Cleaning on the ballast passage: how riding crews handle changeovers at sea

What a riding squad does

A riding squad is a team of tank cleaning specialists who join the ship, usually at the discharge port or a convenient port on the route, work during the passage and leave at or before the load port. On a changeover they typically:

• Run or support the machine washing programme, including hot washing
• Flush and drain lines, pumps and heating coils
• Hand-hose shadow areas, suction wells and coils
• Carry out demucking where sediment has built up
• Strip, mop and dry tanks
• Pre-inspect every tank and the cargo system before arrival

The ship's crew keeps running the ship; the squad does the cleaning.

What the ship needs to provide

• Accommodation and food for the team
• Lifesaving capacity for the extra people
• Heat for hot washing, and fresh water for the final rinse
• Power and air for portable equipment
• Permits and supervision under the ship's safety management system
• Slop capacity and a plan for where slops go

Weather, slops and safety

Weather. Heavy rolling stops manual work in tanks and can make machine washing less effective. Plan for some lost time on longer passages.

Slops. Washing at sea produces slops that must be retained, decanted and discharged in line with MARPOL Annex I, or landed to reception facilities. Slop tank capacity can become the limit on how much washing is possible.

Safety. Every entry needs gas-freeing, atmosphere testing for oxygen, hydrocarbons and toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide and benzene where relevant, a permit and a rescue plan. Entry after black oil is covered in its own article in this series.

When a riding squad makes sense

• The passage is long enough to complete the work
• The crew is too small or too busy to do it alone
• The next grade is sensitive and the standard is high
• Port time for cleaning would be expensive or unavailable

For short passages, a shore gang at the load port or anchorage, or a combination, may work better. See the DPP to CPP changeover guide and how long a changeover takes.

How Cleanship helps

Our riding squads join tankers at ports in the UAE and India and work changeovers on passage, with planning, manual finishing, drying and a pre-inspection before arrival. See our DPP and CPP tank cleaning service or send us the voyage plan.