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 Gene Slover |
Fueling at sea was such fun:-) |
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Posts: 6279 ( 8-May-2008 12:06:20) |
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BOBC 59 |
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Posts: 1165 (10-May-2008 08:00:25) |
for the big mamie it was routine to as well as recieve! we refueled our escort at least once a week one on each side at times, if time was restricted. that was
b4 quick disconnects were on the scene 6" flange 8 1/2 in bolts to tighten and loosen hell any body besides gene and joe lyons know what a spud wrench oh
yea Fermi too
but the best was rearming at sea 16" and 5/38s those 16/45 swinging on a hook could pull a hand overboard real easy nuff said bob
For those that fought for it,Freedom has a taste and meaning ,The protected will never know.
Last Edited By: BOBC 59
10-May-2008 08:04:09.
Edited 1 times.
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Duncan MacKinnon |
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Posts: 225 (10-May-2008 13:19:59) |
Don't call it a spud wrench over here if it's what I'm thinking of. I know it as a Stilson.
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BOBC 59 |
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Posts: 1166 (10-May-2008 22:55:30) |
nope a stillson wrench is a pipe wrench,If my old chief "BOSS Hayes caught any one oh his crew using a pipe wrench to tighten or loosen hex bolts and nuts
one would be spitting shoe leather for such a long time
NUFF SAID BOBC
For those that fought for it,Freedom has a taste and meaning ,The protected will never know.
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Gene Slover |
You can refuel | ||
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Posts: 6292 (10-May-2008 23:14:38) |
in a sea state of 4 is pretty routine , 5 gets a little tougher but it can be done.
When refueling the the speed of the ships is usually between 12 and 16 kts. The delivery or guide ship sets the course of the ships. The yaw of the ship determines how close the receiving ship can come to maintaining the course set by the supply ship. As long as the course of the receiving ship can be held by the helmsman within 1 degree fueling can be done. At 1 1/2 degree course changes it gets a little tricky and at 2 degrees you just cannot do it. The distance you want to maintain between the ships is about 140 to 180 feet. A course change of 1 degree in one minute will change the distance between the ships by about 20 feet. 1 1/2 degree 30 feet. 2 degrees 40 feet. Maintaining the distance between the ships is a matter of visual or what your eyes are telling you. You have already given the helmsman the course you want him to follow and he is following that course. Even though he is following that course when the ship yaws and changes course by 1 degree it takes him some time to bring the ship back to the course you gave him to follow. So as you watch the distance between the ships you have to determine if you need to make a course change to get closer or further away. You are doing the same with ships speed to maintain your ships position with the supply or guide ship. You maintain or change ships speed by changing the revolutions of the screws by 1 or 2 RPM. The helmsman must tell the officer who has the con what degree of course he can maintain. If he cannot maintain ships course by 1 1/2 degree or less or the prefered 1 degree you have to make the decision to abort and ask the supply ship to come to a new course. Because you are in a task force this is going to require that the entire task force come to a new heading before fueling can commence. |
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Gene Slover |
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Posts: 6293 (10-May-2008 23:23:43) |
Before fueling commences the supply ship OD will ask his helmsman what degree of course can he maintain.
If the helmsman says 1 degree then the supply ship OD will tell the customer ship that fueling can commence on the course the supply ship is steaming. As the two ships close each other, the hydrodynamic forces will both change and increase noticeably. At this time if both the supply ship and the customer ship can maintain a course of 1 1/2 degree or less then preparations for fueling can commence. |
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Gene Slover |
Refueling at sea | ||
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Posts: 6294 (10-May-2008 23:50:39) |
To perpair for fueling the supply ship will either bolo or throw a 1/4" line to the customer ship. A bolo line has a lead weight on the end of the
1/4" line. You pay out 3 or 4 feet of line and swing the weighted line several times before throwing it to the receiving ship.
The receiving ship has been warned for all personel to take cover. If throwing the bolo line is not successful then a line throwing gun is brought out and the line is fired over the receiving ship. The line is used to pull across a larger line, the phone and distance (P&D) line, which is marked every 20 feet by a flag. Then you have communication with the bridge of both ships and distance between the ships is more easily managed because of the markers every 20 feet on the P & D line. Once alongside, the shotlines for the replenishment stations can be sent over, the messenger hauled across, with spanline and hoses following.
Last Edited By: Gene Slover
11-May-2008 03:30:52.
Edited 1 times.
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Gene Slover |
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Posts: 6295 (11-May-2008 03:58:40) |
Once the spanline is pulled aboard it is passed through a single block and then the sailors begin pulling more spanline aboard and in a straight line down the
deck towards the fantail or bow depending on which transfer station is used.
The refueling line is attached to the spanline and after a suffecient amount of spanline has been pulled aboard the receiving ship the refueling line is attached to the spanline and it begins to make its way across to the refueling ship. The fuel oil line is attached to the spanline about every 20 feet or so and loops down slightly, about 5 feet betwen where it is tied off to the spanline. When the fuel oil line reaches the receiving ship the flange on the end of the fuel oil line is bolted to a like fitting on the receiving ship. Bolts used to hold the flanges together are tightened with a spud wrench. All the while the men are pulling on the spanline trying to keep it pulled tight and thus keep the fuel oil line from hitting the ocean. By the way that fuel oil line is 4" and when it hits the ocean at 12 to 16 kts the force will drag the men pulling on the spanline and some will fall but nobody will let go of the spanline because if the fuel line is parted you get to help clean up the mess and believe me you ain't seen a mess like this before. All the time during the refueling process the 2 ships are constantly moving closer and further apart. So the men on deck pulling on the spanline are constantly running back and forth to maintain enough tension on the spanline that the fuel oil line does not hit the ocean. Now in calm seas its pretty easy as the ships both stay on a close course with each other and the waves are small so its not hard to keep tension on the spanline. But in rough weather such as the picture in the link above it gets pretty wild and every man on the spanline gets jerked down and drug down the deck when the oil line hits the water and there was no way to overcome the situation. In rough weather you always put a lot more men on the spanline as it was not uncommon for half of them to lose their holt on the spanline. You can bet that when refueling was finished every man was soaked to the skin. And yours truly was soaked many a time:-) |
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Gene Slover |
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Posts: 6297 (11-May-2008 04:42:10) |
I forgot about the phone and distance (P&D) line.
This is a separate line for bridge to bridge communication and a distance marker so the officer conning the ship can better able to determine distance between the ships. This line is passed around a single block and two or more men see to it that its constantly pulled tight between the ships. On the bridge the only one that looks at the shipsships compass is the helmsman. The officer conning the ship stops looking at the ships compass when the ship is getting close to where it needs to be alongside the fueling ship. The con gives orders based on what he is seeing of his ships position relative to the supply ship. He does not have time to look at the ships compass. There is a man standing close to him with a chalk board and that man writes the con's commands of speed and course changes on the chalk board keeping the last commands only and a mark that indicates the helmsman and the annunciator operator replied the command indicating they were following that last order. This is because the only speed and course changes will be come left or right 1 or 2 degrees and speed changes are increase revolutions 1 or 2 revolutions. He only needs to know what his last command was and if it was followed. His command will be for the full course he wants the ship on such a come to course 090 degrees true. The officer who is conning the ship never says come right or left 1 or 2 degrees. Likewise with ships speed his command will be change speed to 115 revolutions. He never says to increase speed by 1 or 2 revolutions.
Last Edited By: Gene Slover
11-May-2008 05:06:53.
Edited 1 times.
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Gene Slover |
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Posts: 6298 (11-May-2008 05:14:30) |
Fueling stations will request permission to commence pumping and take a blowdown/backsuction.
Once fueling is complete the fuel line is unbolted and fed back to the delivery ship as well as all other lines. When all lines are clear of the ship speed is increased by 5 or 6 kts and its course can be slightly altered by 2 or 3 degrees. A larger course change may cause the fantail to hit the delivery ship. Once well clear of the delivery ship speed and course can be more radicaly changed to get the ship back on station. |
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