m.t.Jag Jwala -product tanker Part 1-

Greetings mates,

Title: Coastal Voyages(1966-1969) on m.t.Jag Jwala -product tanker

INTRODUCTION

The m.t.JAG JWALA, product tanker of GESCO I sailed on in 1966-69 and later more  sign on and offs holds a lot of memories for me.

I served there as a Senior cadet and later 3rd mate -

By strange chance, the  real scale model of this ship Jag Jwala was  in my head office at the front Reception asa gift by GESCO to our JBB Group Company.

We also have the m.v. Jag Kisan model too.

1) The usual sailing  route of Jag Jwala was --Load at Bombay -Butcher Island  or at Pir Pow-several products for dsichange at Cochin Madras and Calcutta. Later for Okha &Kandla

2) The mission objective of the coastal tankers on BP -ESSO and later on IOC Time Charter was Petroleum distribution between Refineries- storage terminals -which were essential needs. In the 1960s many loctaions had no Refinery as seen today spread all over Indai and new ports, refineries etc added ..

m.t. Jag Jwala was of a T 2 type Scandinavian built tanker, purchased  (2nd hand ) by the GESCO Owners as I can recall. The tanker had the Navigation bridge and accomodation spaces for  Deck officers at the forward between No 3 and 4 centres tanks and it connected to Aft Accomodation by a long catwalk to Engine spaces and Aft accomodation--see Photo of scale model inset.

CARGO: Often as many  as 8 Grades of products was loaded by a  Ring Main pipeline with Double valve segregation and spindle valves, that were  all operated manually on deck.The Steam Reciprocating pumps 2 nos. Pumps were in the Pump Room near  forward acc. spaces and access was  by a steel entry ladder with about 50 Rungs- for going down below to attend to the Pumps --and mind you all this with Manual valve operations meant "Climb up and down"- several times in a Cargo watch.  

There were about 66 valves as I counted once in cadet days when I had to paint each one in respective Group segregation colours and for periodical servicing jointly with the 2 Senior Pumpmen .The cargo was carried in a total of 7 centre + 5 wings tanks =17 total ( plus 2 small slop tanks)... as i recall.It is such a long time ago-- 

Multiple grade loading included about 8 types of cargo  inc Hexane, JBO --for Calcutta for the Jute industry. This apart from mid-distillates:  SKO, ATF, MoGas, LDO & DO.The  entire  loading was planned and distributed by judicious tank segregation and flushing lines on the ship with specific  product  into cargo tanks in an era long before Segregated pipelines & pumps was heard of.

There was no CCR either --we used to sit under the catwalk on cargo watch (not in accomodation spaces) or later a bench chair on the outer space and patiently take hourly manual ullages by Tape & wooden float and with a chalk mark on a board for the Ch. Mate to read and take decisions.

Also stripping was by the main pump run slowly -often by visual means using a Heliograph in daytime and a Safety torch at night.Stripping tanks took hours as the ship had to be trimmed and listed by 2 degrees to drain cargo to pump suction in final stages and take out all cargo. There was an Eductor stripping system also --but the stripper pump was not really useful and so the mainpump on slow speed was the best -did the job but needed great care and caution.On average a tanker stayed about 2 days in port .

Modern fittings like  Deep well pumps, Stripper pumps, Heat Exchanger, OMS, SBT, and  DB etc was all unheard of. Nor insdtrumentation- "Saab"  measuring --not even a Whessoe Gauge seen. 

Tanker training was by learning fron seniors , co-worker/shipmates -and the the excellent BP Tanker Code book retained on board for self study and the prescribed text book then was "Tanker Practice" work by G.A.B King--an  excellent text book that served my entire Career.  

Navigation & Bridge equipment was basic and with age mostly  inoperative Radar , a old fashioned Echo sounder and a Browns Gyro Compass which also was out of order after 1968.

Thereafter,  it was just the Magnetic compass on the monkey island --Climb up & down to tale bearings and azimuths. We actually made our own Deviation card at anchorage.

The Sextant and Chronometer held us in goodstead always as also the basic chartwork on coastal navigation --viz. visual bearings of beacons, lands end, lighthouses-raising and dipping distances etc 

However with pride will add-  

We managed nicely -

We did not experience a single problem in the 3 years (on /off)  that I served on this old product Tanker. Till now I carry  the memory with me as well as a great affection for m.t. Jag Jwala, of those times-

Peaceful, very hardwork, simple food on the coast  and a quiet life at terminals-far from shore life.

Respects to that ship -

TR

                                                   Pic of Jag Jwala--scale model

THINKING ALOUD

Today's Tanker personnel will be shocked--nay..abs  horrified to hear all this.

Such  systems will be failed by State Port Control etc --

but all this survived decades as records will show for decades from about 1950s to 1980s --and well accepted till carelessness set in --mind you on ships owned and operated by Western "Developed" Countries. Hmmm-  That was beginning with  the m.t.Torrey Canyon oil pollution--to MARPOL following the  accident , then the Amoco Cadiz, and finally  the topper that brought in all the draconian Protocols and litigation with court battles leading  finally to the US Bill of OPA  -- That was the the accident of theTanker--in Alaskan Bay the  infamous Exxon Valdex pollution case--which completely changed all way of operating Tankers and altered the life of merchant seafarers  with the harsh legal measures that followed.Till then  these Tankers were never viewed with such dislike by the Media and Public at large, despite the service provided. The pollution  element, damage to beaches and property, fishing saw  Legal battles  rage for over a decade (as it does even now) and by the 1990s saw the criminalisation of Masters and ships officers -by legal experts, who most  often were summarily arrested and jailed--even before proven guilty --a trend set in motion by  Western countries-esp USA and France-Others all followed blindly. Today no youtf want  a Sea career really -harsh fact-but, a truth. 

 Dear God what a state-- and to think the world runs on the Fossil fuel

to be contd Part 2 : Jag Jwala