Chris Champness 293 words

The bulker SS Velutina was midway across the Indian ocean en route to Japan with a
cargo of iron ore loaded in Western Australia. In her engine room an apprentice was
reporting a bilge water level higher than normal.

'I think it's probably the bilge pump discharge' he told the 4th Engineer.
'Not too serious then' opined the 4th. 'We can tackle it later. During our next watch
perhaps'. So no record was made in the engine room log.

The 2nd Engineer took the following watch. He and his junior were too concerned about a
forthcoming technical inspection to attend thoroughly to their duties. This watch was
followed by the 3rd Engineer. He had no concerns and was meticulous. So it didn't take
him long to discover the bilge water level was now dangerously high. He immediately
alerted the Chief Engineer and went in search of the leak, for a leak somewhere it must
be. He soon found it : the outlet joint on the main condenser. The gasket on the joint had
perished. This was serious.

He was soon joined below by the Chief Engineer. They quickly agreed the engines must
be shut down immediately to repair the leak.The Captain was informed and he agreed
reluctantly: engineering was not his province. The boilers fires were immediately put out,
steam valves shut. But now the bilge water was above the engine room plates, spreading
and ruining some auxiliary machinery.

It was 40 hours before the bilges were dry, a new gasket fitted and the plant restarted.
The Company later estimated the damage and delayed cargo discharge had cost
£450,000.

And all because a 4th Engineer had decided a problem could be fixed 'at their leisure'.