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54 NAVY ENGINEERING BULLETIN AUGUST 2002 continually. The company can illafford delays of any variety. Time is indeed money! The scheme of complement of the Iron Monarch is typical of that found on most of the merchant fleet in Australia and worldwide. The complement of 17 consists of: Master 1st, 2nd & 3rd Mates Chief Engineer 1st, 2nd & 3rd Engineers Chief Integrated Rating (IR) - the Bosun 6 IR’s Cook Chief Steward -victuals, messman The ship’s complement is employed in a six weeks on, six weeks off arrangement. Each sixweek period on is known as a ‘swing’. The Engineers and Deck Officers are considered Officers, and the remainder ‘Ratings’ or ‘crew’. Though separate recreation-space arrangements remain, traditional separate messing has been abolished and all personnel, including the Master, take meals in the common ‘Duty Mess’. At the completion of the swing, all crewmembers hand over to their reliefs simultaneously. Officer hand-overs are staggered to ensure sufficient knowledge transfer. Marine Engineers’ careers normally begin at the <strong>Australian</strong> Maritime College at Launceston in Tasmania. Here, a Bachelor in Technology (Marine Engineering), in addition to some requisite trade skills, are obtained before proceeding to sea as the 4th or 5th Engineer for on the job training (and the unavoidable task book!). Upon being awarded a Watchkeeping Certificate, Engineers graduate to 3rd Engineer. It was interesting to discover that the 3rd Engineer had pursued entry for the same ADFA intake as I had, but instead accepted a BHP cadetship offer. Now earning effectively double my salary, and with a guaranteed 6 months leave per annum, it seemed a reasonable decision! As the Iron Monarch operates an Unmanned Machinery Space (UMS), all Engineers are dayhands, with a 0800 to 1600h routine. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd Engineers alternate in performing the role of Duty Engineer every third day, which is known as being ‘on the gear’. The Duty Engineer conducts rounds three times daily, at 0800, 1600 and 2100. A machinery alarm is fitted to all communal spaces and set to the Duty Engineer’s cabin. Upon activation of the alarm at any time within his/her 24-hour duty, the Duty Engineer must attend the Machinery Control Room (MCR) and acknowledge the alarm. On most UMS ships, though not in the Monarch, a set time limit is allowed for the Duty Engineer to acknowledge the alarm, before the alarm resounds throughout the entire ship - a costly error for the slow Duty Engineer! Interestingly, the propulsion control and UMS equipment onboard HMAS Westralia by far exceeds the capability of the equivalent on the Iron Monarch. Westralia’s remote watchkeeper alarm panels enable identification and gives the value/status of the alarm in question, whereas the Monarch’s does not identify the alarm. Onboard Engineering responsibilities are divided in a standard fashion throughout the fleet. The 1st Engineer has responsibility for the main engines, the 2nd Engineer the Diesel Alternators and the 3rd Engineer the purifiers, compressors and other auxiliaries. Each is occupied throughout working hours conducting Planned Maintenance routines and defect rectification. Additionally, one IR is assigned to the Engine Room, and performs tasks under direction of the 1st Engineer. This work normally involves such tasks as painting, cleaning or TA work. The Chief Engineer has responsibility for all engineering activities, and for arranging repairs alongside by contractor. BHP has a schedule of preferred subcontractors for both ends of the voyage. Thus eliminating any third party, the Chief Engineer has direct responsibility for contractor selection, acceptance of work, and certification requirements. The Engineering department is also responsible for its own spares and consumables acquisition and inventory control. Planned Maintenance is conducted in accordance with the job cards generated by the onboard system ‘Microplan’. Job sheets are produced at the commencement of each month and placed in a folder in the Engine room. Over the course of the month, the Engineers progress the jobs, returning the form to the Chief Engineer complete with any details, measurements, pre and post condition reports and stores consumed and remaining. Any adhoc maintenance (unscheduled) conducted is detailed on a form and forwarded to the Chief Engineer. This detail is added to ‘Microplan’, thus providing the maintenance history of all maintainable items.
NAVY ENGINEERING BULLETIN AUGUST 2002 55 The Iron Monarch is maintained in-class under Lloyds Register, in a 60 monthly Continuous Machinery Survey (CMS), similarly to HMAS WESTRALIA. The Iron Monarch’s propulsion plant consists of two medium fixed speed Wartsilla diesels with pneumatic clutches, a single reduction gearbox driving a single propeller shaft and CPP, plus a shaft alternator, thus giving it a very similar configuration to WESTRALIA. Three Diesel Alternators are fitted for use alongside and during ‘standby’ (the merchant version of RAN ‘specials’), whereas the shaft alternator carries the cruising electrical load. The ‘Standby’ crew consists of the Chief and Duty Engineer closed up in the MCR, and the Master and 1st Mate on the Bridge. The on-watch deck officer will give the Duty Engineer one hour’s notice prior to departure or entering harbor. The flash-up is achieved in around 40 minutes. The ship is required to achieve an operational availability of 98%. Allowable maintenance periods consists of one eight hour lay period at Port Kembla per month, an annual 4-5 day period and a 30-monthly 12 day docking. Thus it is imperative that the crew conduct the majority of the required work, with minimal shore support. Full advantage is taken of machinery redundancies to allow work to take place at sea, and all windows of opportunity during cargo operations. Much maintenance and repair effort of the cargo gantries is necessary to minimise disruption to cargo operations. Gantry call-outs are the least favourite of the Duty Engineer, particularly where operator error (by the wharfies) is blamed! Nevertheless, the speed with which the defect is rectified is particularly critical. With the availability focus, Engineers are not burdened with ancillary duties, and the Deck Officers shoulder a large share of other work. In addition to keeping four hour 1-in-3 watches at sea, Deck Officers keep eight hour cargo watches alongside, are responsible for ballasting, crew welfare and administration, maintenance and lead of damage control equipment and exercises, victuals and domestic supplies, shore water and telephone connections and ship’s husbandry. To conclude, the commercial shipping environment differs significantly from RAN practice, each organisation being driven by different requirements and with different stakeholders in each ship. There are however, several examples of improved means of doing business that would certainly be applicable to RAN vessels, the auxiliary ships in particular. The substantial detail necessary to support such an argument would constitute another article. Footnote: An opportunity exists for ME officers to undertake similar short-term secondments to a merchant vessel. This experience will be of most benefit to Officers with a minimum of MEOCC qualification. For further details see <strong>Navy</strong> Engineering Bulletin Issue 2 February 2002 (page 13). About the Author LEUT Raymond Howe graduated from ADFA in 1999. Awarded an MEOCC onboard HMAS WESTRALIA in November 2001, he is currently posted as the WA Liaison Officer at AASSPO, and WESTRALIA Maintenance Manager. Brief details on Iron Monarch • Roll On - Roll off vessel • 14,885 dwt (deadweight tonnes - cargo carrying capacity) • 179.3m - length overall • 24.9m - beam • 17.4m - depth • 8.8m - summer loaded draft • 15.5 knots service speed - on 31.5 tonnes heavy fuel oil / day Propulsion • 2 x 12V32 Wartsila four stroke cycle diesel engines 10,900 BHP (8020kW) driving through a reduction gearbox to a single controllable pitch propeller. Electrics • 1 x 500kW - shaft alternator • 2 x 600kW - diesel alternators • 1 x 1450kW - diesel alternator Manning • Master and three deck officers • Chief Engineer and three engineer officers • Chief Steward • Cook
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