All posts by superuser

CHAPTER No 4 – APPENDIX IV Alumina – Very fine grained cargo Alumina is a fine white powder with highly abrasive qualities. It is extremely dusty and liable to cover the ship overall during loading and discharging operations. Besides overall contamination of accommodation and other spaces, severe damage can be caused by this cargo dust to engine room and deck machinery, radio and navigation equipment. The precautions recommended by one ship-owner for excluding alumina dust are given below. These are extreme precautions for a particularly damaging type of dust: the same precautions can be used, as far as is necessary, for other less harmful dust. • All accommodation and engine […]

CHAPTER No 4 – APPENDIX III ASIAN  GYPSY  MOTH Brief summary of the inspection procedures The Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) is an exotic and highly destructive forest pest which is native to Far East countries such as Japan, Russia, China and Korea. AGM have the ability to cause extensive defoliation of trees, either killing them or leaving them weakened and open to other diseases and pests. The AGM’s flight season, i.e. the period during which the females lay eggs, normally runs between June and September. Therefore, ships calling in those Far Eastern ports where AGM are found in high density during such period are likely to be infested with egg […]

CHAPTER No 4 – APPENDIX II Removal of taint– by smell Any extreme case of problems arising from smelly holds. For example a bulk carrier was fixed to load grain in a US Golf port immediately after carrying a cargo of Fishmeal. She was finally passed as load ready when inspected for the tenth time, and after (13) thirteen days of cleaning by crew assisted, in the later stages by shore labor and equipment important lessons learnt were as follows. Cleaning and deodorizing chemicals designed for use with hot water were ineffective when applied with cold water. The smell of fishmeal was only finally removed when the inside of the […]

CHAPTER No 4 – APPENDIX I PETROLEUM COKE – TANK WASHING Petroleum Coke Bulk Cargo: Tank washing,  Cleaning products, and Discharge implications Comments … concerning the discharge of Petcoke hold washings. Petroleum coke (petcoke) ia a bulk by – product of oil refining. Among other end-uses,  it is traded as a form of fuel  (e.g. for cement manufacture)  or  an input to other industrial applications (e.g. smelting). It is commonly transported at sea in bulk carriers. As with most other bulk cargoes,  after discharge there remain residues in the holds and on deck   which must be cleaned before new cargoes can be loaded. The cleaning process typically entails: (1) dry […]

 CHAPTER No 4 HOLD PREPARATION CLEANING  OF  HOLDS –  general considerations When the discharge of a hold is completed, the Master must decide when, where and how the hold is to be cleaned. This will mainly be a commercial decision made by the vessel’s operator, whether owner  or  charterer. Regardless of the previous cargo, all holds should be thoroughly cleaned by sweeping, scraping and high-pressure sea water washing to remove all previous cargo residues and any loose scale or paint, paying particular attention to any that may be trapped behind beams, ledges, pipe guards, or other fittings in the holds. When on time charter the Master should ask the charterers […]

CHAPTER No 3 CARGO HOLD EQUIPMENTS A bulk carrier exists to carry cargo,  and is expected to do safely,  efficiently and without loss. To achieve this the ship equipment must all be in good working order. This can only be achieved by regular maintenance, and by methodical proving of all the systems every voyage. These, tests and inspections  must be carried out  before cargo is loaded, – as required by the BLU Code, Section 2.2. BIMCO Denmark, Confidential reports, 1997. Some items, must be tested / inspected  before the commencement of each discharge. Only mini bulkers performing one  or  more voyages a week most items still be checked each voyage, […]

CHAPTER No 2 DOUBLE SKINNED BULK CARRIERS Perhaps the most significant development in bulk carrier design in recent years has been the introduction of double skinned bulk carriers. Attempts to make their introduction mandatory over a period of years were defeated at the Maritime Safety Committee of the IMO early in 2004 but the emergence of a practical well researched handy-max design from Carl Bro AS of Denmark in consultation with DNV for structural and regulatory matters and in collaboration with Graig Investments Ltd of Cardiff for the operational aspects has been welcomed. The  “Diamond 53” &  “Sea Horse”  class of handy-max vessels has now been joined by the Diamond […]

CHAPTER No 1 BULK CARRIERS – GENERAL Bulk carriers or Bulkers, are described in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) as ships, including ore carriers, and combination carriers, intended primarily to carry dry cargo in bulk. Such cargoes are “any material, other than liquid or gas, consisting of a combination of par ticles, granules or any larger pieces of material generally uniform in composition, which is loaded directly into to the cargo spaces of the ship without any intermediate form of containment”. SOLAS distinguishes between two types of bulk carrier. (a) Single skinned bulk carriers are those in which any part of the cargo hold […]