Stoker's Cramp

Poon Lim interfered yesterday with my next story about the funnels. They are almost finished now. On this picture you see how the A/B's did it. They used a small cage of scaffolding, a lot of ropes, (safety ) lines and aluminum ladders. In earlier days it was done with a wooden plank hanging on two ropes only, but now with all the ultra light equipment, this is not necessary anymore. The dangers on this picture are obvious, but one of the most tricky dangers is invisible. It is heat exhaustion. The seawater temperature rose to 31.5 degrees centigrade and even for tropical waters that is quite high. It means that on a cloudless day like today the air temperature around noon can easily raise to an uncomfortable 36 degrees. The high temperature, the reflection from the sun on the water and funnels can cause heat stress. Heat stress or Stoker's cramp was often seen in the engine room on steamships, it is an overloading of the body's ability to keep a balance between the heat entering the body and the heat leaving the body. The symptom is an abrupt onset of severe pain in muscles of the limbs and back. It can be prevented to drink lots of water and eat enough salt(pills). Salt will hold fluid in your body and prevent a disturbed balance.
Tomorrow I'll show you the result of all the work