In my nine months (April 2009-Jan 2010) of working aboard a Singapore Flag LPG Tanker vessel I came to know first hand the intricacy or the complex nature of ship operations. I thought ship operation is only about loading and unloading cargo from one port to another and from a ship to another. I thought that cargo operations were done expeditiously and smoothly. But it wasn’t.
I came to know that cargo operations in general are quite complex or intricate because deceit or dishonest practices go hand in hand before, during and after commencing cargo transfer operations. Cargo operations normally commenced after clearing all papers reviewed and signed by the Captain, Chief Officer, Chief Engineer and shore personnel
But usually disagreements, protest, counter protest come into view during and after cargo transfer operations. In most cases the involve party argue about the actual number of tons of cargo transferred. In ship to port or vice versa cargo operations, the problem is minimized to a low level and ultimately resolved immediately.
But not with ship to ship cargo operations because the receiving party is always the one shortchanged of deficient cargo transferred. Here, protest and counter protest normally happened. Tons of cargo ends on the hands of deceiving party.
The worst violator in cargo operations are the bunker vessels. They use techniques to deceive or cheat and manipulate cargo transfer. Their techniques, honed to perfection, are pretty much applied during bunkering. They pumped bunker fuel mixed with full of oxygen to reached the agreed tons but actually falls flat when measured using sounding tape.
Crews of bunker vessels are stern and dirty looking men (literally indeed), shaped by their being dishonest. No wonder that they are easily agitated when confronted regarding deficient bunker fuel transferred. In some cases officers, particularly Chief Engineer unwittingly colludes with the bunker personnel in exchange for money. Bunker vessels earn millions of dollars through tricks and deceit. Singapore is the place where bunkering operations thrives and keeps in business all year round.
