Ballast Tanks I Ship's Water tank Ep#115 - YouTube

You are now watching Josemon's Clicks.

Guys in our native town used to go rubber tapping with a light like this on their head.

But you will soon understand why I use it on board.

Ceratin viewers commented to have a talk on Ballast tanks.

Our ship contains different kind of tanks inside.

Certain are fuel tanks.

Those are fuel tanks fileld with heavy fuel oil and diesel, which helps the ship to function.

In our terms, it is called as Bunker tanks.

Further comes a set of tanks for storing fresh water ( drinking water ).

Recently I've shown you a video based on that.

Such fresh water tanks are there.

Further comes a segment of Ballast tanks.

We pumps in enough water from the sea to maintain the stability of ship in the surface of ocean.

And it will be expelled back when not in use.

It has certain rules and regulations as well.

We cannot do it in such a silly manner.

I'll show you that in a separate video.

These tanks are located in front, back, sides and bottoms of the ship.

There is a software named loadicator in our computer.

We inputted the goods' plan in it.

Thus I could decide which tank has to be filled with water then.

Accordingly the water is filled in.

I've to conduct inspections in the tank once in six months.

Then I checks the condition and related details of the tank.

Will take photos and makes reports.

In case of any maintenance reported, the repairing will be carried out when the ship is placed on drydocks.

I've taken certain videos during the inspection time, which comes once in 6 months.

I'm going to show you the views inside the tank.

Previously, when I show you the video of enterring the fresh water tank,

The tanks are an enclosed or confined space as it is always set closed.

That is, it may not contain enough oxygen supply and so on.

We've to empty the tank, if we wants to enter in.

We cannot creep into it so quickly.

We've to open up the manhole covers first.

And will provide enough ventilations required in.

Later, by using a multi-gas detector,

verifies the oxygen level.

And will check for the presence of any sort of poisonous gases inside.

Only if everything is fine, we could enter inside.

Prior to that, there are certain paper works after the checking.

That is, we've to assign an enclosed space entry permit as well.

And it should be signed by Chief Officer, staff getting inside the tank and the Captain.

Each person enterring the tank will keep such a personal multi-gas detector with them.

This will be alarmed when the oxygen level decreases or any other gases are detected.

Accordingly, we could get back soon.

That's why we move along with this detector affixed on our pockets.

Are you ready ? -Yes, I'm.

Also one of them will stand by outside the Ballast tank using this walkie-talkie.

The person stand by outside makes the communication possible with the men enterred into the tank and Officers in the Navigation Bridge.

They frequently contact us to verify whether everything inside the tank is alright.

If everything is alright, we will convey them so.

And in case of any emergency or accidents inside the tank, the person stand by will inform the bridge.

Then Rescue team will come.

We conducts rescue drills for enclosed spaces once in 2 months.

We practices in drills about how to rescue someone when trapped inside the tank.

As I told before, these Ballast tanks are located in different parts of the ship.

Depending on the location, the shape of the tank varies slightly.

Side tanks have enough height so that we could climb easily.

Intermittently provided divisions to enhance the strength of the tank.

We have to walk stooped to go from one place to another.

The tanks located in the sides of the ship is termed as wing tank or side tank.

These tanks are located on both sides of the cargo hold.

Cargo hold is an enclosed space within a ship designed for storing goods.

As they are provided on the sides they've least width.

But have good height.

The side tank ( wing tank ) of our ship has a height of 15.5 meters.

Hence longer the tank is.

We don't have climb-down through a single jump.

It has been designed as two platforms.

A partition stand is there at a 7 meter distance.

We will check there for any sort of defects.

The first platform will be checked for the wellness inside.

And we'll note the defects, if any.

And we've a report to be set for the tank.

All these will be updated in the report.

For having a detailed idea about the tank,

I've simply drawn a sketch to show how it looks like when the ship is horizontally divided into two.

These green coloured segments are the side tanks / wing tanks.

These are anodes actually.

It has been affixed so as to protect the ship from rusting, through a cathodic protection.

When reached drydocks, these will be replaced in case of any damages.

It is decided by checking the condition of the tanks good, fair or properly painted in.

This side tank has a capacity of 1131 cubic meter.

Or else, this tank has the capacity to contain about 11,31,000 litres of water.

It is very dark inside the tank.

Two people each go there with a torch like this.

One does not go alone.

Almost we are approaching the final platform.

You could see a ladder placed for that.

We could see some water in the bottom end.

Even if, we pumps out the water and makes the tank empty, about 10 cms of water remains.

We've reached the bottom-most platform.

When the water was pumped earlier, all the mud came into the tank.

Usually it happens when water has been pumped in from shallow sea areas.

We try mostly not to pump water from ports.

Since it is shallow there, all this mud will enter the tank.

But often we've to pumps in water from the ports.

Provided a pipe like this to detect the water level inside the tank.

It is called as sounding pipe.

When the pipe from the outerside of the tank is opened and inserted with a sounding tape,

we could detect the water level inside.

This huge pipe makes the pipeline of the tank.

The end portion is termed as bell-mouth.

This pipeline helps to pump-in and pump-out the water.

Beyond a sounding pipe, a sensor has also been provided in this pipe.

So that we could identify the water level, monitored from the Ship's office itself.

We manually checks it out by inserting the tape into the pipe.

That is, if the tape has been wet upto 5 meters, we can say that the tank contains water upto 5 meters.

There is a trim and stability booklet, which is a stability manual.

When it is checked,

we could calculate the quantity of water with respect to 5 meters height.

Often when minor leakages forms in the sides of the tank,

we should've to repair it in the ship itself.

Major repairings are carried out in dry docks.

Meanwhile, minor repairings are cleared by our welders and fitters in the ship itself.

Certain tanks are located below the ship.

They are called double-bottom tanks.

It is a short-heightened area.

And it seems very diufficult to enter inside.

The blue coloured segment shown in the sketch is called the Double Bottom Tank.

It has been separated into left and right tanks.

It is short-heightened and broader too.

Now we are seeing the double bottom tank of the ship.

Containers are first loaded in the Cargo hold.

This particular tank locates below that too.

Hence this is the bottom tank.

When this segment gets rusted, water enters in from the sea.

So that I'm now checking whether everything is alright.

Usually double bottom tanks are short-heightened.

But is enough broader.

This ship with a width of 48 meters has been separated into two such tanks.

Those are termed as port side and satrboard side.

There are two such tanks with a width of 24 meters each.

This double bottom tank has more capacity than that of those wing tanks.

It is about 2190 meter cube.

That is, 21,90,000 litres of water can be contained within this tank.

I've already told you that there are 19 Ballast tanks in thhis ship.

If all those tanks are fully filled with water,

28,461 cubic meter water can be contained in.

It is capable of containing 2,84,61,000 litres of water in fact.

But we usually doesn't fill that much of water inside.

Once in my duty time, when too much goods were discharged out,

I had to pump in 2,10,00,000 litres of water inorder to maintain the stability of the ship.

Later when enough goods were loaded in,

2/3 rd of the water was supposed to be pumped out.

Usually the water in Ballast tank is measured in Cubic meter or ton, instead of litres.

Because, when mentioned in litres digits will not be enough to figure out.

Now you are seeing a tank which is located in the most back end of the ship.

So that it is found to have a different shape as well.

The frontmost and backend sides of the ships are less wider than usual.

That's why you could see it in a slanted and curled shape inside.

I told you that we pumps in and out water into this tank inorder to maintain the stability of the hsip.

Often we pumps out the water while loading the goods inside.

For example, when the goods loaded in the left side of the ship is heavier,

ship will sink towards that side.

Then we transfer the water into the tanks located in opposite sides and thus makes the ship stable.

It is usual to burn 100 to 150 ton fuel per day for running the ship forward.

While we are consuming freshwater and fuel from a side of the ship,

the heaviness in that side gradually decreases.

Accordingly the ship sinks towards the opposite side.

Then we makes the ship stable by transferring, pumping or expelling water in these Ballast tanks.

I did not come down to pick weeds like a farmer.

As I told earlier, I went for checking the double bottom tank in the bottom of the ship.

I ended up with the kids in the surf ad because there was some mud in there.

Hope you had a rough idea about the Ballast tanks in ship through today's video.

Until meeting in other video, stay tuned ; stay safe ; Thank you !.