I work on a tanker that moves primarily ULSD/Jet. We’ve developed a 1” hole in our stripping line on deck. It’s 1” from the deck on a vertical pipe. The determination by shoreside is to put a ‘collar’ on it and kick the can down the road. Any insight as to regulations on this ? Consensus onboard is this not the solution.
If the leak is stopped as a temporary measure, no problem. But permanent repairs need to be made ASAP. Why cannot onboard engineers cannot make a proper repair.?
Have the engineers make a new pipe.
Do you mean the pipe finally rusted through after a couple of years of neglect and a chipping hammer assist?
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You are leaking liquids.
Where are they ending up?
It sounds like the company is breaching IOPP regs big style.
Leave, immediately.
That makes it sound like it’s just above a deck penetration? So not an easily removable (read:gas-freed) pipe segment? What does Class allow? Generally temporary/emergency repairs are permissible at sea, but the expectation is usually that it’s properly repaired to the applicable standard as soon as you hit port.
I’ve never seen good metal develope a hole that big. You might end up changing the whole line.
Welding on red flag barges can be a major operation that involves taking the barge out of service, cleaning degassing pairs of tanks or the whole barge itself. The owners of the product or clients might not allow welding anywhere on deck. I would assume it could be similar on tankers. I’ve worked for a tug/ATB company that didn’t even allow welding machines on board their tugs & barges.
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Exactly right. Just above deck penetration . There is a temporary patch (gasket w/clamps). I’m a bit unsure regarding ABS requirements but I believe anything 4” or less from deck is required to be replaced with new pipe section, Scuttlebutt is that a temp collar til next shipyard ……just trying to figure out exactly what applicable standard is.
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Gas free the tank and the line and weld a patch over it. Have to get the office involved, but that’s the fix until the shipyard.
gas freeing that probably not happening at sea. they’re probably doing the best possible, just quit stripping the last of that tank till yard inport
Can’t say for certain without knowing which class rules you fall under, but you should find out if cargo stripping piping and/or weather deck penetrations (if it is a weather deck) might fall under “hull, machinery, or equipment which affect or may affect classification”. If so, you’d be wise to consider the following ABS survey rule:
7.3 Suspension of Classification
Failure to submit a damage, failure, deterioration or repair governed by 7-1-1/7.1.1 to a Surveyor for examination at first opportunity, or failure to notify ABS in advance of the repairs contemplated by 7-1-1/7.1.2, may result in suspension of the vessel’s classification from the date of arrival at the first port of call after the initial damage, failure, deterioration or repair until such time as the damage, failure or deterioration is repaired to the Surveyor’s satisfaction, or the repair is redone or evidence submitted to satisfy the Surveyor that the repair was properly carried out.
This is something the Chief Engineer should know/be handling. Regardless, I can’t see a scenario where a hose clamp on a hydrocarbon line is going to meet any reasonable requirement.
There are multiple repair options that meet requirements that do not involve the considerable expense and downtime involved with gas freeing and making hot work repairs.
Ensure the temporary collar repair is the correct one for the application and that all application instructions are followed. The devil is in the details. Torque, surface prep, work time if using a Belzona product, etc.
If the office is refusing to purchase proper temporary repair materials that’s the time to make a stink, but there’s a big difference between a leaky hose clamp with rubber and a proper temporary repair.
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Why not? It’s Jet and ULSD. Wash, purge, gas free. It’s not the end of the world.
tengineer1 probably has the best answer on my ships gas freeing a space or two as big as a school bus or bigger just isn’t happening but I see your discharge line is ONE INCH … so maybe your tanks are not so big but I’d still put a bandaid on it, avoid using the stripper pump/lines and ride it till it goes to dry dock.
So your solution is to just not strip that tank until the next shipyard??
The charterer will love that.
You’re supposed to wash going from ULSD to Jet anyway. This isn’t adding much more to the operation.
‘Darkpuss’ did not mention the diameter of the stripping line, only that the hole in this line was ‘one inch’…
ABS approved straub coupling
ABS approved fiberglass and epoxy patch with a metal plate and metal bandit strong back.
These are generally acceptable till the next shipyard, with ABS notification and approval.
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With all of the companies that I’ve worked for the CE doesn’t directly liaise with class, that will all go through the port engineer. The only times I’ve worked with directly with class as CE is when they’re on board.
By “know/be handling” I meant that the CE should know what is reportable and what the acceptable repair is, vs OP talking about “consensus onboard” and “scuttlebutt”.
I agree that the communication to Class is usually the Captain or Port Engineer, but it’s not been my experience that either of those two always know the rules.
What is “a collar”? A DRESSER coupling is considered by the USCG a permanent repair in most applications.
I’m not oblivious to the stupidity that comes from “Shoreside” but we are not always correct either.