Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates. (Please note that some updates are post-dated.)
Today is an exciting day to be in Alaska. It is Alaska Day. I don’t really know what that means though. Was this the day that Alaska was purchased? Became a state? Sarah Palin’s Birthday? I don’t know. Today on the Taku we are also giving tours of the ship in Sitka for the fleet’s 50th anniversary. The tours include the engine room.
Read More
Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates.
Today a new engineering student cam aboard. Fred. He is from the area and has enrolled in a three month oiler training program next January. He is fulfilling his sea time for the coast guard aboard the M/V Taku. He will be here for the next 60 days.
Read More
Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates.
My pores are saturated with #2 diesel and there are 200 pieces needing to be scraped clean of a caked on black sludge. Purifiers use centrifugal motion to rid the lube oil of contaminants, forcing it to the side of the bowl.
So what do we use to clean in an engine room? Diesel.
Read More
Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates.
The third, the oiler, and I changed an oil jumper on the starboard main engine for one of the heads. The jumper was slowly leaking, about 15 drips/minute. There was much confusion with where to find the jumper pipe. What storage area is it in? What bin is it in? Why is it not in the inventory system? After that was sorted, the jumper was easily replaced, but kept leaking. It was the darn banjo fitting! Golly.
The Chief engineer let me keep the fitting as a souvenir.
Read More
Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates.
I have met a very memorable human being: Jerry. Jerry is 60 years old. He knows the engine room like the back of his hand. He is the oiler or qualified member of the engine department. The first thing Jerry told me was that if there was a fire get in front of him because he only has one speed: slow. Jerry is a great teacher. His slow pace and thorough feedback really allows me to grasp many engineering concepts.
Read More
Paige Jehnke is a student at NMC’s Great Lakes Maritime Academy. She is completing a sea project for the fall semester of her junior year in the engine room of the M/V Taku, a ferry which travels the Alaska Marine Highway. Paige is blogging about her adventures and has graciously allowed us to share her updates.
After flying to Juneau, I waited 40 minutes for a taxi, only to split it with a stranger going the opposite direction. Fortunately, I was dropped off first. When I reached the ferry terminal in my wrinkled uniform I was escorted to the ship, the M/V Taku, and was met by the purser. Considering that it was late, I was given my room assignment and told to report to the purser’s desk at 7 am. So I found my room. It is small and has no windows. I would imagine that it is very similar to the layout and size of a prison cell. I am finding it surprisingly cozy.
Read More
Recent Comments