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SEAM 3 213L2 

LABORATORY FINALS ACTIVITY 1

MONITORING OF CARGO DURING THE

VOYAGE

Submitted by: 
CESAR, MATTHEW 
BSMT 21-B5 
 
 
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LOADING AND SECURING

After unloading of cargo it is very important the responsible officer does a
proper inspection and preparation of Holds. Inspection of hold helps identify
for structural damage or defects in the hold. It also help to know if any
damage done by the stevedores, and same can be mentioned in the
stevedore damage report. Similarly it is important to prepare holds before
loading the next cargo. Preparation of holds depends upon the next cargo,
if next cargo is compatible with the last, a good sweep down and removal
of leftover cargo is all that is required. If however, the next cargo is
incompatible with the last or if you are loading sensitive cargoes such as
foodstuffs, a more thorough cleaning may be required.

Why inspection and preparation of holds is important?

Cargo spaces intended to be used for loading should be inspected to
ensure that the compartment intended to be loaded with cargo is clean, dry
and ready in all respect to receive the cargo being offered.

Thorough inspection of holds is needed to:

Avoid contamination

 No residue of the previous cargo to be left

 Holds are Taint free.
 No Visible loose rust which can cause contamination.
Safety

 Holds are safe for stevedores to work.

 Detect physical damage within the hold. It also benefits in raising new
stevedore damage claims.
 Damages to the ship structure, checking for corrosion/ cracks to get
an early warning for parts/ portions/ strengthening structures to be
renewed/ repaired.
Prevent Cargo Damage

 which can be caused from operational bilges

 ballast lines and/or
 lack of weather tight integrity of hatch covers
Fire Safety

 Identification of fire hazard for the intended cargo and availability of

firefighting equipment.

Items to be inspected
1. Check that the designated compartments are clean and ready to receive
cargo.

a. Holds properly swept and cleaned from previous cargo residue.

b. Loose rust scale and loose paint removed.

c. Holds free from all stains.

d. Depending upon charterers’ requirement, holds effectively

washed/rinsed & dried.

2. Check that the drainage and bilge suctions are working effectively and
that bilge wells are dry. Bilges to be sweetened for some particular cargoes
and covered with burlap and cemented.

3. No leakage from ballast tanks present.

4. Sounding pipes and air pipes passing from holds are clean and rust free.

5. Ensure that cargo battens (spar ceiling) is in position and not damaged

(Note: some cargoes may require cargo battens to be removed)

6. Check that the hatch lighting’s are in good order. Isolate lights if it poses
fire hazard for the intended cargo.

7. Inspect and ensure all means of access to the compartments are safe.

8. Guard rails and safety barriers should be seen to be in place.

9. Ensure all necessary fixed and portable fire-fighting arrangements are

ready for immediate use. Blow through CO2/Halon lines with compressed
air.

10. Inspect Cargo Hold Ventilation system.

11. Inspect and ensure hatch covers are weather tight and that all the
securing devices are in good working condition.

12. If Cargo Hold is meant to take heavy weather ballast then pressure test
the lines for leakage and subsequently blank off the ballast lines.

13. Double Bottom tank manhole covers to be absolutely tight.

14. Cargo securing points/ fixed fittings etc are in good condition.

So once a Hold is inspected let us proceed to prepare a Hold for loading.

Hold Preparation
As per Charter party or as per contract of carriage the owner is required to
“… make the holds, refrigerating and cooling chambers and all other parts
of the ship where goods are carried, fit and safe for their reception, carriage
and preservation”.

The owner is required to present his vessel in a state that he is ready to

load cargo, that means the holds are ‘clean and dry’ prior to
commencement of loading. If the owner fails to present his ship in a proper
state to receive cargo, he risks to claims amounting to large sums of
money. It is, therefore of utmost important to prepare cargo holds of ship to
loading.

Cargo quality can be affected due to

 Contamination
 Staining
 Water contact
 Inadequate ventilation
To avoid contamination and water contact of cargo it is better to inspect
and test the Hatch Covers and Bilge Suction. Contamination, Staining,
Water contact and Inadequate ventilation can also occur if proper dunnage
is not used or laid in the cargo hold.

Checking weather-tightness of the hatch cover

The two most common leak detection tests are

1. the water hose test

2. the ultrasonic test
Ultrasonic testing is the preferred method because areas of inadequate
hatch sealing are accurately located.

While other method are also used such as, Chalk testing gives only an
indication of poor compression and potential leaks. Chalk testing is not a
leak detection test. Light testing is also effective but is potentially
dangerous because personnel are in a closed, dark hold looking for light
infiltration between panels.

Checking Bilge Suction

Neglecting maintenance and testing of hold bilge systems can have serious
consequences, resulting in unnecessary cargo claims due to water
contamination.

The bilge suction line in the hold bilge is normally fitted with a perforated
strum box which prevents cargo debris from entering the bilge line. The
strum box should be thoroughly cleaned after each cargo discharge and if
possible, dismantled and checked for damage or corrosion. The end of the
bilge suction line must be confirmed as clear, with no debris fouling the end
of the suction pipe.

Follow Below procedure to test Hold Bilges:

 Test bilge suction by filling bilge well with water and pumping it out.
 Non return valves fitted in the hold bilge pumping systems are to
ensure that water pumped from the hold bilges to the engine room and
over-side or into a holding tank cannot flow back via the bilge line into
the hold bilge wells and then into the cargo hold.
 The easiest way to test the non return valve is to stop the pump (or
eductor) and allow water to flood back into the bilge line up to the non
return valve. If no water enters the hold bilge then the non return valve
is working correctly. As prudent seamanship all non return valves on
the bilge line should be overhauled on a regular basis.

PASSAGE PLANNING
Shipping cargo from one port to another involves coordinated working of
several operations of both land and ship staff. One of the most integral
parts of a shipping operations is the cargo or voyage planning, which is
mainly undertaken by a navigational officer of a ship.

A passage plan is a comprehensive, berth to berth guide, developed and

used by a vessel’s bridge team to determine the most favourable route, to
identify potential problems or hazards along the route, and to adopt Bridge
Management Practices to ensure the vessel’s safe passage. SOLAS
Chapter 5, Annexes 24 & 25 titled “Voyage Planning” and “Guidelines for
voyage planning” respectively, give specific regulatory information with
regard to the passage plan.

Passage planning includes a complete description of the ship’s passage

which is prepared by an experienced deck officer of the ship. This is done
to ensure that the ship sticks to the required routes for reaching the port of
destination.

While making a passage plan, the officer must keep in mind that the ship
must reach the destination safe by abiding to both local and international
rules and regulations.
Ship Passage Planning – Essential Steps

A ship’s passage planning involves 4 major steps/stages. They are as

follows:

1.  Appraisal

2. Planning

3. Execution

4. Monitoring

Each stage in the passage planning has its own importance and it is
extremely important to carry out each one of them with utmost care and up-
to-date seamanship to ensure a safe sail.

In the start, a rough estimate is made of the whole sailing process. Once
the rough plan is ready, it is further tweaked and modified/refined
considering various details obtained from charts, pilot book, weather
routing etc. These processes are carried out throughout the appraisal and
planning stages.

Appraisal

In this stage, the master of the ship discusses with the chief navigating
officer (usually the Second Mate), as to how he intends to sail to the
destination port. (In some cases it may be required for the master to plan
the passage). This is the process of gathering all information relevant to the
proposed passage, including ascertaining risks and assessing its critical
areas. This involves information extracted from publications as well as
those within the chart. The appraisal will include details from:

 Chart Catalogue
 Charts
 Ocean Passages of The World
 Routeing Charts
  Admiralty Sailing Directions
 Admiralty List of Lights and Fog Signals
 Admiralty List of Radio Signals
 Tide Tables
 Tidal Stream Atlas
 Notices to Mariners
 Admiralty Distance Tables
 Ships Routeing
 Navigational Warnings
 Mariner’s Handbook
 Load Line Chart
 Draft of Ship
 Owners and other sources
 Personal Experience

Taking into consideration master’s guidelines, company’s guidelines, ship’s

cargo, marine environment, and all other factors that may affect the ship,
the navigating officer draws upon a general track, which the ship shall
follow.

For the ease of planning, this plan is first laid out on a small scale chart,
which is later transferred to larger scale charts, and then minor
modifications are made as and when deemed necessary.

Planning

Having made a full appraisal using all information at hand pertaining to the
passage, the OOW, under the authority of the Master is to prepare a
detailed plan for the passage. In this stage, the intended courses of the
ships are actually laid out on the charts of suitable scale and all additional
information is marked. The plan is laid out from pier to pier, including the
pilotage waters.

It is a good practice to mark dangerous areas such as nearby wrecks,

shallow water, reefs, small islands, emergency anchorage positions, and
any other information that might aid safe navigation.
Reporting areas should also be clearly marked on the charts. Elements of
the Planning phase include:

 No-Go areas
 Margins of safety
 Charted Tracks
 Course alterations and wheel over points
 Parallel Indexing
 Aborts and Contingencies
 Clearing line and bearings
 Leading lines
 Tides and current
 Change in engine status
 Minimum UKC
 Use of Echo Sounder
 Head Mark
 Natural Transit
Aborts: When approaching constrained waters, the vessel might be in a
position beyond which there is no possible action but to proceed. For
example, the vessel enters an area so narrow that there is no room to
return. It is for this purpose that a position is drawn on the chart showing
the last point wherein the passage can be aborted.

Contingencies: The bridge team must always be aware that the events

might not go as planned and that emergency action might be required.
Contingency plans account for such situations, clearly shown on the chart
so that the OOW can take swift action in such a jam. Contingency planning
will include alternative routes, safe anchorages, waiting areas, emergency
berths.

Execution

In this stage, the navigating officers execute the plan that has been
prepared. After departure, the speed is adjusted based on the ETA and the
expected weather and oceanographic conditions. The speed should be
adjusted such that the ship is not either too early or late at its port of
destination. The Master should find out how long his intended voyage is,
accounting for water and fuel available. Also to be taken into account are
any expected weather changes along the way. In case and ECDIS is being
used, appropriate limits must be set with regard to the safety settings.

Monitoring

Monitoring is that aspect which takes into account checking of the position
of the vessel, such that it remains within the safe distance from any danger
areas. Parallel Indexing can be used to maintain safe distance alongside
any hazards to navigation. A safe and successful voyage can only be
achieved by close and continuous monitoring of the ship’s progress along
the pre-planned tracks. Situations may arise wherein the navigating officer
might feel it prudent to deviate from the plan. In such case, he shall inform
the master and take any action that he may deem necessary for the safety
of the ship and its crew. This stage is a very important stage wherein all the
deck officers contribute their part to execute the plan. This calls for
personal judgement, good seamanship and experience.

ACTIONS DURING VOYAGE

VOYAGE PLANNIG

 During voyage planning, all foreseeable risks which could lead to either
excessive accelerations causing cargo to shift or sloshing sea causing
water absorption and ice aggregation, should be taken under
consideration.
 Before the ship proceeds to sea, the following should be verified:

1. The ship is upright;

2. The ship has an adequate metacentric height;
3. The cargo is properly secured.
 Soundings of tanks should be regularly carried out throughout the
voyage.

 The rolling period of the ship should be regularly checked in order to

establish that the metacentric height is still within the acceptable range.

 In cases where severe weather and sea conditions are unavoidable, the
Master should be conscious of the need to reduce speed and/or alter
course at an early stage in order to minimize the forces imposed on the
cargo, structure and lashings.

 If deviation from the intended voyage plan is considered during the

voyage, a new plan should be made.

CARGO SAFETY INSPECTIONS DURING SEA VOYAGES

 Cargo safety inspections, in accordance with the items below, should be

frequently conducted throughout the voyage.

 Prior to any inspections being commenced on deck, the Master should

take appropriate actions to reduce the motions of the ship during such
operations.

 Close attention should be given to any movement of the cargo which

could compromise the safety of the ship.

 When safety permits fixed and portable lashing equipment should be

visually examined for any abnormal wear and tear or other damages.
 Since vibrations and working of the ship will cause the cargo to settle
and compact, lashing equipment should be retightened to produce the
necessary pre-tension, as needed.

 Uprights should be checked for any damage or deformation.

 Supports for upright should be undamaged.

 Corner protections should still be in place.

 All examinations and adjustments to cargo securing equipment during

LIST DURING VOYAGE

 If a list occurs that cannot be attributed to normal use of consumables

the matter should be immediately investigated. This should consider
that the cause may be due to one or more of the following:

1. cargo shift;
2. water ingresses; and
3. an angle of loll (inadequate GM).

 Even if no major shift of the deck cargo is apparent, it should be

examined whether the deck cargo has shifted slightly or if there has
been a shift of cargo below deck. However, prior to entering any closed
hold that contains timber the atmosphere should be checked to make
sure that the hold atmosphere has not been oxygen depleted by the
timber.

 It should be considered whether the weather conditions are such that

sending the crew to release or tighten the lashings on a moving or
shifted cargo present a greater hazard than retaining an overhanging
load.

 The possibility of water ingress should be determined by sounding

throughout the vessel. In the event that unexplained water is detected,
all available pumps, as appropriate, should be used to bring the
situation under control.
 An approximation of the current metacentric height should be
determined by timing the rolling period.

 If the list is corrected by ballasting and deballasting operations, the

order in which tanks are filled and emptied should be decided with
consideration to the following factors:

1. when the draft of the vessel increases, water ingress may

occur through openings and ventilation pipes;
2. if ballast has been shifted to counteract a cargo shift or water
ingress, a far greater list may rapidly develop to the opposite
side;
3. if the list is due to the ship lolling, and if empty divided double
bottom space is available, the tank on the lower side should
be ballasted first in order to immediately provide additional
metacentric height – after which the tank on the high side
should also be ballasted; and
4. free surface moments should be kept at a minimum by
operating only one tank at a time.

 As a final resort when all other options have been exhausted if the list is
to be corrected by jettisoning deck cargo, the following aspects should
be noted:
1. jettisoning is unlikely to improve the situation entirely as the
whole stack would probably not fall at once;
2. severe damage may be sustained by the propeller if it is still
turning when the timber is jettisoned;
3. it will be inherently dangerous to anyone involved in the
actual jettison procedure; and
4. the position of the jettisoning procedure and estimated
navigational hazard must be immediately reported to coastal
authorities.

 If the whole or partial timber deck load is either jettisoned or accidentally

lost overboard, the information on a direct danger to navigation should
be communicated by the master by all means at his disposal to the
following parties:

1. ships in the vicinity; and

2. competent authorities at the first point on the coast with which
he can communicate directly
3. the kind of danger;
4. the position of the danger when last observed; and
5. the time and date (coordinated universal time) when the
danger was last observed.