Ballast Holds

Ballast holds can be used either to hold ballast or to carry cargo. When cargo is to be carried it is
essential that the proper steps are taken to ensure that ballast water cannot be admitted to the
hold by accident. This is usually achieved by bolting a watertight coverplate over the ballast
suction in the hold and this may be reinforced in the engineroom or on deck by fitting a blank,
padlocking a valve or posting a notice. Blanks or cover plates which were fitted to the bilge, to
the CO2 smothering lines and to the hatch coaming drains must be removed so that these systems
can operate whilst cargo is being carried.

These processes may have to be done, hurriedly, in the loading port since the hold may have
been used for ballast during the previous ballast voyage.

There is likely to be a conflict of interests between the requirements for cargo and ballast,
particularly when low density cargoes are to be carried, filling all cargo spaces including the
ballast hold. At such times it may be difficult to find time and opportunity to clean the ballast
hold at the start of the ballast voyage, before the hold is ballasted. Where possible the hold
should be washed or, failing that, swept. If a hold is ballasted without removal of sweepings as a
result of pressure of time, problems with blocked suctions will almost certainly be met at the
time of deballasting, when the hold may be urgently required for loading.

Before ballasting it is, of course, essential to remove any blanks or coverplates which have been
fitted to ballast suctions within the hold and to seal the CO2 lines and the hatch coaming drains.
The bilge suctions must also be sealed to prevent ballast from leaking through the bilge system.
Aboard some ships, the same coverplate is used for the bilge and the ballast suctions and must be
unshipped from one position and bolted in place in the alternative position. Because of the time
pressure which often exists when ballast holds have to be cleaned and ballasted, it is useful to
consider the priorities

 Before a ballast hold is ballasted the ballast line must be unsealed and the bilge line, the
CO2 injection and the coaming drains must be sealed.

 Any sweepings or rubbish which could block the ballast suction must be removed from
the hold.

 If the next cargo will or may require a high standard of cleanliness, the hold should be
meticulously cleaned.
  If the ballast water is dirty, there may be an opportunity to deballast the hold and clean it
during the voyage, if stress limitations permit, refilling with clean sea water thereafter if
necessary.

 If there is no opportunity to clean the hold of ballast sediment at sea and a clean hold is
required quickly in the loading port, the crew can usually commence hosing down the
open hold from deck level whilst the ballast is still discharging and can enter the hold to
continue washing down when the water level reaches 30-40 cm over the tanktop. It is
important to remember that written permission to commence deballasting is required in
many ports.

When the ballast has been discharged and washing down, if required, has been completed, a
fresh water rinse will be required for cargoes which require holds which are free of salt. On
completion of washing and rinsing the bilge suction, the CO2 injection and the hatch coaming
drains must be opened and tested and the ballast suction must be blanked off. Sufficient time to
complete these tasks must be provided in the loading plan.