A ship was alongside in port when the main engine was started, and the oil mist detector gave a warning alarm. When opening up the crank case a hot crankpin bearing was found. The crankshaft was found to be seriously damaged in way of one crankpin, causing the vessel to be put off hire for more than a month before resuming operation.
This incident refers to the contamination of a ship’s main engine by seawater. The engine room bilges became flooded due to a leaking sea water pipe. Proper actions were not taken when the alarm sounded, so the leakage was first discovered when water had reached the engine room floor plates. Consequently, the leakage was stopped, bilges emptied and the ship resumed its voyage. Shortly after resuming the voyage, the main engine stopped due to low lubrication oil pressure.
Proper shaft alignment is a key issue on ships, especially on large vessels such as bulk carriers, tankers, container-ships and gas carriers. Any wrong alignment on the shaft can result in undesirable vibrations and higher operating costs. As a result there may be damages in stern tube bearings, propulsion system, M/E and eventually gear box.
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Officer of the Watch 