CHAPTER 7 Timber Cargoes, Deck Cargo and Bulk Oil in General Cargo

Ships.
The carriage of Timber Cargo is covered by the IMO Code of Safe Practise for Ships
Carrying Timber Deck cargoes.
The term Deck Cargo refers to cargo carried in any uncovered space on the deck of
a ship and Timber Deck Cargo means deck cargo consisting of timber.
The Load Line indicates the maximum depth to which a ship marked therewith may
be loaded, having regard to the appropriate Load Line for the particular Zone, area
and seasonal period in which the vessel happens to be at that particular time. For
details the International Loadline Chart should be consulted. The Timber Loadline
where marked on a ship carrying a Timber Deck Cargo in accordance with the
requirements of the Deck Cargo Regulations is the Loadline to be observed in any
particular zone, area and seasonal period in which the vessel happens to be at that
particular time.
Some other definitions important to the carriage of Deck Cargoes are as follows:
SUPERSTRUCTURE: Means a decked structure including a raised quarter deck
situated on the Freeboard Deck which either extends from side to side of the ship or
is such that it's side plating is not inboard of the shell plating of the ship by more
than 4% of the maximum breadth of the ship measured amidships.
WATERTIGHT: Means capable of preventing the passage of water in any direction.
WEATHERTIGHT: In relation to any part of the ship other than a door in a bulkhead
means that the part is such that water will not penetrate and so enter the hull of the
ship in the worst sea and weather conditions likely to be experienced by the ship in
service.
The siting, distribution and stowage of Timber Deck Cargo shall avoid excessive
loading having regard to the strength of the deck and integral supporting structure
of the ship.
The stowage and distribution shall ensure that the ship will retain adequate stability
at all stages of the voyage having regard to:
1 Vertical Distribution of the Deck Cargo.
2 Wind moments which normally may be expected on the voyage.
3 Losses of weight in the ship including those due to the consumption of fuel and
stores.
4 Possible increases of weight of the ship or deck cargo in particular those due to
the absorption of water and to icing.

5 Not to impair the weathertight or watertight integrity of any part of the ship, its
fittings or appliances and to ensure the proper protection of ventilation or air pipes.
6 The height of the cargo above the deck will not interfere with the navigation or
working of the ship.
7 The cargo will not interfere with steering arrangements and in particular
emergency steering arrangements.
8 The cargo will not interfere with or obstruct safe and efficient access by the crew
to or between their quarters and any machinery space or other part of the ship used
in the working of the ship, and will not in particular obstruct any opening giving
access to those postions or impede its being regularly secured watertight.

Openings in the weather deck on which cargo is stowed should be securely closed
and battened down. Ventilators and air pipes should be effectively protected from
damage by cargo and the check valves in air pipes should be examined to ascertain
that they or similar devices are effective against the entry of sea water.
The cargo should be compactly stowed and should be chocked as necessary for this
purpose, it should not interfere with the navigation of the ship and should be stowed
as level as possible. Safety equipment, devices for the remote operation of valves
and sounding pipes should be clearly marked and left accessible.
Uprights, when required by the nature of the height of timber, should be of
adequate strength which should not exceed the strength of the bulwark and the
spacing should be suitable for the length and character of the timber carried but
should not exceed 3 metres or 9.8 feet. Strong angles or metal sockets or equally
efficient means should be provided for securing the uprights. Where suitable,
permanent ship's structure may be used as uprights.
The uprights should be of height as to extend above the outboard top edge of the
cargo.
The uprights should be fitted with a locking pin or other arrangement to retain the
upright in its housing, they may be secured by a metal bracket attaching the upright
to the top of the ship's bulwark, or a similar arrangement.
As far as practicable, the stowage should be such that the cargo throughout its full
height is in solid contact with each upright.
Each port and starboard pair of uprights should be linked by athwartship lashings,
set up taut joining each pair as near to the top level of the cargo as possible to give
additional strength to these uprights.

Lashings: At the completion of loading, a system of overall independent lashings

should be set up throughout the entire length of a deck stow. The spacing between
adjacent lashings should be such that each lashing should pass over the cargo and
be shackled to eye plates positioned in the sheer strake, deck stringer or other
strengthened point. Stanchions and brackets or other such points of insufficient
strength should not be used for the securing of lashings.
Stretching devices or similar devices for lashing shall be either a turnbuckle or of a
type that produces tightening by a lever action having a proven mechanical
arrangement whereby tightening to the required tension and subsequent
adjustments can be rapidly effected; each specified device should be so placed in a
lashing that it can be safely and efficiently operated when required.
Devices capable of quick cargo release, if fitted, should be so designed that it
cannot be accidentally released or activated. When the other devices are
subsituted for splicing to form an eye in a wire rope such as the use of bulldog clips,
they should be sufficient to equal the strength of the splice. All lashings and lashing
gear should be inspected as required.
Timber should be loaded to produce a compact stow with a level surface as far as
practicable, the spacing of the lashings should be determined by the maximum
height of the cargo above the weather deck in the vincinity of the lashing. For a
cargo height of 4 metres or 13 feet and below the spacing should be 3 metres or 9.8
feet and for a cargo height of 6 metres or 19.6 feet and above the spacing should
be 1.5 metres or 4.9 feet, at intermediate heights the average spacing should be
obtained by linear interpolation. When the timber is in lengths less than 3.6 metres
or 11.8 feet the spacing of the lashing shall be reduced or other suitable provisions
made to suit the length of the timber. The spacing should also be such that the first
and final athwartship lashing of each section of continuous deck stow should be
positioned as close as practicable to the extreme end of the stow.
The stowage and securing of Log Cargoes, Pulp Wood and Pitprop Cargoes.
Whenever possible logs should be compactly stowed in a fore and aft direction to
give a level or crowned top surface such that each log is adequately restrained from
movement when the system of securings is in place and set up taut.
Where uprights are required by the heights of the stow they should be fitted to
conform with the Regulations, the stowage of pulp wood and pitprop cargoes on
deck should be comply with any locally accepted practice which has been found to
be safe so that at the completion of stowage, the cargo shall be compact, having a
level or crowned surface and be secured at least to meet the provisions of the I.M.O.
Code.
All ships should be supplied with suitable information on stability which takes into
account deck cargo to enable the Master of the ship to meet national requirements,

where no national requirements exist, information on stability should be supplied in

accordance with I.M.O. requirements. The Master should establish or verfity the
stability of his vessel for the worst service condition having regard to the increased
weight of the deck cargo due to water absorption and or ice accretion and to
variations in consumables. It should also be kept in mind that excessive stability
might cause more severe force on the lashings in heavy seas.
The compacting of the deck stow in sheltered waters. At the completion of loading
and securing, all tightening devices fitted into the lashings should after intial
tightening, be left with not less than half the threaded length of the screw, or of
tightening capacity, to be available for future tightening.
All vessels should before leaving sheltered areas, allow time for additional
tightening, as necessary, of all lashings by the crew prior to entry into the open sea
and an entry made in the ship's log book.
Before we leave the Timber Deck Cargoes we will deal with the new trends in the
carriage of softwoods in certain trades. The significant feature is the concentration
of producers and shippers merging with importers to move larger cargoes in
specially designed vessels and to this end certain Port Authorities have designated
areas within ports to recieve unit load packaged timber.
These specially designed vessels carry all cargo below deck and are of a multi deck
type which permits rapid load and discharge by the use of fork lift and other
vehicles. Thus time in port is kept to a minimum with damage risk to cargo being
greatly reduced.
The vessel illustrated is used in the softwood trade and with the multiple decks she
is able to transport automobiles on the return voyage.
Vehicles loaded with pre-packed timber drive up the bow and stern ramps into the
cargo area where the packages are handled and stowed by the use of fork lift
vehciles, or the fork lift vehicle can transport the unit loads directly from the pier
area into the cargo compartment.
Deck cargoes other than timber, for example a shipment of drums should be stowed
in such a position that they can be safely supported by the deck on suitable
dunnage and are capable of being properly secured for sea passage with securing
arrangements always accessible should the need arise to tighten the lashings.
Deck Cargoes of Dangerous Chemicals should be well dunnaged and secured and in
the event of accident be capable of being jettisoned subject to the Pollution
Regulations of any Coastal State which may affect the area involved.
Deck Cargo consisting of heavy lifts should be so positioned that decks will not be
damaged due to excessive weight without being supported from below by tomming
or other means, the cargo pieces should be well dunnaged with suitable timbers or

arrangements of timbers and securing adequate to meet all circumstances on the

proposed voyage bearing in mind the weight of the particular lift. When arranging
the securing of such a piece of cargo as well as securing it downwards to the deck it
is useful to think of the movements of a vessel in a seaway, she will either roll or
pitch or a combination of both, therefore heavy lift securing arrangements should
include means to prevent the movement of the cargo both in a fore and aft and
athwartship direction with the provisions and access for tightening all securing
arrangements during the voyage.
When ringbolts are not in advantageous positons for the securing of deck cargo,
ringbolts or lashing lugs should be welded to the deck at the most convenient
locations for the securing of the particular cargo. At the end of the voyage these
can be burned off with the weld residue being ground to return the deck plating to
it's former smooth condition.
Bulk Liquid Cargoes in General Cargo Ships, such as Coconut Oil, Palm Oil,
Groundnut Oil, Wood Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Olive Oil, Soya Bean and Rapeseed Oil has
been developed in recent years and has grown to such a large extent that many
modern cargo vessels are fitted with a number of deep tanks suitable for the bulk
carriage of these liquids. These tanks vary in capacity from 500 to 100 tons and are
subdivided by longitudinal bulkheads which provide for the carriage of different
types of oil in separate tanks, during the same voyage.
The carriage of an edible oil requires a strict standard of cleanliness, the cleanliness
and tightness of the tanks are subject to final supervision and final surveying by
both Lloyd's and the Shipper's Surveyors. Appropriate certificates of seaworthiness
and of cleanliness are necessary before the ship and shippers should take their
respective responsibility.
It is normal when these deep tanks are not being used for the carriage of edible oils
that they are used for the carriage of General Cargo, this could include a bagged
cargo, a cargo of drums or cases or cargo which can easily fit into these spaces the
deep tank lid having been removed. After discharge of general cargo from these
spaces and in preparation for a liquid cargo the extensive cleaning of the interior is
carried out usually by steaming and finally with high pressure hose, also where the
cargo to be carried requires to be kept with a certain temperature range heating
coils are fitted to the bulkheads, the tops or bilges of the tanks in order to achieve
the temperature requirements of the particular cargo. Heating is provided by steam
from the ship's auxilliaries, therefore as well as the tank being clean all flanges in
the steam lines must be tight in order to prevent leakage into the cargo, also any air
or sounding pipes into these spaces must be blanked off.
The carrying temperatures of vegetable oils differ somewhat with the class of oil
and it is usual for shippers to specify the temperatures at which they require the oil
to be kept and the temperatures allowed for discharge. Due regard must be given

to the season of the year at the port of discharge where in winter months a rise in
the maximum temperature may be required in order to maintain the cargo in the
liquid state for discharge. The discharge of oil is affected by shore plants either in
the form of independent steam pumps operating at the tank top flat or by a
combined suction and discharge pump which may be lowered into the tank. Prior to
discharge ullages, temperatures, specific gravities, drafts of the vessel and list if
any must be recorded. After discharge the tanks must be again steam cleaned and
heating coils removed, sounding and air pipes re-opened prior to loading general
cargo in these spaces.