I knew little going into being Engine Room Assistant for the week, simply took a calm, logical approach to every problem. I worked to understand how something worked, trying to gain knowledge from the system itself, manuals, and others.
If given enough time, one can figure out just about anything. Every piece of machinery was imagined and built logically, with no attempted tricks or mystery about it. Fixing things is about understanding them and following the logical flow of the system until the problem is found. #ZenandtheArtofMotorcycleMaintenance
I thought it would be a good idea to note of some of the things I learned during my week as Engine Room Assistant:
How to Start the Boat
- check oil of all engines that'll be started
- turn on steering pumps
- fire up generator
- switch power from starboard to center generator
- turn starboard bow thruster on
- fire up mains (port/starboard)
- reset MSD
Arrival Engine Switch
- turn off steering pumps
- make sure port/starboard mains are off
- check oil (hot) and turn on stbd generator
- turn stbd bow thruster breaker off
- switch power from center to stbd generator
- turn off center generator
- reset MSD
Fixing Central AC
- it's all about the flow of water
- clean strainers then bypass discharge
- reset system
- breakers in galley storage turn on/off H20 pumps
Fixing Toilets
- test flush
- plunge the crap out of it
- check that it's refilling and chain is attached
- make sure water hose is fully open and not clogged
Fixing Small AC Units
- shop vac drip pan, air intake, and any water flow tubes
- that's it, works 95% of the time