It feels almost like a moving multi-storey bungalow — one made comfortable for sailing and catering for its crew in charge of managing the ship while at sea during its cargo delivery.
The arrival of the MT Nylex 1 positions Nylex (Malaysia) Bhd on the right track with its plans for transportation and delivery of products.
Nylex has emerged as a dominant player in the chemical, plastic and polymer business with an annual turnover of more than RM1.5 billion and has over 13 subsidiaries operating in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.
Nylex is a public limited liability company incorporated and domiciled in Malaysia and listed on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd in 1990.
Leading the sail
Last April, Nylex announced its wholly-owned subsidiary, ALB Marine Sdn Bhd (AMSB), entered into a shipbuilding contract with Grulla Oceano Inc (Grulla) of Panama, for the construction and purchase of a 6,800-dwt chemical tanker at ¥1.923 billion (RM60 million).
Constructed by Hakata Ship Building Co. Ltd Japan, the MT Nylex 1 sailed into Malaysia on Friday, and then setting out again on Sunday.
Grulla is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kakuyo Shoji Co Ltd Japan, which in turn is a subsidiary of Tsurumi Sunmarine, the biggest tanker operator for domestic trading in Japan, overseeing more than 200 vessels.
During its 24-hour stopover at the Westport Liquid Bulk Terminal, Malay Mail took a look at the vessels’s interior and spoke to the men behind the ship’s operations and management.
"It is an amazing experience to be part of this journey. Our first week was pleasant with good weather, although in the last few days it turned a bit rough, but all in all it was good,” Captain Elton B.D. Fernandez said.
"This is a brand new ship. It’s always a good feeling to sail in one knowing there will be no problems.”
Being able to sail with this vessel is an experience of its own for Fernandez, who said the technology on board was different from ships he had sailed in.
"I am from the old school of teaching, and being able to sail with this vessel has been a wonderful learning experience,” he said.
"It enables me to sail with other ships bearing similar technology.”
On the challenges faced in each trip, Fernandez said while all ship captains had the same role, the challenge is how each captain handled his crew.
"Each ship is run by a different crew and the captain has to be able to adapt to the crew and manage them well to ensure a smooth sail,” he said.
Fernandez, who was recently promoted, said he was looking forward to the coming voyages on MT Nylex 1.
Cooking up a storm
"We don’t use gas cookers on board because when the ship is out at sea, its movement makes it vulnerable for things to catch fire,” said chief cook Abu Supian when met on board the vessel at Westport.
"So, we only use hot plates. It’s sufficient to cook a big meal for the entire crew.”
The galley is efficiently laid out with longitudinal units and overhead cabinets, making best use of the usually limited space.
It is also usually designed to cater for the rolling and heaving nature of ships.
Nylex (Malaysia) head of shipping division Captain Chan Ying Wai said buying the ship was a decision made by the company as a cost-efficient step after considering other options, including a second-hand vessel.
"It costs almost the same as getting a brand new vessel, so it made more sense to buy a new vessel and not have to worry about repairs,” Chan said.
"If we bought a second hand vessel, we may have to fix and troubleshoot problems. It’s worse if we don’t know what the previous ship managers had done or if they had managed the ship well.”
Managing the ship
"Maintenance is important in a new vessel. It is important everything is in tip top condition.”
Chan also said while the Japanese-made vessel was a high-tech one equipped with digital technology, there were still few processes and ship fixtures that were done manually to replicate traditional vessels.
"They are for emergency purposes in case the automatic functions fail, but most functions have been tested many times. It is really safe.”
According to Chan, the Japanese are very thorough, even the finishing of wooden panels and fixtures are Japanese designed.
Marine and Offshore Solution Sdn Bhd director Captain Ravendran Kittu said it was a responsibility managing the ship’s wellbeing.
"We are the company in charge of hiring the crew, captain and managing the ship. Basically, we keep track of the well-being of the ship,” he said.
"I sailed on many ships and I learnt this responsibility requires personnel who know the ship in and out, and its operations at sea in order to rectify problems.”
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