How to burn marine bunker oil

Set the burners open wide
do not touch the valves at side,
keep the pressure on the pump
and up the bally steam will jump.

If the smoke is black and thick
open up the fans a bit,
if the smoke is thick and white
to slow the fans will be quite right.

For when sufficient air is given,
no smoke ascendeth up to heaven
and if the jets refuse to squirt
assume the cause is due to dirt.

Should the flame be short and white
you have combustion clear and bright,
but should the flame be yellow and long
combustion is entirely wrong.

A wise man to his heater sees
and keeps it at the right degrees,
to have it more is not quit wise,
because the oil may carbonize.

If you keep the filters clean
no drop in pressure will be seen,
and should the pump kick up a ruction
there’s likely air within the suction.

There's more to this than what's shown here
if to the rules you do adhere
junior engineers should know them,
or their boilers may explode them!         - Unknown.