I took my 1st first engineers job on a tanker loading grain for the happening hot spot of Chittagong. My 2nd and third were at the same experience level as myself. Things were going ok til we were in the Med. just North of Libya. The turbo generator just died, lights out no reason on my watch 4-8 am watch. I start the standby,diesel, put the synchroscope on (had to be on to close breaker even when no other genset on), closed the breaker and a ball of fire shoots out of the main switchboard. The old time chief was on the ladder coming down and saw the blue arc shooting behind the switchboard. He calmly says, “I guess were in some deep shit but we’ll get her back.” We did 3 hours later after sawing out grounded hard links to the hot side of 3 breakers and moving 2 air compressor breakers to spare ones. That chief was cool under fire and I always strived to copy his demeanor when the shit hit the fan
I love the old timers. Both stories and work ethic. My father is a retired Cheng out of Calhoon who sailed for over 30 years. I was fortunate to have sailed my cadet trip with him on his final voyage. Would not have traded that for anything
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;97060]I took my 1st first engineers job on a tanker loading grain for the happening hot spot of Chittagong. My 2nd and third were at the same experience level as myself. Things were going ok til we were in the Med. just North of Libya. The turbo generator just died, lights out no reason on my watch 4-8 am watch. I start the standby,diesel, put the synchroscope on (had to be on to close breaker even when no other genset on), closed the breaker and a ball of fire shoots out of the main switchboard. The old time chief was on the ladder coming down and saw the blue arc shooting behind the switchboard. He calmly says, “I guess were in some deep shit but we’ll get her back.” We did 3 hours later after sawing out grounded hard links to the hot side of 3 breakers and moving 2 air compressor breakers to spare ones. That chief was cool under fire and I always strived to copy his demeanor when the shit hit the fan[/QUOTE]
With us, Too bad steam is gone, it was natural. I wonder how THAT happened. Notice, no question mark on my sentence. We know.
[QUOTE=brjones;97068]I love the old timers. Both stories and work ethic. My father is a retired Cheng out of Calhoon who sailed for over 30 years. I was fortunate to have sailed my cadet trip with him on his final voyage. Would not have traded that for anything[/QUOTE]
Yet again, my Thanks button is still AWOL, but what a nice post, brjones! Thank you.
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;97069]With us, Too bad steam is gone, it was natural. I wonder how THAT happened. Notice, no question mark on my sentence. We know.[/QUOTE]
Federal Pacific switchboards on San Clemente tankers were known to ground out from grain dust. The chief on a different San clemente I worked on had flash burns on his wrist where the shore power breaker short circuited when he closed it. Fed Pac lost it’s UL ratings and was not the best switchgear around
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;97113]Federal Pacific switchboards on San Clemente tankers were known to ground out from grain dust. The chief on a different San clemente I worked on had flash burns on his wrist where the shore power breaker short circuited when he closed it. Fed Pac lost it’s UL ratings and was not the best switchgear around[/QUOTE]
“3 hours later,” that some fine mechanics. Never worked a San Clemente but I heard stories not that those stories would stop me from signing-on. It just never came my way. Most of my show stoppers involved the boilers, boiler related equipment, and pumps, especially the fabled Coffin Feed Pump. With Getty Oil, back in the late 70’s, I got experience rebuilding those gems on the T-2’s, good thing too, I was to face a future of many coffin repairs. Back in the mid 80’s we lost a feed pump on a Tanker (at 0200, of course). The 3rd lit-off the other pump and had it going by the time the Chief and I (me being the day working First) entered the ER. The Chief looked at me, said, well. John, here’s where you and I earn our money, you ready? Yup, and so we began, 12 hours later (no breaks, just steady work) we had it on line. The Chief was 66 years old, I was 20 years younger but the dexterity and grit of this Chief Engineer impressed me greatly. He was from the old school, the days the when C/E worked with his hands. When all was settled he invited me to his cabin where we shared a few cold ones. Beer never taste so good as when you work for it. I want to believe there are still some like this Chief out there.
I was privileged to sail with some amazing engineers over my 39 years in the business. I can only remember one engineer that didn’t encourage me to study and advance in my early years. I was handed down well worn Cornell Maritime Press Blue and Red Books, and various Navy pubs. Over the years, what study material I purchased was handed down in the same fashion. I learned early on that helping the QMEDS study and advance made my studying and advancement much easier. (this was before the question pool was published)
My old Chief from Mobil E&P lived near the REC in Houston. There were at least a dozen QMEDs and ABs stayed at his house while testing for their 3rd Asst and Mates licenses in the early ‘80s after he retired. I stayed with him when I tested for my original 2nd and 1st asst Motor. It was standard fare to bring a large bottle of single malt. Sipping Glenmorangie and Q&A beats any school!
[QUOTE=injunear;97324]I was privileged to sail with some amazing engineers over my 39 years in the business. I can only remember one engineer that didn’t encourage me to study and advance in my early years. I was handed down well worn Cornell Maritime Press Blue and Red Books, and various Navy pubs. Over the years, what study material I purchased was handed down in the same fashion. I learned early on that helping the QMEDS study and advance made my studying and advancement much easier. (this was before the question pool was published)
My old Chief from Mobil E&P lived near the REC in Houston. There were at least a dozen QMEDs and ABs stayed at his house while testing for their 3rd Asst and Mates licenses in the early ‘80s after he retired. I stayed with him when I tested for my original 2nd and 1st asst Motor. It was standard fare to bring a large bottle of single malt. Sipping Glenmorangie and Q&A beats any school![/QUOTE]
Nice post, thank you ~
Team work, eh, injunear ~
I thought of asking you to send me a PM telling me the Chief’s name but doubtful I would know him as in the early 80’s I hooked up with the MEBA plus never sailed Mobile. I did, however, ship out of Houston and New Orleans. I miss these old timers, shoot, these days I’m one.
As a third I was instructed to pull and clean the oil burners every day to keep them from getting coked up in the nasty barely breathing boiler we were running. Of course this was done when I wasn’t busy doing normal third duties which meant not that often. One of the burners quit doing much more than dribbling and of course it would not come out because it was indeed coked up. I got a 500lb come-along and was pulling it about 1 in the morning when the chief decided he couldn’t sleep and strolled down to visit. I knew I was well and truly done far but then he walked up to me and yelled in my ear,“Try a half ton and a hammer!” Never another word was said but I FOUND time to keep them clean after that.
My first assistants job was on an offshore tug towing a large bulk barge, playing deckhand as well. The chief was great, always there to watch me crawl over the MSD tank, packing shaft glands, bilge diving, the whole time breaking my balls, cigarette and coffee in hand. He was an insomniac, and was the biggest shit starter ive ever met. He would lay in his room, and wait for me to get up and take a piss, run out and dab copper never sieze under my door knob, woke up a few times covered. The best one was, we fished off the boat 90% of the time, i get a knock on the door, 2 hours into my off watch. There stands Harvey, telling me to get my dead ass out of bed, and come join everyone else outback, well i was tired, and replied @$%&# and for him to close my door, well next thing i know, he launches a 48" plus VERY ALIVE KINGFISH INTO MY BUNK, and then closed the door. It was some of the best boat time ive ever had,
[QUOTE=tengineer;97334]As a third I was instructed to pull and clean the oil burners every day to keep them from getting coked up in the nasty barely breathing boiler we were running. Of course this was done when I wasn’t busy doing normal third duties which meant not that often. One of the burners quit doing much more than dribbling and of course it would not come out because it was indeed coked up. I got a 500lb come-along and was pulling it about 1 in the morning when the chief decided he couldn’t sleep and strolled down to visit. I knew I was well and truly done far but then he walked up to me and yelled in my ear,“Try a half ton and a hammer!” Never another word was said but I FOUND time to keep them clean after that.[/QUOTE]
Does THAT ever bring back memories. Once aboard a Getty T-2 I couldn’t get one of their long ass burners out and resorted using a come-along and hammer. They don’t call us sledge hammer mechanics for nothing. Ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 
I worked on a Trinadad tanker with an old Mobil chief, I was his first. That guy was a one man shipyard. We had a vertical steam turbine driven fire pump which filled the bilges out it’s packing gland faster than the fire main. I asked him if we parts as I was new aboard and if we could fix that piece of junk. The second and I burned the bolts off the piping and pulled the pump as we looked over and here comes the chief with the new rotating element (shaft and impeller) on his shoulder.We pulled the pump completely out and rebuilt it on the bench in the shop. We were done by 5 pm. We pulled cargo pump turbines and straightened the stationary blade (1/2 that was rubbing on the rotating blades because it was bent) with a rosebud and hydraulic jack. We worked on everything on that ship. I loved working with that guy.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;97381]I worked on a Trinadad tanker with an old Mobil chief, I was his first. That guy was a one man shipyard. We had a vertical steam turbine driven fire pump which filled the bilges out it’s packing gland faster than the fire main. I asked him if we parts as I was new aboard and if we could fix that piece of junk. The second and I burned the bolts off the piping and pulled the pump as we looked over and here comes the chief with the new rotating element (shaft and impeller) on his shoulder.We pulled the pump completely out and rebuilt it on the bench in the shop. We were done by 5 pm. We pulled cargo pump turbines and straightened the stationary blade (1/2 that was rubbing on the rotating blades because it was bent) with a rosebud and hydraulic jack. We worked on everything on that ship. I loved working with that guy.[/QUOTE]
I bet you enjoyed yourselves too - sounds like fun to me - nothing like the satisfaction of seeing the positive outcome of needful repairs.
I always wished I was a better welder but that didn’t stop me.
Loved that smoke wrench.
Say, Too bad steam is gone, you weren’t on that San Clemente converted into a wine tanker were you?
I forgot it’s name but if you were you and I might have been in the same joint in Beaumont, Texas, when your ship and mine was in port, PLUS, once upon a time, we just might have sailed together.
[ATTACH]2875[/ATTACH]
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;97397]Say, Too bad steam is gone, you weren’t on that San Clemente converted into a wine tanker were you?
I forgot it’s name but if you were you and I might have been in the same joint in Beaumont, Texas, when your ship and mine was in port, PLUS, once upon a time, we just might have sailed together.
Wish I was on that wine tanker. I think I was in the hall waiting on the SS Jameson or Dewers to come into San Fran. Been on Chestnut Hill, Golden Endeavor, Kittanning. Went to a rodeo in Beaumont in 1999 when on the Marine Duval (molten sulfur) in Port Arthur shipyard. I liked that area as most of the folks were into hunting and fishing down there like myself. Caught 25# redfish down at Sabine Pass.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;97420]Wish I was on that wine tanker. I think I was in the hall waiting on the SS Jameson or Dewers to come into San Fran. Been on Chestnut Hill, Golden Endeavor, Kittanning. Went to a rodeo in Beaumont in 1999 when on the Marine Duval (molten sulfur) in Port Arthur shipyard. I liked that area as most of the folks were into hunting and fishing down there like myself. Caught 25# redfish down at Sabine Pass.[/QUOTE]
OK, you are Union, so am I, but for a brief part of my life I wasn’t. When Getty went under I hooked-up with the MEBA, most of my shipmates at Getty didn’t. Your posts remind me of one Maine engineer, shoot, must have been mid to late 70’s when he graduated, his attitude and ability toward mechanics is exactly as yours. In time we all lost contact with each other. Just thought you might be him. Hey, ya never can tell.
The MARINE DUVAL. Man, I spent quite a bit of time on that one when I was with ABS. She spent a whole bunch of time laid up in Galveston. I used the machine shop onboard like it was my own to get some of those old chores out of the way (like sharpening the mower blade). . .
This sea story is whacked out. I was on the Sealand/Maersk Lightning. We were getting a new 2nd mate. Our 1st officer said he knew the idiot coming. I asked why he hated the guy. This new 2nd mate was out in DG (Diego Garcia) on a ship with the 1st officer. This 2nd mate comes on the bridge with a string with a large nut tied to it hanging out this mates short pants leg. The chief mate says what the hell is that? This guy wanted to lengthen his Johnson by stretching it with the large hex nut.
The next day after we had our laugh, I went to morning muster in the engine control room. I had a a string coming out of my boiler suit fly (tied around my waist) with a 4 inch flange hanging between my legs. The guys asked what is that. I said I needed some extra stretching like the new mate did before
I have sailed with many interesting characters of all ages. Several years ago, I sailed with an old Able Seaman of exceptional skill. He was a grouchy old bastard, about 65 years old. (I remember when that was old.) Much to his chagrin, he had to stand navigation watch with the 23 year old Second Mate. (TAMUG grad) We would cross paths every morning and evening as I was coming on watch and he was getting off watch. He was always grumbling about the selection of music that the mate would play during their shift.
After a couple of weeks, we were drinking coffee in the galley. The old seaman said “I just couldn’t take it anymore, I threw that mates enema record over the side!”
I decided not to inquire any further on the matter… Later that evening when the 2nd mate got off watch, he asked the crew "has anyone seen my Eminem CD??
[QUOTE=injunear;102185]I have sailed with many interesting characters of all ages. Several years ago, I sailed with an old Able Seaman of exceptional skill. He was a grouchy old bastard, about 65 years old. (I remember when that was old.) Much to his chagrin, he had to stand navigation watch with the 23 year old Second Mate. (TAMUG grad) We would cross paths every morning and evening as I was coming on watch and he was getting off watch. He was always grumbling about the selection of music that the mate would play during their shift.
After a couple of weeks, we were drinking coffee in the galley. The old seaman said “I just couldn’t take it anymore, I threw that mates enema record over the side!”
I decided not to inquire any further on the matter… Later that evening when the 2nd mate got off watch, he asked the crew "has anyone seen my Eminem CD??[/QUOTE]
That kinda sounds like a guy I worked with on the EOT Spar. Was a great guy.