DIALOGUES

1

CHIEF ENGINEER. Sit down, please, Mr Thompson. Would you like a cigarette? No? You don't smoke? I see. Isn't that a professional precaution because you sell inflammable goods?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. No, of course not. I've just got some stomach trouble and had to give up smoking.

CHIEF ENGINEER. That's too bad, of course. Excuse my clumsy joke. BUNKER SUPPLIER. Oh, never mind, of course I understand you mean

well, and we, English, do appreciate a good joke.

CHIEF ENGINEER. That's it. Well, let's turn now to business. You see we want some good oil for the ship's diesel generator.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. What make is that diesel engine, B& W?

CHIEF ENGINEER. No, she is of Soviet make. She is fine. We never have any trouble with that engine.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. I see. So, what requirements should this diesel-oil

meet?

CHIEF ENGINEER. Nothing very particular, just ordinary diesel-oil characteristics. Flash point not below 75°C. Viscosity about 40-50 seconds by Engler at 20°C. Specific gravity 0.845 at 20°C. Cetane number 40-50.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Wait a moment. We don't use such characteristics here. As to the flash point, it is simple enough. I understand that it is about 1809 Fahrenheit Scale. But I cannot make out your figures for viscosity. In all our analyses viscosity is given in terms of either Saybolt or Redwood seconds. Couldn't you convert these figures into Saybolt or Redwood seconds?

CHIEF ENGINEER. I see. Wait a moment then. Let me have a look at the conversion tables. Well, to my mind, this viscosity equals to about 35 Redwood seconds.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. So far as I can understand, you want diesel-oil of

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grade E, according to our classification. I cannot say that its characteristics are exactly as you stated, but they are very close to them. I'll show you some samples of this grade, and I suppose you may choose which one you like best of all. Here are their complete analyses.

CHIEF ENGINEER. I think this sample will suit us. Please show me its analysis. Thank you. Yes, this one will do.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. How many tons do you want to order?

CHIEF ENGINEER. We want 500 tons of diesel-oil, and some 30 tons of lubricating oil.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. What kind of lubricating oil do you need? CHIEF ENGINEER. Do you want me to tell you the characteristics?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Yes, that would make the choice easier. But if you like, I can show you samples, and you make the choice yourself.

CHIEF ENGINEER. All right, we can do both. You see, we bought such oil once and I wrote down the figures. Now, where did I put that note? Oh, here it is. So, the flash point is 360°F minimum, Saybolt viscosity at 100° Fahrenheit — 150 seconds minimum and 200 seconds maximum. Pour point 35° F maximum and steam emulsion value 75 seconds maximum.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. That's clear, sir. This is the regular stuff; we can supply you with any quantity. You are holding a sample of that grade in your hand now.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Is that so? Right you are. Now that I look closer, it's just like what we bought last time. So, it is settled now. What about the prices?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. The prices are fixed, sir. Just standard Shell Co. prices. We'll charge you £, 35,40 per ton of diesel-oil and £ 88.75 per ton of lubricating oil. Sorry, but we cannot make any discounts for quantities less than 10,000 tons.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Well, let it be so. Now, let us arrange about the delivery and the samples for analysis.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. I'll send you the samples in a couple of hours. As to

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bunkering, we may start pumping directly you shift to our wharf. We may supply you from our lighter as well, just at this berth; but it will cost you £, 150.00 more.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Let me fix that with our captain. I'll ring him upright away. Just a moment. (After awhile).

You know, the captain says, he won't mind those extra '£ 150.00 provided we do the bunkering as quickly as we can. He says we are very much pressed for time. BUNKER SUPPLIER. As you like, sir. We shall do whatever suits you best. Inasmuch as the transaction is settled, I'll go now and make some arrangements for tomorrow. In two hours I'll send you the samples and tomorrow I'll come here at 7.30 a. m. We'll settle then the practical details of bunkering.

2

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Good morning, sir. The lighters will be brought alongside your ship by 8 a. m. Are you ready to take bunkers?

CHIEF ENGINEER. Yes, we've made all the necessary arrangements. BUNKER SUPPLIER. Into what tanks are you going to pump the diesel-oil? CHIEF ENGINEER. We have two fuel oil tanks aft. One of the tanks is

empty, the other one is half-full of oil. We'll start with pumping into the starboard tank.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. All right, let's start with the starboard tank. What's its capacity?

CHIEF ENGINEER. The tank's capacity is 400 tons.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Very well, sir. Now let's settle the question how we shall take measurements.

CHIEF ENGINEER. The tank's capacity is officially stated in this ship's ullage table, as you can see. If you don't mind, let's go at once to examine the starboard tank to see if it is empty. As' to the port tank, I propose to take ullages as soon as the starboard tank is topped off.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Why should we put it off till then? You aren't taking away any supplies from the port tank now, are you?

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CHIEF ENGINEER. No, of course, we are not. We have pumped enough oil into the service tank and that will suffice for a couple of days at least.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. If that's the case, we'll have the discharge valves shut, lashed and sealed. Then we may take the ullage right away.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Good. Let's do it this way if you like. So, we are prepared to take bunker from your lighters,

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Very well, sir. Now we have to handle the hose. Please give orders to lift the lighter hose and to have it inserted into the tank. It must be securely lashed in place. We shall load "over-all". Tell them to plug the opening around the hose with wet burlap. No open fires on board?

CHIEF ENGINEER. None, the boiler fires were extinguished two hours ago. I say, Mr Williams, last time we took bunker here in a different way. We had the dock hose connected to our risers. Not "over-all" method.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Yes, sir, I know that. But this time we want to expedite the bunkering. We are using now a hose of a bigger diameter, as a matter of fact, a 6" hose.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Oh, I see.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. I will request you, sir, to detail someone to be on constant watch for leaks or overflow. Please order drip pans to be positioned under flanges as well.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Good. I'll see to that. Anything else?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Yes, sir. Will you, please, have a man stationed on deck to relay orders to the lighter attendant?

CHIEF ENGINEER. All right. What station signals shall we use when taking bunker?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. First of all give a "stand by" order to the lighter attendant five minutes before the loading shall be started, stopped or reduced in rate. We'll start pumping at slow speed. When you have ascertained that everything goes smoothly, tell the lighter attendant to increase pressure or "full speed". When topping off, tell him: "Ease down" and finally: "Stop". You may use flag signals as

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well.

CHIEF ENGINEER. What flags shall we use?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. One red flag meaning "slow speed" or "reduce the pressure". Two red flags meaning "full speed" or "increase pressure". Both flags down meaning "stop".

CHIEF ENGINEER. That's clear. What emergency signals shall be used? BUNKER SUPPLIER. In case of emergency sound a continuous blast on the

ship's whistle until oil ceases to flow.

CHIEF ENGINEER. That's settled now. What other arrangements should we make?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. Have you put ashore the bonding cable? CHIEF ENGINEER. What do you mean by bonding cable?

BUNKER SUPPLIER. I mean the grounding cable which must be made fast to the shore pipeline.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Ah, that's what you mean. Yes, we have already done

that.

BUNKER SUPPLIER. That's good. Now, we may soon start bunkering. Will you kindly send someone ashore to be present when the shore tanks are dipped? As you know, the measurements obtained from these dips will be used for calculating the quantity of bunker supplied to your ship. So, please, send a competent person.

CHIEF ENGINEER. My second engineer will come along with you. He is a very experienced person.

3

AGENT. Good evening, Mr Pavlenko. The captain told me you wanted to order some technical supplies.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Good evening, Mr Thomas. Yes, that's right. We need some stores. Will you sit down, please? We have run short of packing; we want to buy some other things, too.

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AGENT. What kind of packing do you want? Metallic?

CHIEF ENGINEER. Oh, we want several kinds of packing. I've forgotten what you call that packing in English, but I know you always carry a set of samples about you. Let's see them and I'll choose the kind I want.

AGENT. You have a very good memory, Mr Pavlenko. Yes, indeed, I always carry samples about me. That's our business. Here are the samples. You may examine them and choose whatever you like.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Thank you, Mr Thomas. Let me see them. ...Well, this sample seems to be the one I want. There is something written on its cover, but I cannot make it out. The letters are too small. I can't read them without my spectacles.

AGENT. You mean this one? It's high temperature joint packing.

CHIEF ENGINEER. That's just what I want. What are the shapes of this packing?

AGENT. It's sold in sheets, in discs and in rings. The sheet sizes are 20" by 30", 30" by 40" and 40" by 60".

CHIEF ENGINEER. How thick are the sheets?

AGENT. They are different. 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 3/8 of an inch. CHIEF ENGINEER. What diameters are the discs?

AGENT. At the present moment, we have in stock only five sizes: 2", 3", 4" and 10". The thickness is the same as that of the sheets. But we have three more sizes for rings. They are: 12", 16" and 18".

CHIEF ENGINEER. What's the inside diameter of these rings?

AGENT. Two and three inches less than the outside diameter, but you can cut these rings to any size within these limits.

CHIEF ENGINEER. Yes, of course. So, will you put down our order for this packing? 50 sheets of 30 x 40", 1/8" thick, 50 sheets of 40 x 60", 1/4" thick, 100 rings 12" outside diameter 10" inside diameter.

AGENT. I've put that down. Anything else?

CHIEF ENGINEER. Yes, some more packing, but of another kind. I want

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