Heavy Lift Cargo – Precautions and

Stability Changes Onboard

Merchant Ships

Precautions for Heavy Lift Onboard

1. Carry out a “Risk Assessment” prior to commencing the operation to ensure that
all possible areas of hazard are taken account of and that all risks are at an
acceptable, tolerable risk level.
2. Ensure that the stability of the vessel is adequate to compensate for the
anticipated angle of heel that be experienced when the load at the maximum
angle of outreach.
3. All free surface elements should be reduced or eliminated, if possible, to ensure
a positive value of GM throughout the operation.
4. Any additional rigging, such as “preventer backstays” should be secured as per
the ships rigging plan.
5. A full inspection of all guys, lifting tackles, blocks, shackles and wires should be
conducted prior to commencing the lift by the officer-in-charge. All associated
equipment should be found to be incorrect order with correct SWL shackles in
position and all tackles must be seen to be overhauling.
6. Allowance must be made for the weight lifted plus the purchase weight.
7. End links ring or shackles to ride freely from whichever point they hang.
8. While slinging, wood or other packings to be used to protect the sling from any
sharp edges on the load and to prevent the sling from cutting into the load.
9. Remove guard rails, if possible.
10. Avoid shocks due to load slipping or sudden start.
11. Men should be ordered to lift the gangway from the quayside and the ordered to
positions of standby, to tend the vessels moorings at the fore and aft stations
12. The ships fenders should be rigged to prevent ship contact with the quayside at
the moment of heeling.
 13. Ensure that the deck area, where the weight is to be landed (when loading) is
clear of obstructions and the deck plate is laid with timber barriers (heavy
dunnage) to spread the weight of the load.
14. The ships plans should be consulted to ensure that the limitations of the density
plan and deck load capacity is not exceeded.
15. Check that the winch drivers are experienced and competent and that all winches
are placed into double gear to ensure slow moving operation.
16. Release any barges or small boats moored to the shipside before commencing
any heavy lift operation.
17. Secure steadying lines to the load itself and to any saucer/collar connection
fitment attached to the lifting hook.
18. Inspect and confirm the lifting points of the load are attached to the load itself and
not just secured to any protective casing.
19. Ensure that the area is clear of all unnecessary personnel and that the winch
drivers are in sight of a single controller.
20. Set tight all power guys, and secure the lifting strops to the hook and load
respectively.
21. When all rigging is considered ready, the weight of the load should be taken to
“float the weight clear of the quayside (loading).This vessel will cause the vessel
to heel over as the full weight of the load becomes effective at the head of the
derrick boom.
22. Some lateral drag movement must be anticipated on the load and it is important
that the line of plumb is not lost with the ship heeling over.
23. Once the load is suspended from the derrick and the chief officer can check that
the rigging of the equipment is satisfactory, then the control of the hoist operation
can be passed to the hatch controlling foreman.

Assuming that all checks are in order, the chief officer would not normally intervene with
the lifting operation being controlled by the hatch foreman, unless something untoward
happened which would warrant intervention by the ship’s officer. This is strictly a case of
too many cooks could spoil a safe loading operation.

NB: The main duties of the chief officer are to ensure that the vessel has adequate
positive stability and this can be improved by filling DB water ballast tanks. Additionally,
he should ensure that the derrick is rigged correctly and that all moving parts are
operating in a smooth manner.

Photo Credits: liebherr.com

STABILITY CHANGES – HEAVY LIFTS
If it is realised from the onset that once a heavy lift is taken up by a crane or derrick, the
COG of the load is deemed to act from the head of that derrick or crane jib. When
calculating the ship’s stability criteria, this assumption is, for all intense and purposes,
like loading a weight above the ship’s COG.

Mariners who find themselves involved in ship stability calculations will appreciate that
when a weight is loaded on board the vessel, a movement of the ship’s ‘G’ will be in a
direction towards the weight being loaded. It, therefore, follows that once a weight is
lifted and that weight is effectively acting from the head of the derrick, the ship’s position
of ‘G’ will move upwards towards this point of action.

The outcome of the load and causing an upward movement of ‘G’ is to cause G to move
towards M (the Metacentre. This action would be to effect a reduction in the ship’s GM
Value.

Once the weight of the load is taken by the ship’s derrick, chief officer should appreciate
that the ship’s “G” will rise towards ‘M’, probably even rising above ‘M’ causing an
unstable condition. It would, therefore, make sense to lower the position of ‘G’, in
anticipation of the rising ‘G’ prior to a heavy lift being made.

If the GM can be increased before the lift takes place, i.e. by filling DB tanks, the angle
of the heel can be seen to be less.

EFFECT OF HEAVY LIFT ON THE

SEAWORTHINESS
1. Heavy lift cargoes, when loaded, can have a great effect on the seaworthiness of
the vessel.
2. Securing of the heavy lift should be done with respect to “Cargo Securing
Manual”. Also the “Code for Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing”.
3. If the heavy lift is not secured properly, the cargo may shift during heavy weather
which may result in a heavy list at sea and may cause capsizing of the vessel.
Also, the heavy lift may cause damage to the vessel’s structure and result into
loss of the vessel’s watertight integrity, resulting in flooding/ progress flooding of
the vessel.