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Engineroom storekeeper.

8K views 30 replies 18 participants last post by  Bankman 
One the Chinese crew ships with BSL the storekeeper was known as No. 1 Greaser, and he might have 2 dayworkers, plus 3 watchkeeping donkeymen and a greasers cook. He was the bossman.
Unbeknown to me as a 1st trip junior, I asked one of the dayworkers to give me a lift with something. He did, but a bit later the 2/E came to me and put me wise about the Chinese losing face, by not asking No. 1. It was never a problem later with West Indian or White crew.

When the clocks were changed No1. Would write on the ER blackboard in Chinese script. One time one of the engineers rubbed a bit out and added a few squiggles of his own to see the look on their faces when they came read it.

We also had two Chinese mechanics who had come out of Singapore dockyard and they used to look after the maintenance of the Ruston generators. There was always a set of cyl heads ready for the next overhaul. That ship used to run like clockwork. 2nd & Jnr on day work and standbys & 3 watchkeeping engineers.
Obviously the Chief Engineer never went near the ER, and only the 2nd spoke to him, unless he spoke to you.
 
Yes, I believe it was called thin walled mechanical tubing.

I was involved with the building of 5 product tankers (JP5) in Tampa Florida and they actually fitted solid drawn 1" -1.5 round bar as handrail all over the ER, then painted it which prevented you from sliding down the ladders.

Also the bottom plates instead of being checker plate as they used higher up was open grating not a good idea. Between the Japanese and American designers the ER was a bit of a c**** up by modern standards I had just left.
Even cheaper, there were no pneumicators fitted to the DO or HFO deep tanks.
This was 1984 and yet I sailed on British ships built it early 50's that had pneumicators on all fuel tanks.

Opposite to that they had a pto generator off the ME and the 3 Cats could start up automatically and go straight onto the swb without human intervention.

Whilst on trials just running Full Ahead on the pto, the super said, "Right, I want you to put the telegraph to Half Astern, and will see how good everything is".
Apart from a few bangs and crashesa puff of smoke out of the tbb it actually worked.
I am sure some of the shipyard Eng Mgt were thinking were can I work next, or will the whole lot blow up.
 
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