CHAPTER 496: CHAPTER 346: WALKING ON THIN ICE

After being out for half a month, Han Yu was exhausted and treading on thin ice, not daring to slack off even a bit.

The semi-submersible had met up with the submarine in the Finnish Bay four days ago, and considering the limited living facilities on the semi-submersible, only seven navy officers and five Russian experts who came aboard later were left on the submarine.

Since no cooking fires could be started on board, the officers and soldiers had to eat dry rations while waiting for the semi-submersible for five days, and finally resorted to boiling a bit of water using electricity.

The loading process was incredibly lengthy; the semi-submersible first anchored and submerged. During the water-filling process, the posture of the semi-submersible had to be constantly observed and adjusted to ensure precise alignment when loading the submarine, which took twelve hours from start to finish.

After the semi-submersible was fully in place, the submarine was slowly approached under the towing of two tugs, one in front and one behind, found from Hanko Port. The front tug mainly provided power to the submarine, while the rear tug assisted in maintaining the course and provided safety braking.

The two tugs towed the submarine to the side of the semi-submersible, which had completed its submergence, and then the submarine was secured at its bow and stern with the cables from cable cars at the bow and stern of the semi-submersible. Then, the winches were engaged to laterally move the submarine slowly above the semi-submersible.

During this process, the two tugs had to pull the cables tight on both sides of the submarine to maintain its stable posture.

Eventually, under the pull of four cables, the submarine was stabilized right above the loading deck and aligned with the marker poles above the water surface, and the semi-submersible began to drain and gradually surface.

To ensure that nothing went wrong, the Dutch Shipping Company specially hired a diver to observe the status of the submarine underwater and relay real-time images to the cabin via underwater television. Meanwhile, the submariners also needed to cooperate with the operations.

The semi-submersible, the underwater diver, and the submarine crew maintained constant contact, notifying each other of the status of the vessel’s body, determining specific parts’ drainage time and speed, and then through continuous calculations and adjustments, the colossal body of the submarine was slowly and accurately seated on the dock pile of the semi-submersible.

During the process of lifting the submarine, everyone was fully focused and extremely cautious. After all, a submarine is a precision equipment, and even a minor mistake could cause damage to the equipment.

The entire loading process took one day and one night, and like the four leaders of the transportation work group, Han Yu was highly strung, not daring to close his eyes for twenty-four hours until the deck of the semi-submersible surfaced and everything was confirmed to be normal. Only then did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.

However, having the submarine loaded onto the semi-submersible did not mean they could rest.

Han Yu and Dutch expert Mr. Hans and others worked from dawn till late night to install all remaining dock piles in place, and only then the reinforcement work was completed.

The third day continued with work, constructing a personnel access passage made of containers on the right side of the submarine control tower enclosure and installing diesel generators, air conditioning, and other equipment to provide power and ventilation to the interior of the submarine.

Only after all that was done, the preparations for the distant voyage were officially completed.

The four leaders of the transportation work group and two ship experts from China went ashore. During the long return journey, only seven Chinese Navy officers and five Russian experts remained on board, taking 24-hour shifts to check the equipment inside the submarine and prevent fire and explosion.

As a representative of Cosco, Han Yu was responsible for communication and coordination between the navy officers, Russian experts, and the ship’s party.

He thought that after the hardest part of the loading was solved, things would be easier, but big and small issues kept arising one after another.

According to superiors’ regulations, the officers on board had to report back to China every day using the submarine’s radio, while Han Yu had to report the situation to Director Feng using the semi-submersible’s satellite phone and pre-arranged code words.

But on the first day of reporting, he received heart-wrenching news.

To save on expenses, the transportation work group rented a car after going ashore, and on their way to Helsinki Airport, they had a car accident, resulting in all four leaders being injured, with Director Li being in a coma and critically ill.

What they feared soon followed.

Although the semi-submersible had generators, the submarine required very high-quality power, and it was necessary to dock for charging.

The port authorities had never encountered such a situation before and did not provide charging services, refusing the semi-submersible entry to the port.

They urgently contacted Director Feng via satellite phone to ask for help in communicating and coordinating with higher-ups. Mr. Hans of the shipping company also frequently contacted port officials, making reasoned arguments.

After much difficult negotiation, they then faced the PSC inspection.

PSC stands for Port State Control inspectors, who are government workers tasked with inspecting the safety of foreign merchant ships based on international conventions like SOLAS (International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea) and MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships).

Most countries have safety inspectors - in China, it’s the Port Supervision Bureau or Marine Supervision Bureau who specifically conduct safety inspections on international liners, while in the United States, the Coast Guard typically takes charge, and in Japan, it’s the Maritime Self-Defense Bureau.

In short, foreign merchant ships entering port are obliged to undergo PSC inspection.

If any issues are discovered during inspection, not only could there be fines, but the ship could also be detained!

The inspection is comprehensive, ranging from potential defects on the ship, to firefighting, lifesaving, sanitation, navigation bridge, and emergency preparedness – all are within the scope of PSC inspection.

Setting aside major issues like whether the condition of the ship’s hull and main auxiliary machinery is good, even minor problems such as malfunctioning fire doors tied with ropes, aged fire hoses, an insufficient number of fire nozzles, lifeboats that cannot be released, insufficient supplies for survival and rescue inside the boat, unclean navigation bridge, or lack of books and materials, could all lead to complications if identified.

Han Yu definitely did not want to be detained, not only would it delay the journey, but it could also lead to a series of unpredictable dangers.

After all, if the ship were truly detained, personnel from various law enforcement departments would come aboard for inspections in waves, and the submarine would become a target for inspection just like any ordinary cargo. Then the question arises, would you let them enter the submarine or not?

Because of this, he repeatedly checked each item listed on the self-inspection checklist for the PSC (Port State Control) inspection before entering port.

There was severe corrosion on the engine room skylight, severe rust on the ventilation ducts, and bubbles in the compass...

In total, he discovered a dozen or so problems, both big and small.

"Can you handle it, Han?"

"I think it should be no problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Sure!"

The Dutch colleagues are all very capable, each with multiple areas of expertise.

But they also tend to be extravagant, often opting to replace rather than repair some not-so-expensive damaged equipment by ordering new ones.

If there were bubbles in the compass, their first thought would be to replace it, without considering repair.

But a semi-submersible vessel floating at sea, waiting for their onshore ship agency to help purchase a new one and have it delivered to the ship, would take at least two days. The semi-submersible vessel needed to enter port early the next morning, and there simply wasn’t enough time.

Han Yu didn’t want to be caught by the PSC prosecutors, nor did he want to be detained, so he had no choice but to refill the compass liquid himself.

A compass isn’t just any piece of equipment; it’s a precision instrument essential for marine navigation.

Whether it can be used after removing the bubbles and whether it will affect precision is another issue.

This critical piece of equipment would definitely be inspected by the PSC prosecutors if they came on board. Mr. Hans, fearing that the young man from China might make the situation worse, stood by watching.

For other tasks, they were the experts, such as designing dock piles or loading submarines, and their professional competence was astonishing.

But Han Yu was better at dealing with these issues—after all, China’s economy wasn’t as advanced as theirs. For instance, tugboat 001, built in 1963, is still engaged in law enforcement and rescue operations on the Yangtze River today.

Just like how the poor wear their clothes—"new for three years, old for three more, patch and mend for another three"—if there’s a fault with equipment that can be repaired, it certainly will be; only when repair is completely unfeasible will replacement be considered.

After more than half an hour of adjustment, the bubbles in the compass disappeared, and its precision met the standards.

Mr. Hans was delighted, patting Han Yu on the shoulder and laughing, "Buddy, well done. I’ll buy you a beer tonight."

"Thanks, I’ll go check on the rest."

"Okay, take a good look for me. I don’t want to be harassed by those guys."

Anyone engaged in distant voyages dislikes PSC prosecutors, but when facing them, one must still offer a smile...

Carrying the self-inspection checklist, Han Yu walked out of the cabin and continued his inspections while thinking that the Port Supervision Bureau’s PSC inspections were too outdated—they even failed to detect whether the fuel in foreign ships met the standards. This area truly needed to be strengthened.

However, catching up isn’t something that can be achieved overnight. Having the right inspection equipment is one thing, but the competency level of the inspectors needs to be improved as well, requiring a thorough knowledge of various international conventions.

He was considering that his senior sister could learn some of these things when Major General Wu of the submarine crew approached and asked in a low voice, "Is the PSC inspection that troublesome, Representative Han?"

"Extremely troublesome. Both shipping companies and crew members dread PSC inspections the most because being found with defects during an inspection can directly affect a vessel’s operation, causing unpredictable financial losses to the shipowner."

After thinking for a moment, Han Yu continued, "Many of our domestic cargo ships, including Cosco, rarely operate on distant voyage routes and almost all our shipping companies lease foreign vessels. The reason is that our own cargo ships are generally older, and neither design nor construction standards comply with the corresponding international conventions.

Additionally, our crews’ English is not very good, which can lead to misunderstandings when communicating with PSC prosecutors. Therefore, most of our cargo ships can only operate in coastal waters. Running international routes would mean the little money earned would not cover the fines imposed by others."

Major General Wu was even more concerned about being detained and asked quietly, "There are no problems with this ship, right?"

Han Yu understood his anxieties, looked back, and tried to sound relaxed, "The captain and crew are very professional, and the overall condition of the ship is good. There shouldn’t be any issues. Plus, there aren’t that many PSC prosecutors at the port, and not every ship gets inspected—it’s usually random checks."

Major General Wu breathed a little easier and said very seriously and earnestly, "I appreciate it. Please check thoroughly for them."

"It’s my job."

"Just make sure the submarine is transported back to the country successfully, and I’ll buy you a drink."

"Sure, but I don’t really drink. I’ll have to learn first."