JUNE 2017 • FOGHORN 17 FOGHORNFOCUS: OPERATIONS WE LIVE AND BREATHE pAssENgER VEssELs, THAT’s THE KEY TO OUR sUCCEss Anders Rundberg, CEO of Carus We care about your customers Carus offers innovative solutions for the global passenger vessel industry, giving your customers a better experience before, during and after their journey. The Carus solution incorporates ticketing, reservations, check-in, port automation, on-board and relationship management. www.carus.com cracks in the tile and voids below the tiles can hold food acids, cleaning solutions and other corrosive liquids that will usually be found by looking up at the deck from the hull void below, which is sometimes too late. • Tiles in head floors This is a similar situation that can be caused by cleaning solutions, restroom fixture overflows, etc. • Pipe leaks in voids These can be sewage system or gray water systems including dishwash- er drain leaks, which have the most damaging liquids. However, items as simple as HVAC condensate drains in a space that is not frequently accessed can have damaging results as well over time. • Indoor/outdoor carpeting on exterior decks Frequently the combination of saltwater and rainwater will fill the voids below the carpet, and cause undetected deteri- oration of the metal hidden below. This can also be caused by carpet cleaning solutions that get under the carpet and cannot be rinsed completely. • Pipes and Engine Rooms Pipe leaks or stuffing box/shaft seal leaks in engine rooms or other fre- quently occupied spaces are not as big an issue. It’s the leaks that are in unoc- cupied spaces that are not frequently accessed or spaces that are difficult to access (below flats in hulls or rudder seal leaks in lazarrettes) that cause the most damage because they go unde- tected. So, while the May FOGHORN article discusses the specific case of an aluminum vessel, the overall picture for aluminum and steel vessels of corrosive substances being trapped in hidden spaces and leaking in infrequently accessed or inspected spaces is really the more common issue in our industry. The four best remedies for these situations are: 1. Apply better coatings in spaces that are likely to be below tile, indoor/ outdoor carpeting, vinyl sheet, or other floor coverings that might develop cracks or void spaces below them. 2. Be vigilant in inspecting from below spaces such as galleys and heads that have these types of floor coverings that might hold corrosive liquids. 3. Be vigilant in inspecting infre- quently accessed spaces that might have piping carrying liquids that can damage steel and aluminum structure. 4. Don’t put off repairs to damaged floor areas in galley, head and exterior carpeted (or other covering) decks that might be allowing corrosive liquids to get between the metal deck and deck covering.