The Fuel Bug

The Fuel Bug

It was the day after the Boarding of the Taiwanese Fishing Vessel, and Mark and the crew were taking some shore leave. They had a blast in Yokuska, Japan and they enjoyed themselves. Mark found out what a club overseas was really like. It was not as lame as the clubs in the United States.

The time came for the ship to get underway, this was going to be the last actual voyage on the United States Coast Guard Cutter Morgenthau because it was scheduled to be revamped at the FRAM in Seattle Washington.

The ship departed the dock and was en route to Alameda, California. The engineers sat on the mess-deck and got ready to go to the recreation deck, when all of a sudden the entire ship went dark. Mark Fluet and the engineers not on watch scrambled through the dark with only the emergency lighting to help them. The engineers were at the main control room and the duty crew discovered that it was the number 1 ship service generator. The oilman on watch turned on the number 2 ships service generator.

Mark Fluet was assigned the task of assisting the cleaning of the fuel tank and getting the generator back on line. It was just in the nick of time too because as soon as they were done, the ship went dark again. This time the number 2 generator went off line. The same crew had to get the number 2 generator checked now. Mark and the duty section was on it.

The Engineering Officer assigned Petty Officer Jackson to figure out what was causing this. It took absolutely no time at all when they centrifuged the test sample of the fuel. It was discovered that a tiny parasite was in the Japanese fuel tanks. This parasite was a microbiological parasite feeding on the fuel particles and leaving the water. We all know that engines do not run on water well.

The Morgenthau made an emergency port call cleaned out both the tanks and got both generators back on line and in 14 days returned home to the Coast Guard Island Alameda, CArecreation deck, when all of a sudden the entire ship went dark. Mark Fluet and the engineers not on watch scrambled through the dark with only the emergency lighting to help them. The engineers were at the main control room and the duty crew discovered that it was the number 1 ship service generator. The oilman on watch turned on the number 2 ships service generator.

Mark Fluet was assigned the task of assisting the cleaning of the fuel tank and getting the generator back on line. It was just in the nick of time too because as soon as they were done, the ship went dark again. This time the number 2 generator went off line. The same crew had to get the number 2 generator checked now. Mark and the duty section was on it.

The Engineering Officer assigned Petty Officer Jackson to figure out what was causing this. It took absolutely no time at all when they centrifuged the test sample of the fuel. It was discovered that a tiny parasite was in the Japanese fuel tanks. This parasite was a microbiological parasite feeding on the fuel particles and leaving the water. We all know that engines do not run on water well.

The Morgenthau made an emergency port call cleaned out both the tanks and got both generators back on line and in 14 days returned home to the Coast Guard Island Alameda, CA