# Lack of familiarisation with machinery on joining



## japottinger

With ref. to above I can only relate my own experience in Brocklebank.
On joining the company I had only done one 3 month trip at sea with another company as 8th eng., not that meant anything, on a twin screw recip. with Bauer Wach ex. turbines and 4 Scotch boilers, and even so most of that time was spent on day work on deck winch maintenance and had never operated the manov. gear or felt round. I opted not to stay there and on applying to Brocklebank was offered post as 4th eng. with Brocklebank, and after a few days in Glasgow we set sail on SS Maihar with myself on my tod as 4th on watch and for rest of the voyage. Russell Gordon was first trip as Chief Eng. and never interfered and came down unless asked. All went well and had no problems with any aspect of the job, but not sure if any other branch of engineering would operate on this basis. .
What do you think?


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## John Briggs

Not only engineers, I think the deck side had the same problems.
Joining a new ship in the afternoon and sailing that evening.
As OOW stuck on a dark bridge with a radar that you had never sailed with before and also no idea how the auto pilot worked.
Not good!


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## sparkie2182

................and the radio.

I was trained on exclusively Marconi Kit.

Never joined a ship using one single piece upon which i was trained and qualified.


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## Supergoods

In 1968 I joined the Manapouri in Liverpool for a coasting run to Avonmouth at the end of Voyage 1, prior to going to New Zealand on Voyage 2 in ballast.
This was my first encounter with bridge control of engines, however we were all well briefed by those who had done voyage 1 and who were staying until Avonmouth.
The Captain was one of the semi retired group that did coastal reliefs.
On arriving on the bridge he surveyed all the new gadgets and announced "Gentlemen, I don't know a thing about all this stuff, you know what to do with it, so call me when we get the Avonmouth pilot on board unless there is an emergency".
It seemed to me then this was a wise man speaking and now I am in this semi retired status, I should remember this before opening my mouth to people who are more experienced.
Ian


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## chadburn

The best thing about Bridge Control in it's early day's was that you could switch it off/ overide it/disengage and as with a number of modified land based control system's it had it's problem's when it came to working in the marine enviroment, at the time when you would have thought that it was best used, Docking, the O/M would not use it and preferred Manual.


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## Pete Axon

*First Tripper*

Similar experience on my first trip. Joined the Regent Caribou in Tilbury 1963. Was put on watch within 8 hours of joining with the 3rd Eng who, after showing me round the ER and Boiler Room saying things like "watch this or that" and make sure that the water level in the boiler gauge glass stays at least halfway and off he went to get his head down.All went OK for the first hour then I was subjected to a very irate Estonian Donkeyman, shouting and waving his arms ( he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Russian ) His concern became quite clear as I entered the Boiler Room, the glass was MT !! I just stared at the glass and wondered what the hell I was expected to do, the Donkeyman had by now legged it and I feared the worst, was my first trip going to end right there and then without even setting sail ! My prayer was answered after about 5 mins when the 3rd came strolling into the boiler room, wiping sleep out of his eyes and grabbing a weird looking object ( know now this was a valve key ) turned to a equally looking weird machine with steam pouring from it and giving this machine a mighty whack, muttering that the bloody pump was always doing this in port but rarely at sea. Water level restored, Donkeyman returned and 3rd cleared off back to bed, I spent the rest of the watch standing by the pump with the ring key in my sweaty hands and my eyes glued to the glass !!!


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## makko

I was on one ship doing a double header when there was a complete crew change with officers who had never been on the ship before - Receive spares, organize bunkers and prepare the job for deep sea. Satisfying knowing that I knew what I was doing!. The machinery always does the same thing with very little differences or foibles. The main thing was a.)finding safety gear, b.)recognizing ladders, accesses and emergency escape and c.)making a drawing in notebook of sea lines, fw lines, steam, fuel, LO, bilge, etc. etc. This is why we were deemed "competent"!!!!
Rgds.
Dave


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## Burntisland Ship Yard

Suppose I was lucky in terms of never joined a ship that either I was previously accustomed to the plant or went on watch with another engineer.

I think most of us would agree, that one of the first things you would do during your watch keeping would be to "trace the lines", as in torch/pen and or pencil/ clip board / note book. It was amazing by simply drawing out the pipe work configurations etc was that you quickly picked up where every thing was.

In fact up in the loft I still have my note books from my time at sea.........


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## makko

Burntisland Ship Yard said:


> In fact up in the loft I still have my note books from my time at sea.........


I also have my notebooks, where though I don't know!
Rgds.
Dave


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## sindbaad

Yes this is really difficult sometimes.


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## orcades

Pete Axon said:


> Similar experience on my first trip. Joined the Regent Caribou in Tilbury 1963. Was put on watch within 8 hours of joining with the 3rd Eng who, after showing me round the ER and Boiler Room saying things like "watch this or that" and make sure that the water level in the boiler gauge glass stays at least halfway and off he went to get his head down.All went OK for the first hour then I was subjected to a very irate Estonian Donkeyman, shouting and waving his arms ( he didn't speak English and I didn't speak Russian ) His concern became quite clear as I entered the Boiler Room, the glass was MT !! I just stared at the glass and wondered what the hell I was expected to do, the Donkeyman had by now legged it and I feared the worst, was my first trip going to end right there and then without even setting sail ! My prayer was answered after about 5 mins when the 3rd came strolling into the boiler room, wiping sleep out of his eyes and grabbing a weird looking object ( know now this was a valve key ) turned to a equally looking weird machine with steam pouring from it and giving this machine a mighty whack, muttering that the bloody pump was always doing this in port but rarely at sea. Water level restored, Donkeyman returned and 3rd cleared off back to bed, I spent the rest of the watch standing by the pump with the ring key in my sweaty hands and my eyes glued to the glass !!!


Hi Pete, many of us had the same experience, it must have been a Weirs pump, I,ll never foget the sound it made. Regards Orcades


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## orcades

Burntisland Ship Yard said:


> Suppose I was lucky in terms of never joined a ship that either I was previously accustomed to the plant or went on watch with another engineer.
> 
> I think most of us would agree, that one of the first things you would do during your watch keeping would be to "trace the lines", as in torch/pen and or pencil/ clip board / note book. It was amazing by simply drawing out the pipe work configurations etc was that you quickly picked up where every thing was.
> 
> In fact up in the loft I still have my note books from my time at sea.........


Hi,, yep the first thing I did on every new ship I joined was grab a pencil and note book and bilge dive and trace the pipes valves and X/overs, many times it stood me in good stead, I still have them and look at them from time to time. Regards Orcades(Pint)


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## Finally01

This thing usually happen almost everyone not with some specific one. As no one has a complete knowledge about any thing specially in the field that wants practical than others. As you spend the time in the organization, you'll get more and more experienced.


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## makko

orcades said:


> Hi,, yep the first thing I did on every new ship I joined was grab a pencil and note book and bilge dive and trace the pipes valves and X/overs, many times it stood me in good stead, I still have them and look at them from time to time. Regards Orcades(Pint)


Bilge Dives - Vital! I inspected a vessel recently where they admitted "opening the wrong valve"!
Rgds.
Dave


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## surfaceblow

I have memories of all those Bilge Diving adventures on all the ships that I have sailed on. 

Joe


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## Burntisland Ship Yard

surfaceblow said:


> I have memories of all those Bilge Diving adventures on all the ships that I have sailed on.
> 
> Joe


And in those days we did not require hard hats, common sense prevailed look before you move !


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## R58484956

First ship SS "Canton" never been aboard a ship before, the junior I replaced was leaving the company and in about 15 minutes he gave me a quick run around as to what to look for, readings to take etc and he was away. For 8 hours I was petrified, kept hearing imaginery noises. Bridge phone "bring the ship upright" had a 5 degree list, How the hell do I do that, he forgot to tell me that one. But I survived. A port watch by the way.


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## Tony Morris

These days I have the joy of the boys from the east of Europe, they seem more interested in shopping in the US than learning the job.

Tony


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## mcglash

R58484956 said:


> First ship SS "Canton" never been aboard a ship before, the junior I replaced was leaving the company and in about 15 minutes he gave me a quick run around as to what to look for, readings to take etc and he was away. For 8 hours I was petrified, kept hearing imaginery noises. Bridge phone "bring the ship upright" had a 5 degree list, How the hell do I do that, he forgot to tell me that one. But I survived. A port watch by the way.


Similar experience for me, joined MV Arabic in Hull,introduced myself to the 2nd. Okay he said as it is late you best get your head down you are on Generatorwatch in the morning the bloke you are relieving will put you on the shake he said, shake Sec I said? yes call you! oh right. Woke at 5.45 after being shaken, see you on the plates my shaker said I assumed the plates were somewhere in the engine room or could it be the duty mess where the plates were as my shaker said you could grab a cuppa as he had just made a pot of tea in the duty mess found the duty mess empty so it must be the engine room then. Found the bathroom, showers and changing room but no engine room I could hear it though and when I was standing in the changing room amongst the dirty boiler suits and smelly socks the shaker appeared and none too pleased either, where the f*&%$# have you been its nearly 6.20 and I have no time to show you the job! if you have a problem speak to the donkeyman. I have heard and seen horses down a pit but donkeys in the Engineroom surely not.Its Sunday he said I havn't put another Genny on the board as they won't be working cargo but we are off to Hamburg this morning so perhaps they have some cargo to finish I think he was thinking out loud by this stage anyway he said the 3rd is day aboard so if the Bridge phones to tell you they are about to open the hatches and need the extra power you best put him on the shake. everybody will be turned too by 9, See ya, then he was off. The first person I saw was the donkeyman and he explained he looked after the donkey boiler and wasn't part of the crew but was a shoresider and as such new very little about this particular engineroom.but he made me tea and toast which was nice of him. I spent the next 2Hrs or so walking round the PLATES in a deafening terrifying daze. I didn't get a call from the Bridge and the rest of the Engineers turned too at 8 and prepared for sea the only other problem I had that day was when one of the senior engineers was trying to tell me something and try as I might I could not understand him it was a combination of noise and him speaking with a plum in his mouth we even squeezed into the Phone box but I still couldn't get what he was telling me my nerves were shot to bits by this stage anyway he scribbled the message in his note book ripped the page out and thrust it at me. It read, when your relief comes down you may go for lunch in the dutymess. Now Bagging of in Hamburg is a better yarn -)

McGlash


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## MikeK

I had a pet theory if it could be made possible for every bridge alarm be wired via a panel where it could be labeled and activated, so that you were forewarned what they sounded like on joining and not have to find out in the pitch dark invariably at the most inopportune time !


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## makko

Burntisland Ship Yard said:


> And in those days we did not require hard hats, common sense prevailed look before you move !


Another old adage like "fools and first timers..." but engine room specific,"Don't step where you cannot see".
Rgds.
Dave


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## Burntisland Ship Yard

makko said:


> Another old adage like "fools and first timers..." but engine room specific,"Don't step where you cannot see".
> Rgds.
> Dave


Nice one Dave, no doubt there are a few more little "sayings" as well as "the long stand" .......


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## A.D.FROST

makko said:


> Another old adage like "fools and first timers..." but engine room specific,"Don't step where you cannot see".
> Rgds.
> Dave


Also known as a First Triper(?HUH)


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## mcowan george

I was in the same situation, transferred from Gothic to the Largs Bay as 4th eng. on the morning as she was about to sail. My main task was to trace out all the oil lines before we reached Aden before bunkering!!


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## makko

MikeK said:


> I had a pet theory if it could be made possible for every bridge alarm be wired via a panel where it could be labeled and activated, so that you were forewarned what they sounded like on joining and not have to find out in the pitch dark invariably at the most inopportune time !


We rigged up an "EGG BLR - LL" alarm. For all I know, it is still there on Cape Henry (ex-Barber Priam). It took the Lecky about a week to calm down after we "activated" it on a long standby! The Chief, Bill Turner, found it particularly amusing.

Rgds.
Dave


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## Basil

japottinger,
I joined my first ship in Feb '62, Fyffes in May '62 and was appointed 4th in Aug '63 so I had a while to look around. Admittedly, my ship as 4th was a relatively new German build, a bit different from the Stephen's boats.
It wasn't until I got into aviation, mostly at the 'respectable' end, that I realised how much we were left to our own devices in the engine room. No training, no checking - sort yourself out, ask around, watch others - "What IS it the 3rd does to those turbo thrust bearings?" etc. (?HUH)


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## Varley

Ah, but. Ah but. When the engine stops with the telegraph other than stop, the ship doesn't sink. The aircraft does (honourable mention of Viscount and Shorts ability to land in potato fields(.


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## k.atkinson

Tracing the lines below the plates illustrated to me the insanity of some British built ships where the pipelines were not planned and could wander around three sides of the engine instead of across one end.


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