Water


New Student

New Student


Posted on Nov 12, 2013

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.

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Hans Van Sumeren, director of the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at Northwestern Michigan College and Carl Shangraw, professor of surveying engineering at Ferris State University talk about the Freshwater Studies program and the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute at NMC. The program was one of three winners of the Trends in Occupational Studies’ 2013 Outstanding Educator Awards. The video is a Schoolcraft College Media Service Production.

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Purified

Purified


Posted on Oct 31, 2013

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.

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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.

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Skag-Town

Skag-Town


Posted on Oct 10, 2013

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.

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The M/V Taku

The M/V Taku


Posted on Oct 7, 2013

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.  

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