WATCH KEEPING - Taking Over Watch In Port (Engine)

1:09:00 PM At shore , Trainings 0 Comments

Taking Over a Watch

The relieving watch keeper should start at least 15 minutes before the start of watch.

Start from outside the accommodation and check the following before entering engine room:

• Cargo Gear
• Funnel
• Steering Gear
• Mooring winches

Deck Machinery

• Check Mooring winches and windlass:
• Oil Levels
• Amperage
• Any leakage
• Any abnormal Sound while being used

Bow thruster room

• Oil level in the header tank
• Bilge level
• Any leakages – Water, Hydraulic oil

Deck Machinery

• Check Hatch Cover Operating System:
• Oil Levels
• Amperage
• Any leakage
• Oil temperature
• Check Hatch Covers:
• Condition of rollers
• Cleats
• Securing pins

Steering Gear

• Oil Levels
• Greasing points
• Any leakage

Machinery situated outside engine room

• A.C Blowers
• Emergency generator
• Battery room
• Domestic Fridge

Funnel 

• Check the colour of the exhaust.
• A transparent , slightly Grey smoke means good combustion
• Whitish smoke  - excess air
• Blackish smoke – poor combustion due to fuel problems
• Slightly bluish smoke indicates lube oil carry over
• Identify the source – check which exhaust pipe it is coming from – Generator or Boiler.
• Some black smoke may emerge initially while starting the generator or boiler.
• Emission of black Smoke is not permitted in ports.

Engine Room 

• Enter the engine room and go up the funnel casing.
• Feel the Boiler safety valve vent pipe.
• If the pipe is warm, it means the safety valve is leaking
• Walking down form the funnel, check:
• Expansion tanks levels
• Ventilation Blowers.
• Engine room Overhead Crane.
• Check Fuel Tanks
• Operate the self closing drain valves on the HFO settling and service tanks
• Check the tank levels
• Heating steam
• Waste oil, Overflow, sludge tank soundings.

Lube Oil system

• L.O purifier
• L.O sludge tank sounding.

Boiler 

• Check the operation of the boiler control systems:
• Combustion Control
• Water level control
• Blow through Gauge glass.
• Check leakages of steam, feed water
• Check flame size, colour through observation window.
• Check forced draught fan, burner motor
• Hot well water level
• Any oil in hot well steam return tank.

Generators

• Check and note how many generators are running.
• Check each unit exhaust and cooling water temperatures
• Check sump sounding.
• Check lube oil pressure and temperatures.
• Feel each crank case door for temperature rise.
• Check fuel pumps and high pressure pipes.
• Check rocker arm lube oil.
• Check lube oil filter pressure difference.
• Check fuel oil filter pressure.
• Check turbocharger oil level and flow..
• Check pedestal bearing temperature, oil level and flow.
• Check oil level in governor.

Air Compressors

• Check crank case oil level.
• Check suction, discharge and oil pressures.
• Check cooling water temperature.
• Check un-loader and drains.
• Check for any abnormal noise from the valves.
• Check lubricator and oil level.
• Check pressure in main and standby air bottles.
• Drain condensate from the air bottles.
• Check control air bottle, drain condensate.
• Check dryer.

Others

• Check Main engine crank case oil level.
• Check Bilge levels.
• Check Bilge holding tank sounding.
• Check Stern tube header tank level.
• Check that main engine is on preheat.
• Maintain Jacket water temperature.
• Any ongoing activities – fuel oil transfer, ballasting etc.
• Details of work being carried out in engine room.

Remember that the watch keeping engineer’s priority should always be on the running machinery parameters. Maintenance work carried out during the watch is always secondary.