Marine Engineering

1. A new chapter management for the safe operation of ships was added to SOLAS and the amendments introducing the new chapter IX entered into force on 1st July 1998. The chapter made mandatory the International Safety Management Code which established the following objectives: to provide for safe practices in ship operation and a safe working  environment to establish safeguards against all identified risks to continuously improve safety management skills of personnel, including preparing for emergencies 2. Critical equipment/system is that, the sudden failure of which may result in a hazardous situation. These are the equipments, whose failure can cause an accident or result in a hazardous situation, thereby causing injury to personnel or loss of life or damage to the marine environment or property. 3. As per, Element 10.3 of the ISM code, It is the responsibility of the company to establish procedures in the Safety Management System to identity such systems and/o...

In spite of taking all safety measures and following all correct procedures, sometimes unfortunate incidents do occur onboard a ship. These result in personal injuries and machinery damage. After every incident, investigations take place and insurance claims are raised. The insurance underwriters appoint damage surveyors who come on board and do their investigation. In the process of doing it, they ask for all the relevant documents. Suppose a main engine crankcase explosion has taken place on your ship in which the main engine was badly damaged and two engine room personnel suffered serious injuries. Now, you will have to present your vessel for subsequent inspections by P&I and H&M insurance companies. We will see step by step what all should be done after the incidence:- a. Take care of persons injured:- Since persons are seriously injured, give them first aid and ask for medical advice from a rescue center. Give the information to the owner and charterer and s...

In the M.S. Act 1958 of India as amended the meaning of unseaworthy ship and unsafe ship is as follows:- Under section 334 a ship is said to be unseaworthy "when the materials of which she is made, her construction, the qualification of the master, the number, description, and qualification of the crew including officers, the weight, description, and stowage of the cargo and ballast, the condition of her hull and equipment, boilers and machinery are not such as to render her in every respect fit for the proposed voyage or service." Under section 336, an unsafe ship may be defined an unsafe ship, that is to say, is by reason of the defective condition of her hull, equipment or machinery, or by reason of overloading or improper loading, unfit to proceed to sea without serious danger to human life, having regard to the nature of service for which she is intended. Now we will discuss the difference of unseaworthy ship and unsafe ship in detail.  First, we will see t...

Annual Survey :- The purpose of the annual survey is to do the general inspection of items related to a particular certificate to ensure that they have been maintained and remain satisfactory for service for which the ship is intended Annual surveys are to be carried out within a window from three months before to three months after each anniversary date. It is carried out by a class surveyor. At the time of annual surveys, the ship is generally examined. The survey includes an inspection of the hull, equipment, and machinery of the ship and some witnessing of tests, so far as is necessary and practical in order to verify that, in the opinion of the attending surveyor(s) the ship is in a general condition which satisfies the Rule requirements. Intermediate Survey :- Intermediate survey is a survey including visual examinations, measurements, and testing as applicable, of the hull and equipment, machinery and systems, in order to confirm that the ship complies with th...

An insurance policy is a contract. The insured is referred as first party to the contract. The insurer i.e. the insurance company is who issues the contract is the second party. A stranger to the contract who makes a claim against the insured is known as third party. Third party liabilities: It is obligation to compensate another person harmed or injured or suffered a loss due to negligence or mistake or wrongful act of first party. Third-party liabilities are those liabilities which are caused to any other persons or his property not included in any contract. Contract takes place between two parties hence any third person not a member of this contract is a third party or person. When the insured – first party causes a loss then the second party assumes the insured liability up to the policy limit. Examples of third party liabilities are collision, third party injury or death claim, oil pollution liability, cargo claim, crew claim, unrecoverable general average contribution...

Surface cracks have been noticed on one of the propeller blades:- As soon as a crack has been observed on the propeller blade, the head  office as well as the Classification Society must be notified. The services of a  propeller expert would also be needed in certain cases. Cracks on a propeller surface may be due to:- Physical damage Faults during casting  Physical Damage:- These types of cracks generally occur on the tips and  the leading edge of the propeller. Pitting may occur near the tips on the driving  face and on the whole of the fore side due to cavitation. Propeller blades are  sometimes damaged by floating debris which is drawn into the propeller stream. Such damage must be made good as it reduces the propeller efficiency, while the  performance is improved by polishing the blade surface. If a built propeller is  fitted, it is necessary to ensure that the blades are tight and the pitch should be  checked at the same...

Drydocking is one of the most important activities that a vessel may come across. Hence good planning and coordination will be vital towards successful completion of dry dock. The dry docking is governed by various factors:- 1) Classification society requirement 2) Statutory requirement 3) Condition of vessel So for a successful dry dock, there should be a good co-ordination between master and chief engineer so that all the works are completed at a time without any casualty. As a chief engineer following are the exchange of information which will be necessary with the master:- Class, survey and statutory requirement Scope of work in dry dock categorizing especially time required, shore gang required, work that is to be done by engine room and dock staff. ROB of bunkers and L.O. to be shared by the master Any requirement for pumping of black water, oil sludge to reception facilities  and its arrangement. Spare requirements as to what all spares have arrived and what ...