# Sounding pipe.



## LynD (Jun 10, 2010)

Need help again. What is a sounding pipe on a coal fired ship. I do know on an oil burner it is the pipe used to find the amount of fuel remaining. But is it still the same with bunker coal on a collier in the 1920's.


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## lakercapt (Jul 19, 2005)

Same as on any ship.
To check if a tank has any water/oil in it.
Also to note if there is any water in the bilge.


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## John Rogers (May 11, 2004)

Cofferdam is a word that people want to know about.


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## LynD (Jun 10, 2010)

Sorry to have taken so long to get back to you but thanks for the info.


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## tiachapman (Mar 25, 2008)

sounding pipes

tell me about them twice a day on some ships used to do my head in


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

"Sounding" a method by which to ascertain the depth of a liquid's height.

Our fore bearer's used stones attached to hand lines, cast over the side to ascertain the depth of water that the vessel was in. 

Most vessel's have sounding pipes by which to ascertain the presence and/or depth of liquid in cargo tanks, bunker tanks, bilges, cofferdams, void spaces and other spaces... Typically it is a 1-1/2" diameter pipe at the inboard after corner of the space to be "sounded" and the reading is obtained by dropping a weighted "bob" (of which might be innage or ullage)... Innage is the depth of the liquid from the bottom, ullage the distance from the top to the surface of the liquid....


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

Larger diameter ones may also be used for lowering a thermometer down to check if bulk cargo is heating (or the temperature of oil)


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## Farmer John (Feb 22, 2012)

Duncan112 said:


> Larger diameter ones may also be used for lowering a thermometer down to check if bulk cargo is heating (or the temperature of oil)


Or a group of three dispersed over the depth of the cargo. I seem to remember being covered in palm oil if you were not careful, and also going out when we were getting the odd wave rolling up yer legs as clung to a wire rigged for the purpose. I think it was the third who wrote it all down, and got worried when a thermometer broke coming out of the pipe.


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

The clue is in the name(Ouch)


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## joebuckham (Apr 1, 2005)

A.D.FROST said:


> The clue is in the name(Ouch)


what did they sound like ??


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

"plop" !!!!


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## steamer659 (Mar 18, 2009)

"plop" !!!


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## ninabaker (May 4, 2012)

Perhaps you would also wish to know about ULLAGE PLUGS?

Whereas a sounding measures the amount of liquid in the tank, the ullage measures the amount of liquid NOT in the tank, i.e. the height of the air space above the liquid's surface. On old oil tankers each tank had an ullage plug which was a short pipe sticking up from the deck with a screw-on lid (generally bronze to prevent sparks occuring). You opened it when loading/discharging and dropped a float (piece of wood) down on the end of a long tape measure and when the float landed you felt the weight come off the tape as it was slipping through your fingers and then you read off the tape length and knew the Ullage of that tank.

All done by robots now I would imagine. The early Whessoe gauges were the beginning of the end for manual ullage measuring.

nina


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

A sounding pipe is a device used by some to flog the amount remaining in a tank during surveys etc.


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## colmw1 (Mar 15, 2014)

your 100% correct. check for liquids !!


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## A.D.FROST (Sep 1, 2008)

joebuckham said:


> what did they sound like ??


Flat!bit different to Bag Pipes(Hippy)


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## Aberdonian (Apr 7, 2011)

*Measuring Ullage*



ninabaker said:


> Perhaps you would also wish to know about ULLAGE PLUGS?
> 
> Whereas a sounding measures the amount of liquid in the tank, the ullage measures the amount of liquid NOT in the tank, i.e. the height of the air space above the liquid's surface. On old oil tankers each tank had an ullage plug which was a short pipe sticking up from the deck with a screw-on lid (generally bronze to prevent sparks occuring). You opened it when loading/discharging and dropped a float (piece of wood) down on the end of a long tape measure and when the float landed you felt the weight come off the tape as it was slipping through your fingers and then you read off the tape length and knew the Ullage of that tank.
> 
> nina


I have a vague recollection of using wooden sword-sticks for measuring ullage when the loading of a particular tank is nearing completion. 
So long ago, now....

Keith


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## Duncan112 (Dec 28, 2006)

And this stuff!! http://www.keishamarine.com/ecatalog/Water-Finding-Paste_1028.html


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

Aberdonian said:


> I have a vague recollection of using wooden sword-sticks for measuring ullage when the loading of a particular tank is nearing completion.
> So long ago, now....
> 
> Keith


You mean Jesus sticks ?.


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## Aberdonian (Apr 7, 2011)

Can't recall that one, John, but it fits the bill!

Keith


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## Split (Jun 25, 2006)

John Cassels said:


> You mean Jesus sticks ?.


Sounding used to be the chippy's job. Once, when Chippy was paid off sick, it fell on me to do it. A white crew apprentice got those "fill-in" jobs. All the double bottom tanks and bilges were sounded by me every morning. I used to go down the tunnel for 7 and 8. The second engineer was waiting for me, when I got back to the engineroom, so that he could check the bilges and pump them out.

Ullage sticks were different and used for topping off cargo tanks on tankers,


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## John Cassels (Sep 29, 2005)

Split said:


> Sounding used to be the chippy's job. Once, when Chippy was paid off sick, it fell on me to do it. A white crew apprentice got those "fill-in" jobs. All the double bottom tanks and bilges were sounded by me every morning. I used to go down the tunnel for 7 and 8. The second engineer was waiting for me, when I got back to the engineroom, so that he could check the bilges and pump them out.
> 
> Ullage sticks were different and used for topping off cargo tanks on tankers,



Yes , I was talking about topping off .


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