the receiving service tank until just before the approach
alongside the delivering ship, then shift suction to a full
standby service tank. Never take fuel oil service suction
from the service tank that is receiving fuel oil.
Post a fueling watch list well in advance of fueling
time, and be sure all personnel involved in the operation
know their stations and duties. A fueling detail includes
messengers, pneumercator personnel and tank
sounders, personnel at the forward and after hose
connections, personnel at the manifolds, and telephone
talkers. Be sure all fueling detail personnel are
experienced and capable.
As a rule, man fueling stations one-half hour before
fueling time. Assign only the number of personnel
required to handle the fueling. Additional personnel
may get in each other’s way.
After the fueling stations are manned, but before
fueling is started, test the phone circuits, connect the air
hoses to the fueling connections, and screw
thermometers and pressure gauges into the fueling
connections if they are required.
Before starting fueling, check equipment at all
stations. Equipment required for fuel tank sounding
stations includes graduated sounding rods or tapes (if
used), rags, and tee wrenches. Equipment required for
topside fueling stations (depending on the type of
refueling rig used) includes sledge hammers, axes, ball
peen hammers, bolt cutters, hose coupling spanner
wrenches, rags, and end fittings.
When fuel oil is received from a naval source of
supply such as a naval ship, a naval storage tank, or a
naval fuel barge, the activity supplying the oil must
furnish the commanding officer of the receiving ship
with an analysis of the oil. If possible, you and an officer
of the receiving ship should witness soundings and the
drawing of samples from the tanks of the supplying
activity. The samples must be taken from the suction
level of the tank from which the oil is to be drawn. One
sample should be taken before the unloading is started,
and another after the loading is completed. Both
samples must be centrifuged to determine the
percentage of sediment and water.
When fueling is done at sea, it may be impossible
for the delivery ship to furnish a complete analysis of
the oil and for the receiving ship to send representatives
to witness the soundings and samplings. In this case, the
supplying vessel furnishes a statement of the American
Petroleum Institute (API) gravity and water and
sediment content of the oil. The receiving ship must
then take samples during delivery and make tests to
determine the percentage of water and sediment. Take
the samples with a dipper from the tank that is being
filled, or draw them through connections in the delivery
pipeline. Take enough small samples to make a total
sample of at least 5 gallons. Then, take smaller samples
from the total sample for the test. Before you take the
samples, clean all the containers you will use for that
purpose.
When fuel is coming aboard, keep a constant check
on all tanks that are receiving fuel. In large ships, in
particular, you must follow a systematic procedure to
get all tanks properly filled without unnecessary loss of
time. You also must be sure the stability of the ship is
not impaired.
When there are several tanks in each overflow
group, initially open one or two tanks in each group.
When these have been filled to approximately 85
percent capacity, start filling the others in the group and
closing down the valves to the tanks that are almost full,
topping them off slowly. Fill the overflow tank in each
group last.
Each tank has a sounding rod or a tank-capacity
indicator of the pneumercator type. There may be other
systems in use, which will not be covered, but you can
get information about them from the manufacturer’s
technical manual. As oil is being received, assign
someone to each tank that is receiving fuel. If you are
using a sounding rod, sound the tank every 3 or 4
minutes until it is nearly three-fourths full. From this
point on, take continuous soundings. Fill tanks to the 95
percent level You can fill to slightly above this mark to
allow the oil to foam, but be sure the FINAL level of oil
in any tank is at the 95 percent mark.
As each succeeding tank is filled, be sure personnel
at the remaining tank sounding stations are even more
alert than before. As the last tank is being filled, notify
the delivery ship to drop the pump pressure or to slow
down the pump, as appropriate.
After you have determined the amount of fuel oil
being received per minute, you can give the delivery
ship a “stop pumping” time. If your calculations are
correct, all tanks will be full when the pump is stopped.
You must keep the fueling officer informed as to the
amount of oil received as a percentage of the total to be
received and the probable time required to complete the
fueling. The fueling officer keeps the commanding
officer posted on the progress of the fueling.
When all tanks are full, empty the fuel hose by one
of two methods: (1) blow back the oil in the hose to the
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