It was a nice trip to Kerala. Like always, I took train on my way home, along the beautiful Western Ghats. The monsoon had made the mountains green and the water bodies full.
Many of my relatives were surprised that I decided to go to Korea, a place not many heard, and some associated it with “snake-eaters”, and short people with flat nose and small eyes. I learnt later how most of these were just misinformation.
Like always I took the flight on my return journey.
* * *
“Good morning Meghnad,” I greeted as I entered the design approval room.
I startled him. He quickly composed himself and asked, “Did you enjoy your holiday?”
“Yes, I did. Did you miss me?”
He answered very chivalrously, “Yes I did. In fact not just me, there are two more people who really missed you.”
I was curious, “Who are the other two?”
“You see, we have two more people in the site team from this office apart from me. They will be here any minute.”
“All right. It will be my pleasure to meet the team members.” Not wanting to lose any precious time of learning, I asked, “You had told me about the design. Would you tell me how the whole process is done?”
“The best person who can answer your question is the project manager in the shipyard design department. However, I can give you a rough idea,” he added, noticing my disappointment.
“Do you know what is a contract specification?”
“Yes I do. Pradeep told me that it is the detailed description of all the systems and equipment in a ship,” I answered confidently.
“Good,” he said, “In addition to this document, usually running in to several hundred pages, another important drawing accompanies it. It is the General Arrangement plan.”
“Let me show it to you,” he said and walked towards the shelves. As he came with a folded drawing in hand, he added, “In case of ships like oil tankers, another drawing also accompanies the contract specification. It is the Piping Arrangement plan, about which I will tell you later.”
He took the folded drawing and placed it on the conference table. As he spread the drawing I noticed that it was a huge one, a never-ending sheet. Soon it was spread out and looked like it measured almost a meter in width and a meter in length.
When Meghnad saw my surprise, he said, “This drawing is in A0 size – 840 mm by 1188 mm, sixteen times the size of a normal A4 size paper. Most of the drawings are this size to ensure that all the details are clearly seen.”
“This General Arrangement drawing or GA as it is called contains the layout of the ship. Let me show you some of the items,” saying that he pointed out to drawing and continued, “For every three dimensional (3-D) body there are three views – plan, elevation and front/back view; all shown in 2-D or two-dimension. All the three views combined give the complete 3-D picture of the body. “
“Similarly in case of the GA of the ship, it also shows the three views. The plan is the top view of the ship at various decks or levels. The elevation is side view with the forward of the ship in the right side and the aft of the ship in the left side of the paper. Lastly the two views taken when the ship is viewed from front and back is also shown.”
While I was trying to grasp the drawing, the door to the room opened and two gentlemen walked in. As they closed the door behind them, the one who was ahead walked towards me and extended his hand. He cleared his throat and said, “Hi Smriti, I am Madan, Chief Engineer at Disha, and part of the site team. This is Thomas, our Electrical Officer on ships, and also with us in Korea Site office,” he led my gaze using his hands.
“Hello Smriti ji. How are you doing?”
“Never been better,” I replied excitedly at getting to meet the rest of the team.
“I thought Chief Engineers and Electrical Officers only work on board ships. Do you guys spend time in the site office too?” I asked to the two, shifting towards Meghnad hoping that he will reply.
“Well, normally they work on board ships. However, their experience on board is very useful to the company to operate the ships from shore office. In this case, their operational experience is very useful to the site team to ensure that our main objective of having Owner’s representative, as explained before, is fully satisfied.” Meghnad further said, “In addition to these two we have other professionals in the site team whom we will meet when we reach Korea.”
“As a Chief Engineer, my main responsibility is to take care of the inspection of machinery and its systems, attend shop trials, installation and testing on board our ship,” Madan told matter-of-factually.
Thomas added, “My role is to take care of the electrical installation including power generation, transmission and utilization.”
“What about the other professionals? What do they specialize in?” I asked Meghnad.
“We have Mr. Kim Tae Ho who is in charge of Hull structure, which includes all the steel and structural fabrication. Mr. Yoon Sang Chan who takes care of coating, which includes all the surfaces on the ship.”
“Interesting! There seem to be experts in all fields. Are ships that complicated?” I wondered loudly.
Madan was ready with his wisdom, “When we at the sea, we do not have any workshops or repair center there. So, a ship has to be totally independent from the outside world in all aspects. Because of that there are lot of machineries and system onboard and that makes it complicated.”
“All of you were involved with this drawing approval that Meghnad mentioned?” I directed towards Madan and Thomas.
“Yes. We are the most experienced officers in this office. We have also done lot of take overs,” Thomas replied.
“What is take overs?” I enquired.
“Well, when our company purchase a ship from another company or shipyard, there is a formal process when our team of officers and crew go on board the vessel and take control of operation. From that time, the ship operation becomes officially the buyers and this process is taking over,” Madan replied.
“You mentioned about experience. How many years since you guys have been sailing?” I asked.
“I have been at the sea for twenty five years. And he twenty, right? Madan directed at Thomas.
“Twenty one to be precise,” he replied.
“My god! you guys don’t look that old. Must be leading an active lifestyle,” I complimented their looks.
Even before they could elate themselves, Meghnad interjected their thought with a very acidic comment, “it must be the hair dye in action.”
I could see the irritation in their eyes; but before the silence became unbearable, I asked, “You shippies interchange the name ship and vessel. Are they one and the same? And was the term shippies appropriate for shipping personnel?”
“Perfectly appropriate, to use the terms ships and vessel interchangeably as well as the grouping shippie,” Madan smiled and replied with warmth restored in his voice.
“Shippie sounds cool; like hippie,” I laughed aloud. Others also joined in.
Once we got settled down, Thomas asked, “Did you get your visa formalities done? You see, we cannot wait for you to join us in Korea.”
“Yeah, got it done. Don’t worry we will travel together,” I replied.
“Before we go, we have to find out what else to carry - masalas, curry powder, etc.,” Madan added.
“Oh come on. How does it matter. We can survive on any food,” Meghnad replied.
“You can. You do not seem to each much. That is not the case with us,” Thomas pounced on the chance to get even on Meghnad's comment of their hair dyeing.
“Don’t worry Thomas sir. I did my research on the net and found from an Indian community in Korea that all stuff these are available,” I demonstrated my knowledge.
“Smriti! do not call me Sir. Just address me as Thomas.”
“Ok”
“And me Madan only.”
“Perfect.”
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
CHAPTER 2
“What would you like to have – coffee or tea?” Meghnad asked.
“Coffee for me,” I said. Like many people from South India, I prefer coffee to tea. I had just arrived in his office and was eager to learn a lot from him.
“Do you mind if I record this conversation. It will help me make a better report,” I suggested since I did not want to miss anything.
“Sure, why not,” he replied shrugging his shoulders.
“Let us continue from where we left yesterday. You were explaining about the design drawing of the Oil tanker.”
“Ah! Yes. These are the drawings based on which our ship would be constructed. The drawings follow the guidelines agreed upon in the contract specification, which also includes maritime regulations and shipyard standards. Two copies are sent to our office for approval. One copy we return to them with our comments and suggestions. These drawings are also sent to the classification society, ABS in our case.”
“Who are these classification society?” I faintly remembered this name ABS, not sure where.
“Classification society is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction and survey of marine related facilities including ships and offshore structures. These standards are referred to as rules.
It is interesting story how the first such society, Lloyds register of Shipping was born. It was originated by a group of underwriters in a London coffee house named Lloyd’s, in the year 1760. At that time the Lloyds register of Shipping’s role was to provide a subjective assessment of the strength of the vessel for the intended voyage and the capability of the master, to aid the ship owners in obtaining insurance coverage.
Our ship is classed to ABS, American Bureau of Shipping. It means that design of the ship will be approved by ABS to ensure that it meets all regulations. The ship will also be inspected by a representative of ABS, called a surveyor, at various stages of construction.
“If ABS makes sure that it meets all the criteria, then why do we need to approve the drawings and have a site team in the shipyard?” I asked.
“Good question. It is true that a classification society ensures that the ship meets the requirement of regulatory rules, both during design approval and during construction. Safety of the ship, safety of the people, and safety of the environment are their prime concern. But, there are many aspects that are beyond their scope. Some of them include life of coating (or painting), the appearance of the ship (aesthetics), the comfort of the crew, the convenience of operation and maintenance, the cost and efficiency of operation of the ship, the speed of cargo loading or discharge, etc. These are matters of vital importance to the ship owner and hence our role in both design approval and during construction is so significant.”
“So are all ships either Lloyds register or ABS classed?” I wanted to know.
“No,” he said emphatically.
“More than fifty organizations worldwide define their activities as providing marine classification.
Ten of those organizations as members and two as associate members formed the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), to promote improvement in standards of ships. Members include American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), China Classification Society (CCS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Germanisher Lloyd (GL), Korean Register of Shipping (KR), Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LR), Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK), and Registro Italiano Navale (RINa).
Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS) and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) are the associate members.”
“Is classification society a regulatory body, then?” I asked.
“No. Class is not a regulatory body. It is a third party organization working independent of the ship owner or shipyard during ship construction. The main function is to ensure that the ship meets with basic standards, as established in the class rules. In situations when the flag state authorizes the class, it can also certify that the ship meet the flag state and international regulations.
“What is a flag state? Are they a regulatory authority?” I asked wondering what this new term meant.
“Flag state is the basic regulatory authority. All ships have to be registered in a particular port (port of registry) and country (flag state). Every flag state has their own regulations, which have to be followed by the ships that are registered. The flag state generally follows the International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules. However they have the power to include additional requirements or exemptions in the IMO rules.
“I have heard about this IMO. It is like UNESCO or UNICEF, right?…based in London?” I asked hesitantly trusting my general knowledge skills.
“You are right. IMO is a body of the United Nations (UN) formed in 1948 to encourage and facilitate the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships. IMO came out with various conventions, codes, and guides. The two most important are SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships). I will talk about it in detail later.”
“Are there any other regulatory authorities?”
There is a very important authority called the Port State Control. They represent the government of the ports and have the power to inspect a ship and detain it if it does not meet their standards. They have become more strict and relevant because they feel that the ship owners, flag state, or classification society have not adequately ensured that the ships comply with international maritime regulations. In addition there are special requirements of the underwriters (insurers), oil companies (or charterers) who rent our oil tanker.”
“So, our oil tanker is Indian flagged right?” I guessed.
“No, our ship is registered in port of Majuro in The Republic of Marshall Islands,” Meghnad replied smilingly.
“But, why? What is the connection?” I was agitated and expressed my displeasure.
“We have most of our ships flagged with Marshall Islands because of less taxes. Earlier such flags were called flags of convenience. It was mainly because of less stringent regulations and partly because of the less taxes. This is no longer the case now. Other flags of convenience included Panama (the largest in the world), Liberia, Cyprus, Malta, etc.”
“Ehm,” I sighed, “So, every ship has to be flagged with a flag state. Does that mean every ship has to be classed with some society?”
“Actually no. Technically a ship can sail without classification, but practically no ship will do so. The enforcers include the insurers, who most likely will not insure a non-classed ship; Port state control, which may not permit a non-classed vessel in to the port; and oil companies which will not rent a non-classed oil tanker.”
“Having a ship classed with a reputed classification society, like one of the IACS members, ensure that the ship meet certain standards. It is also an independent evaluation of the ship, which you recall was the reason why class society came in to in the first place.”
“Smriti!” he said after glancing at his watch, “I have a meeting with my team today. Can we continue tomorrow? Maybe you can meet Pradeep before you go. He can also tell you about the process of contract signing better,” Meghnad suggested.
“Sure…I hope I have not asked too many stupid questions and irritated you,” I hesitated.
“No, not at all. I do not believe that there are stupid questions. There are only stupid answers,” he comforted me. “Anyway see you tomorrow.”
It was a great session with Meghnad. He had great patience in explaining the process of ship acquisition. “My report is going to be informative,” I figured.
I walked to the reception and checked if Pradeep was in his cabin and available for a short meeting. Before entering his cabin, I mentally organized the questions to be asked to him.
As I entered he greeted me with a charming smile and led me to my seat. He then asked, “Did Megnath help you out today?”
“Yes, he did. It was a nice learning class. But, there are some queries that you can answer best, which is why I came to you.” I said.
“Shoot.”
“Yesterday, you told me how the process evolved after you chose the JHI shipyard. Tell me why you choose a shipyard in Korea, and why not in China or Europe?” I asked remembering an article I read on shipbuilding in some newspaper.
“It is true that Europe had great shipbuilding history, but these days they mostly build specialized vessels and passenger ships. Ships like oil tankers are mostly built by far eastern countries. Korea and Japan are the leading shipbuilding nations with their share of forty and thirty percent respectively. China is a relatively newcomer with just over ten percent of shipbuilding orders.
Our ship being an oil/chemical tanker is complicated and our company policy dictates that we build at shipyards with good track record and experience. JHI was the right choice based on these.”
“Meghnad told me that our ship is ABS classed. Do we decide the class and if yes why we chose ABS?”
“The classification society is mutually decided by the ship owner and the shipyard. The ship owner and the shipyard may have a preferred class because of commercial reasons, or cordial relationships. It is shipyard that pays class society during ship construction and ship owner pays during ship operation (after ship is delivered by shipyard). In our case ABS class was offered in the specifications, and since most of our ships in the fleet are ABS classed, we accepted the offer.”
“Ehm, I see,” I said, grasping the explanation. I looked up my watch and noticed that it was time for me to leave
“Pradeep, I will leave now. By the way, this weekend I am going home for a short vacation, maybe a week, to the god’s own country. If I don’t go my mom is going to crib.”
“Alright see you after you trip,” he got up to see me off.
“Coffee for me,” I said. Like many people from South India, I prefer coffee to tea. I had just arrived in his office and was eager to learn a lot from him.
“Do you mind if I record this conversation. It will help me make a better report,” I suggested since I did not want to miss anything.
“Sure, why not,” he replied shrugging his shoulders.
“Let us continue from where we left yesterday. You were explaining about the design drawing of the Oil tanker.”
“Ah! Yes. These are the drawings based on which our ship would be constructed. The drawings follow the guidelines agreed upon in the contract specification, which also includes maritime regulations and shipyard standards. Two copies are sent to our office for approval. One copy we return to them with our comments and suggestions. These drawings are also sent to the classification society, ABS in our case.”
“Who are these classification society?” I faintly remembered this name ABS, not sure where.
“Classification society is an independent, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization that establish and apply technical standards in relation to the design, construction and survey of marine related facilities including ships and offshore structures. These standards are referred to as rules.
It is interesting story how the first such society, Lloyds register of Shipping was born. It was originated by a group of underwriters in a London coffee house named Lloyd’s, in the year 1760. At that time the Lloyds register of Shipping’s role was to provide a subjective assessment of the strength of the vessel for the intended voyage and the capability of the master, to aid the ship owners in obtaining insurance coverage.
Our ship is classed to ABS, American Bureau of Shipping. It means that design of the ship will be approved by ABS to ensure that it meets all regulations. The ship will also be inspected by a representative of ABS, called a surveyor, at various stages of construction.
“If ABS makes sure that it meets all the criteria, then why do we need to approve the drawings and have a site team in the shipyard?” I asked.
“Good question. It is true that a classification society ensures that the ship meets the requirement of regulatory rules, both during design approval and during construction. Safety of the ship, safety of the people, and safety of the environment are their prime concern. But, there are many aspects that are beyond their scope. Some of them include life of coating (or painting), the appearance of the ship (aesthetics), the comfort of the crew, the convenience of operation and maintenance, the cost and efficiency of operation of the ship, the speed of cargo loading or discharge, etc. These are matters of vital importance to the ship owner and hence our role in both design approval and during construction is so significant.”
“So are all ships either Lloyds register or ABS classed?” I wanted to know.
“No,” he said emphatically.
“More than fifty organizations worldwide define their activities as providing marine classification.
Ten of those organizations as members and two as associate members formed the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), to promote improvement in standards of ships. Members include American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Bureau Veritas (BV), China Classification Society (CCS), Det Norske Veritas (DNV), Germanisher Lloyd (GL), Korean Register of Shipping (KR), Lloyd’s Register of Shipping (LR), Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (RS), Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NK), and Registro Italiano Navale (RINa).
Croatian Register of Shipping (CRS) and Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) are the associate members.”
“Is classification society a regulatory body, then?” I asked.
“No. Class is not a regulatory body. It is a third party organization working independent of the ship owner or shipyard during ship construction. The main function is to ensure that the ship meets with basic standards, as established in the class rules. In situations when the flag state authorizes the class, it can also certify that the ship meet the flag state and international regulations.
“What is a flag state? Are they a regulatory authority?” I asked wondering what this new term meant.
“Flag state is the basic regulatory authority. All ships have to be registered in a particular port (port of registry) and country (flag state). Every flag state has their own regulations, which have to be followed by the ships that are registered. The flag state generally follows the International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules. However they have the power to include additional requirements or exemptions in the IMO rules.
“I have heard about this IMO. It is like UNESCO or UNICEF, right?…based in London?” I asked hesitantly trusting my general knowledge skills.
“You are right. IMO is a body of the United Nations (UN) formed in 1948 to encourage and facilitate the general adoption of the highest practicable standards in matters concerning maritime safety, efficiency of navigation and prevention and control of marine pollution from ships. IMO came out with various conventions, codes, and guides. The two most important are SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from ships). I will talk about it in detail later.”
“Are there any other regulatory authorities?”
There is a very important authority called the Port State Control. They represent the government of the ports and have the power to inspect a ship and detain it if it does not meet their standards. They have become more strict and relevant because they feel that the ship owners, flag state, or classification society have not adequately ensured that the ships comply with international maritime regulations. In addition there are special requirements of the underwriters (insurers), oil companies (or charterers) who rent our oil tanker.”
“So, our oil tanker is Indian flagged right?” I guessed.
“No, our ship is registered in port of Majuro in The Republic of Marshall Islands,” Meghnad replied smilingly.
“But, why? What is the connection?” I was agitated and expressed my displeasure.
“We have most of our ships flagged with Marshall Islands because of less taxes. Earlier such flags were called flags of convenience. It was mainly because of less stringent regulations and partly because of the less taxes. This is no longer the case now. Other flags of convenience included Panama (the largest in the world), Liberia, Cyprus, Malta, etc.”
“Ehm,” I sighed, “So, every ship has to be flagged with a flag state. Does that mean every ship has to be classed with some society?”
“Actually no. Technically a ship can sail without classification, but practically no ship will do so. The enforcers include the insurers, who most likely will not insure a non-classed ship; Port state control, which may not permit a non-classed vessel in to the port; and oil companies which will not rent a non-classed oil tanker.”
“Having a ship classed with a reputed classification society, like one of the IACS members, ensure that the ship meet certain standards. It is also an independent evaluation of the ship, which you recall was the reason why class society came in to in the first place.”
“Smriti!” he said after glancing at his watch, “I have a meeting with my team today. Can we continue tomorrow? Maybe you can meet Pradeep before you go. He can also tell you about the process of contract signing better,” Meghnad suggested.
“Sure…I hope I have not asked too many stupid questions and irritated you,” I hesitated.
“No, not at all. I do not believe that there are stupid questions. There are only stupid answers,” he comforted me. “Anyway see you tomorrow.”
It was a great session with Meghnad. He had great patience in explaining the process of ship acquisition. “My report is going to be informative,” I figured.
I walked to the reception and checked if Pradeep was in his cabin and available for a short meeting. Before entering his cabin, I mentally organized the questions to be asked to him.
As I entered he greeted me with a charming smile and led me to my seat. He then asked, “Did Megnath help you out today?”
“Yes, he did. It was a nice learning class. But, there are some queries that you can answer best, which is why I came to you.” I said.
“Shoot.”
“Yesterday, you told me how the process evolved after you chose the JHI shipyard. Tell me why you choose a shipyard in Korea, and why not in China or Europe?” I asked remembering an article I read on shipbuilding in some newspaper.
“It is true that Europe had great shipbuilding history, but these days they mostly build specialized vessels and passenger ships. Ships like oil tankers are mostly built by far eastern countries. Korea and Japan are the leading shipbuilding nations with their share of forty and thirty percent respectively. China is a relatively newcomer with just over ten percent of shipbuilding orders.
Our ship being an oil/chemical tanker is complicated and our company policy dictates that we build at shipyards with good track record and experience. JHI was the right choice based on these.”
“Meghnad told me that our ship is ABS classed. Do we decide the class and if yes why we chose ABS?”
“The classification society is mutually decided by the ship owner and the shipyard. The ship owner and the shipyard may have a preferred class because of commercial reasons, or cordial relationships. It is shipyard that pays class society during ship construction and ship owner pays during ship operation (after ship is delivered by shipyard). In our case ABS class was offered in the specifications, and since most of our ships in the fleet are ABS classed, we accepted the offer.”
“Ehm, I see,” I said, grasping the explanation. I looked up my watch and noticed that it was time for me to leave
“Pradeep, I will leave now. By the way, this weekend I am going home for a short vacation, maybe a week, to the god’s own country. If I don’t go my mom is going to crib.”
“Alright see you after you trip,” he got up to see me off.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
CHAPTER 1
It was a dark moonless night. Rain was pouring heavily. Two important people were scheduled to meet at a secret location; the only information we have is that it was a bar in the outskirts of New York.
“We need an oil tanker in one year. Is it possible?” the first said.
“Anything is possible while dealing with you,” the other said.
This is not exactly the way an oil tanker project is conceived, and so are not any other ship building projects. But, this is what I thought it was, before I came and spend my time to make this report, “How to make an oil tanker.”
Before I tell you the answer, mind you it is a long one; let me tell you something about myself. I am Smriti Sagar, a journalist by profession. Our magazine, Prathamam, wanted to create a “How to -” series to make the common man understand the complex engineering behind some products and professions. That led me to this project to understand how an oil tanker is built.
From my early childhood I had a passion for boats. It might have started with the small wooden boat ride across the river in my school days. Later on, it caught up when I shifted my house near the Marine drive in Kochi, where hundreds of boats and ships passed by daily. To be frank, I did not know much about ships to speak of, except that I enjoyed the sight of it moving in the water.
Our editor was very happy that I volunteered to cover this project.
“Do I have to run three years behind this?” I asked.
My editor gave a nonchalant look and said, “That was before. Even shipyards in India built tankers in a year. If you are in a good shipyard in S.Korea or Japan, it takes around six months.”
“Then I better find a project there,” I said with a sense of relief.
* * *
Disha is one of the largest shipping companies in India and they have a huge fleet of fifty-five oil tankers. I found that last part from their web site.
I was rushing to their head office in Nariman point, maneuvering through the rush hour of Mumbai.
I looked at my watch, “Oops, I am already ten minutes late for my appointment. I hope my editor have good contacts here.”
I approach the reception and they led me to a door with a bold letters, “PRADEEP SHARMA, Vice President Projects”.
“Good morning, Sir!” “I hope I did not keep you waiting.”
It struck me that Pradeep Sharma was a smartly dressed, in his early forties, and he exhibited an air of confidence in the way he leaned his chair as he looked up to see me.
“Hello! Miss…Smriti. Take your seat. And call me Pradeep!”
We spend the next fifteen minutes discussing about the formalities of getting me to their onsite office in S.Korea, where they had a project to built one oil tanker. Pradeep Sharma oversaw this project and many others in this company. I was eager to proceed to what I was interested in, “How to make an oil tanker?”
I figured out that the best way to learn was to ask questions. I started with him, “Tell me, what is an oil tanker?”
“Oil tanker is a ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in its cargo spaces and includes combination carriers and chemical tankers, when they are carrying oil in bulk. If you ask me what oil is, it is petroleum in any form, including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, and oil refuse and refined products,” he answered.
“It is easy to identify one when u see it. There would be lot of pipe lines on the ship,” he added.
I was not sure if I had seen one, and not sure if I will recognize one. His answer did instill curiosity in my mind and I eagerly asked, “Tell me more about this ship.”
“This is a 46,000 Ton Deadweight, Oil/Chemical Tanker project at JHI (Jangsae Heavy Industries) shipyard, S.Korea. JHI is one of the largest shipyard in the world building these small sized tankers. ”
“…but what is deadweight?” I interrupted.
“It is the carrying capacity of a ship. In our oil tanker it means that it can carry up to 46,000 tonnes of total weight including oil in its cargo tanks, fuel for running the engine in the ship, lubricating oil, fresh water in tanks, stores, crew, and their effects.”
I placed my right hand under my chin and asked, “46,000 tonnes – this ship can carry. Is it big or small? I cannot visualize the number. Please help me to understand it.”
“Imagine that you take a ride in an economy car with the fuel that can be carried by this ship. You can travel around the world 15,000 times with this fuel,” he explained matter-of-factly.
“Oh my god! That is huge.” I raised my two hands and expressed my amazement. I had more doubts and asked, “I thought your ship was just an oil tanker. What is this Oil/Chemical?”
“Normal oil tanker can carry only crude oil. In such tankers the cargo tanks, the tanks where we carry cargo (oil), are not coated with any paint, except maybe in the top section. In our ship, the cargo tanks are coated with special paint so that it can carry petroleum products and some chemicals in addition to crude oil. Hence we have this terminology.”
“How and when did you conceive this project?” I leaned forward and placed my right hand under my shin, hoping for a long answer.
“Two years back we had decided to build an oil tanker of this size. It was based on market prediction that this kind of ship and this size would be profitable at the time when it starts trading. Once we took that decision, we visited some shipyards and discussed about the yard slot availability. During that discussion the JHI shipyard had given the preliminary or outline specification of the ship. This is the basic detail and layout of the ship they were offering to build. Once we expressed interest and provided them details of our standard requirements in a ship, they modified the design, considering cost addition.
Based on these modifications the contract specification was made. It is a detailed document, usually running to over two hundred pages, describing all the systems and equipments in the ship. A maker list, which is the list of main equipment makers, was also agreed upon. They include Main Engine, Generator engines, pumps, motors, compressors, electrical fitting, navigational equipments, paint, etc. Our technical team was also present to finalize the documents before signing.
As per our contract, the construction commences on Nov 10 this year – just over a month from now. Almost seven months later, our oil tanker would be ready, on May 14.
So, you have a month to get your visa documents done, and make other travel arrangements.”
“Why does it take so long for a ship building project to commence after contract signing?” I asked with curiosity. “Why not like cars, where we can pick off the shelf?”
“Ships are custom build unlike cars. The complete design takes around six months depending on how complicated the ship is. Also shipyards order-book is usually filled a year or more in advance.”
“Last two years has been a boom for shipbuilding industry. There is great demand and limited space to build. Shipyards, in such times, are booked three years in advance.”
“Smriti, let me take you to our project manager. He will answer all your queries related to this project. Moreover he is of your age group, and possibly wavelength will match.”
I agreed to the idea and followed him to the next cabin.
Pradeep walked right into the cabin. I paused outside to read the name board. But there was none.
The cabin was a large room with lot of shelves on one side and computers on the other. In the center was a huge table probably for conducting meetings. On the shelves were lot of documents and books stacked to full, as if they would squeeze themselves out. On the table were large sheets with some picture or something. On the farther shelf was a guy pulling out a bunch of sheets as we entered.
“Busy!” Pradeep shouted as he entered the room.
“This is the reporter I was talking about… and Smriti this is our project manager, Meghnad.”
“Hi Smriti,” Meghnad wished politely.
I greeted him back. I noticed that he was bubbling with energy and his eyes had particular glow. He was attractive, I must say.
“What are all these documents and huge sheets lying around here? Is it some kind of a library or what?” I asked while I scanned the room one more time.
“Oh, these are the design drawings for the ship. The shipyard sends it to the ship owner’s office for approval. We go through these plans and suggest necessary modifications and give our comments based on our needs and experiences. Needs are usually our standards for safety and comfort. The experience is the operational experience gained by our sailing staff – the people who run or operate the ship.”
“I was hoping to spend some time with you daily, to understand this process. When is the best time for you?” I asked. “I would surely enjoy his company,” I thought in my mind.
“Afternoon is the best time, maybe three to four.”
“Great,” I said, “I will not take your time today. We will meet tomorrow.”
* * *
On my ride in the subway I could not help thinking about Meghnad. But then I had other things to worry about - I had to brief my editor on my meeting today, and then go to the travel agent for my visa process. “It is going to be a long day,” I sighed.
“We need an oil tanker in one year. Is it possible?” the first said.
“Anything is possible while dealing with you,” the other said.
This is not exactly the way an oil tanker project is conceived, and so are not any other ship building projects. But, this is what I thought it was, before I came and spend my time to make this report, “How to make an oil tanker.”
Before I tell you the answer, mind you it is a long one; let me tell you something about myself. I am Smriti Sagar, a journalist by profession. Our magazine, Prathamam, wanted to create a “How to -” series to make the common man understand the complex engineering behind some products and professions. That led me to this project to understand how an oil tanker is built.
From my early childhood I had a passion for boats. It might have started with the small wooden boat ride across the river in my school days. Later on, it caught up when I shifted my house near the Marine drive in Kochi, where hundreds of boats and ships passed by daily. To be frank, I did not know much about ships to speak of, except that I enjoyed the sight of it moving in the water.
Our editor was very happy that I volunteered to cover this project.
“Do I have to run three years behind this?” I asked.
My editor gave a nonchalant look and said, “That was before. Even shipyards in India built tankers in a year. If you are in a good shipyard in S.Korea or Japan, it takes around six months.”
“Then I better find a project there,” I said with a sense of relief.
* * *
Disha is one of the largest shipping companies in India and they have a huge fleet of fifty-five oil tankers. I found that last part from their web site.
I was rushing to their head office in Nariman point, maneuvering through the rush hour of Mumbai.
I looked at my watch, “Oops, I am already ten minutes late for my appointment. I hope my editor have good contacts here.”
I approach the reception and they led me to a door with a bold letters, “PRADEEP SHARMA, Vice President Projects”.
“Good morning, Sir!” “I hope I did not keep you waiting.”
It struck me that Pradeep Sharma was a smartly dressed, in his early forties, and he exhibited an air of confidence in the way he leaned his chair as he looked up to see me.
“Hello! Miss…Smriti. Take your seat. And call me Pradeep!”
We spend the next fifteen minutes discussing about the formalities of getting me to their onsite office in S.Korea, where they had a project to built one oil tanker. Pradeep Sharma oversaw this project and many others in this company. I was eager to proceed to what I was interested in, “How to make an oil tanker?”
I figured out that the best way to learn was to ask questions. I started with him, “Tell me, what is an oil tanker?”
“Oil tanker is a ship constructed or adapted primarily to carry oil in its cargo spaces and includes combination carriers and chemical tankers, when they are carrying oil in bulk. If you ask me what oil is, it is petroleum in any form, including crude oil, fuel oil, sludge, and oil refuse and refined products,” he answered.
“It is easy to identify one when u see it. There would be lot of pipe lines on the ship,” he added.
I was not sure if I had seen one, and not sure if I will recognize one. His answer did instill curiosity in my mind and I eagerly asked, “Tell me more about this ship.”
“This is a 46,000 Ton Deadweight, Oil/Chemical Tanker project at JHI (Jangsae Heavy Industries) shipyard, S.Korea. JHI is one of the largest shipyard in the world building these small sized tankers. ”
“…but what is deadweight?” I interrupted.
“It is the carrying capacity of a ship. In our oil tanker it means that it can carry up to 46,000 tonnes of total weight including oil in its cargo tanks, fuel for running the engine in the ship, lubricating oil, fresh water in tanks, stores, crew, and their effects.”
I placed my right hand under my chin and asked, “46,000 tonnes – this ship can carry. Is it big or small? I cannot visualize the number. Please help me to understand it.”
“Imagine that you take a ride in an economy car with the fuel that can be carried by this ship. You can travel around the world 15,000 times with this fuel,” he explained matter-of-factly.
“Oh my god! That is huge.” I raised my two hands and expressed my amazement. I had more doubts and asked, “I thought your ship was just an oil tanker. What is this Oil/Chemical?”
“Normal oil tanker can carry only crude oil. In such tankers the cargo tanks, the tanks where we carry cargo (oil), are not coated with any paint, except maybe in the top section. In our ship, the cargo tanks are coated with special paint so that it can carry petroleum products and some chemicals in addition to crude oil. Hence we have this terminology.”
“How and when did you conceive this project?” I leaned forward and placed my right hand under my shin, hoping for a long answer.
“Two years back we had decided to build an oil tanker of this size. It was based on market prediction that this kind of ship and this size would be profitable at the time when it starts trading. Once we took that decision, we visited some shipyards and discussed about the yard slot availability. During that discussion the JHI shipyard had given the preliminary or outline specification of the ship. This is the basic detail and layout of the ship they were offering to build. Once we expressed interest and provided them details of our standard requirements in a ship, they modified the design, considering cost addition.
Based on these modifications the contract specification was made. It is a detailed document, usually running to over two hundred pages, describing all the systems and equipments in the ship. A maker list, which is the list of main equipment makers, was also agreed upon. They include Main Engine, Generator engines, pumps, motors, compressors, electrical fitting, navigational equipments, paint, etc. Our technical team was also present to finalize the documents before signing.
As per our contract, the construction commences on Nov 10 this year – just over a month from now. Almost seven months later, our oil tanker would be ready, on May 14.
So, you have a month to get your visa documents done, and make other travel arrangements.”
“Why does it take so long for a ship building project to commence after contract signing?” I asked with curiosity. “Why not like cars, where we can pick off the shelf?”
“Ships are custom build unlike cars. The complete design takes around six months depending on how complicated the ship is. Also shipyards order-book is usually filled a year or more in advance.”
“Last two years has been a boom for shipbuilding industry. There is great demand and limited space to build. Shipyards, in such times, are booked three years in advance.”
“Smriti, let me take you to our project manager. He will answer all your queries related to this project. Moreover he is of your age group, and possibly wavelength will match.”
I agreed to the idea and followed him to the next cabin.
Pradeep walked right into the cabin. I paused outside to read the name board. But there was none.
The cabin was a large room with lot of shelves on one side and computers on the other. In the center was a huge table probably for conducting meetings. On the shelves were lot of documents and books stacked to full, as if they would squeeze themselves out. On the table were large sheets with some picture or something. On the farther shelf was a guy pulling out a bunch of sheets as we entered.
“Busy!” Pradeep shouted as he entered the room.
“This is the reporter I was talking about… and Smriti this is our project manager, Meghnad.”
“Hi Smriti,” Meghnad wished politely.
I greeted him back. I noticed that he was bubbling with energy and his eyes had particular glow. He was attractive, I must say.
“What are all these documents and huge sheets lying around here? Is it some kind of a library or what?” I asked while I scanned the room one more time.
“Oh, these are the design drawings for the ship. The shipyard sends it to the ship owner’s office for approval. We go through these plans and suggest necessary modifications and give our comments based on our needs and experiences. Needs are usually our standards for safety and comfort. The experience is the operational experience gained by our sailing staff – the people who run or operate the ship.”
“I was hoping to spend some time with you daily, to understand this process. When is the best time for you?” I asked. “I would surely enjoy his company,” I thought in my mind.
“Afternoon is the best time, maybe three to four.”
“Great,” I said, “I will not take your time today. We will meet tomorrow.”
* * *
On my ride in the subway I could not help thinking about Meghnad. But then I had other things to worry about - I had to brief my editor on my meeting today, and then go to the travel agent for my visa process. “It is going to be a long day,” I sighed.
Introduction
This blog series is meant to be a book by the same title. The plan is to add a chapter every week and in the process hope that the book will be completed!
Enjoy reading.
Enjoy reading.
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