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Discharge Shut Down
Off in the distance you hear a faint rumble of thunder while you are on the last hour of discharging cargo from your barge. The Pilot from the wheelhouse calls on the radio and reports that his weather app shows a cell of thunderstorms approaching. The dock then calls and says, "Time to shutdown until the weather passes."
How do you shut down now that the product level is below the pipeline in the barge and remain confident of an easy start-up next time without loss of prime?
Follow the sequence described below if you have to shutdown anytime, but it is especially important if the product is below the pipeline in the barge tanks.
These pictures with their descriptions explain how to hold pressure and prime on the barge pipeline and in the deep-well pump.
- Slow the engine down to stripping speed
- Shut the discharge or header valve
- Shut the tank valves
- Pull the engine out of gear
Discharge Resume
- Have the engine at striping-speed RPM, then put the engine in gear
- Open the tank valves several rounds. (The amount of rounds depends on how much product is left in the tank.)
- Partially open the discharge or header valve. (The amount to open depends on if the product is at striping level or not.)
- Lastly, check the tank for flow A.S.A.P.
You may have a different procedure on your tow to accomplish the same result. If so, let us know how your operation does it.
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Higman Boats win Big Time at the 2016 Devlin Awards
The 2016 Jones F. Devlin Awards, sponsored by the Chamber of Shipping of America went this year to 58 Higman boats with a total of 453 years.
Jones F. Devlin Awards are awarded to all self-propelled merchant vessels that have operated for two full years or more without a crewmember losing a full turn at watch because of an occupational injury.
This year's awards go to:
1. M/V Aberdeen - 16 years
2. M/V Alliance - 7 years
3. M/V Antietam - 13 years
4. M/V Aransas Pass - 5 years
5. M/V Baffin Bay - 5 years
6. M/V Baltimore - 16 years
7. M/V Belle Chasse - 5 years
8. M/V Bethesda - 10 years
9. M/V Bolivar Point - 9 years
10. M/V Capt. Jack Higman - 8 years
11. M/V Cecil - 13 years
12. M/V Chesapeake - 16 years
13. M/V Clifford L. Carraway - 2 years
14. M/V Colt Clary - 2 years
15. M/V Cove Point - 10 years
16. M/V Cumberland - 14 years
17. M/V Decatur - 11 years
18. M/V Drum Point - 10 years
19. M/V Freeport - 9 years
20. M/V George H. Thomas - 8 years
21. M/V Gordon A. Keenan - 2 years
22. M/V Gretchen C. - 8 years
23. M/V Grosbec - 13 years
24. M/V Guadalupe - 3 years
25. M/V High Island - 3 years
26. M/V Jesse B. Gunstream - 7 years
27. M/V John T. McMahan - 7 years
28. M/V Karl G. Andren - 2 years
29. M/V Kyle A. Shaw - 6 years
| 30. M/V Lavaca Bay - 6 years
31. M/V Louisianan - 9 years
32. M/V Mark E. Flynn - 7 years
33. M/V Marrero - 17 years
34. M/V Matagorda - 8 years
35. M/V Miss Cynthia - 14 years
36. M/V Miss Marianne - 11 years
37. M/V Orange - 3 years
38. M/V Pelican - 11 years
39. M/V Point Comfort - 3 years
40. M/V Point Isabel - 8 years
41. M/V Point Mallard - 3 years
42. M/V Port Neches - 3 years
43. M/V Potomac - 19 years
44. M/V Preston N. Shuford - 7 years
45. M/V Red River - 2 years
46. M/V Rio Grande - 2 years
47. M/V Rockfish - 9 years
48. M/V Sabine Pass - 8 years
49. M/V Saint Charles - 5 years
50. M/V San Antonio - 4 years
51. M/V San Bernard - 4 years
52. M/V Sandpiper - 3 years
53. M/V Sandy Point - 11 years
54. M/V Severn - 13 years
55. M/V Skipjack - 12 years
56. M/V Spindletop - 4 years
57. M/V Three Rivers - 2 years
58. M/V Trinity Bay - 5 years
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Bryan Smith accepts 2016 Devlin Awards for fleet recipients
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Another Class Completed
On June 10, ten new deckhands joined our fleet. This would not have been possible without the assistance of our boat crew members.
Thanks to Captain Eric McClain and the crew of M/V Pelican for showing the deckhands how to deploy and operate the boat's skiff. And, how to respond to a man overboard situation.
Thanks to tankerman Kenneth Wright of M//V Ingleside for sharing his knowledge and expertise on line handling, splicing, and barge operations.
And, a special "thank you" to Rodney, Sam, and Nate in the warehouse for always keeping us supplied. We wouldn't have had such a successful class without all of you.
Once again, thanks to all for a job "well done."
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How Much Salt (Sodium) Should You Eat?
For optimal heart-health, the American Heart Association recommends people try to eat no more than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per day. That level is associated with a significant reduction in blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Because the average American's sodium intake is so excessive, even cutting back to no more than 2,400 milligrams a day will significantly improve blood pressure and heart health.
More than 75 percent of the sodium Americans eat comes from processed, prepackaged and restaurant foods - not from the salt shaker.
Here are the approximate amounts of sodium in a given amount of table salt:
- 1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium
- 1/2 teaspoon salt = 1,150 mg sodium
- 3/4 teaspoon salt = 1,725 mg sodium
- 1 teaspoon salt = 2,300 mg sodium
Did you know that on average, Americans eat more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium each day - much more than the American Heart Association and other health organizations recommend? Most of us are likely underestimating how much sodium we eat, if we can estimate at all. The association surveyed 1,000 adults and found that one-third couldn't estimate how much sodium they ate, and another 54 percent
thought they were eating less than 2,000 mg sodium a day.
When it comes to dietary sodium, less is certainly best, yet Americans today consume 50% more than the recommended daily quantities of sodium. Diets high in sodium increase blood pressure levels. High blood pressure damages the kidneys over time, and is a leading cause of kidney failure.
To help Americans reduce salt intake to the ideal one teaspoon per day, the National Kidney Foundation and Council of Renal Nutrition offers the following tips to reduce sodium in your diet.
Use fresh, rather than packaged meats. Fresh cuts of beef, chicken or pork contain natural sodium, but the content is still much less than the hidden extra sodium added during processing in products like bacon or ham. If a food item keeps well in the 'fridge for days or weeks, that's a tip that the sodium content is too high.
Choose fresh fruits and vegetables, as well, since they are very low in sodium. Canned and frozen fruits are also low in sodium. When buying frozen vegetables, choose those that are labeled "fresh frozen" and do not contain added seasoning or sauces.
Begin reading food labels as a matter of course. Sodium content is always listed on the label. Sometimes the high sugar content in a product like apple pie can mask the high sodium content so it's important to check every label for sodium content.
Compare various brands of the same food item until you find the one that has the lowest sodium content since this will vary from brand to brand.
Select spices or seasonings that do not list sodium on their labels, i.e. choose garlic powder over garlic salt.
Before dining out, do your research. Visit the restaurant's website that should list the sodium content of various dishes served. Alternatively, when you're at the restaurant and ready to order, you can request that the dish be served without salt.
Beware of products that don't taste especially salty but still have high sodium content, such as cottage cheese.
If you have elevated blood pressure, dietary sodium restriction cannot only lower your blood pressure, but can enhance your response to blood pressure medications.
Salt preference is an acquired taste that can be unlearned. It takes about 6-8 weeks to get used to eating food with much lower quantities of salt, but once it's done, it's actually difficult to eat foods like potato chips because they taste way too salty.
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TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF SURVEY RESULTS
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Surveys can help us sort out our priorities and concerns
At this year's Wheelman Seminar our wheelmen were given a survey entitled " Take Care of Yourself." It asked respondents to indicate whether they were very unhappy,
just so-so
or very happy on certain topics.
I have reviewed the results of the 204 responses and will be sharing the findings by introducing a few of the questions in the forthcoming Training Newsletters.
Some of the answers may surprise you.
Question...HOW HAPPY ARE YOU WITH:
1. Your work environment on board? The overwhelming majority, 87.3% said they were happy to very happy, while 13 of you were neither happy nor unhappy, and 13 people or 6.4% said they were unhappy to very unhappy. For those 13 people that are unhappy in their work environment, I can only hope you are taking some steps to rectify your situation.
2. Your diet and food choices? This question prompted answers throughout the range from 1 to 10 with 51 people (25%) saying they were very unhappy to just unhappy, 20% of you were neither happy nor unhappy, and 55% were happy to very happy. Most of the comments at the bottom of the page also had to do with diet and eating habits. Remember, it is never too late to start eating healthy by cutting back on refined sugars, salt, fried foods, and drinking plain water instead of soft drinks. Good nutrition is one of the five essential things that allow your brain to function properly so if you feel unhappy about your diet, now is the time to start making changes...and it might help to clear some of your "brain fog".
Kyle Shaw
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Daily Vessel Logs - SMS
C.1.80.2 Vessel Logbooks
A. PURPOSE: To establish guidelines for the maintenance of vessel logs.
B. RESPONSIBILITY: Wheelman on Watch is responsible to ensure procedure is followed. D. PROCEDURES:
1. Daily Vessel Log: (Electronic log)
a. Guidelines for maintaining Daily Vessel log must be adhered to:
* Logs are maintained electronically, transmitted via higmanboats.com.
* Log entries, properly dated, must be made as soon as possible after the occurrence for which the entry is made.
* Log sheets must be transmitted to the Dispatch Office prior to 0600 each day.
b. Entries: The following information is required to be entered in the Daily Vessel Log:
- List of crew members and their positions, on and off the vessel.
* Fuel and lube oil data, including amount of fuel or lube oil transferred to or from the other vessel.
* Report of any death and cause of death.
* Number and description of any non-crew members carried on board the vessel, their boarding and departure points and reason or authorization for being aboard.
* Times and places of all arrivals and departures of vessel, including changes of river segments, locks, etc.
* Intermittent operations such as drops or additions of barges, stand-by time, hire of tug and change of river segment, along with notations as to where, by whose orders and for what purpose these operations were undertaken.
- Navigation time, including geographic departure point and arrival point, and reason for trip (deliver cargo, receive cargo, etc.)
* Times of any delays (groundings, Coast Guard boardings, traffic, lock closures, weather, accidents, etc.) with approval from Dispatch.
* Times of all hose connections, start of transfer operations, disconnect times, and times of any interruption.
2. Rough Log (sometimes referred to as Master's Log or Wheelhouse Journal):
a. Requirement: All boats are required to maintain this record.
b. Guidelines for maintaining the rough log must be adhered to:
* Rough Logs are maintained in the wheelhouse in a journal book issued by the Company.
* Logs are to be retained aboard vessel for a period of one year after last entry in the logbook.
* Log entries will be made as events occur or as soon as possible thereafter.
c. Entries: The following information is required to be entered in the Rough Log:
* Any event that delays scheduled ETA or ETD of a tow i.e., groundings, Coast Guard boarding, traffic, lock closures, weather, accidents, etc.
* Any event that affects the material condition of the tow
* Orders from Dispatchers or On-Call Persons
* Change orders or cancellations from Dispatchers or On-Call Persons
* Any accident, injury or serious illness
* Any "near-miss incident"
* Times of arrival or departure at/from docks, locks, moorings, fuel flats, fleets, etc.
* Drills and safety/security meetings including all JHAs
* Changes in security conditions
* Security breaches or threats
* Fuel and lube oil data, including amount of fuel or lube transferred to or from the other vessel.
* Report of any death and cause of death
* Non-crew members carried on board tow (barges or towboat), boarding/departure points and reason or authorization for being aboard.
* Intermittent operations such as drops/additions of barges, stand-by time, hire of tug and change of river segment, along with notations as to where, by whose orders and for what purpose operations were undertaken.
* Navigation time, including geographic departure point and arrival point, and reason for trip (deliver cargo, receive cargo, etc.).
* Times of all hose connections, start of transfer operations, disconnect times, and times of any interruption.
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Chandeleur Sound Alternate Route
Starting in August, this summer, Industrial Lock will be closed for an anticipated 120 days. The Chandeleur Sound Alternate Route is being marked and charted by the USCG to allow continued transit of the ICWE route.
The route begins, going eastward at LMR, mi 11.3 entering Baptiste Collette. It transits northeast through Chandeleur Sound and into the Gulfport Ship Channel near Ship Island. The full route from the river into the intersection with the ICWE is about 75 statue miles.
Watch for information from your Port Captains on transit procedures. Begin to prepare your crew for this non-routine route if your tow typically uses Industrial Lock.
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USCG RULES OF THE ROAD QUESTIONS
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BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND....A power-driven vessel is underway in fog but stopped and making no way through the water. What is the required fog signal?
One prolonged blast at not more than one-minute intervals
b. Two prolonged blasts at not more than one-minute intervals
c. One prolonged blast at not more than two-minute intervals
d. Two prolonged blasts at not more than two-minute intervals
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND....Which vessel does NOT sound a fog signal of one prolonged followed by two short blasts?
A vessel engaged in dredging
b. A sailing vessel
c. A vessel being towed
d. A vessel engaged in fishing
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND.....Which vessel must exhibit a conical shape, apex downwards?
A 10-meter vessel engaged in fishing
b. A 15-meter vessel proceeding under sail when also being propelled by machinery
c. A 20-meter vessel restricted in her ability to maneuver
d. All of the above
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND....A head-on situation at night is one in which you see dead ahead a vessel showing __________.
a. one sidelight
b. one sidelight and a masthead light
c. one sidelight and two masthead lights
d. both sidelights of a vessel and her masthead light(s)
BOTH INTERNATIONAL & INLAND....You are underway in reduced visibility. You hear the fog signal of another vessel about 20° on your starboard bow. Risk of collision may exist. You should __________.
a. alter course to starboard to pass around the other vessel
b. reduce your speed to bare steerageway
c. slow your engines and let the other vessel pass ahead of you
d. alter course to port to pass the other vessel on its portside
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The Submarine H. L. Hunley
This was the first submarine to successfully sink a ship with a torpedo. Built by the Confederates in 1863 specifically to sink Union ships then barricading Southern ports, she sank twice while being tested, killing 13 of her crew (including her designer, H.L. Hunley) in the process. Finally ready for her first combat test, on the evening of February 17, 1864, the Hunley, which never seemed to run out of men eager to serve on her despite the generally suicidal nature of doing so, snuck up on the Union sloop Housatonic and buried a spar torpedo in her side.
Remarkably, the torpedo detonated as planned and the Housatonic sank, giving her the dubious distinction of being the first ship in history to be sunk by a submarine. Tragically, the submarine didn't make it back to dock but sank for the third and last time that evening for unknown reasons, taking her entire eight-man crew down once again. It was suspected that after shoving the torpedo into the Housatonic the Sub was unable to get away fast enough. The blast from the explosion could have caused them to be knocked unconscious and they most likely ran out of oxygen.
After sitting on the bottom of Charleston Harbor for the next 136 years, she was finally located and raised in August of 2000 to great fanfare. The remarkably well preserved hulk now sits in a specially designed tank awaiting conservation.
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| Captain Eric McLain of M/V Pelican assists with training
during the June Deckhand Academy |
Steersman Ron Anderson of M/V Pelican teaches new
Deckhands the correct and safe way to operate the skiff
Tankerman Kenneth Wright of M/V Ingleside does hands-on
instruction aboard the barges during Deckhand Academy
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Sixth Session
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| Complete | Seventh Session
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| Complete | Eighth Session
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| Complete | Ninth Session
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| Complete
| Tenth Session
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| Complete
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First Session
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| Complete
| Second Session
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| Complete
| Third Session
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| Complete
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HIGMAN
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LEADERSHIP
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First Session
| October 10-11 | |
Second Session
| October 20-21 | |
Third Session
| October 31- Nov 1 |
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First Session
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| Complete | |
Second Session
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| Complete | |
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First Session
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| Complete | |
Second Session
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| Complete | |
Third Session
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| Complete | | Fourth Session |
| July 18-20 | | Fifth Session |
| August 1-3 | | Sixth Session |
| September 12-14 | | Seventh Session |
| Oct 31- Nov 2 |
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To schedule training please email Janis or Austin.
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Make sure crewmembers have access to the Training Newsletter
- Print a copy of each issue for the crew.
- You may join our mailing list by clicking below:
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Higman CBT Certificates earned year to date: 2040
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Answer to this weeks Nav Gen: D, C, B, D, B
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Sincerely,
GORDIE KEENAN
JANIS ANDERSON
DENNIS ZINK
AUSTIN ZODY
© 2016 HIGMAN MARINE SERVICES, Inc.
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