Friday, October 20, 2006

Tanker Mooring

Hello there.
I have joined this blog as partner with my old friend Malheiro do Vale, had passed two weeks already and my intention was to show some aspects of my day to day jobs on board an AHTS (Anchor Handler Tug Ship), following this though, I’m going to describe my role in a tanker mooring and off load hose connection operation to a FPSO (Float Production Storage Offload) installation stern.
1º- My job is pick up the offload hose messenger(20’’ floating) from the water and holding it out of the FPSO stern in a way that the small boat involved on the operation too, can pick up the mooring hawser to transfer it to the tanker bow and make it fast on chain stopper through the chain bit attached to the mooring hawser end.
Pict. 1

2º-My vessel will be holding the hose during all approaching manoeuvre done by the mooring Master (same role as bar pilot) and the tanker Master.
This manoeuvre involves another tug vessel that must be connected to the tanker stern to make the tandem, to prevent the tanker to fall over the FPSO stern during all offload operation, due wind, tide and sea changes.
Pict. 2
3º-After the tanker moored secure to the FPSO stern by the hawser the connection operation starts with the hose slip rope transfer, this rope is attached to hose middle and must be connected at forward tanker section as close as possible to the bow by Starboard side usually.
Pict. 3
This manoeuvre is quite complicated because it must be very well synchronised, I must start to fall astern connected to the messenger and the other small boat manoeuvring to get close to the tanker to do the slip rope transfer to the tanker.
Pict. 4
4º- Finally I let go the hose messenger in the water to the small boat pick up or transfer it directly depends the mooring Master wish.
All the best nautical regards José Saraiva.