Technical Documentation Services: Ship Operation Manuals, SOLAS Training Manuals, SOPEP & BWMP

Worldwide Marine Technology (WMT) works with shipyards, owners, and operators, undertaking projects up to the 'turnkey' provision of all technical operating and training documentation. WMT technical specialists survey the ships and offshore installations to verify systems, equipment, and operations, minimising the burden on an owner's new build team. Documentation is produced in draft stages, allowing input from on board staff and encompassing initial operating experience.

Whether you are an owner, operator or builder you will appreciate that the increasing emphasis on quality, safety, environmental care and efficiency demands that effective information and guidance is given to all staff in all aspects of operations.

With international code and safety requirements, the provision of high quality technical documentation covering normal and emergency operating procedures has an essential role in your organisation.

WMT has a wide experience of:

Merchant Marine Vessels

• LNGCs
• LPGCs
• VLCCs
• Aframax Tankers
• Suezmax Tankers
• Shuttle Tankers
• Product Tankers
• Chemical Tankers
• Coastal Tankers
• Cruise Ships
• Ferries
• Ro-Ro's
• PCTCs
• Containerships
• Tugs

Naval Vessels

• Conventional and Nuclear Submarines
• Landing Platform Helicopter/Docks
• Royal Fleet Auxiliary
• MoD(N) Support Craft

Offshore Units

• FSPOs
• FSUs
• Semi-submersibles
• TLPs
• Spars
• Jack-Ups
• Offshore Support Vessels

Ship Operating Manuals

Modern ships have complex, increasingly automated systems and a downward pressure on the complement of deck and engineering officers. Often these officers will join a vessel and have very little time to familiarise themselves with the vessel's systems and rely on the quality of the information available to them.

Management ashore also need to feel confident that the vessel will have clear, standard, approved and easy to use procedures. WMT use these requirements as the philosophy for manual production, but we also ensure full compliance with international standards and the steady stream of new regulations.

Ship Systems and Equipment Operating Manuals

To provide a single source of clear procedures enhanced by high quality illustrations and photographs for all operations of ship board systems through both automated control and manual operations.

WMT have experience of generating technical and procedural manuals for a wide range of ship types.

Your manual set could include any of the following:

• Ship's Cargo Systems
• Ships' Machinery Systems
• Ships' Bridge Systems
• Ships' SOLAS Training Manuals
• Ships' Crude Oil Washing

The concept of the Machinery Operating Manual is to provide detailed technical information to competent Officers and ship's staff that may not be familiar with the vessel. The information provided is enhanced by the extensive use of illustrations and produced in a format that can be readily understood. The manual consists of a number of sections which describe the systems and equipment fitted and their method of operation. Each section makes use of detailed illustrations and where applicable, photographs of the equipment taken during visits to the vessel.

Section 1: Machinery Operation Overview

Section one of the machinery operating manual provides detailed arrangement drawings of the engine room and all of the auxiliary machinery spaces. It also provides flow charts to aid in the commissioning of the vessel from varying states of readiness.

Section2: Main Engine and Auxiliary Systems

The second part of the manual provides details on the operation of the mechanical and electrical systems used throughout the ship. It covers all aspects from the main engines, boilers and auxiliary systems through to power generation and distribution. All equipment particulars and capacities are provided in each section and illustrations are used wherever necessary to help with the understanding of the systems.

Section 3: Main Machinery and Control

This section provides detailed information on the control systems used in the machinery spaces and in the engine control room. It also details extension alarms that go through to the accommodation and procedures for switching the engine room to unmanned duty.

Section 4: Emergency Systems

Section four provides information on the emergency systems utilised in the engine room. This includes systems such as the fire main, portable fire extinguishers, hotfoam, hi-fog and CO2 installations. Fire detection systems and emergency quick closing valves are also covered.

Section 5: Emergency Procedures

Section five provides detailed information on emergency procedures such as main engine operation and steering of the vessel. It also provides information on what actions to take in the event of an emergency such as flooding.

Section 6: Communications

Part six describes the communications systems provided in the machinery spaces and how they interface with other systems on the vessel.

The Bridge Systems Operating Manual provides information for technically competent ship's staff in a readily comprehensible form. The manual offers a vessel specific reference document for a number of different systems making it a valuable tool for both newly joined and long serving members of the ship's company. Shore based ship's superintendents can also benefit from the manuals if it is necessary to communicate with a vessel regarding a system fault.

Section 1: Ship's Characteristics

This section provides the operator with the salient information regarding the ship's principal data, performance data and ship handling characteristics. The information is produced in an easy to follow page layout utilising text complimented by illustrations. The user is provided with comprehensive deck layouts as well as tank capacity plans.

Section 2: Bridge Layout and Equipment

The operator is provided with system equipment layouts, wiring diagrams of systems as well as a guide to operating many of the systems used to navigate the vessel safely. GMDSS equipment and operation is also Included in this section. An example of such a system is shown in the accompanying illustrations.

Section 3: Deck Equipment

Included in this section is the layout and operation of the deck machinery. Information is provided on all the main deck machinery including the mooring arrangement, launching arrangements for the ship's lifeboats and the location and use of the deck cranes.

Section 4: Emergency Systems and Procedures

The procedures that should be adopted in a number of emergency situations, such as fire, flooding, man overboard etc., are explained in this section.

Section 5: Miscellaneous Procedures

Teamwork is paramount on any vessel. In this section information is provided about bridge teamwork, procedures for a watch handover as well as watch-keeping, the procedures for embarking and disembarking a pilot and helicopter operations procedures.

Cargo operations are the fundamental differences between ship types due to their design concept of the cargoes they must carry. In producing these cargo operating manuals WMT will cover a wide spectrum of ship types, from prestigious cruise ships to the VLCC workhorses of the oceans carrying crude oils, the ultra modern LNG vessels delivering clean fuel for the world's power stations, and the ever larger container ship greyhounds of the seas. All of these ships must be able to safely and competently load, transport and discharge their cargoes to all points on the globe, even under extreme and arduous weather conditions.

It is with this brief that WMT produce concise and precise cargo operating manuals with specific instructions aided by detailed illustrations that will guide the ship's officers and crew who may not be familiar with the ship, through the design concept, capacity of the plant and the operation of the varies systems.

The cargo operating manuals covering these types of ships is broken down into several sections. Detailed information including reference illustrations on the type of containment system and its technology including rules and regulations are covered in the first section.

Another section will deal with the properties, characteristics and health hazards associated with LNG.

Modern day LNG vessels have sophisticated control and monitoring systems, the function and operation of the control system is covered in detail in a separate section heading.

Following on, the next section deals with the ancillary equipment that is used to ensure the safe movement of LNG and its vapour during loading, discharge and on passage conditions.

The major cargo operations are contained in section 6. In this section the operator is guided, via detailed descriptions with associated illustrations, through the necessary operations and valve line-ups to ensure that safe and efficient cargo operations are carried out.

Section 7 covers the emergency cargo operations, which include fitting and operation of the emergency cargo pump, one tank isolation operation procedures and ship to ship transfer operations.

The final section covers detailed information on the location and operation of the fire fighting detection and extinguishing equipment, which is paramount in ensuring that in the event of an incident occurring, the ship's staff are fully aware and conversant with the fire fighting and detection equipment on board.

Crude oil carriers including VLCCs, Aframax, Suezmax and product oil carriers are the workhorses of the petrochemical and power generation industries. With safe and efficient transportation of these cargoes both in relation to the safety of the ship's crew and environmental concerns, it is now more imperative than ever that the safe operation of these ships is maintained and improved upon. These aspects are precisely the operating criteria that WMT use in producing the cargo operating manuals.

Generally the cargo operating manuals for this type of vessel is broken down into 4 individual sections.

Section 1: Cargo System Description

This section covers the design concept and capacity of the vessel. Additionally, the manuals carry detailed information on the use of the essential equipment used in discharging the cargoes and maintaining the cargo tanks in a safe inert condition.

Section 2: Cargo Handling Procedures

This section covers the detailed description of cargo operations and all relevant piping flow illustrations. Included in this section are the procedures of COW operations, line cleaning in preparation for drydocking, ballast operations, including heavy weather ballasting and the use of the ODME equipment.

Section 3: Cargo Control and Operation System

Under this section heading the detailed information is contained on the use of the cargo control system. WMT manuals can form a one stop instruction manual which will cover details which may otherwise be either difficult for the operator to interpret from the manufacturer's manuals, or that they are not fully explained in a way the operator can readily understand.

Section 4: Emergency Systems and Procedures

Safety is paramount on board ships not only for the ship's company, but also for the loading terminal and taking into account environmental considerations. This final section covers the use and description of the fire fighting system and detection equipment both on deck and in the accommodation. Additionally, detailed information is described with the use of explicit illustrations on the use of emergency inerting of ballast tanks and safe discharge from a damaged cargo oil tank.

Container ships are the modern form of transportation of refrigerated and general cargo around the globe. Time is ever critical with these vessels which is why it is important that the ship's company are totally conversant with the method of loading, discharging and securing these types of cargoes. It is essential to ensure that the ship's officers are fully aware of the stress and stability of the ship especially if the ship's loading condition leaves the GM approaching the IMO minimum of 0.15m.

Essentially these cargo operating manuals are broken down into 5 individual sections.

Section 1: Cargo System Description

This section covers the design concept and capacity of the vessel. Detailed information is relayed to the operator on the cargo arrangements and hatch cover details, cargo hold ventilation and ballasting/anti-heeling operations.

Section 2: Cargo Handling Procedures

This section covers the detailed description of cargo operations and indication of the type and method of securing equipment and procedures. Additionally, this section will cover the criteria for loading hazardous cargoes, their locations and type and the use of a spotting plan.

Section 3: Ship's Control Centre

Under this section the operator will be given a clear understanding of the equipment in the ship's control centre, including the use of detailed illustrations, and where applicable, the adjoining fire control command station.

Section 4: Emergency Systems and Procedures

Safety is paramount on board ships not only for the ship's company, but also for the loading/discharging terminal and environmental issues. This section covers the use and description of the fire fighting system and detection equipment both on deck, in the cargo holds and in the accommodation.

Section 5: Trim and Stability

The final section covers the use of the loading computer. WMT have the ability to generate help tutorials on the loading computer software which are then linked into the PDF format of the operating manuals. Illustration information in relation to loading case studies are also covered in this section.

SOLAS manuals are a requirement by law and as such they have to be carried on board ships. What is not necessarily stipulated is the quality of such manuals, which in the experience of the project managers in WMT and our professional technical authors who are all ex-sea going staff, are sometimes of very poor quality. WMT strive to produce SOLAS manuals that are ship specific and are of such high quality that the ship's staff will be able to easily understand and carry out all of the related SOLAS functions.

Section one lists emergency instructions including muster details and emergency signals and procedures.

Section two details emergency procedures undertaken should the vessel encounter an onboard emergency incident, such as a collision or grounding.

Section three describes the ship’s safety systems and construction, detailing the built-in fire retarding and safety systems. A set of escape route plans for each deck are shown.

Section four details the ship’s fire detection and fire fighting systems including details of breathing apparatus and portable extinguishers. A full set of ship’s fire equipment plans is included.

Section five details all survival craft including a full description of the launching and retrieval procedures for each type of craft. Mustering and embarkation procedures are also covered in this section.

Section six details the on board lifesaving equipment including plans of lifesaving equipment locations and a description of the emergency air breathing escape sets.

Section seven details survival equipment including lifejackets, immersion suits and pyrotechnics. Survival techniques are also covered.

Section eight details the communication equipment which can be used in an emergency including EPIRBs and SARTs.

Section nine details search and rescue procedures including man overboard, search for missing persons and helicopter operations.

Section ten details emergency medical equipment available on the vessel and first aid for common shipboard injuries.

The concept of the Planned Maintenance Manual is to provide all on board engineering staff with step by step instructions on the maintenance routines required for major items of equipment. This will ensure that junior staff receive correct, clear and concise instructions that are vessel specific and that more experienced staff are kept appraised of modifications and changes introduced into machinery variants through evolution. The planned maintenance instructions are enhanced by the extensive use of illustrations and produced in a format that can be easily understood.

Planned Maintenance Schedules

The planned maintenance instruction sheets can be produced in both printed and electronic format and can be interfaced with the software of all leading planned maintenance software providers.

WMT can populate the PM correct database with the maintenance instructions specific to that vessel and in electronic format are able to hyperlink the schedule to the instruction sheet. This provides the operator with a fast, efficient and user friendly system that can be operated from various workstations on board and stop the ship's staff from having to review manufacturer's generic information that is applied to several models of the same type of equipment.