Quick Checklist of PSC

 PORT STATE CONTROL HANDY CHECKLIST 

	He will see if your aware of the things and minor defects, as long as we are aware of the defects
	and have a solutions and plans to tackle them, the inspector will understand.
	All fuel oil , lub oil and diesel oil pump trays should be free from oil , keep the drain lines to respective tanks clear,physically check the drain lines, where they are going and are they clear.
	All hot surfaces should be lagged especially on the generators, exhaust manifold covers should be in place . Oil soaked laggings must be replaced , check pipelines below floor plates.
	All engine room sounding pipes must be marked on floor and with self closing devices and caps.
	M/E and generator leak off tank alarms should be tested and kept ready to show.
	Emergency fire pump suction/ discharge pressure guages working , vaccum pump working , suction and discharge valve kept open, foundation and pump painted , two hoses one forward & one aft on deck mark which pipeline is coming from emergency fire pump.
	Emergency generator tested every week test on full load once in three months , alarm tested, fuel
	tank keep always full , check coolant level , quick closing valve should be operational , both battery to
	try out or hydraulic operation to try out .
	Emergency lights and batteries should be in good condition and battery testing record available.
	life boat engine , fuel tank keep full all the times , check coolant top up , keep record of drills
	recovery pendant and maintenance strop should be known to all . Photos of lifeboat in water
	life boat brake overhauling and onload release training should be available , life boat fuel to be tested
	for any water content .
	Use of SCBA known to all , must have a spare SCBA compressor lub oil , spare filter , maintenance done.
	report . With third officer and third engg, signature.
	Q.C. Valves should be tested and records maintained in , keep a list of all Q.C. valves handy and pasted
	in fire station, ECR , make sure to reset cyl. Oil day tank alarm.
	Remote trips and push button stops ESS-1 and ESS-2 to be tried out regularly , black out test to be
	carried out regularly , otherwise remote stops button will be found jammed.
	Blower flaps and funnel flaps to be tried out regularly and do marking open and close on it .
	C02 system and foam system should be known to all crew, paste photos of pilot cylinder, co2 nozzles
	to be tested periodically and paste photos.
	Location of all equipment should be as per fire plan , familarisation with fire plan is desirable
	International shore coupling is available , hydrant not leaking , spanner available , hoses stowed as per
	fire plan.
	Emergency steering operation should be known to all officers and telephone and P.A. system in
	operational condition and steering room free of oil and surface not slippery .
	OWS 15 ppm alarm should be in position to demostrate , bilge well high level alarm to try out regularly .
	Emergency bilge suction valve , make sure it is free to rotate, put a seal , mark red do stencling on floor.
	Fire detectors test record is available .
	Incinerator operation and maintenance record to be available and entries in oil record book are correct.
	Record of fuel change over from hsfo to diesel oil to be entered.in E/R log book and Marpol annex VI book.
	Equipment using freon should be listed and record of leaks tests and accidental release maintained.
	Sewage treatment plant make sure plastic tubes are clear and chlorination is done for 5 ppm.dosage pump is
	working and satisfactory remarks report made available.
	Make sure galley has fire blanket and co2 extinguisher , also make sure fixed fire system testing record
	is maitained.
	Test paint room fire fighting sprinkler system, make sure lines are not corroded.
	Keep sopep room chemical room , actylene and oxygen room clean and tidy.
	EEBD to be in position , make sure they are in green zone , emergency escape to be marked, lighted
	and clear and a safety harness to be kept hanging .
	E/R workshop grinder foot stop , wiser , glass is clear and visible , check first aid box in ECR and chemical
	locker.
	Disposal of incinerator ashes to be recorded in garbage record book , disposals of batteries certificate
	to be taken.
	Maintain file for enclosed space entry permit and hot work permits.
	Check and order spares for all emergency equipment's , update critical spares list .
	Emergency air compressor to be tested by actually filling the emergency air bottle.
	Calibration certificates must be available for important gauges, torque spanners, gas detecting equip.
	and electric meters , pressure and temp. calibrator .calibration of boiler pressure gauge after setting
	safety valve.
	F.O. and L.O. air vents trays must have cubic capacity marked on it ,  trays to keep clean , chain for plug
	retaining and grease the plug  for easy opening.
	Maintenance record of LSA and FFA to be made available .
	Internal and External audit report to be kept handy , safety committee meeting records , masters
	three monthly SMS review to made available.
	Sewage and potable water test records are available every month, water testing kit sachets should
	not be of expired .

Maintaining healthy lub. oil condition in machinery.

 FOLLOW BELOW STEPS TO AVOID M/E DAMAGE DUE TO LUB OIL FAILURE.

1. Ensure the correct feed rate and temperature at separator inlet is 93*c to 95*c.

2. Fit the correct gravity disc ensure water seal is maintained.

3. Regularly clean the bowl as per manufacturers maintenance manual ,periodic maintenance will reduce the risk of surprised stoppages or breakdowns.

4. Along with onboard testing of lubrication oils , send samples for laboratory analysis ,every three months , always send before and after purifier samples to analyse how efficient the purifier s working. 

5. Avoid consuming the fuel oil in engine until analysis results are available. 

6. Always take engine alarm seriously like oil mist alarm must be investigated thoroughly.

7. During unit overhaul or maintenance of M/E a senior engineer must always supervise and make sure all lub oil lines connections are correctly connected and tightened. 

Main Engine Starting Problem.

 MAN B&W 6S 50 MC ENGINE 

 

               Once Main Engine was not starting on fuel but was able to turn on air kick, we tried starting it from Local control, ECR control , Bridge control but could not start. 

            Later to investigate we opened up the control air connection on top of the fuel pump puncture valve for one of the unit .An air kick was given , we noticed the control air supply was continuously supplying air on top of the fuel pump puncture valve .This control air is suppose to stop once engine turns 30 rpm as after 30 rpm fuel takes over , which was not the case. 

            After further more troubleshooting we decided to open and check the stop engine button spool valve located at emergency maneuvering platform , although we had earlier checked and reseted the button , but still now we decided to open the spool arrangement located below the stop button. 

        After dismantling the stop spool arrangement  , we found the spool was stuck inside , so when we were resetting the button from outside the spool was not coming up. 

                    As the  engine stop button spool at emergency maneuvering platform was stuck , so the switch over from air to fuel mode was not happening , because the engine stop signal i.e the puncture valve air was continuously supplying air to puncture valve.

            Once the spool was made free, the engine picked up on fuel immediately as soon as  the air kick was given !!!!!.so please remember always to check puncture valve air supply.

Main Engine Starting problem.

 MAN B&W 6S 50 MC  ( 1997 BUILT ENGINE )

           In this new era of ME electronic engines ,this post might not be relevant to engineers not sailed on this type of engines , but one  can read through it to get some ideas..

         Once we were not able to start the engine on Astern , but could start it on Ahead mode . In ECR on NOR control panel found the Astern LED is  not coming "ON" when astern movement is given on Telegraph. 

           At first instance we suspected problem might be in manoeuvring system , so we opened up air  blocks for Ahead and Astern in manoeuvring air system , checked all the valve block spool arrangement all found to be normal.

             Later after extensive troubleshooting we noticed one of the units fuel pump reversing cylinder piston locking nut had come off and the disc was found fallen inside the reversing  cylinder.

                If we had noticed externally on the fuel pump inward side that one of the units reversing cylinder rod is not sticking out . ( when the lever is put in astern telegraph mode) .we could had immediately identified the problem at first instance and could had saved from vessel getting off hire .

              Later in port as per makers advice we changed the reversing cylinders for all units fuel pump with new robust design type cylinders.

I

Main engine piston rod stuffing box assembly

   MAIN ENGINE SULZER RTA 48 

During dismantling the air sealing rings from the Main engine spare piston rod stuffing box for cleaning , nobody noticed how are these air sealing rings arranged .so after cleaning all the parts ,while assembling the air sealing rings were wrongly assembled. 

             Later when this piston was put in the unit with wrongly assembled stuffing box air sealing rings, as the scavenge pressure increased, crankcase was found pressurized and crankcase oil was found splashing out from the flywheel shaft seal. 

                 Immediately Unit piston was changed with correctly overhauled stuffing box , found crankcase pressure normal.

                  Later on investigation we found out that the air sealing rings are to be overlapped with each other. It is written top on each part of air sealing ring ,the bottom part is to be  overlapped with the other top part. Please see these photos for clear understanding.

 The top part in photo shown is wrong  assembly wereas the lower part shows the correct assembly , maintenance manual does not have any  clear instructions So be careful and while dismantling the stuffing box for cleaning of sealing rings , senior engineers must be present and photos to be taken of every part dismantled, to enable correct reassemble.