# How much bunkers have you up your sleeve?



## John Campbell (Aug 30, 2005)

When Master or mate, on most ships I served on, it was nearly always a fact that Chief Engineers kept bunkers, up their sleeves in case they were caught short. In the fifties -there used to be horrendous tales of ship's having to burn hatch boards to reach port after running short of coal. When calculating loading figures these concealed bunkers sometimes caused problems and friction but nothing more. 

Once when the Distance to go was wrongly calculated and bunkers loaded accordingly we found to our horror that if all went well with speed,slip etc we would just make port with half a day's supply of bunkers left. Not to worry I asked the newly joined Chief, who had supervised and loaded the bunkers"How much-up your sleeve Chief" he replied "Nothing - I don't beleive in it!

It was a nail biting experience on that 32 day trip -P. Gulf to Sweden - we were struck by "goosebarnicles" as we passed Capetown making our slip more than usual we had to get the bunker hose first on as we docked and made it -just!

We put into Teneriffe to get the barnacles brushed off on the ballast leg back to the Gulf.


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## Bill Davies (Sep 5, 2007)

It would appear that you sailed with some 'rum' outfits along with some equally'rum' engineers.


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## johnb42 (Jun 1, 2009)

Five days reserve (based on max rpm), plus an allowance for 'unpumpable' was the norm in CP Ships, when I worked the spot charter market. Never had a problem. 
There was not usually any 'up-the-sleeve', bunkers as ROBs were checked by an independent on-hire surveyor.
I can tell a few tales about G**** and K***** ships that we took on hire when I was a supercargo for Norasia and Norbulk. This had nothing to do with 'safety margins' though.


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

Chief Engineer’s fuel oil reserve.

The professional seafarer in a senior rank should know that it is normal practice to have a buffer between the actual tank figure and the official figure stated in the log, this is to allow for the trim and list factors, also temperature corrections.
Large gas ship. 15 tonne DO reserve, 50 tonne HFO reserve. The unpumpables should always be considered when presenting the stem.

As far as having fuel up the sleeve, a load of waffle from the uneducated.

John.


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## Derek Roger (Feb 19, 2005)

Bunkers up your sleeve was a problem that many ships had . 
I was unfortunate enough to be handed over a surplus of 150 tonne HFO and 30 diesel .
The problem became manifest when the company ordered bunkers instead of the usual Captain ordering on the recommendation of the Chief Engineer ( if full bunkers were the order of the day ) Captain would never order full bunkers without some consultation with the Chief .
The result of this episode is that we had to "return " 40 tonnes in the bunker barge which caused an upset as there was a penalty for not taking what was ordered .
I managed to write off the remaing surplus less unpumpable calculation by consuming 40 odd tonnes a day and logging 38 tonnes . 
This caused great confusion in the office as they wanted to know what I had done to cause this magnificent improvement in performance ?

The practice was stubid at best and verging on the idiotic when ships were on charter and the Charter Party was picking up the fuel tab anyway . An on hire / off hire survey would show the discrepancy and the net result would be the sqare root of nothing .

I always did tend to have a little more in the tanks than the log showed but the Old man and Mate were always aware of the numbers .

Derek


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## johnb42 (Jun 1, 2009)

Macphail said:


> Chief Engineer’s fuel oil reserve.
> 
> The professional seafarer in a senior rank should know that it is normal practice to have a buffer between the actual tank figure and the official figure stated in the log, this is to allow for the trim and list factors, also temperature corrections.
> Large gas ship. 15 tonne DO reserve, 50 tonne HFO reserve. The unpumpables should always be considered when presenting the stem.
> ...


Without trying to appear contentious, surely the volume remaining in the tank is obtained by the 'dip', which is corrected for by trim, heel and temp. Where does the buffer come into this equation?


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

On a ship I was mate on we were under charter for over 18 months and I knew the C/E was not quite truthful when quoting his fuel on board. Doing draft surveys it meant finagling the figures which was a real pain in the whats it.
Got word on one trip that we were coming off charter and there was to be an inventory of fuel etc.
Ended up that the surplus fuel was pumped overboard. Be a crazy thing to do now but even them I protested to no avail


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## johnb42 (Jun 1, 2009)

lakercapt said:


> On a ship I was mate on we were under charter for over 18 months and I knew the C/E was not quite truthful when quoting his fuel on board. Doing draft surveys it meant finagling the figures which was a real pain in the whats it.
> Got word on one trip that we were coming off charter and there was to be an inventory of fuel etc.
> Ended up that the surplus fuel was pumped overboard. Be a crazy thing to do now but even them I protested to no avail


What is there to say to that?


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

I have been involved with a few ships that had more oil onboard than stated on the books. Most of the time it was due to bad tank gaging (bobs not the correct size) and inaccurate calculations. The problem with the calculations occurred on Steam Ships where the bunkers were commingled so an averaged specific gravity had to be calculated and a average tank temperature taken to find the corrected volume onboard. 

While I was on the Marine Floridian I usually ordered the fuel. On one occasion I increased the fuel ordered by 50 tons due to the hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico. For some unknown reason the Captain decided to short the fuel order by 100 tons. The bunkers onboard were gaged by a independent surveyor accordance to the charter agreement so no sleeve oil was onboard. On the way to Tampa we hit bad weather and the Port Captain closed the port so we were out an additional three days. In order to have pump-able oil to the boilers we had to strip the Port Settler and pump the oil into the Stbd Settler and use the low suction. When we headed to the dock the bunker barge followed us to the dock. When we got to the dock there was only 10 tons of pump-able oil left in the settler.


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

johnb42 said:


> Without trying to appear contentious, surely the volume remaining in the tank is obtained by the 'dip', which is corrected for by trim, heel and temp. Where does the buffer come into this equation?


Hi John,

For example , a fuel oil double bottom with a ford sounding pipe, the vessel is down by the stern therefore you get a false dip, (Please excuse me I have just returned from my 70 birthday dinner and not thinking straight), but I was a CEO for many years, and the tables are "Rule of thumb" and not strictly accurate, therefore a buffer, (Not a bufty), or reserve is required, I
do not like the term , "The Chief having it up his sleeve", it insinuates dodgy dealings by the Chief, far from it, by having a buffer/reserve he is looking after the interests of the ship and the owner, I developed a software program over the years called "Chief Engneers' Assistant" which explains how to bunker and stem correctly, based on years of experience, no substitute for experience.

Kind regards,
John.


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

LakerCapt Post #7.
I have also experienced many change of charter bunker surveys, no problems, common sense prevailed.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Reserve bunkers are no secret - Everyone is aware of them and in fact are necessary on liner service. Just try heading into a swirl of typhoons over the Pacific and having to make port or even just a little harder push to make the tide. Everyone should know and take them into account for trim, loading etc. BTW, 50 additional tons is less than a days sailing on a big engine! Case in point, ten days trans Pacific in place of the normal seven! You don't want to be down on the vapours.
Regards,
Dave


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

Lakercapt, 

Bet you are glad that you had nothng to do with pumping that 150 tons over the side. (*)). 

Or that C/E who was on charter at 28 tons intermediate plus 2.5 tons mdo per day but only used 25 tons of intermediate and between 1.5 & 2 tons of mdo. Bunkered once a month from the Norwegian bunker ship in a red sea port and got paid cash for the 100 tons of intermediate and about 20 tons of mdo that he did not take. 

I did hear he was the only C/E in the merchant navy that ever did that and he was also the same one who took his lube oil in drums in the canal and sold the empties back to the bum boats. 

It so happened he sailed with the only old man and mate who sold the 300 to 500 sheets of 3/4" plywood that was placed on the containers when the ship was taking Italian Mobile homes out to the oil fields and they in turn turned a blind eye to the bosun selling watered down paint to the arab bum boat men.

Strange all that happening on one ship that was seen as the best in the company, loved by charter agents and asked for by the charterers. 

Now what is meant by the statue of limitations. !!!


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## spongebob (Dec 11, 2007)

I recall being on a NZ West Coast collier where both the master and C/E liked to have a bit more than normal "sleeve oil" as it was called. The occasional stand out to sea when the West Tasman coast weather prevented entry to the river berths or when a fierce nor-westerly made the slog back up to North Cape a lvery ong one was the basis for the caution but one trip as we entered Auckland to discharge the final few tons of coal after delivering the bulk to the northern cement works we were instructed to unload and head for the dry dock. 
Embarrassment all round as we had to order the fuel barge alongside to discharge a large surplus.

Bob


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

makko said:


> Reserve bunkers are no secret - Everyone is aware of them and in fact are necessary on liner service. Just try heading into a swirl of typhoons over the Pacific and having to make port or even just a little harder push to make the tide. Everyone should know and take them into account for trim, loading etc. BTW, 50 additional tons is less than a days sailing on a big engine! Case in point, ten days trans Pacific in place of the normal seven! You don't want to be down on the vapours.
> Regards,
> Dave


Yes I know 50 tons is not a whole lot of oil for a big engine but for the T2 Marine Floridian with a 6,000 hp motor it would have been 35 per cent above the fuel required for the slow steam trip from Tampa to Galveston and back. 
We would normally get 500 tons of fuel per trip as part of the charter agreement. Most of the time we would burn 450 tons of oil when the weather was good and if we did not get delay in port. Over time the oil onboard would slowly increase so the extra 50 tons was not a p**s in the hat. I think we had 200 tons ROB when I had requested 550 tons and the Captain shorting 100 tons from the fuel order. 

The Marine Floridian was very low tech no fuel counter, while bunkering you watched the ladder rungs from the ulage hatch to keep the tanks even. The normal bunker stop was about five rungs down from the top. You only measured at the start and stop with a tape and there was only the two settlers what were filled.

The last ten years or so each time I have bunkered it was a fuel load of oil and lubes so there was no room to put on extra oil. 

Joe


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Hi SB,
I understand. My main point, made also by others, is that there was no secret made of the reserve. I have seen in heavy weather that reserve disappear and not a few worried faces all around! Also, slow steaming or waiting for the spot market are a whole different kettle of fish to making the port on day/time basis - miss the boxes and everyone will suffer!

Interesting thread!
Rgds.
Dave
"Which DB?"


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

On most vessels I kept one days steaming fuel at sea speed.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Agreed - I always had 1 -2 days at NCR over and above what was in the log just in case something went really wrong. It wasn't actually underhand or dodgy as such, it was just that if they could the owners would restrict you to the bare minimum bunkers and it was just an extra precaution. Hey we are a belts and braces squad (Jester)


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## Old Janner (Mar 11, 2009)

I sailed on the Cast Heron and remember the long haul at reduced speed from Norfolk to Kakagawa not stopping at cape town ( I think it was 47 days). When we arrived at the outer achorage we were just using the last of the bunkers and the foods from the fridge board sweepings, also made use of the lifeboat diesel for the top up for the final manouvering leg into the inner anchorage. We had to get bunkers and food out to the inner anchorage. Good old days.
I remember the agent and the Customs asking quite sternly, why had we run out of food and bunkers.
True, but due to charterers changes of orders.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

With best regards to BrianT,

It was his old man who put me right on reserve bunkers - THE best C/E I ever sailed with. 
Rgds.
Dave


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

In all the many bunker surveys I did on owners or charterers behalf , never
found the excess to be more than 50-60 tonnes. Hardly enough to be
concerned about on a cape size.


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

*Fuel Consumption?*

Was called out at 03.00 one morning to relieve a super who was docking an SD14 in Pernis(Rotterdam), as his wife was having a baby in Hong Kong. The orders were to get the engine started and go to Antwerp to load. Left on trials after I'd had all 16 fuel valves reconditioned, (a Deutz Vee 16 main Engine), as only two were, "ticking", when the engine was running! The crew were all Philippines, before leaving I asked the c/e for his FoB, when we arrived at Antwerp I asked for a new set of figures, he had forty tons more than when he left Rotterdam! Bloody good engines! Didn't believe him so went around with him and dipped all tanks, found another fifty tons!(Thumb)

Another story I was told, by a senior Super, was about a Greek vessel about which the charterer had asked the Super to, "Have a look at". It seems that the vessel, (Handy size tanker(45k DWT)), had not been taking much bunkers for the last four voyages. Inspection of the under plates area of the pump room revealed a six inch section of pipe running from bulk head to bulkhead! In the engine-room there was an under plates connection to this pipe, with valves, that led to the main bunker pumping system! (Cloud)


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## THEDOC (Jan 8, 2009)

*sleeve oil or pocket money*

Got a job as Chief on a supply boat in Gulf, This vessel was the biggest fuel carrier (at the time) in the Gulf.
My appointment was extremely rapid not actually expecting the job for another six weeks but was summoned urgently.

Captain, chief eng and second all in jail in Dubai (3yrs) for selling fuel. They had rigged a recirc back to tank after main discharge meter (supplied fuel to rigs in US galls).
At end of a run, they would rv with a fuel buyer out in the Gulf. 
They only got caught cos they were flashing the cash all over Dubai.


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## johnb42 (Jun 1, 2009)

My colleague did the redelivery to owners, of a Greek vessel from Time Charter to Norasia in Avonmouth. This was nearly 20 years ago so I don't expect I am compromising anyone with this anectdote. The Master told my colleague that the C/E was "hiding" diesel from the surveyor. The surveyor couldn't find any surplus diesel from his dips. To keep the story short, the Master, because he was not being cut in on the deal spilled the beans on the Chief. 
The diesel tanks were in the DBs beneath the engine and sounded from the bottom plates. The scam had probably been going on for some years, but worked like this. When the ship was on T/C the abstract showed that the ship was using the max diesel allowed by the Charter Party, every day, regardless of actual consumption. They then had beautifully-made cylinders that dropped inside the sounding pipes and reached to the bottom of the DB. 
At off-hire they would fill the cylinder to the level that they wanted the DB to show.
Neither the surveyor nor my colleague were able to detect this inner cylinder even though they shone a torch inside the pipe. The only way they proved it was by pouring a bucket of diesel into the sounding pipe, which of course overflowed it.
We had other instances of vessels fiddling bunkers in this trade. Usually we would redeliver to owners at Dropping of Outward Pilot at Avonmouth. On occasion the ship would deliver to new T/Cs at the same point and declare a lot more fuel on delivery than they had had on sailing from Avonmouth. Usually unaware that the Principals were talking to each other.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

I think Bill Davies alluded to my way of thinking early on - It is a matter of trust, respect and professionalism. If people are fiddling bunkers or on the take, what else are they up to? They can't be trusted, its as simple as that!
Rgds.
Dave


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

Makko, 

Your posts are kind of confusing, are reserves different from fiddling the bunkers. 

Your 3 posts in this thread are as follows

"Reserve bunkers are no secret - Everyone is aware of them and in fact are necessary on liner service."

or 

"It was his old man who put me right on reserve bunkers"

& your last

"If people are fiddling bunkers or on the take, what else are they up to?"

Where do the reserves come from in the first place, who is paying for them ?

Johnb42, 

How about the trick of getting hot or cold fuel oil at the test point when going on or off charter & being surveyed, a few degree's one way or the other and there you are just what is needed. 

Is that fiddling or maybe just creating or getting rid of the reserves.


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

While I can not answer for any one but my self reserves are quite different from sleeve oil. Sleeve oil is not on the books. The extra weight just drives the Master and Mates nuts. Sleeve oil is also paid by the owner or charter unless the oil was obtain by "magic" from the cargo. The usual way that sleeve oil is obtained is by over stating the amount of oil burned. I have seen the length of the sounding tubes modified by placing a thicker plate on the striker plate. 

I personally do not like sleeve oil. It does not help with the operation of the vessel. If you are over stating the amount of oil used in the engine them you can not properly trend the condition of the plant with the amount of fuel being burnt. For me keeping two sets of books is not worth the trouble it could bring. 

Reserve oil is on the books and is accounted for. In the US the coast guard requires that you have 25 per cent reserve oil for the planned trip. Most of the operators that I was employed by would take that to mean each leg since you can take on more bunkers during the voyage. On who pays for the oil depends on if the oil is paid for by the charter or the ship owner.

Joe


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

MJ, I was referring to the various posts regarding selling off bunkers, having more fuel after a run etc. 

Just to get things straight, my point is that "reserve bunkers" are precisely that, a little extra when needed to overcome an unusual/difficult situation. Everyone knows that they are there and take them into consideration. I freely admit that I have never been involved in the chartering of a vessel. 

Reserve bunkers are completely different from some of the cases in other posts that mention trying to hoodwink charterers by purposely misstating existing bunkers, false sounding pipes or selling off extra fuel etc. That to me is just plain dishonesty.

On many of the discussions and posts on the site, I often lament that old saying,"What goes on at sea stays at sea". Unfortunately, some comments probably swing the lamp a bit too far and could give the impression to a non-seafarer that sea staff are somehow "on the take"! I was trying merely to address this aspect.

Rgds.
Dave


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

*We work in harmony.*

In the old days, the normal on any ship I sailed on was the “Oil Record Book”, filled in each day at noon by the Chief Engineer, after the 4th engineer carried out his soundings, the “Oil Record Book” was the actual contents of the tanks, which was stored in a rack outside CEO’s office door, the mate had complete access to the “Oil Record Book”. In the computerised age, we do not have the “ Oil Record Book”, we have the server, the 4th engineer still puts his soundings in the computer and everybody can view them. It was never the case that the Mate did not know the actual quantity’s in the tank.
But the CEO still had his Reserve/Buffer, difference between actual and official tonnes on board.

John.


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## GeeM (Mar 2, 2009)

*Klepsi Pipe*



Billieboy said:


> Was called out at 03.00 one morning to relieve a super who was docking an SD14 in Pernis(Rotterdam), as his wife was having a baby in Hong Kong. The orders were to get the engine started and go to Antwerp to load. Left on trials after I'd had all 16 fuel valves reconditioned, (a Deutz Vee 16 main Engine), as only two were, "ticking", when the engine was running! The crew were all Philippines, before leaving I asked the c/e for his FoB, when we arrived at Antwerp I asked for a new set of figures, he had forty tons more than when he left Rotterdam! Bloody good engines! Didn't believe him so went around with him and dipped all tanks, found another fifty tons!(Thumb)
> 
> Another story I was told, by a senior Super, was about a Greek vessel about which the charterer had asked the Super to, "Have a look at". It seems that the vessel, (Handy size tanker(45k DWT)), had not been taking much bunkers for the last four voyages. Inspection of the under plates area of the pump room revealed a six inch section of pipe running from bulk head to bulkhead! In the engine-room there was an under plates connection to this pipe, with valves, that led to the main bunker pumping system! (Cloud)


Having sailed with many Greek mariners, the illegal crossover pipe from cargo to bunker systems Is called the Klepsi Pipe as Klepsi Is Thief in Greek. When I was a cadet with a nameless UK Shipping Co, both the C/E's on this particular coaster had diesel landrovers which had long range tanks and Middlesborough port calls were utilised for fuelling them in the middle of the night.


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## Bill Davies (Sep 5, 2007)

Billieboy said:


> It seems that the vessel, (Handy size tanker(45k DWT)), had not been taking much bunkers for the last four voyages. Inspection of the under plates area of the pump room revealed a six inch section of pipe running from bulk head to bulkhead! In the engine-room there was an under plates connection to this pipe, with valves, that led to the main bunker pumping system! (Cloud)


This was not uncommon.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

Macphail said:


> In the old days, the normal on any ship I sailed on was the “Oil Record Book”, filled in each day at noon by the Chief Engineer, after the 4th engineer carried out his soundings, the “Oil Record Book” was the actual contents of the tanks, which was stored in a rack outside CEO’s office door, the mate had complete access to the “Oil Record Book”. In the computerised age, we do not have the “ Oil Record Book”, we have the server, the 4th engineer still puts his soundings in the computer and everybody can view them. It was never the case that the Mate did not know the actual quantity’s in the tank.
> But the CEO still had his Reserve/Buffer, difference between actual and official tonnes on board.
> 
> John.


Oh we still have the oil record book - it is now such a high maintenance, super critical, micro scrutinised piece of paperwork it is quite normal to only have one guy allowed to touch it - it is the best way to make sure it balances. I used to give it to 4/Es or if we had one the J/E as they took care of all waste oil movements.


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## johnb42 (Jun 1, 2009)

MARINEJOCKY said:


> Makko,
> 
> Your posts are kind of confusing, are reserves different from fiddling the bunkers.
> 
> ...


Marine Jockey,
I think you answered your own question regarding hot or cold fuel i.e "How about the trick". If a vessel redelivers from one Charterer, and delivers to another at the same point (ie DOP Avonmouth), with different quantities of fuel, someone is on the fiddle. Hot or cold the "quantity" of fuel is the same.


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## Satanic Mechanic (Feb 23, 2009)

I do think we are getting a bit mixed up here between keeping a small quantity of bunkers hidden from the company 'just in case' and actually stealing


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Satanic Mechanic said:


> I do think we are getting a bit mixed up here between keeping a small quantity of bunkers hidden from the company 'just in case' and actually stealing


That is the thrust of my comments!
Dave


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

Guys I think it is just so good that so many of you are so honest. 

Who is paying for the "reserve", the title of this thread is "up youn sleeve" so who is paying for that. 

Are any of so dumb that we would not try and have a proper "reserve" amount of fuel for any voyage wheither it is across the water to Islay or half way around the world. Of course we order enough bunkers for the voyage plus some in reserve. In a case like that the owners would insist on it and the charterers would have no problem paying for it. 

It is "up the sleeve bunkers" that we are talking about here. This usually occurs when some tight fisted charterer works out that for a certain distance at a certain speed you need so much fuel. They have no idea of what actually happens at sea and the need to have those "reserves" on board so to make it all work we had to have that extra fuel "just in case". 

The righteous members will call it reserve while others will call it "up the sleeve' but at the end of the day it is still fiddling the books. 

I will claim immunity on this but temperature variations were definately the easiest way to "fiddle" the RESERVES and any other chiefs reading this know exactly what I mean. 

and before the righteous brigade coming charging out, can I ask how may crew members homes were paint in Houlders colors around London, or how many captains & mates sold dunnage and nobody has yet commented on the water in the paint trick. 

I always had a reserve of fuel properly accounted for and known by everybody and then I had up my sleeve fuel which I could vary by temperature of the fuel or the beer! (*))


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

*Right Bunkers - Right?*

Then there was the Saturday morning in the eighties that I boarded a North Sea Shuttle around 09.00, just missed breakfast too. The C/E was in a real tizz papers and IPA books all over the place. "What's the problem Chief"? I asked, "The Bunkers are wrong spec and I can't take them "! "How many tonnes"? 1750! "OK", I said, "I'll get in touch with a Senior Super if you like and he can come down and back you up". So said so done, at 14.00 we were back on board and the bunker man's Boss was on board, steaming and calling demurrage here and there, the air was taking on a slightly blue hue! cutting the story, the bunkers were for the FSU, thus a third party, the page of the IPA book from the bunker man, indicating the sg/vis, was not the same page that the ship was using, the shore chemist had issued incorrect sample figures! The bunkers went back after the chief had done no less than three runs of the sample by three different members of staff. Bunker man's Boss, very red faced, came down with written apologies and presento on the Monday morning prior to sailing.(K)


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## surfaceblow (Jan 16, 2008)

I guess I was too lazy to have any sleeve oil. My definition of sleeve oil is oil not accounted for. The only ship that I was Chief on that did not carry max oil was the Marine Floridian. 
My definition of Reserve Oil is the oil onboard that is not required for the intended passage but is accounted for. 

The other vessels that I was Chief on we loaded max bunkers. The main reason for loading max oil was to avoid the raising cost of the bunkers. So there was no place to put on extra oil. 

The last company I worked for required that we send notice of bunkering to office 72 hours before so extra pollution insurance could be put in place. Train at least 48 hours before bunkering. Complete post Preload plan, which includes monitoring procedures valve line up, tank levels. Plan is to include tank levels percent full, names of key personnel and those that are to relieve include the deck rover. PIC is the only person that can authorize the pulling of scupper's. Notify QI 24 hour hours before bunkering. Since we were loading 95 - 98 per cent load of bunkers you could not under state the amount fuel onboard any extra oil would have filled the drip pans. 

If you did not correct for temperature of the delivered oil you could have deck cargo. 

MJ, you for got the junk brass barrels, the proceeds usually went for a party for the crew ashore.

Joe


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## MARINEJOCKY (Nov 25, 2007)

Joe, now that you bring it up I remember the scrap barrel belonging to the 
2/E who would guard it very carefully. He would hand out some of the proceeds but alot of seconds that I knew (*)) ended up with new cars without touching their wages.


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## Macphail (Oct 27, 2008)

*Scrap barrel and Bunkers in Reserve.*



MARINEJOCKY said:


> Joe, now that you bring it up I remember the scrap barrel belonging to the
> 2/E who would guard it very carefully. He would hand out some of the proceeds but alot of seconds that I knew (*)) ended up with new cars without touching their wages.


The scrap barrel.. Bob Birse 2EO was the man in Bank Line, off in the lifeboat in Tarawa 1965, hacksaws and the gas axe, all hands who where of duty, chopping up the Singapore guns, transferred and installed in Tarawa during WW2 by the Japanese, the scrap was flogged in Aussie and shared down the line or went to the party with the girls.
As an ex Chief, 15 tonne Do and 30 tonne HO was about normal in reserve.
On a gas ship 10 days DO consumption was held in reserve at all times to control the cargo.

John. (Thumb)


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## raybnz (Sep 10, 2005)

During the first part of the trip when I was 4th Eng on SS&A Cretic and looking after the bunkers the Chief would tell me what bunkers we would have used for the 24 hours. This didnt line up with what I was recording in the tanks. 

I soon learned how to flog the log as it is said and soon had quite a few tons hidden away. If only he knew just how much there was.


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## oceangoer (Jan 3, 2008)

With the help of my Japanese ChEng for twenty years I held more than 3 days reserve at full speed in HFO and seven days diesel for auxies and then there was always the "special" line (if we needed it and we were headed in the right direction).


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## Ghost (Aug 7, 2008)

1 or 2 days reserve, that would have ammounted to almost 500 tonnes, a bit over the top that. All I needed the hedge fund for was errors in tables and changes of trim. Easy to recover losses so 15 - 20 was ample reserve.


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## Billieboy (May 18, 2009)

And then the Charterers started asking for Used and ROB bunkers to two decimal places, first day out of port the decimals were what the bunker slip said, the rest of the trip it was point zero zero, until we bunker again.


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## jim garnett (Sep 13, 2009)

Becoming temporary chief after the death at sea of the chief engineer,I told the new chief when he arrived that we had 120 tons up our sleeve.He nearly had a fit ,I thought I was going to have another dead chief on my hands.Apparently he had been caught out when they had to knock back a 120 tons of cargo because they had too much fuel oil.Something we all know is anathema to a Shipowner.
Jim garnett


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