The following precautions to be followed:
1) Vessel has stability sufficient to counter loss of GM. Note: Loss of GM due to ice-accretion on super-structure / containers / deck-cargo /masts. Refer to Stability Manual.
2) Anchors lowered slightly below hawse pipe. Note: Only in consultation with Master and weather permitting.
3) All staff provided with winter wear - for work and for use in case of emergency.
4) All staff advised on wind chill factor.
5) Close as many vents / openings as possible – to prevent cold air from coming in.
6) Forward / deck store bilges, chain lockers are stripped dry.
7) Space-heaters provided in forward stores spaces – switched ON. Note: Where space-heaters are not provided and when safe to do so, install small cargo cluster / heating lamps close to the machinery / electrical panel.
8) Exposed air / electric motors covered. Unused air motors stored in warm area.
9) Mooring ropes / wires on drum, secured and covered. Loose mooring ropes stored in stores.
10) Mooring Winches / Windlass / Cargo winches –Open gears, clutches, pins, handles, brake screw, bow-stopper bar, covered with mixture of grease and little anti-freeze.
11) Cargo gears - Running rigging, lashing material (bull-dog grips, turnbuckles, shackles etc.) covered with mixture of grease and anti-freeze
12) Following exposed movable parts covered with mixture of grease and little anti-freeze:
• Butterfly nut-bolts, hinges on air vents & booby hatch covers
• Door-dog bolts
• Sounding / temperature pipe caps
• Hydrant / valve spindles
• Pivot points for Gangways and davits
• Monorails, pulleys, guide-rollers, securing bolts
13) Pilot ladder stowed in sheltered place. Rigged only prior use. Allow sufficient preparation time.
14) Safety walkways regular shoveled to clear ice / snow.
15) Salt sprinkled - on muster stations, safety walkways, gangways and ladder steps.
16) Equipment to deal with ice kept ready in nearby accessible sheltered work areas. Note: E.g. – Shovels, crow-bars, spikes, hammers, pick / fire axe, grease-pots. Vessels regularly trading in severe winter areas, carry a long-handled blow torch fired by propane and maintaining enough stock of cylinders. Prior use, check safe to use.
17) Lifeboat fuel storage tank / containers levels lowered.
18) Lifeboat water ration packets moved to warmer area. Note: Alternatively keep water filled plastic jerry cans ready in accommodation for carrying to lifeboats in emergency.
19) Lifeboat engine heaters kept ‘ON’. Pilot start-cans ready for use.
20) Rescue boats fully covered and secured.
21) Machinery started well in advance and kept running. Chief Engineer consulted. Note E.g. Machinery such as gangways, hoists, provision cranes, hatch covers, cargo handling gear, motors / pumps.
22) Windlass / Mooring winches started well in advance. Chief Engineer consulted. Note: If practicable kept running at idle/ slow speeds. Otherwise perform 30minutes idle runs every 5-6 hours, as per prevailing conditions as advised by C/E.
23) Ropes coiled on wooden pallets and covered, after berthing.
24) When receiving FW alongside, water supply kept running with hose end dipped well inside the tank.
25) Save all trays drained for tank air-vents, cargo and bunker manifolds.
26) Electric heater coils around hawse-pipes / air pipes/sounding pipes switched ON*.
27) Anti-freeze compound added to the water in:
• Lifeboat Engine FW cooling system
• Emergency Generator radiator
• Emergency Fire Pump engine radiator (if applicable)
• Deck air compressor radiator, if located outside machinery spaces
Note: Start equipment to allow the mixture to circulate within the system.
28) Protein foam extinguishers in exposed deck areas replaced by dry chemical powder type.
29) For Emergency Generator and LB Engine, consider changing fuel oil for Arctic diesel oil.
30) Fire lines drain valves opened.
Note: Drained from lowest part of piping and blown through. A hydrant on lower most exposed deck kept open. Fire pump starting panel tagged against accidental starting. Remember drain lines could be clogged with ice
31) Anchor wash lines drained.
32) FW line drain valves opened. Isolation valves shut and tagged.
33) Deck airline periodically purged from each valve. System kept free of humidity.
34) Deck hydraulic system checked and drained of any water / moisture content.
35) Deck hydraulic system cooling water lines isolated and drained.
36) Draft gauge inlet valves closed.
37) Ballast exchanged, as required. Note: As far as practicable, only seawater ballast retained onboard.
38) Precautions taken, when handling ballast - confirmed air-pipes are clear and ballast pump gauges being continuously monitored.
Note: If necessary, remove the air-pipe heads / open a manhole. For open manholes, post an attendant with communications with person operating the ballast console. Chief Officer to personally supervise this operation.
39) When de-ballasting strip each tank completely at one go.
Note: To prevent freezing of the remaining water left for later stripping.
40) Ballast continuously circulated, if necessary.
Note: Where not practicable, carry out churning of water by pumping in /out.
41) Tank levels lowered - Ballast, Fuel, MDO and FW.
Note: When using ballast tank for re-circulation of ME cooling, ensure appropriate levels are maintained.
42) When alongside, and if practical, ballast tanks levels kept below waterline to prevent freezing.
43) Steam for heating coils opened – for FW tanks, around bilge / ballast lines.
44) Anti-freeze poured into sounding pipes Periodically checked with sounding bob.
45) Ballast tank air-pipes covered with canvas.
46) Portable heating equipment tried out , ready for use
47) Double bottom FO tanks kept heated.
48) Steam connection to ballast sea chest checked.
49) Accommodation heating system and humidity controller adjusted to optimum.
Note: Humidity less than 40% to prevent frosting on wheelhouse windows.
50) Portholes and window cavities covered with polythene or Perspex.
51) Bridge window heating system, clear-view screens in use.
52) Bridge window wash water drain valve opened.
Note: Isolation valves shut and tagged Never start the system in sub-freezing temperatures.
53) Ship’s whistle / horn heating system ‘ON’. Blow every hour during freezing spray conditions.
54) Exposed gyro repeaters and magnetic compasses covered, when not in use.
55) Signal halyards slackened down.
56) Radar scanners kept running.
57) Suitably insulated – sanitary lines / FW lines / scupper drains in exposed sub-zero temperature areas or passing close to outer steelwork
Note: If necessary and when safe to do so, install small heaters / heating lamps / cargo clusters for local heating. Regular trading vessels to maintain sufficient stock of fibre glass-wool / tape / cloth rolls.
58) Wires rigged inside deck scupper drainpipes to clear the clogs.
59) When carrying out hold cleaning, if safe to do so, use propane/electric heaters if provided to dry holds.
Note: Propane heaters can cause oxygen depletion. Keep vent flaps and booby hatches open.
60) Hatch-cover side-cleats, top-wedges, eccentric wheels, balancing chain wheels, trackways hydraulic jacks etc. covered with mixture of grease and little anti-freeze.
61)Hold bilges stripped dry.
