Marine deck crane

Back to business

Valentin — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:05:43 +0000

I was getting some jobs in Asia. I was familiar with these places from my previous experience. Just one place it was new for me – Malaysia. It was fun and I discovered lot of new stuff like people and places.
Anyway in my point of view professionally speaking it was a good experience for my career and for my own business which easily begins to take shape.
There were some inspections for hydraulic machineries on board of the vessels. Mainly I’ve done inspections of the cranes and like the old times I also checked others equipments like mooring and windlass winches.
But… some bad planning happened because I traveled almost the same like working time. And in the end I had some problems with the timing. The crew guys specially the chief engineer was very angry about the hours and time spend on board. But I was relaxed because I am used to this shit, they often mess up the things… The trip was just for nine days of which 4 days were travel.
It was fun, the weather was nice shiny and a bit hot and the place I’ve been I saw better just from the plane.
The job was good; the cranes were in good condition some small adjustments I’ve done. Then in the last day I discovered some problems with the winches. They were working just in manual operation. Automatic operations were nonexistent.
The crew was bored; they said the winches are working properly. But, when I checked I found problems. Indeed, the winches were working up to a point. But, this attitude I have met many times on lot of vessels. They used to be relaxed, they want to have a peaceful voyage and if it is possible they do not want to exert any effort at all.
Is this bother me? Not at all, it can be a problem though in the future when the equipment will be unusable. And they should spent more money and time which means major losses for the company.

On my own

Valentin — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 18:41:11 +0000

Why not… now is the moment to start a new business. I got some experience and the idea came in the picture when I went for some jobs as a freelancer. My previous experience it means a lot specially that I got some new skills in hydraulics. This time I went as hydraulic engineer for hydraulic jobs only, compared with the past, when I was an electric engineer doing service jobs and also attending to hydraulic jobs. Confusing? Sometimes is like that you are trying to catch little of everything… or not. Maybe I caught the jack pot. I realize that hydraulics is present and future science and without that it will not be easy.
I rely on me I went through lot of experience I’ve seen and I was doing hydraulic jobs I was doing adjustments and overhauling hydraulic motors.
One time I was dismantle the brake of the hydraulic motor for hoisting winch. The type of brake MDA 21 a multi discs brake. I renewed the piston seal and guide string of the brake piston. It was tough I was almost alone. From time to time someone was helping me from the crew side but still I was struggle but in the end I was doing a good job and everybody was happy including myself.
You know what? The end is the most important, thus with patience and self trust you will succeed if there is desire.
All the best
Valentine

I’m back

Valentin — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:49:29 +0000

After a while, I’m back to work. I’ll start to write about my previous and present experiences, although currently, I’m a free lancer.

Bad news

Valentin — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:44:27 +0000

It was a hot day of April. As usual, morning time …I went to the office. In my last weeks I had a bad mood and I was stressed. I was disappointed about my job and I was looking for some ways to get away from there. So… that particularly morning, I was very active. Nearby my office a tower crane was dismantled. I put my sunglasses and my headscarf and I went out to watch. I was getting involved; I took picture, made movies, I got everything I wanted. I was feeling good and somehow I forgot all my problems.

Lunch time came. The phone rang. Hello I said. A Filipino voice at the other end… Val ‘’HR is calling you’’. I went upstairs and got the news. She gave me a paper with ending of my employment contract. I was a bit sad but then I realized, in fact was what I really wanted.
I said goodbye to my colleagues and I left from that place with no hard feelings.
Now, after more then one month, I can say its better because it was very tough to continued work there. I lost my confidence and my efficiency was very poor.
Now, I’m ready for another adventure…in this jungle called life.

Millionaire

Valentin — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:24:09 +0000

In 2008 near Christmas Eve, I went to some job in anchorage together with one of my colleges.
Believe it or not it happens every time, it’s like a convention with someone or the life is like that, cruel. Most of the time when major holidays arrive – Easter, Christmas, New Year and not only that, weekends and days off, suddenly the phone rings and on the other end a voice says It’s a job somewhere, you should go somewhere and attend to some vessel.
So… we arrived on the vessel a tanker full of cargo. It was loaded with crude oil worthed few millions of dollar. So, we were at 30 miles from shore sitting on some millions.
Before we reached on board some things had happened. We got for this job a subcontractors team. When they arrived on port gate they couldn’t entered because they didn’t have proper paper and they got back. Other one, I had lost the way to the port instead of 2 hours I made 4 hours.
Finally, we got on board. It was late at night. Chief mate came to meet us. After some discussions we decided it’s better to continue next day and meantime we can get some sleep. Surprise… we got a cabin on the deck dirty and smelly. No way, I couldn’t sleep there. But anyway after a short time the guy came again and he said something that this cabin is not proper for us. So, we went somewhere else and we got better cabins.
Next day night time new team of subcontractors arrived on board. Prepared with everything at least they seemed to be. Because it was late we decided that will gonna start the job next day morning. Morning time they started fixing scaffolding (stages).
The job wasn’t complicated but required proper men and proper tools. But, like my previous experiences the subcontractor team was unprepared. Their tools box was something very tinny with something, definitely not enough for this job.
It was an engine room crane. The trolley wheel it was out of the wheel rail. In fact, the traveling trolley was hanging; only one side was holding the trolley on wheel rail.
After 2 days and lots of discussions consumed with all the parts involved, the customer, our office and ship crew finally we reached to the destination.
We fixed the traveling trolley back on the wheel rail. Locked in the position and warned; ”Do not use crane for lifting any load, it is not safe!!”
We made temporary repairs due to short time and lack of organization.

INDIA

Valentin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:13:50 +0000

From 2008 when I joined this company I had been in India 5 times. All the time I was there for some jobs. My last adventure in India was in November 2009 in a place called Tuticorin.
And now I can say that I really miss India. It’s a good place. Everything is ,,arranged,, as they use to say.
The agent is the guy who helps you to get in touch with the ship and he takes care of you, is all the time in your back, he’s annoying sometimes. And is there for you from the minute you arrive until departure.
The hotel where you stay is one of the best in town. The food is varied, the language is English. The people are friendly and the tips don’t bother you.
The jobs I had in India were good. Sometimes I struggled and sometimes I enjoyed.
I won’t forget my first job. It was in Chennai in southern India and one of the first jobs within this company. One of the cranes jib had fallen just the day before I got on the ship.
My enthusiast mood was overwhelming. I wasn’t aware of what is going on out there. But the days spent on board were enough to figure out how the things are done there. I became sober an instantaneously I realized that I was in big trouble out there. A year later I got back on the same ship in another place called Goa. I was together with a Japanese guy, an old man who was 60 or so. We still had problems but it was much better that time.
Another time, I traveled a lot inside the country – domestic flight, then with the car, then with some tug boat and last by ship to shore.
I got the chance to go in Mumbai short trip and all the time I was cheated by the taxi drivers.
In the end just the memories remain and if you wish to get back then everything was worth it.

PS I really enjoy the beer, 600ml per bottle and cheap… to be happy fast.

Moving the cargo

Valentin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:38:30 +0000

Tuzla

Valentin — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 20:02:50 +0000

One of the worst things is to travel by plane 6 hours night time in a bad airplane with small sits and lack of distance between sits. After I spent more then 10 hours in the airports finally I got to the destination. I looked around, new airport, varied people, different procedure to get in. A driver was waiting for me, he had a board with my name on it. It was morning and the working day had just started. Suddenly I realized that I am there for a job and I won’t get the chance to sleep soon.
It happened to me in Turkey in Tuzla, the driver came to pick me up from the airport and drove 2 hours until we got to some shipyard and he droped me to his office. Adventure, but is not finished then some guy is came and helped me carry my luggage. After all this, going inside the office and after discussion with the people in charge I found that I had to put my coverall and start the work immediately because there was no time and we have to finish fast. Nice and I did like that. I changed my clothes and together with others including a superintendent we started the job. The job was to replace the hydraulic motor for anchor windlass /escort towing winch. It was unique. The way we handled the job was amazing. The superintendent was pretty good.
Everything was done perfectly. Sometimes you need to be creative and don’t give up when you have something in your mind.
Something about job: Disconnected all the pipes and marked properly. We made scaffolding supported by us and then we removed the old motor from the driven shaft. Then they brought the new motor and we installed in place. Everything was running smoothly of course the guys were prepared they just wanted me there because I was from the maker side like guarantee. I got it anyway the guys wanted to cover some mistakes because they discovered some broken spring in the hydraulic system so to be on the safety side they decided to change the hydraulic motor. At 5 o’ clock in the afternoon everything was ready, put in place, tested and delivered to the customer. And then in the next 2 days I enjoyed my free time in Tuzla. So don’t worry everytime you will get something – in the beginning it was tough but then in the end the sun came up and shone again.

Valentine…on some vessel

Valentin — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 17:53:05 +0000

Seems to me I am everywhere… .
Just for those who know me.

Commisisoning

Valentin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:44:17 +0000

I started with commissioning and I would like to do it again. In fact when I choose this company a thought I’ll do commissioning jobs but I didn’t. From time to time like these days I had commissioned new equipment – mooring doors. And it was nice on the end when I finished.
The job was quoted for 2 days but it extended with 2 more days. Every time in the shipyards the time is exceeded is like that at least in my previous experience. Forget about it now the shipyard has to pay 2 extra days and it’s normal because it was their fault.
The commissioning jobs they have their tricks also, is not so easy like it sounds. On this job one day I struggle to make the doors to close but I couldn’t. Imagine that just trying to close the door and checking and double checking and nothing the door does not want to close. You think it’s impossible but is true it happens to me and to be funnier because of some wires connected wrong in the electrical panel. The same problem was in both ports – portside and starboard side. And when I though I finished I discovered proximity switches for the cleats open and close are not energized. Of course it was again some reverse wires and I let this problem to the guy who connected this proximity switches to fix it.
It’s just a brief story anyway it was ok because no one was on our heads means deadline or something. No tension just I did what I had to do, tested and went home.
So this is one of the tricks – some wrong wire but not all the time let’s see next time.