Logbook of the vessel "Jinghang Energy 09"

Sunday, September 11, 2022, sunny—returning to the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09.”

Continuing from the previous account, after the “AirAsia 009” vessel departed at 11:38 a.m., our company decided—following careful deliberation—that I would immediately return from Zhoushan that same afternoon to the “Jinghang Energy 09,” which was docked at the Huanghai Heavy Industry Shipyard in Ningbo, to continue supervising the rectification of defects and the commissioning work on the new vessel.

 

Monday, September 12, 2022, cloudy; studying the system documentation.

After dinner, the Ship Management Department took advantage of the break time to organize a study session for cadres and crew members, during which they reviewed and discussed the company’s system documents. Drawing on typical case studies of maritime accidents from recent years, they also examined and discussed the “Maritime Traffic Safety Law” and the newly revised “Work Safety Law.” Everyone actively participated in the discussion, engaging enthusiastically and openly. Each participant clearly recognized that, given the current serious situation, the company’s system documents serve as a guiding compass for our work. It is imperative that we strictly adhere to these system documents in our daily tasks, ensuring that safety responsibilities are effectively implemented at every stage, in every position, and for each individual—thereby guaranteeing that our maritime safety supervision efforts are truly put into practice.

 

 

Tuesday, September 13, 2022: Stormy winds and heavy rain—fighting against Typhoon “Meihua.”

At 8:30 a.m., the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09” headed to the Nan Anchorage off Aoshan and dropped anchor as instructed by the Zhoushan Maritime Safety Administration to seek shelter from the approaching storm. The weather was highly unpredictable—no one could have imagined that just days after bidding farewell to Typhoon No. 11, “Hinnamnor,” on September 6, we would soon be facing Typhoon No. 12, “Meihua.” At 10:00 a.m., the Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration activated a Level II emergency response for Typhoon No. 12, “Meihua”; then, at 5:00 p.m., it immediately upgraded the response to Level I—a testament to how swiftly “Meihua” was moving! By 6:00 p.m., the leading edge of Typhoon “Meihua” had already reached the position where our vessel was located. The wind force had climbed to above Grade 12 on the Beaufort scale, with maximum wind speeds reaching 36.1 meters per second. Violent winds, accompanied by torrential rain, were battering the ship’s windows. Our vessel was situated in the first quadrant along the typhoon’s path of advance.

 

                                         

 

The vessel “Jinghang Energy 09” strictly adhered to the relevant provisions of the company’s system documents and immediately began preparing for a series of tasks, including dropping both anchors, warming up the main engine, and assigning crew members to navigation watch. Captain Si Yuanmin and I took our positions in the bridge to direct typhoon-prevention efforts, while Senior Boatswain Gu and Senior Boatswain Qiu Jianping stood by at the central control room, keeping watch. To put it this way: in my nearly 20-year career as a captain, I’ve never seen a ship equipped with two captains and two senior boatswains providing protection and guidance—this not only represents the highest level of equipment among vessels across China but also constitutes an unprecedented crew configuration in the history of global navigation!

 

At 20:30, the eye of the typhoon reached our ship’s position, and the atmospheric pressure dropped to a minimum of 970 hPa. By 21:00, the typhoon’s eye had passed us, and the storm continued to move rapidly toward the northwest. Our ship was now in the fourth quadrant along the typhoon’s path. The wind, waves, and swells were gradually intensifying. Several vessels nearby were calling on high-frequency radio, shouting, “We’re dragging anchor! We’re dragging anchor!” When I noticed that the vessel closest to our ship was indeed dragging anchor, Captain Si Yuanmin immediately alerted that vessel via high-frequency radio. At the same time, our own ship took appropriate emergency precautions. Thus, we spent a tense yet exhilarating sleepless night at the bridge, keeping a close watch on the radar, observing the surrounding sea conditions, and closely monitoring the movements of nearby ships.

 

                                                  

 

Thursday, September 15, 2022, sunny—“The cabin is cleaner than your face.”

After the typhoon passed, the southern region was immediately hit by sweltering, humid “sauna-like” weather. To ensure oil quality, safeguard the shipowner’s reputation, and protect the interests of cargo owners, the crew members braved the stiflingly hot and humid conditions inside the cargo tanks. Taking advantage of the anchoring periods, they descended into each cargo tank to remove accumulated water and sweep away scattered debris. After a day of hard work by the crew, every cargo tank on the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09” was finally as clean as a face—spotless and pristine.

 

 

Friday, September 16, 2022, sunny—A second engineer who can’t cook isn’t a good chief engineer.

To cut down on ship operating costs, the company arranged for the chef to join the vessel after it was officially put into service. During this period, Senior Mate Qiu Jianping and Second Engineer Qu Gaoping voluntarily took on the responsibility of preparing meals for all crew members in their spare time. Every day, they not only got up early to cook delicious and appetizing meals for everyone but also tirelessly rode a tricycle themselves to the vegetable market, bargaining hard to procure fresh ingredients. It wasn't until noon on the 16th, when the chef finally boarded the ship, that Senior Mate Qiu Jianping and Second Engineer Qu Gaoping finally ended their multi-tasking stint as cooks and returned to their original duties in the engine room.

 

 

Saturday, September 17, 2022, sunny—cargo for the first voyage

The first voyage of the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09” was quite complex right from the start. It involved loading at two ports—6,000 tons of MGO at Xingzhong and 2,000 tons at Dading—and discharging at two ports—6,000 tons of MGO in Qingdao and 2,000 tons in Tianjin. The cargo had to be loaded into multiple compartments, with strict requirements that no goods could be mixed up and no shipments could be shorted. These demands posed a real challenge. My colleague Old Gu, along with Captain Si Yuanmin, and I discussed the matter repeatedly and performed meticulous calculations. Chief Officer Sui Wen drew one draft after another for the stowage plan, and after spending an entire afternoon in joint deliberations and analyses, we finally came up with a solution that struck the perfect balance.

 

 

Sunday, September 18, 2022, Sunny—Emergency Training

Affected by Typhoon No. 14 “Nanmadol” this year, Zhoushan Xingzhong Wharf has temporarily canceled all vessel berthing plans. To ensure the safety of both vessels and crew members, Captain Si Yuanmin took this opportunity to organize all crew members to learn emergency procedures and practice using emergency equipment, ensuring that every crew member becomes proficient in the knowledge and skills required to handle emergencies.

 

                                                  

 

Monday, September 19, 2022, sunny—maintenance equipment.

Although the ship couldn’t dock to load cargo, the crew members didn’t have a moment to spare. Instead, they actively engaged in maintaining equipment, lubricating moving parts, organizing spill-prevention supplies and equipment, tidying up the SOPEP warehouse, and labeling deck valves.

 

 

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, cloudy—Sinopec conducted inspections and docked at Xingzhong Terminal.

At 1:30 p.m., two prosecutors from the Sinopec system boarded the vessel for an inspection. The entire crew mobilized and actively cooperated with the inspection. The captain, chief mate, first officer, and colleagues from the ship management department accompanied the inspectors throughout the entire process. Since this was a new vessel and the preparatory work had been carried out meticulously and thoroughly, the prosecutors were highly satisfied and praised the effort. ! This not only laid a solid foundation for the smooth launch of the “Jinghang Energy 09” vessel into Sinopec’s fuel oil transportation operations, but also earned the company a strong reputation and credibility.

 

                                                  

 

After the typhoon passed, we were finally able to dock at the pier. After dinner, we weighed anchor and entered the harbor—finally, the long-awaited moment had arrived. With the helmsman’s nearly textbook-perfect handling skills, the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09” successfully berthed at Xingzhong No. 3 Pier at 18:38 and began loading operations. To ensure safety during oil-loading, all on-duty personnel fulfilled their responsibilities diligently and conscientiously, conducting continuous, round-the-clock patrols of the oil pipelines and carefully inspecting mooring lines both fore and aft. In particular, First Officer Sui Wenda and Boatswain Wang Binghao hardly got any rest throughout the night, remaining constantly busy with tasks such as ballast water management, cargo hold switching, and adjusting the ship’s trim.

 

Thursday, September 22, 2022, partly cloudy; equipment maintenance.

From the very beginning of the new vessel’s operation, both personnel and equipment are still in the adjustment phase, so it’s inevitable that some minor issues will arise. Taking advantage of the anchoring period, Liu Kui, an experienced chief engineer, was conducting his routine inspection of the main engine’s fuel supply unit. While checking the thermal oil pipeline at the outlet of the heater, he noticed a leak of thermal oil. He promptly removed the metal cover plate above the pipe and discovered that the flange gasket bolts had become loose. He immediately used a wrench to retighten them. After confirming that everything was functioning normally, he reopened the valve and started the thermal oil circulation pump for a pressure test. No leaks were detected, and the equipment returned to normal operation.

 

 

Saturday, September 24, 2022, sunny—arrived at Qingdao Port.

This morning, we arrived at Qingdao Port and dropped anchor. After completing the engine and steering system checks, Chief Engineer Liu Kui carefully inspected each piece of machinery and equipment in the engine room one by one to assess the vessel’s operational condition following its voyage. While performing the residual oil drain from the main engine’s remote-control air filter, he noticed water and impurities. Based on his experience, he concluded that the issue was likely with the filter itself. He promptly removed the filter for cleaning. After thoroughly cleaning it, he re-tightened the filter’s mounting bolts. Once reinstalled, he opened the valve and conducted a pressure test, which confirmed normal operation. The pressure was adjusted to 0.7 MPa, and no leaks were detected during the inspection—everything was functioning properly.

 

 

Sunday, September 25, 2022, sunny—unloading at Qingdao Port.

While securing the mooring lines alongside the dock, Second Officer Sui Wen accidentally sprained his ankle, causing it to become red, swollen, and painfully tender. However, determined not to let his injury interfere with his work, he remained steadfast on the job, enduring the intense pain without a word of complaint. Only after finishing securing all the mooring lines and accompanying the dockside meter reader through the final inspection of the cargo oil volume did he finally take a brief moment to rest. Captain Si Yuanmin led the deck department crew members in their busy duty of unloading cargo, urging Second Officer Sui to go and rest. Yet, even in the afternoon, Sui continued to stay firmly at his post—sometimes directing the unloading operations from the cargo control room, and other times inspecting the pumping-in of ballast water on deck. Second Officer Sui’s dedicated attitude is just one small reflection of the entire crew’s spirit. All the crew members are united in their thoughts and efforts, working together with one purpose: to elevate the quality of their work aboard this high-standard oil tanker for the company!

 

 

Tuesday, September 27, 2022, sunny—disembarking and heading back to the company.

Today, the vessel “Jinghang Energy 02” was at an anchorage within Dalian Port, refueling the vessel “Jinghang Energy 09.” My colleague, Senior Navigator Gu, and I have successfully completed, over the course of two full months, all the tasks related to this vessel—from its delivery from the shipyard, through sea trials, rectification, handover, commissioning, to accompanying the ship on its voyages. In fact, my record—written in the form of a diary—is but a tiny glimpse into the countless hardworking moments of our crewmates; it barely scratches the surface of their actual workload, perhaps even less than one-tenth or one-hundredth of what they’ve actually accomplished. I’m truly proud that our company has such dedicated and conscientious crew members! There are no shortcuts to growth; strong shoulders are forged through pressure and wear, and genuine competence is earned through hard work and relentless effort. With talents like these, firmly committed to the belief of “Integrity as Our Companion, Strong Support as Our Guiding Light,” our company will surely continue to thrive and prosper!

 

 

Truly:

Stitch by stitch, exerting gentle and continuous effort.

Day by day, steadily and persistently.

Every word and every action should be kind, and good deeds will surely bear fruit.

Step by step, with practical and diligent effort.