Finally, - a different type of ship, - a tanker!
Actually not just a tanker, - but a "chemical & product tanker" - - -
People far away from the maritime world might ask: What exactly is a chemical tanker?   And a product tanker?
What is the difference?

I will try to make it short.
When the huge super tankers have brought their cargo of crude oil to the refineries, - the crude is refined to diesel oil, gasoline and lube oils in various grades, - as well as other products derived from the crude - - - -
Tankers carrying this sort of cargo are referred to as product carriers.
Typically the product carrier will carry only few different cargoes at the same time, - often even the same cargo in all tanks.
The cargoes they carry are of course not only limited to refined crude oil products, but also involve vegetable oils for the food industry, as well as various types of not too aggressive chemicals that does not have special requirements for extra cleanliness, heating or cooling - - -
Also the typical product tanker has relatively few tanks of relative large sizes, - and the tank section is of coated mild steel.

Those special cargoes that the product tankers cannot handle are handled by the chemical tankers - - -
They have typically smaller tanks, - but many more, often more than 50 -, and the tanks are made from high grade stainless steel that can handle virtually any chemical as long as it can be pumped, - including acids.
A real chemical tanker also have several means of heating the cargo, - steam, hot water, hot oil -, as well as machinery for cooling the cargoes that require low temperatures during the voyage.
Therefore a chemical tanker can be recognized by the much more complex deck lay-out, compared to the more simple and "clean" lay-out of the product tanker - - -
Typically the chemical tanker will carry many different cargoes at the same time.
Both types, - chemical- and product tankers -, have a separate and fully independent pumping, loading- and discharge system for each individual tank, so that the chance for mixing cargoes are minimized.

Therefore you can say, that anything a product tanker can carry, can also be carried by a chemical tanker, - but anything a chemical tanker can carry,  cannot necessarily be carried by a product tanker.
However, - most of the cargoes, - maybe even 99%??? -, can actually be carried on a product tanker, but some shippers may insist on having their cargo transported in for example a stainless steel tank, although a coated tank actually would be good enough.
Here the chemical tanker has a great advantage, because the stainless steel tanks are more easy to clean and therefore the problem with contamination of the cargo from a bad coating is eliminated, - because a coated tank will not last forever.
The coating WILL break down, - it might develop cracks, loosen from the steel, flake off or simply get worm -, so that the tank cannot anymore stand up to the highest standards for cleanliness.

So, - to make it short:
The "Stolt Eagle is such a product tanker with coated mild steel tanks, and she is NOT so sophisticated as a real chemical tanker, - like for example the  "Stolt Capability" -, that can handle virtually anything to the highest possible standards, as long as it can be pumped.

But now, - please enjoy some of my pictures of a typical chemical- and product tanker, - the "Stolt Eagle".
 
 

If anyone wonders why Radio Officers are not used anymore in merchant ships, - this picture explains why!  :-)
 
 

Page initiated: Nov.12.2008