INSTRUCTIONS FOR OVERFLOW PREVENTION ON CHEMICAL TANKERS-  CAPT AJIT VADAKAYIL

1)ON XXXX ANY OVERFLOW / POLLUTION IS DEEMED AS PERSONNEL ERROR.  NO EXCUSE HOLDS WATER WITH CAPT VADAKAYIL. THIS IS ONE CAPTAIN AT WHOM YOU CANT THROW SILLY EXCUSES LIKE AIR LOCK.

2)AN OIL TANKER MAN IS A MISFIT ON A CHEMICAL TANKER AS FLUID MECHANICS PRINCIPLES DIFFER. ON AN OIL TANKER YOU PREVENT OVERFLOW BY OPENING ANOTHER EMPTY TANK VALVE.  HERE YOU SHUT THE  FULL TANK VALVE.  FOR ON OIL TANKERS THE TANKS ARE CONNECTED AT THE BOTTOM WHILE ON CHEMICAL TANKERS THE LINES ARE CONNECTED ON TOP.

3)SO ON A ULCC IF THE LOADING RATE IS 20000 TOMS PER HOUR IT DOES NOT MEAN YOU WILL NEED TO TOP UP ANY TANK AT THIS FANTASTIC RATE. YOU REDUCE THE SHIPS TANK LOADING RATE TO SUIT YOUR OWN STANDARD OF COMFORT BY BLEEDING OFF TO ANOTHER TANK . THIS COULD BE EVEN NEGATIVE RATE IN CASE YOU WANT TO BUY TIME DUE TO SOME UNFORSEEN EMERGENCY ( LIKE NATURE’S CALL )

4) ON CHEMICAL TANKERS YOU CANNOT BUY A NEGATIVE RATE. THIS MEANS YOU MUST BE LOADING THE NEXT TANK WELL BEFORE YOU SHUT A TOPPED UP TANK.

5)THE LAST TANK MUST BE TOPPED UP BY REDUCING THE SHORE LOADING RATE. AND NEVER TRY TO LOAD LAST TANK TO MORE THAN 95 PERCENT.

6)ORDERS ON WALKIE TALKIE MUST BE SHORT AND CRISP LIKE BRIDGE HELM ORDERS. YOU DON’T GIVE A STRING OF HELM AND TELEGRAPH ORDERS ON THE BRIDGE , RIGHT?

7)KEEP SPARE WALKIE TALKIE BATTERIES AT STRATEGIC PLACES.

8)REMEMBER PV VENT IS ALSO PART OF LOADING SYSTEM. VENTS CAN GET FROZEN ESPECIALLY WITH HIGH MP CARGO VAPOUR.

9)KEEP STEAM HOSES READY FOR HIGH MELTING POINT CARGOES IN PIPELINES.  HOT WATER AT 96 DEG C ON WRAPPED HESSIAN IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN STEAM, WHICH IS TOO LOCAL

10)NEVER ALLOW STATIC HIGH MP CARGO INSIDE COLD PIPELINES. DON’T TRY TO FIGHT GRAVITY WHEN BLOWING THROUGH. THE AIR ALWAYS FINDS THE HIGHEST POINT AND WILL SKIM ON TOP OF CARGO. THINK INTELLIGENTLY. THE PIPELINES ARE 3D. LIQUIDS ALWAYS FIND LOWEST LEVEL.

11) USE SINGLE STATION TO PREVENT OVERFLOW, NO RUNNING FROM ONE TANK TO OTHER. THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN YOU DISCHG INTO LORRIES. SIPHONING EFFECT CONTINUES EVEN IF PUMP IS STOPPED.

12)PACE YOURSELF LIKE A MARATHON RUNNER. FATIGUE IS TOO LAME AN EXCUSE. I HATE TO SEE MY CHIEF OFFICER SLEEPING IN CCR AND HALLUCINATING THAT HE IS “JOAN OF ARC” ----LIKE MUNGERILAL OF DOORDASHAN FAME.

13)LASHING VAVES MUST BE DONE INTELLIGENTLY , NOT LIKE A MORON. YOU NORMALLY LASH VALVES YOU DO NOT WANT ITS STATUS TO BE ALTERED . THIS COULD MEAN A THAT A VALVE IS LASHED OPEN.

14)TOPPING IS DONE BY SHUTTING A SINGLE VALVE.  EXAMPLE--DO NOT HAVE THE PUMP DELIVERY AND DROP BOTH OPEN.

15)EMERGENCY STOP WRITTEN PROCEDURES MUST BE AVAILABLE IN CCR.

16)DURING STILL AIR CONDITIONS THE PV CONE MUST LIFT TO SHOOT GASES SKY HIGH AT GREATER THAN FLAME EXIT VELOCITY.  FOR NON FLAMMABLE, NON TOXIC AND NON BIOACCUMULATIVE CARGOES , YOU CAN LET OUT THE HAS VIA FLAME ARRESTOR FITTED PURGE PIPE OR VACUUM SIDE PV VENT, IF THERE ARE NO STILL AIR CONDITIONS.

17)TRY OUT UTI WELL IN ADVANCE.

18)SHUT ALL DRAINS . HIGHLIGHT DRAIN COCKS.

19)CONSTANT CHIT CHAT OF VHF TO ENSURE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL IS OPEN. THIS WAY EVEN IF A PIRATE IS ENGAGED IN PLAYING RUSSIAN ROULETTE WITH YOUR DECK HAND YOU WILL  SUSPECT SOMETHING IS WRONG. ( THIS IS A TRUE NIGERIAN STORY ).  HAVE AN EXIT CHANNEL KNOWN TO ALL IN CASE SOME MONKEY TRIES TO JAM YOUR CHANNEL WHILE TOPPING UP.  WHEN CHIEF OFFICER  ENTERS A TANK WITH A SURVEYOR  DO NOT USE LOW POWER VHF CHANNELS LIKE 15 OR 17 UNLESS HE HAS TAKEN IT TO DO INTERNAL TANK COMMUNICATIONS!!

20)CONSULT TRIM TABLES FOR TOPPING ULLAGE .

21)DO NOT LOAD ANY TANK GREATER THAN 97 PERCENT UNLESS MASTER APPROVES. THE OVERFLOW ALARM AT 98% IS NOT TO BE ACTIVATED WHILE LOADING.   IF THE LOADING IS DONE BY SCREW PUMPS OR RECIPROCATING PISTON  PUMPS AGAINST WHICH YOU CANNOT SHUT THE SHIP'S VALVE ,  CHIEF OFFICER MUST TAKE THIS IN WRITING AT THE PRE-LOADING MEETING.

22)HIGH MP CARGOES WHICH ARE DANGEROUS TO BLOW LIKE PHENOL AND HMD, USE STEAM TRACING.  PHENOL VAPOUR FALLS AS DEADLY POISON WHITE SNOW FLAKES!!  TWO SQUARE INCHES ON YOUR SKIN AND YOU ARE DEAD.

23)TANKS ALREADY TOPPED UP, MARK ON CCR BOARD. A DUPLICATE BOARD MUST BE AVAILABLE ON DECK IF TOO MANY THINGS ARE HAPPENING.

24)TROOP IN TROOP OUT VIA CCR.  YOU DO NOT NEED AN ALOMETER TO DECLARE A CREW MEMBER INEBRIATED  AND  UNFIT.  IT IS YOUR JUDGEMENT AND YOUR WORD. YOU ARE THE CHIEF /DUTY -OFFICER.

25)MASTER MONITORS ON WALKI E TALKIE.  BASICALLY HE IS NOT GIVING ATTENTION UNLESS HE NOTICES CHANGE OF VOICE TONE IN PANIC. SO DO NOT GO INTO THE SHRILL MODE UNNECESSARILY.  ANYBODY CONSTANTLY DOING THIS WITHOUT REASON   WILL NOT BE A CUSTODIAN OF A WALKIE TALKIE ANY MORE.    CALL A VALVE DUTY HAND BY NAME .

26)DOUBLE CHECK LINES PRIOR CARGO COMMENCEMENT. THIS  MUST BE DONE BY 2 INDEPENDENT SOULS.

27)WHEN CARGO STARTS USE ONLY ONE TANK.  LISTEN TO THE DYNAMIC FLOW AT MANIFOLD . DO NOT LOOK ONLY AT THE PRESSURE GAUGE . PRESSURE GAUGE CAN REGISTER STATIC PRESSURE. (FLOW METER REGISTERS DYNAMIC.)

28)DO NOT LOAD CARGOES LIKE ISOMERATE OF 0.62 SG TO 97 PERCENT. THE COEFFICIENT OF EXP MUST BE CONSIDERED AND THE AMBIENT TEMP ON SEA PASSAGE ENROUTE TO NEXT PORT.

29)IF SHORE SUDDENLY STOPS , DRAIN LINES IMMEDIATELY INTO TANK.  WITH SOME HIGH MP CARGOES AT A FREEZING PORT.   IT IS CHEAPER AND  EASIER TO CUT A PIPELINE AND THROW IT AWAY THAN TO ATTEMPT TO MELT THE CONTENTS . FAILURE TO DO THIS WILL CAUSE VSL TO GO OFFHIRE . FIGURE OUT ALL THIS WELL IN ADVANCE. THIS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHEMICAL MAN AND AN OILMAN.  WE PONDER IN ADVANCE AND NOT AFTER  S#IT  HAS HIT THE FAN.   WE PREVENT AND NOT CURE.   A CHEMICAL MAN WEARS A SAFETY HARNESS NOT A LIFE JACKET WHEN TAKING IN THE GANGWAY.

30)OPEN MANIFOLD VALVE A FEW SECONDS PRIOR START.

31)IF RAIN WATER ACCUMULATION ON DECK IS OILY EITHER SIPHON IT OFF OR DRAIN IT INTO THE DRAIN TANK.

32)BALLAST 2 OFFSET ULLAGE TANKS. THAT WAY YOU DO NOT HAVE TANK RUPTURE IF FIRST ONE OVERFLOWS.

33) ALL CREW MEMBERS MUST BE FAMILIAR WITH FRAMO EMERGENCY STOP BUTTON.

34)REMEMBER MANIFOLD TRAY VOLUME IS CALCULATED ON EVEN KEEL, NOT ON WEDGE FORMULA AT THE CURRENT STERN TRIM.

35)  WHEN DISCHARGING HIGH MELTING POINT CARGOES IN FREEZING WEATHER, BE AWARE THAT PIPELINE INNER DIAMETERS COULD VARY DUE TO FREEZING OF CARGO, AND THIS AFFECTS THE FLOW RATE. SUDDEN DISLODGING OF SAY A CHUNK OF PALM OIL STEARIC ACID, COULD BLOCK A PIPELINE BEND .   PRIOR DISCHARGE RUN DOWN ALL TANKS BELOW 93% AND THEN PUT THE HIGH LEVEL (95%) AND OVERFLOW ( 98%) ALARMS ON.  

 THIS OPERATION MUST BE DONE BY CHIEF OFFICER. MAKE SURE THE TRIM IS NOT TOO HIGH WHEN YOU DO THIS.  CHEMICAL TANKER TANKS ARE MORE IN NUMBER AND SOME ARE SMALL, WITH LESSER CAPACITY PUMPS, WITH ONLY ONE VENT USUALLY RIGHT AFT FITTED INTO THE TANK DOME.   NO PRIZES FOR OVERFLOWING CARGO WHILE DISCHARGING.   

AS LONG AS YOU UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SEVERAL CHOICES ARE AVAILABLE DUE TO INTERNAL LOOPING AT MANIFOLD    ( WITH Y / U PIECES AND CARGO HOSES) ,  LIQUID TAKES ALWAYS THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND TENDS TO GO DOWN BY GRAVITY  , YOU WILL NOT SCREW IT UP.  BE CAREFUL , AS SOMETIMES YOU DISCHARGE ON SHORE SIDE AS WELL AS SEA SIDE INTO BARGES  SIMULTANEOUSLY.

36)THINK NEGATIVE LIKE THE JAPANESE.   POLLUTION IS ONE AREA WHERE THINKING POSITIVE IS NOT AN ASSET.  FOR IF YOU OVERFLOW THE COMPANY COULD GET WIPED OUT.   THE P AND I COVER IS ONE BILLION USD FOR A GOOD REASON.

CAPT VADAKAYIL

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