[BITList] Contaminated Fuel Oil

[michael J Feltham]

Talking about contamination reminds me, when I was employed by a Chinese company, I served on a 72,000 Bulk Carrier with a Sulzer Main Engine.  She was under the Panama Flag.

The Chinese Chief Engineer, with a Panamanian ticket, used to put the used Generator Lub Oil in the Main Engine Sump, saving  money for the Company ?

The Chief was relieved by a Bangladeshi Chief with a British ticket.  The day after he joined, he brought a coffee jar full of this black Lub Oil from the Main Engine Sump to show me and the Super, he said he would mention this when the returned to Hong Kong.  We were in N. China.

We proceeded to Europe, calling at Singapore for Bunkers, again a different Super was shown a sample of the Main Engine Sump, he said he would report it to Hong Kong when he flew there.

We anchored at Suez, waiting for the Convoy time for the Suez Canal.  After about 6 hours the Pilot boarded but by this time all the shit in the Engine had sunk to the bottom of the Sump resulting in the Filters choking and stopping the Main Engine !

Eventually the Engineers were able to do something about this problem but by this time a Class Surveyor was involved along with a Senior Pilot.  We steamed around the Bay doing numerous Stop/Starts.  We passed, however the Lloyds Surveyor said that the Main Engine should be flushed through with fresh Luboil and a full charge be supplied in addition at Lisbon, our discharge Port

It must have cost an arm and a leg !

Mike