M/V Saint Kearan

After a seven month trip on Saint Brandan I then joined M/V Saint Kearan for eight months and made the SG/1B Grade EDH. The Kearan being a 441 grt non hazardous cargo tanker built for the carriage of liquid calcium chloride  loading at the ICI factory Winnington for Girvan and Barcadine for alginate extraction from seaweed which is used in the food glue and dye industries. Liquid calcium bromide loaded at Immingham for Aberdeen, Peterhead and Lerwick for oil well drilling mud also calcium chloride was taken to Lerwick, these cargos being well regulated with clean tanks prior to loading and SG's checked and from Winnington the ship loaded on a 3.3m draft even keel for safe passage down The Weaver . A one off load of drilling Mud caused a long layover in Aberdeen for tank cleaning.Now sailing as efficient deckhand I was really finding my sea legs gaining valuable experience and learning about the responsibilities of the officer of the watch and frequenting some pretty dramatic locations around the UK. Working as part of a 5 man crew with no cook I also spent a bit of time in the galley under the watch full eye of our Irish Chief Engineer who loved his food and give me first hand ERF from topping up daily service tanks stop and starting  the generator that drove the cargo pumps main engine start and shut down procedure, maintaiance,oiling and how to paint bilges in really rough weather.

Photograph M/V Saint Kearan loading bunkers prior to loading at Immingham