Objectives

1. Describe different types of Ro-Ro ships.

2. Describe the operations of a Ro-Ro ship.
3. Deduce the ways of stowage and securing of Ro-Ro
ships.
4. Discuss the effect of rolling cargoes to the
seaworthiness of the ship.
Ro-Ro Ships
The inclines of a Ro-Ro vessel are connected to the
entrance either in the front (bow) or at the back (aft)
of the vessel or at both. Vehicular traffic can pass
through these doors without any complexity.
Alongside, transporting vehicular traffic between
riverside harbours, these vessels have also become
increasingly helpful in transiting vehicles across ports
spread across seas.
Over the years, several advancement have taken place
in these car carrier vessels and resultantly, there have
emerged into various types of Ro-Ro ships.
Types of Roll on Roll off Ships
- PCC ( pure car carrier ((automobile) ) - Is a kind of
Ro-Ro ship which transports only cars. Her car deck
has lower vertical clearance compared to PCTC.

- PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carrier)

It transports not only cars, but also trucks and other
variations of four-wheeled vehicles. They usually have
higher vertical clearance compared to PCC.
Types of Roll on Roll off Ships
- General Cargo + Ro Ro Ship (GenRo) Ships – a
normal cargo carrying vessel equipped with the RoRo
facility is termed as the GenRo. Slightly compacter and
smaller as compared to the previous two
categorisations, the GenRo is capable of carrying loads
with approximate DWTs between 2,000 to almost
30,000.
- Ropax (RORO passenger)- is the reference given to a
car carrying vehicle that also provides for voyagers’
living aboard the vessel. RoPax though is mainly used
as a technical term, and these vessels are commonly
called as ferries that transport vehicles and passengers
across river docks.
Types of Roll on Roll off Ships
One thing in common of these ships are large
superstructures to in order to cater more decks which
results to more capacity of cars , trucks and cargoes.
Large superstructure will result to large area being
exposed to severe wind. Wind heeling moment is a
great consideration in this type of vessel which results
to creation of Regulations such as IMO and UK MCA
criterias.
Introduction
Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) techniques include the
handling of cargo on to or off a ship primarily by
horizontal (or near horizontal) movement. This
means that the cargo may be handled on vehicles or
trailers which remain with the cargo during the sea
passage, or alternatively may be taken on board by
wheeled vehicles and the cargo itself stowed as
General or Unitised cargo. (Sometimes, in exceptional
circumstances, e.g. the movement of very heavy loads,
the use of air or water skids may be adopted). The
reverse procedure is used at the port of discharge.
Ro-Ro operations may be divided into three broad
groups:
1. Short-Sea – With the sea-leg of transport chain of short
duration, cargo usually remains on the trailers or
vehicles.
2. Medium Sea – Medium length voyages, where cargo
may remain on trailers or be lifted off and stowed
without its wheels for the sea leg of the voyage, or a
combination of both.
3. Deep Sea – Long ocean passages, Ro-Ro cargo is
usually delivered on board, removed from its wheels,
and stowed in a similar manner to a general cargo
vessel – space requirements taking preference over
speed of operation.
Operational Efficiency
Good planning and proper supervision are of paramount
importance. Proper means and techniques are provided
to allow vehicles or their cargo to be manoeuvred into
position with the least possible delay or complication.
The loading time of Ro-Ro vessel is very often
dependent upon the time taken to manoeuvre and
secure the cargoes trailers and vehicles.
The speed with which vehicle can complete its cycle is
affected by:
a. gradient of each ramp
b. Width of each ramp
c. bends and turns to be negotiated and blind corners
d. the speed of operation of elevators or other similar
handling equipment
e. the vehicle envelope
f. the change in gradient
g. The organization in traffic flow

The angle of ramps can affect the speed and sometimes

even stop operations. A gradient of one in ten may
reduce the cycle time of vehicles by up to 8% when
measured against the speed obtain with purely
horizontal access. It is important therefore that where
possible use appropriate trimming tanks to adjust the
heights of the ramp.
Too steep slope (more than 7 degrees) may sometimes
cause the towing unit to become uncoupled from the
trailers that they are pulling.
Where the width of the ramp may seems sufficient for 2
lane traffic, cycle time may be affected adversely if too
many vehicles have to pass each other on the ramp.
Traffic flows can be improve to reduce this..
“Vehicle envelope” is the total space required by the whole
vehicle and its load as it negotiates a change in gradient,
without fouling any obstructions above.
A change of slope if too severe, can ground vehicles either
at the centre or at their extremity. Vehicles thus
grounded may suffer damage and to the ramp. Typical
max angles would be 6 to 7 degrees and about 6 m.
between each such change of slope.
The use of good experienced drivers can greatly
improve the speed of cargo handling. This is
particularly apparent if vehicles have to be reversed
up the ramp because of insufficient manoeuvring
space on the vessel, or to position the trailers so that
they may pulled out directly at the port of discharge.
When extreme tidal ranges may affect the gradient of
the ramp, or even prohibit it, the ships officers should
make trim and draft calculations before arrival to
ascertain the periods during which cargo may be
worked, or in extreme cases periods when very heavy
lifts may be handled over minimum gradients. There
are instances where cargo can’t be loaded because of
such situations.
Stowage
Many Ro-Ro vehicles have a predominance of the weight
(e.g. ramp system) aft. This may require that tanks are
used to maintain an acceptable trim during loading
operations, and may also require that cargo is first in
and last out to the forward lower decks.
a. Road vehicles with integral haulage power which will
also remain with the vessel;
b. Road trailers which will remain with the ship
throughout the sea transport leg;
c. Roll trailers which are not suitable for road haulage but
which will remain with the ship during sea transport;
d. Cargo stowed on board using roll trailers (or
occasionally road trailers) and then cargo removed
and stowed without its wheels.
e. Cargo secured on flats and carried on board either
using roll trailers or by other mechanical handling
equipment; both the flat and its cargo being stowed as
a unit;
f. Pallets either singly or in groups (e.g. four at a time)
carried on board using roll trailers or fork lift trucks;
g. Individual items of cargo brought on board by fork
lift trucks.
Each of the systems described above have their own part to
play in particular trades or environments. For instance
short sea trades nearly always keep the cargo on its
wheels for the short sea passage, the increase in cargo
handling speed outweighing the loss of space.
Vehicles are usually close parked (and this includes
trailers) in lanes in about 3 m. wide. This should allow
access for lashing gangs to secure each vehicle properly.
Australian waterside workers, for instance, require a
minimum of 40 mm between vehicles when discharging
car carriers.
Containers may be stowed fore and aft of athwartships, but
care must be taken to ensure that suitably strengthened
areas of the deck (usually with pads and locating ones)
are in way of the corner castings.
It is important that different types of cargo, e.g.
containers and pallets, are properly separated to
prevent the one causing damage to the other. This
separation, which in many cases also provides
restraint, may be by means of timber dunnage,
dunnage bags, sheets of plywood or hardboard, other
cargo, e.g. tyres, etc.
Where containers with air cooled integral refrigeration
units are stowed below decks, it must be ensured that
adequate ventilation can reach these containers to
allow the proper air cooling to take place, as well as
sufficient space, c. 600 mm (2’), in way of the
equipment end of the container, so that maintenance
may be carried out and temperatures monitored.
Securing
Securing of vehicles on board Ro-Ro vessels must be
in accordance with an approved system, making full
use of trestles, pedestals, deck securing points, as are
recommended by builders. Securing points and
appropriate trestles, etc., should be used to by-pass
the springing system of vehicles, so that during the
movement of the vessel at sea the vehicles remain
rigidly secured.
Securing the Cargo
Seaworthiness - due to design
The seagoing RORO car ferry, with large external doors
close to the waterline and open vehicle decks with
few internal bulkheads, has a reputation for being a
high-risk design, to the point where the acronym is
sometimes derisively expanded to "roll on/roll over".
An improperly secured loading door can cause a ship
to take on water and sink, as happened in 1987
with MS Herald of Free Enterprise. Water sloshing on
the vehicle deck can set up a free surface effect,
making the ship unstable and causing it to capsize.
of MS Estonia.
Free surface water on the vehicle deck was determined by
the Court of Inquiry to be the immediate cause of the
1968 capsize of the TEV Wahine in New Zealand. It also
contributed to the wreck of M/S Estonia.
Despite these inherent risks, the very
high freeboard raises the seaworthiness of these vessels.
For example, the car carrier MV Cougar Ace listed 60
degrees to its port side in 2006, but did not sink, since
its high enclosed sides prevented water from entering.
In late January 2016 MV Modern Express was listing
off France after cargo shifted on the ship. Salvage crews
secured the vessel and it was hauled into the port of
Bilbao, Spain
Accidents
Seaworthiness due to cargo
Seaworthiness due to cargo
- Transverse stability is the paramount concern in
relation to these ships. They are usually considered
tender vessel because of its design and construction.
The distribution of the cargoes should be carefully
planned and made sure that adequate stability is
maintained. The need for permanent water ballast is
apparent on these ships.
It is very important that heavy cargoes are placed on
the lower car decks to make sure that transverse
stability is adequate.