel to the waterline.
Draft marks are painted marks on the vessel side indicating the depth of the keel from
the waterline.
Even keel refers to how the vessel is sitting in the water horizontally at its designated
waterline.
Freeboard is the height of vessel measured from the waterline to the deck.
Keel: The keel is the centreline on the bottom of the ship.
Load line marks and certification: Every ship has ‘Load Line Marks’ to show the
minimum freeboard. This is to prevent the ship being overloaded. They show the
freeboard in salt and fresh water and various situations.
Longitudinal or fore -and -aft means measuring along the length.
Midships refers to the centreline of the body plan of a ship
Rise of floor: If the hull bottom slopes upwards in a V shape, this is called the rise of
floor.
Sheer: Normally, the bow and stern will be higher than the deck at the midpoint.
Usually the bow is around twice as high as the stern. This is the sheer and it may be a
curve, or a series of steps.
Stern: The stern is a general term for the aft end of a ship
Transverse or athwartships means measuring across the breadth.
If the vessel is trimmed by the head, the vessels bow will be deeper in the water than
the stern.
If the vessel is trimmed by the stern, the aft end of the vessel will be sitting lower in
the water than the bow.
Page 72 of 73
The water line is apparent line of the hull as it meets the water surface.
Deadweight is the total mass of cargo, supplies, fuel, fresh water, ballast, personnel
etc. that the ship is carrying.
Displacement: Lightship + Deadweight = Displacement (the total operating mass of the
ship)
Lightweight: ‘Lightship’ or ‘lightweight’ is the mass of the empty ship with no
deadweight. The hull and all permanent fittings such as engines, galley equipment,
wall panels, beds and other furniture are included.
Gross tonnage is the capacity of a merchant vessel, expressed in units of volume, as
gross tons.
Gross register tonnage uses the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel as
its basis for volume expressed in "register tons", each of which is equal to 100 cubic
feet (2.83 m3).
A-bracket is a support for the propeller shaft running outboard of a vessel, attached to
the hull at two points.
P-bracket is a support for the propeller shaft running outboard of a vessel, attached to
the hull at only one point, in line with the shaft.
A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front) of a ship just below the
waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag
and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability.
Flare: If the hull has flare, it leans out from the sides when looked at from ahead. The
whole hull may be flared, or (more commonly) just the bow.
Stringer refers to a stiffening plate used for adding strength to the hull.
Panting stringers are used in the forward end of the ship to stiffen the panting beams
connected to the hull plating.
Propeller is the rotating blade assembly located at the aft end. As it turns it creates
thrust to drive the ship.
Rudder is the blade situated aft of the propeller that is turned on its axis and controls
the direction of the vessel underway.
Transom refers to the flattened aft end of the vessel.
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Watchkeeping Guidance

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Watchkeeping Guidance

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Engineer Officer of

Watchkeeping Practices & Guidance

Faculty of Nautical Studies

Faculty of Nautical Studies (Senior Marine Engineering) © 2018

5. Bunkering and Fuel Transfer .................................................. 26

Gyroscopic Stabiliser ____________________________________________________ 46

E/R Blackout ..................................................................................... 63

(M) for merchant ship

What Marine Shipping Notices, MSNs, are about

What Marine Guidance Notices, MGNs, are about

What Marine Information Notices, MINs are about

Risk assessment & assessment procedures

Examples of risk assessments

c) Basic working knowledge of the International Safety Management

 A safety and environment protection policy·

Every company should establish procedures to identify, describe and respond to

Safety Management Certificate

The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping

training requirements to become a certified engineer officer of the watch is contained

i. Regulations (STCW ’78 as amended)

ii. Taking over a watch

iii. Routine watchkeeping duties and responsibilities

iv. Keeping of the log and other records

v. Changeover of systems from remote / automatic to local control and

Unmanned Machinery Space - UMS

Engine room alarm under UMS conditions

vi. Handing Over a Watch

Basic Voyage Planning

There are three types of maintenance commonly done on board ship.

Condition based monitoring uses historical data to analyse the performance of a

b) Written and computer-based record systems

a) MARPOL and annexes

Annex III Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged

Annex IV Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships (entered into force 27

Annex V Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (entered into force 31

a) Construction and operation of oil-water separators and discharge monitors

IN ADDITION if operating in a special area system must be fitted with an automatic

The construction and operation of oily water

The outlet of a separator will be continuously

b) Sewage pollution prevention including regulations (MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV)

c) Garbage pollution prevention.(MARPOL 73/78 Annex V)

d) Atmospheric pollution (MARPOL 73/78 Annex VI and ECA – Emission Control

e) Pollution by refrigerants (Montreal Protocol and F-Gas Regulations)

f) Ballast Water Management

5. Bunkering and Fuel Transfer

i. The Bunkering Plan

The bunkering plan basically consists of the following:

The Bunker Checklist

3. There is to be no smoking, naked flames or any other source of heat permitted

iii. Monitoring fuel quality and contamination

iv. Transfer stability and free surface

vi. Record keeping and Oil Record Book entries

Aerobic Biological Sewage Treatment Plants

Continuous sewage plant

A zero discharge system.

Advantages of Zero Discharge Systems

ii. Difference between aerobic and anaerobic

iii. Environmental impact of untreated sewage

The other aspect of treatment is sterilisation. Normally the effluent of a sewage

iv. Dangers associated with the operation of sewage treatment

Refrigeration is used for many different applications at sea.

1. Accommodation Air Conditioning

Fig 1. Vapor_Compression_Cycle.png by WGisol - (CC BY-SA 4.0)