Unit 6

Engine Room Watch-Keeping Duties

6.1 Watch arrangements

The chief engineer of every ship shall, in consultation with the master, ensure that
watchkeeping arrangements are adequate to maintain a safe engineering watch.
The term "engineering watch" means either a person or a group of personnel comprising the
watch or a period of responsibility for an officer during which the physical presence in the
machinery spaces of that officer may or may not be required.
The officer in charge of the engineering watch is the chief engineer officer's representative
and is primarily responsible at all times for the safe and efficient operation and upkeep of
machinery affecting the safety of the ship and is responsible for the inspection, operation and
testing, as required, of all machinery and equipment under the responsibility of the
engineering watch.
The composition of the engineering watch shall at all times be adequate to ensure the safe
operation of all machinery affecting the operation of the ship, in either automated or manual
mode, and be appropriate to the prevailing circumstances and conditions.
When deciding the composition of the engineering watch, which may include appropriately
qualified ratings, the following criteria, inter alia, shall be taken into account:
(a) the type of ship and the type and condition of the machinery;
(b) the adequate supervision, at all times, of machinery affecting the safe operation
of the ship;
(c) any special modes of operation dictated by conditions such as weather, ice,
contaminated water, shallow water, emergency conditions, damage containment or
pollution abatement;
(d) the qualifications and experience of the engineering watch;
(e) the safety of life, ship, cargo and port, and protection of the marine environment;
(f) the observance of international, national and local regulations; and
(g) the maintenance of the normal operations of the ship.
6.2

Handing/Taking over the watch

The officer in charge of the engineering watch shall not hand over the watch to the relieving
officer if there is reason to believe that the latter is obviously not capable of carrying out the
watchkeeping duties effectively, in which case the chief engineer officer shall be notified.
The relieving officer of the engineering watch shall ensure that the members of the relieving

engineering watch are apparently fully capable of performing their duties effectively.
Prior to taking over the engineering watch, relieving officers shall satisfy themselves
regarding at least the following(a) the standing orders and special instructions of the chief engineer officer relating
to the operation of the ship's systems and machinery;
(b) the nature of all work being performed on machinery and systems, the personnel
involved and potential hazards;
(c) the level and, where applicable, the condition of water or residues in bilges,
ballast tanks, slop tanks, reserve tanks, fresh water tanks, sewage tanks and any
special requirements for use or disposal of the contents thereof;
(d) the condition and level of fuel in the reserve tanks, settling tank, day tank and
other fuel storage facilities;
(e) any special requirements relating to sanitary system disposals;
(f) the condition and mode of operation of the various main and auxiliary systems,
including the electrical power distribution system;
(g) where applicable, the condition of monitoring and control console equipment,
and which equipment is being operated manually;
(h) where applicable, the condition and mode of operation of automatic boiler
controls such as flame safeguard control systems, limit control systems, combustion
control systems, fuel-supply control systems and other equipment related to the
operation of steam boilers;
(i) any potentially adverse conditions resulting from bad weather, ice, or
contaminated or shallow water;
(j) any special modes of operation dictated by equipment failure or adverse ship
conditions;
(k) the reports of engine room ratings relating to their assigned duties;
(l) the availability of fire-fighting appliances; and
(m) the state of completion of engine room log.

6.3

Getting in touch

Engineers should not only depend on instruments to tell them the engines condition, but also
rely on the human sense of touch.
As they walk along the top plates they check for the relief valves and air start valves that they
are not leaking back by resting a hand on the connecting pipework. The reason for this action
is that if a relief valve is leaking back the pipework will be hot, due to hot combustion gases,
sometimes this is caused by the relief valve having lifted and not re-seating properly. A sharp
tap on the top of the valve with a hammer can reseat it. However if leaking for some other
reason, this will affect the efficiency of the combustion process and the valve should be
replaced.

Similarly if an air-start valve is leaking back, the pipework will be hot due to the combustion
gases. Here however the similarity ends! A leaking air-start valve can allow the gases to flow
back down the air supply pipework and into the air-start vessel, where it can combine with
the compressed air/oil vapour and cause the vessel to explode.
To avoid the possibility of such an explosion involving compressed air, the individual airstart isolating valves and compressed air vessel outlet valves should be shut at all times
except when manoeuvring. Any suspect air-start valves should be replaced, and compressed
air vessels drained of the mixture of air, water and oil, the oil having been carried forward by
the air compressor lubrication.
A hot crankcase door can be indicative of a bearing or other engine component running hot.
An oil mist forms on the inside of the crankcase and the crankcase gets progressively hotter
due to lube-oil overheating in an attempt to cool the bearing/s.
One sure-fire way of confirming this is by walking along the bottom plates of the engine
room and running a hand along the crankcase doors; any overheating problems will soon
manifest themselves through the skin on the back of a hand, much faster than relying on the
oily-mist detector or in the extreme situation of the crankcase explosion doors lifting.
Lastly lets look at the propeller drive shaft bearings and stern gland. The propeller shaft will
have been aligned to the main engine at the shipyard where the ship was built, and alignment
subsequently checked in dry dock during yearly survey. However, the larger ships of today
such as VLCC, LNG or Container ships have a lot of fore and aft movement, especially if
sailing light-ship or in ballast, so there is a lot of stress on the prop shaft which is transmitted
as torque to the shaft bearings.
Moving on down the tunnel the rest of the bearings are checked in the same manner, until we
reach the stern gland. The stern gland should always have a trickle of seawater running out of
it and this ensures not only a cool running gland but also that the gland packing and shaft are
being lubricated. Again laying a hand on the gland will tell if it is running hot carefully
slackening off the gland adjusting nuts in sequence will increase the flow of seawater through
the packing and cool the whole stern gland down.
All this touching of pipes and components by hand to check for excessive heat soon becomes
second nature to the experienced watch-keeper.

6.4 Comprehension Exercises

Ex. 1 Give the right answer:
It is the responsibility of the (a. master; b. chief mate; c. chief engineer) to assign the engine
room watch keeping assignments and establish the watch keeping (a. standards; b. data; c.
rules)
The watch standers primary responsibility is to (a. watch; b. monitor; c. check) the engine
room from the ECR. The thruster rooms, motor room and fan rooms should be checked at
least once each (a. week; b. year; c. watch). (a. relying; b. depending; c. based) on operations,
deck machinery should also be checked.
Watch standing is a science (a. also; b. well and good; c. as well as) an art. Watch standers
must keep aware of normal machinery sound, temperatures and vibrations so they (a. can; b.
may; c. must) be alert to small changes form the normal running of the machinery and so (a.
head for; b. head off; c. head up) larger problems.
Ex. 2 Give the right phrasal verbs with 'up'
Jane and I want to ... up smoking.
Could you ... me up at 6 o'clock?
We must ... up or we will miss the bus.
Can you ... me up at the station?
I usually have to ... up at half past six.
I must ... up my cabin today.

Jane and I want to give up smoking.

Could you wake me up at 6 o'clock?
We must hurry up or we will miss the bus.
Can you pick me up at the station?
I usually have to get up at half past six.
I must tidy up my cabin today.

Ex. 3 Give the right phrasal verbs with 'on'

Please ... on your coat, it's cold outside.
Do you mind if I ... on the telly? I want to watch the news.
Excuse me. Where can I ... on the shirt?
Can I ... on reading now?
If you don't ... on the train now, it will leave without you.

Please put on your coat, it's cold outside.

Do you mind if I turn on the telly? I want to watch the news.

Excuse me. Where can I try on the shirt?

Can I carry on reading now?
If you don't get on the train now, it will leave without you.

Bibliography / Webography
1. Van Kluijven, P.C. The International Maritime Language Programme, Alk & Heijnen
Publishers, Alkmaar, 2005.
2. Logie, Vivers, Nisbet Marlins Study Pack 2 (book and 2 audio cassettes). Edinburgh,
Marlins, 1998 (ISBN 09531748 1 6)
3. Murphy, R. Essential Grammar In Use. 1st ed. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press,
1990 (ISBN 0 521 35770 5)