# Deck seal looked wet, HVPQ said semi-dry **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Tags:** tankers, tanker-safety, inert-gas\ **Created:** [September 16, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/deck-seal-looked-wet-hvpq-said-semi-dry/77420 "2026-09-16T02:36:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Raghu\_Sharma](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/raghu_sharma/32/71148_2.png) [@Raghu\_Sharma](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Raghu_Sharma)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 2:36am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/deck-seal-looked-wet-hvpq-said-semi-dry/77420/1 "2026-09-16T02:36:56Z")
Our deck seal looked like a wet type, but the HVPQ said semi-dry. Neither the nameplate nor the manual clearly settled it. We worked through the drawings and obtained the manufacturer’s confirmation. As Master, what interested me was how easily experience with familiar designs could lead us to question the entry. I’ve written up the case, including the operating principle and the vetting implications. > **[The Deck Seal That Looked Wet - The DeepDraft](https://thedeepdraft.com/2026/09/14/deck-seal-looked-wet-semi-dry-water-displacement-tags/)** > > A deck seal can look familiar, be entered confidently in the HVPQ, and still be misunderstood. On this tanker, the answer was not in the casing, but in how the seal water moved when inert gas started flowing. ---
**Author:** ![dbeierl](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/dbeierl/32/11833_2.png) [@dbeierl](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/dbeierl)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/deck-seal-looked-wet-hvpq-said-semi-dry/77420/2 "2026-09-16T15:33:19Z")
Seems to me that for the benefit of both crew and inspectors, that sort of thing should be clearly marked on the equipment itself as well as the literature.