Calculation and application of Burn Off

Burn off is defined as the amount of Fuel, Water, Stores that are consumed for a defined period of time for a particular vessel. For example a vessel sails loaded from Brownsville, TX to Oakland, CA a transit time of 17 days. The Departure draft is 35-00 arrival draft is 33-04 inches. The TPI is found in the hydrostatic tables to be 109 tons what is the average daily burn off assuming the speed and weather conditions remain constant?

Calculation and application of Burn Off

Calculate the change in draft from arrival to departure. Draft = 35- 00 - 33-04 = 1 -08 or 20. Multiply Draft by TPI for tons consumed. 20 x 109 lt/in. =2180 tons Divide the total tonnage by days enroute; 2180/17 =128.23 long tons per day. After a period of time an average burn off value for both light and loaded conditions can be obtained with a large degree of accuracy. This value can be used to pre-calculate drafts so as to comply with load line restrictions or draft/trim restrictions at a particular port.

Sample Burn off Problem #1

Your vessels Summer draft is 36-08 with a FWA of 10 and a TPI of 103. The MT1 value at this draft is 1150. You are loading in Houston at a berth with a salinity of 1012. You are to discharge in Long Beach after transiting the Panama Canal where your draft is limited to 34-10 fresh water. Burn off is estimated to be 165 tons per day and your transit time to the canal is estimated to be 5 days. What should your sailing draft be upon completion of cargo in Houston

Sample Burn off Problem

Maximum draft is 34-10 fresh water or 34-00 salt water. (10 FWA) Burn off is 165 tons per day x 5 days or 825 long tons which translates to 8 of draft. Therefore you should be at 34-08 Salt water upon completion of cargo in Houston. Applying FWA for the dock salinity of 1012 or 13/25 x 10 = 5.2 inches added to Salt water draft or 35-01.2 should be the mean draft upon completion of cargo.

Sample Burn off Problem # 2

Another example of burn off calculations applies when your vessel crosses a load line boundary. Using the same vessel as before what should the final draft be if you are enroute to the Keil Canal and will cross from Summer to WNA after 8 days at sea. Your WNA marks are 35- 02.

Sample Burn off Problem # 2

35-02 Salt water draft for WNA; burn off is 8 days x 165 tons per day/ 103 (TPI) = 12.8 inches. 35-02 + 13 for burn off = 36-03 Saltwater upon completion of loading in Houston. Allowing for a salinity of 1012 and FWA of 10 the vessel can load to 13/25 x 10=5.2 36-03+5.2 = 36-08 upon completion of cargo in Houston