ssMaritime.net

A Vintage Liner Sails into the 21st Century

 

Reuben Goossens

 

MV Doulos - 2008

Ex SS Medina, SS Roma, MV Franca C

 

Part Six

 

“The Engine Room”

 

Please Note: This work is protected under the International © copyright laws and the property of Reuben Goossens of ssmaritime.net. No part of this work including any of the images shown may be copied, or reproduced by any means and reproduced by any format, be it for private or commercial usage, without prior written permission from the author. info@ssmaritime.com.

 

The author is seen here in the propeller shaft

Photograph was taken by Sven Benseler © 2008 Reuben Goossens

During my time onboard and voyage on the Doulos in August 2008 I was able to take an extensive tour of the engine room and right down the propeller shaft. As these photographs show she is a well kept ship, considering these are the original Fiat engines which were fitted to the Costa Cruises Franca C in 1970.

Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello is a man who is clearly passionate about his ship and he told me that he firmly believes that the Doulos has at least another twenty years left in her if she was only allowed to carry on sailing. But, regulations are regulations and the new SOLAS - Safety Of Life At Sea regulations come into effect mid 2010, and the Doulos has to be retired, for upgrading her is beyond possibility due to the massive amount of flammable timber that she contains and many other issues that would need to be taken care of. The truth is, to upgrade her would cost as much as to build a brand new ship. Thus, she has to be retired and we will have to find a new future for her, thus, our “MV Doulos Preservation Campaign.” Details at the bottom of the page! I hereby wish to thank Dominic Bothello for his kind assistance with this page.

March 2009: MV Doulos will now be permitted to sail on beyond SOLAS 2010, but with certain restrictions in place. However, this fine historic ship has been saved and will continue to serve in the OM fleet for at least another four years until her 100thjbirtday. Then she will be sold to buyer who is already in the wings.

Let’s head down into the engine Room

Looking down from Boat Deck – Generator and Main Engine Exhaust pipes

 

Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello seen in New Zealand 2008 - working on the Fuel pump

Photograph by MV Doulos’ photographer & © copyright 2008

 

Main Engine Cylinder head platform and Main engine Pistons – Note the spare cylinders on the left

 

 Air Compressor platform

 

Main Engine forward exhaust pipe

 

Fiat 18 Cylinder main Engine starboard bank cylinders 

 

1970 FIAT Engine plaque

In 1970 the ship received her third engine, for the SS Medina and Roma were steamships. When she was sold to Costa Lines in 1952 she was renamed Franca C and a double-acting six-cylinder diesel engine was installed, which had been built by FIAT Grandi Motori in Turin. However this engine was originally built back in 1949. This engine was installed at the Ansaldo S.A. Shipyards at Muggiano Italy.

It would be eighteen years later in 1970 Franca C received her third installation and these same engines are still powering her as the MV Doulos today. Franca C was taken during the summer of 1970 to the Cantieri del Torrino in Genoa and a four stroke 18-cylinder FIAT diesel engine was installed. The plaque in the photograph above attests to this event, note the “ANNO 1970” at the bottom right.

 Main Engine Control station and Alarm Panel

 

Spare Liners and main Engine crane 

 

Work Shop Lathe dating from 1952

 

Air-Condition Compressors 

 

Sea water High Sea Suction Pipes 

 

Air conditioning circulating water pumps 

 

The green unit is the oily water separator 

 

The Delaval steam Sludge Purifier is extremely old, it could date as far back as 1914?

 

The green Weir Bilge pump dates from 1950

 

 These are Delaval Fuel oil and lube oil purifiers that were obtained from Indian ship breakers

and installed in the 80’s, thus they old and are difficult to date

 

Fiat Main engine - Bottom Platform 

 

Main Engine local control

 

My host and guide, Sven Benseler – Please don NOT press that button! 

 

Bergen No2 Generator, 900Kw 

 

 Renk Gear Box and Propeller shaft

 

Shaft tunnel water tight door 

 

The propeller shaft is 43mts long and it dates back to 1914 

 

 

Above and below: Shaft Tunnel - Note the massive nuts and bolts on the shaft casing 

 

 

 

 

Escape hatch goes high up and is close to the image below

 

 Shaft Bearing Lubrication system

 

The propeller shaft reaches its goal - here it enters the timber casing then the propeller itself

 

 

Above and below: Main switchboard changed from Dc to Ac in 1994 

 

 

 

 Generator - Automation switches and controls

 

 CCS fire detection and Fighting system Room

 

 CCS (Central Control Station) Emergency Bilge Pump and cables for connection

 

Small parts store room

 

 Engine room staff lounge the place for a rest as well as a place for prayers and a study venue

 

Specifications:

MV Doulos:              Her name is Greek word for "Servant"

IMO:                      5119105

Call Sigh:                9HKF

Built:                      as SS Medina - Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company USA

Tonnage:                6,818 GRT (Gross Registered Tons)

Launched:               22 August 1914 as SS Medina a coastal freighter (Mallory Shipping Co)

Length:                   130.35m - 410ft

Width:                    16.6m - 54ft

Draft:                     5.5m - 18.2ft

Engines:                  Originally - Steam triple expansion (1914)

                             Currently - Fiat Diesels - four stroke, V18-cyl unit, 5,958kW-8,100bhp, Intermediate fuel (installed in 1970)

Service speed:         12 to 15 knots

Propeller:                1 - fixed pitch propeller

Electric Plant:          3 AC Gen Sets 380V 50Hz
2 Bergen KRG 6 (1125 kVA)
1 Bergen KRG 5 (750 kVA)

Crew/staff:              350 / 414 (variable)

Special feature:        Counter stern.

 

Keep MV Doulos Sailing – Give a Gift of Fuel

For details enter: Give a Gift of Fuel

 

*********************************

2007 Maintenance work at Batangas, the Philippines

On November 6 the Doulos entered dry-dock in Batangas for maintenance work. Required was de-fouling of her hull, as well as general paintwork, but also most importantly was the removal of the propeller and its shaft. The photographs below tell their own story. I thank Chief Engineer Dominic for providing these images, it is greatly appreciated!

Please note: The following photographs were provided by Mr. Dominic Bothello and are used with permission. These images are © copyright 2007 by MV Doulos photographer, thus, they may not be copied or used by any other media in any shape or form without written consent!

 Doulos enters Dry Dock November 6

 

Seen second from the right is Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello and his very worthy and hard working crew!

 

 November 7, the shaft is dismantled and ready for maintenance

 

The works supervisor is seen here inspecting the connections and the timber linings 

 

 The propeller has been removed and is ready for blasting and sanding

 

 The Propeller shaft Brg Lignum is made of “Vitae hardwood”

 

 The propeller has been refitted on November 14 and is looking superb!

 

 By now the Doulos has been completely been blasted, scrapped and repainted and looking a delight!

 

 The finishing touches are being applied at the stern

 

On November 16 the Doulos leaves her dry-dock and is ready to continue her world voyage

 

Thank You Sven Benseler (MV Doulos)

A very special thank you must go to Sven Benseler. Sven lived (until very recently with his wife and children) on the Doulos and is currently signed on for two years with his wife and children. He holds a senior position and has an office on starboard side on what is know as “Main Street” or Main Deck. During my stay he was my official host and I was without doubt in the best, and most capable of hands! Beside the ship, which we both love dearly, we had so much in common and simply had a wonderful time together. Sven arranged for me to provide a talk on the ships History to the ships tour guides, which also led to two other opportunities for me to speak, but on a different subject, more in fitting with the Doulos’ message.

Thank you Sven for everything, for you made what was already a superb event even better and I will never forget the wonderful time you allowed me to have on this, historic ship, as I managed to cover every nook and cranny of the ship from the interior of bow at the carpenters shop to the very end of the propeller shaft, from the heights of the bridge to the depths of the engine room and hold No 1. Also, thank you to Dr. Daniel Chae Director of the Doulos and Captain Ashley McDonald. A special thank you to the man that keeps this old girl young at heart and sailing the world, Chief Engineer Dominic Bothello who is the ultimate host and I enjoyed great companionship with him and his delightful family! In addition, what can we say about all the wonderful Douloid’s (crew) who did everything to make my journey special, you are the best, keep on as you are and keep on believing, for it will be done!

Go to Part Seven - Speaking with Doulos’ Crew and Staff  - Interviews

Or, return to the MV Doulos Main Index

PLEASE NOTE:

MV Doulos has been decommissioned in December 2009

Read the …

“MV Doulos Campaign

Enter the Save the MV Doulos Campaign page

***************************************************

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Reuben Goossens commenced in Passenger Shipping industry in May 1960

  

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Photographs on ssMaritime and ssmaritime.net are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private photographers. Credit is given to all contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what it is like, I have seem a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the image is part of their private collection.

This notice covers all pages, although, we have done our best to ensure that all photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page, that is, when a page is updated!

 

 

ssMaritime.net is © Copyright - 2010 Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved

 

Please Note: This work is owned, protected under the International © copyright laws and the property of Reuben Goossens of ssmaritime.net. No part of this work including any of the images shown may be copied, or reproduced by any means and reproduced by any format, be it for private or commercial usage, without prior written permission from the author. info@ssmaritime.com. 

 

 

 

 

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