20 Points Engineers Onboard Ship Should

Consider While Planning For a Long Voyage

Facebook
6538
Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest

September 15, 2014 by Anish 1 Comment

If a ship is scheduled for a long voyage, the deck and engine room departments need to properly
plan their duties for maintenance and operation of the ship. As a responsible personnel of the
ships engine room, the engineer has to meticulously plan his duties (especially if he is a chief
engineer) before the long voyage starts. The planning of inspections, checks, maintenance of the
ships engine room needs to be done properly, considering the Planned Maintenance System
(PMS) and associated areas under the ISM code.
Mentioned below are 20 important points that needs to be considered by the ships engineer
before the start of the voyage:

1. Sound the Tanks : All important tanks such as fuel oil, diesel oil, gas oil, lube oil etc. should
be properly sounded to confirm that the actual figures match with the log book figures.
Soundings should be properly taken and noted down.
Read: 3 Important Calculations Every Marine Engineer Should Know
2. Plan for Expected Bunkers: Proper planning needs to be done by discussing with other
engineers on bunkers that have been scheduled during the voyage. All safety precautions should
be taken for carrying out bunkering at the sea.
Read: 15 Practical Tips For Bunkering
3. Check Voyage Plan for Expected Emission Control Areas (ECA): Check the voyage plan
to know what emission control areas the ship will be entering. If the ship is going to pass through
one, prepare for a Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (LSFO) tank or ensure exhaust gas scrubber and similar
machinery arrangement are working fine.
Read : 10 Technologies For Reducing NOx and SOx from Ships

Fuel Oil Change Over Procedure For Ships Main and Auxiliary Engines
4. Ensure Voyage Requirements: Check all engine room voyage requirements are on board
before the ship leaves the port. Engineer should also find out about the consumption patterns of
all important things and provide special instructions to the concern people regarding the same.
Also study the vessels sailing program and plan the voyage accordingly.
5. Check Handling Over Report: Read the handing over notes of previous engineer thoroughly
and give extra attention to the remarks and systems that have been recently repaired or
considered troublesome.
Read: How to Write An Handing Over Report?
6. Check Oil Record Book: Oil record book needs to be thoroughly checked. Also ensure that
all pages are signed by the chief engineer and master.
7. Check for Overdue Certificates and Surveys: In case the engine room is schedules for
overdue certification and surveys, make sure that the planning that is to be carried out properly
includes them.
8. Check Main And Auxiliary Machinery: The status and condition of the main engine and
auxiliary machinery should be assessed and all scheduled maintenance jobs to be carried out are
properly noted.

Learn correct procedures for starting and stopping engine room machinery and
systems without marine any error. Get the complete step-by-step checklist. Click here to know
more about the eBook.
9. Record of Running Hours: Since machinery maintenance is on the basis of running hours
and time based, ensure that the record of running hours is properly collected and checked.
10. Check For Spares: Check whether engine room inventory is updated and minimum number
of of spares are available on board at all times for carrying out maintenance as per PMS. If
required number of spares are not enough, then indent should be raised at the earliest for the
same.
11. Check For Stores: The ship should have all necessary stock of stores on board. Inventory
should be updated and requisition should be raised as soon as possible when required.

12. Check For Pollution Prevention Equipment: Pollution prevention equipment such as Oily
Water Separator (OWS), Sewage Plant, Incinerator and associated pumping systems are in order
and working fine.
13. Check Special Areas And Sewage Discharge Laws: Check special areas which will be
crossed during the voyage and ensure all engine room personnel know the MARPOL regulations.
Also know all local regulations for sewage discharge for coastal waters in the up-coming voyage
including next port of call and inform the engine room personnel about the same.

14. Plan Sludge And Waste Discharge: Calculate the estimated sludge and bilge production
that will be generated during voyage and plan for sludge discharge in the next port of call
accordingly.
15. Secure All Heavy Articles in the Engine Room: The ship may encounter heavy weather
and its always easy to secure heavy weights when ship is at port using cranes or other
equipment.
16. Prepare for Port State Control: All necessary preparations for the port state control should
be carried out well in advance. Every ship has to go through port state control surveys and the

crew should ensure that all common deficiencies that are checked are taken care of. All the
previous records should also be checked and studied.
Read : 10 Things PSC Inspector Can Check In The Engine Room

A Step-By-Step Guide to Overhauling Generators on Ships is a digital book

which explains the Generator DCarb Procedure in a practical way. From planning to running-in
and inspection, the guide provides a detailed explanation of all the aspects involved in major
overhauling of generators on ships. Click here to know more about the eBook.
17. Check Files and Maintenance Records: Ensure that all important and official files related
to the machinery and ship operations are properly labeled and indexed. Maintenance records of
jobs carried out by the ships staff/ workshops should also be checked and filed properly.
Records of CSM (Continuous survey of machinery), equipment certificates and makers
certificates are also important and should be checked for order and validity. In case there is any
deficiency, it should be reported to the superintendent and necessary changes should be made at
the earliest.
Also, check that all the maintenance carried out during each month is properly entered in the log
abstract and forwarded to the concerned superintendent every month. Renewal of major
components, breakdown repair, detection of any cracks, other defects should also be highlighted
in the abstract. Ensure that all important documents that are checked in port state control (PSC)
are properly checked and easily accessible on board.
Read : 10 Ways To Know Engine Room Machinery Better
18. Ensure Drawings and Manuals Are Present: All necessary drawings and instruction books
needed for reference should be present on board, properly secured and indexed. All necessary
amendments should be made to the drawings and instruction books in case of any structural
change, modifications, renewal, retrofit or decommissioning of any equipment. This changes
should be done with permission of the superintendent or other concerned authority.
19. Test Alarms and Safety Devices: In order to ensure proper operation of the safety
equipment and alarms, engineers should randomly test them at regular intervals of time. Audiovisual alarms/cut-outs and auto starting of equipment, should be tested, wherever possible.
Simulation test such as Lube oil pressure, low cool water pressure, cut-outs, boiler water low
alarm and low-low water cut-out should also be checked regularly. Alarm devices should not be

bypassed under normal running conditions; but if bypassed due to some reason, all concerned
personnel should be informed about the same.
20. Ensure Engine Room Crew is Familiar With All Operations Ensure that all engineer
officers are familiar with PMS operations of all machinery and systems, operations of all safety
equipment, and safety and environmental protection policy of the company.
Read: 10 Important Safety Drills And Procedures For Engine Room
A thorough planning of ships maintenance and operational procedures require several important
aspects to be taken into consideration in the ships engine room. The above mentioned points is
not an exhaustive list but provides a general overview of the most common points that must be
taken into account.
Over to you..
Do you know any other important point that must be added to this list?
Lets know in the comments below.