The Merchant Marine Express

We’ve arrived into Lake Charles, Louisiana!

We’re expected to take a full load of jet fuel destined for Port Everglades, Florida and this action may take a couple of days to accomplish. Afterwards, the ship, itself will require a top off of its own operating fuel so we’ll head to an anchorage for this purpose. Once these tasks are completed, it should be late on the ninth before we can head back out towards the Gulf.

Not sure what we’ll do next in order to avoid Hurricane Ike, I’m anticipating the captain making a statement and issuing it to me and the
other officers who are responsible in directing this ship towards her destination, where ever that may be.

The trip over from Tampa went well, I want to report. The Mate was busy cleaning tanks and I took part, briefly, with helping out and turning valves and supervising crewmembers as they would enter a confined space. These huge cavernous tanks are approximately forty feet deep, seventy feet long and sixty feet wide. A large rectangular space designed for all types of fuels, these tanks have to be cleaned of previous fuels or products and not contaminate the following cargo.

Large washing rods pushing long streams of water are blasted at a high rate and reach all portions of the tanks from a fixed position, within, at the overhead of each tank. The water containing any residual fuels wash down and are sucked back out by the internal pump and directed into a designated tank that is solely used for ’slop’ or undesired liquids. Once this feat is accomplished, each tank is allowed time to air out and oxygen is allowed to enter into each tank. Afterwards, the Mate checks for the oxygen content to be sufficient enough for a crew member by lowering an oxygen sensor into the tank. Once the tank is cleared for entry, a crew member brings with him, a spare oxygen bottle, and a communications radio and enters via one of a number of trunks that have ladders that descend down
into the tank. Soon, the crew member can make checks of the bottom of the tank, and also sump out any remaining water that has accumulated by the use of a portable sump pump.

I’ve had to do this task a number of times while aboard the Seabulk America tanker a few years ago. I remember, well, the intenseness I felt as I entered into the depths of each tank. Dark, cold, and creepy, each time I entered into a tank, I would look back at how the hole that I entered with daylight peeking in, would gradually get smaller and smaller.

I hope to give a report just prior to entering the Gulf of Mexico on the hurricane update and what our actions will be.

Have a great day!

Tags: Chemical Explorer