Chapter 53

Forest Products Carriers

Thomas Lamb

53.1 DESCRIPTION 20 meters square. So a tow could be up to 100 meters wide

and 200 meters in length. Each boom is made up from a
53.1.1 Mission
head stick and 2 side sticks and a tail stick that are chained
The forest products industry relies on the use of ship trans- together to provide the fences that keep the logs in place.
port to move raw materials (logs) to distant installations Each section is held together in width by a rider and occa-
for primary processing. Further transportation by sea is sionally by a swifter, which go from side stick to side stick
then often used in the moving of these materials to sec- and are fastened to the side sticks by through irons. The
ondary or even tertiary processing facilities, and finally, in sticks are usually logs but a number of operators are ex-
the form of lumber or paper products to the consuming perimenting with plastic-covered steel sticks.
markets. Forest products have been transported by sea for
hundreds of years. The British Royal Navy needed large
quantities of wood for its shipbuilding and as it was not
available in Britain it had to be imported from the Baltic
and North America.
As countries have developed over the past 200 years the
demand for forest products has dramatically increased.
The transport of logs in the Puget Sound/British Columbia
area has developed into a complete infrastructure. In the
early days the famous 4- and 5-masted schooners moved
the processed lumber from the Puget Sound to California.
It was quickly found that the most effective way to trans-
port the logs from the forests to the local mills or to loading
points for transport for larger deliveries, was by water, not
on ships but by man-assembled log rafts (Figure 53.1).
The logs are transported to the water either by skidding
them down the hill from where they are felled, to the
water’s edge, if they are close enough, or today, more so,
by special trucking and handling equipment when the for-
est is some distance from the waters edge.
These rafts are made up of up to 5 booms in width, each
boom being up to 10 sections long, and each section about Figure 52.1 Log Raft (4 Boom) Tow (Copyright West Isle)

53-1
53-2 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

The log tow would be pulled by a single tug. Chapter 48

describes such tugs and Chapter 49 describes the special
workboat that is used to maneuver the floating logs into
each section of a boom.
Each of the individual products has its own set of re-
quirements in terms of ship type, loading and unloading
arrangements, and capacity due to the particular nature
(geometry, density, position in/on the ship, etc.) of the
product in question. Figure 53.3 RO-RO Forest Product Carrier Helena
There are several categories of forest product that can
be carried by ship, including:
Roundwood
• industrial roundwood, and
• fuelwood and charcoal.
Wood for paper
• pulp, and
• paper and paperboard.
Wood for other purposes (for example, construction)
• sawnwood, and
• wood-based panels.
It is important within the context of ship design to de-
termine the nature of the product to be carried, as this will Figure 53.4 Open Hatch Paper Reel Carrier
dictate the type of vessel.
Water transport of forest products is accomplished by 53.4) and finally, there is the bulk carrier type self-unload-
barges and self-propelled ships. The barges are usually ing Wood Chip Carriers (Figure 53.5).
self-dumping type. Ships range from multipurpose cargo In general, the higher value-added products tend to be
ships carrying logs or processed lumber in holds and or on traded between the richer industrialized nations. The raw
deck (Figure 53.2). materials and items, which have undergone some primary
Some finished products are carried in special cassettes processing (for example, into boards), may originate
that are loaded onto special RO-RO forest product ships as within those countries or in the developing world.
is the finished paper reels (Figure 53.3). Some ships are de- This dictates the trade patterns, which define shipping
signed as open hatch type for paper reel carrying (Figure needs. Another important factor is the environmental con-
ditions, which cause certain species to be unavailable to
certain areas, either from climate or simply lack of forest-
land.
Typical important ports of origin, therefore, include
those on the Baltic Sea, the temperate forests of the Pacific
Northwest of North America, the subtropical and tropical
forests of South America, and the densely grown areas in
certain parts of the South Pacific. Primary destinations are
in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Roundwood is a term used principally to describe the
raw felled trees being transported directly from the site of
harvesting. In most cases, roundwood is moved to its first
processing site by means such as logging trucks or railcars.
Shipborne transport of raw roundwoods would be used
only where the logs must travel very long distances (trans-
oceanic) making vehicular transport impractical. The his-
Figure 53.2 Ship Carrying Logs as Deck Cargo torical alternative to overland movement is floating logs
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers
Figure 53.5 Self-unloading Wood Chip Carrier Pearl Venus
along a waterway, either loose or in booms. This may be
supplanted by marine transport where the wood is too
dense to float or simply too valuable to risk. Non-tradi-
tional methods such as helicopter logging are still not pur-
sued in large scale.
Long-distance transportation of roundwood is usually
accomplished by barge if the distance is not too great. Oth-
erwise, the logs may be lashed to the deck of an oceango-
ing cargo vessel or placed in its hold(s) depending on space
availability and practicality of loading (size of hatches/
deck openings) (Figure 53.2).
Roundwood may be transported with or without bark,
and may be impregnated with chemicals depending upon
the intended service. It may also be roughly shaped by re-
moval of bark and branches and some of the outer wood.
Long distance transportation of roundwood is usually done
only where the forest material is high value and low vol-
ume, and is destined for markets in the industrialized na-
tions. Low value, high volume forest products are usually
subjected to their initial processing near where they are
harvested, resulting in transportable value-added com-
modities in the other wood groups described in the follow-
ing section (1).
53-3
Industrial roundwood refers to forest products, which
are destined for use in processing facilities as sawlogs or
veneer logs, pulpwood, and wood chips and particles and
wood residues.
Fuelwood and charcoal are forest products, which
often result from the non-commercially viable wood in the
tree, such as in branches and bark. It is transported after
minimal processing for use in heating, cooking, or com-
bustion for power generation. Such uses are usually only
economically justified in the locations near the forestry
operations, especially in developing nations without ac-
cess to other more expensive fuels. It is estimated that such
uses account for approximately half of all wood use. The
world pulp and paper industry accounts for a significant
share of the marine forest products trade, whether in raw
material (pulp) or finished product.
Pulp refers to all wood pulp materials, usually shipped
in bales.
Paper includes newsprint, printing and writing paper,
other paper (such as tissue, etc.). The term paperboard is
used to denote thicker papers for use in cardboards and
linerboards and other similar materials. Raw papers are
carried in large reels, while finished products will be
placed in suitable pallets or containers.
The construction industry generates the need for the re-
mainder of the woods. Much is transported by sea to coun-
tries, which, due to geography or environment or historical
overlogging, have no domestic sources.
Sawnwood encompasses the wood products, which
have been cut or chipped lengthwise to create lumber and
similar items, generally at least 5 mm thick.
Wood-based panels include the thinner veneer sheets,
plywood, particleboard and fiberboard.
Ship design for trade in the previously mentioned for-
est products will depend upon the intended service (cargo
type, trade route, and available port infrastructure).
53.1.2 Unique Features and Capabilities
For certain types of cargo, there is no need for any atypical
design features. This includes items to be shipped in small
quantities as break bulk or in standard cargo units or con-
tainers.
Vessels intended to ply such trades need only meet the
design requirements for general bulk carriers, container
ships or RO-RO vessels as the forest products trade is ob-
viously not the sole means of income for the vessel owner.
Indeed, these are not strictly forest products carriers.
Certain other vessels will adopt specific and recogniz-
able characteristics as a result of being purpose-built for
the forest products transportation field, and will generally
53-4 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

not ship any other cargo. These include the specialized

wood chip carriers, as well as vessels fitted with specific
self-unloading equipment. Design features also may in-
clude, for example, tipping tanks in self-dumping barges,
or timber load lines for deck cargos of logs.

53.1.2.1 Log barges

Log barges are generally all self-dumping type. This re-
quires a transverse subdivision of the hull into three com-
partments. The outboard tanks on one side are arranged as
tipping tanks, which when filled heel the barge enough for
the logs to start to slide off sideways and for the barge to
slide away from the logs (Figure 53.6).
Log barges usually are equipped with 1 or 2 cranes that
load the logs onto the barge deck. It should be noted that
the logs are stowed athwartships. Some barges are not self-
loading, requiring shore or other barge mounted cranes to
load the logs onto them.
Figure 53.7 Self-unloading Log Carrying Ship
53.1.2.2 Log ships
There are a few log ships that perform the same function as
log barges but they are self-propelled thus obviating the
need for the towing tug (Figure 53.7).

53.1.2.3 Ships
As previously mentioned, there is a range of ship types that
is used in the forest product trade, and new ones are being
introduced regularly, such as the new ship built by
Hyundai for Gearbulk (Figure 53.8). Figure 53.9 shows
the special sideports on the Jaeger Arrow that provide shel-
ter as well as access to the warehouse tweendeck. Figure
53.10 shows a special small timber carrier the design of
which allows all the cargo to be carried under cover. Fig-
ure 53.11 is a section through the ship that clearly shows
the tight stowage of the timber bundles. Figure 53.8 Gearbulk’s Jaeger Arrow: A Floating Forest Products Warehouse
Vessels involved in the front lines of the forestry indus-
try will often involve heavy scantlings and simple lines at
bow and/or sides due to their operations near shallow
water, floating debris, and makeshift docks.

Figure 53.6 Barge Unloading Logs (Copyright West Isle) Figure 53.9 Sideports on Jaeger Arrow
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers
Figure 53.10 Special Timber Carrier Nora
Figure 53.11 Section through Nora
Such design features are discussed further in this chap-
ter. It is essential that the designer of any forest products
ship must be in contact with the client to confirm the par-
ticulars of his operations. These would include typical
loading methods, equipment used, types of products to be
carried, area of service, physical constraints on dimen-
sions, and so on.
53.2 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT
Some typical arrangement drawings and photographs of
ships involved in the forest products trade are shown in the
following figures. These include:
53-5
• the design of a special small timber carrier, Nora, which
carries all cargo under cover (Figure 53.12),
• the unique side loading newsprint carrier Baumwall
(Figure 53.13),
• the multipurpose RO-RO Trailership Mistral (Figure
53.14),
• the Self-Loading and Unloading Open Hatch Forest
Products Carrier Saga Spray (Figure 53.15),
• the Swedish Obbola (Figure 53.16), a vessel specially
designed for carrying cassettes of paper reels between
European countries,
• the RO-RO Forest Products Carrier Helena (Figure
53.17),
• a RO-RO Floating Forest Products Warehouse and Bi-
tumen Carrier Jaeger Arrow (Figure 53.18) designed to
haul both forest products in five holds and bitumen in
four tanks forward and aft of the holds. The warehouse
runs from forward bulkhead of the forward bitumen
tanks to over the machinery space, and
• the Pearl Venus (Figure 53.19) a self-unloading wood
chip carrier, which operates on the Pacific Rim. The
vessel operates a system of cranes, hoppers and con-
veyors to minimize the time and expense of using
shore-based unloading facilities and labor.
53.3 SYSTEM DESIGN
53.3.1 Hull Form, Propulsion and Performance
Constraints on dimensions may exist when a vessel is to
pick up cargo at a port, temporary wharf, or beach site. In
such cases, the hull form of the ship may have to reflect
these requirements. Similarly, ice operations may dictate
reamers or sloped sides.
Where deck cargoes are to be carried, motions should
be kept to a minimum if possible to avoid dangerously high
loads on lashing systems.
Propellers must be strong enough to resist damage from
debris impact, as the vessels will often be operating in
areas with logs, branches, etc. in the water.
Propulsion may be an issue where a specialized vessel
has no return cargo, and, therefore, must be returned in bal-
last as quickly as possible. The economic case study for the
vessel transit operations should identify such situations.
53.3.2 Payload Related Systems
The loading and unloading of forest products depends on
the type of vessel and the standard package being loaded.
The typical units in which forest cargoes are trans-
ported include:
53-6 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

Figure 53.12 Special Small Timber Carrier Nora

• logs (that is, roundwood), either as single large items or
in lashed bundles of smaller logs,
• loose wood chips,
• lumber, in varying degrees of finish, often bundled or
otherwise grouped on pallets, etc.,
• rolls of paper, singly or on cassettes or similar plat-
forms for handling of multiple rolls,
• bales of pulp, often grouped with metal wire or straps
for handling of multiple bales, and
• other existing units such as on tractor-trailers or stan-
dard ISO containers.
It may be seen that the smallest units are often com-
bined into a larger grouping for quicker manipulation at
handling facilities and ports. This limits the unproductive
time during which the forest product is neither being
processed nor shipped.
The size of the commodity to be loaded will depend on
the existing infrastructure: the port loading machinery, the
road or rail links to the ports, and/or the capabilities of the
processing facilities to or from which the items are being
transported.
Certain guidelines are available for the designer at the
concept stage:
• single paper rolls are on the order of 1.6 meters in height
by 1.0 meters in diameter with mass around
2 tonnes, although they may vary depending on paper
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers 53-7

Figure 53.13 Newsprint Carrier Baumwall with Side-loading

machine and paper type. Kraft paper can be up to 1.25
meters in diameter, and each roll can weigh 3520 kg (2),
• single pulp bale size can vary significantly, with mass
ranging from 200 to 1000 kilograms. The 200 to 400 kg
range is most common. Stowage is typically achievable
at values from 1.3 to 1.7 m3/tonne based on available
cargo hold volume (2),
• some typical wood densities are as given (as specific
gravities) in Table 53.I. Further values can be found in
reference 3. Density in the forestry industry may be
based on green wood (as cut), oven dry (virtually no
moisture content), or a given moisture content (12%
moisture content is often used in the U.S.). The green
condition usually is used for shipping weights. Note
that it is important to make an allowance for the effi-
ciency of packing (stowage factor) to account for the
volume not occupied by wood. This will vary from very
small amounts for lumber to larger values for round-
wood,
• wood chips occupy different volumes depending upon
the wood type, moisture content, and method of loading
(high speed feeding by machines compresses chip
cargo more than dropping chips into holds by gravity).
Stowage factors are available from reference 4. For
early design purposes, a figure of 2.8 to 3.0 m3/tonne is
suggested,
• containers and truck bed sizes are as noted in the chap-
ters on container and RO-RO vessels. Often lumber and
similar products are bundled together into sizes equiva-
lent to standard containers, and
• tropical hardwood lumber is generally available in sizes
longer and wider than non-tropical species.
53-8 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

Figure 53.14 RO-RO Trailership Mistral

Figure 53.15 Self-loading and Unloading Open Hatch Forest Products Carrier Saga Spray
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers 53-9

Figure 53.16 The Swedish Obbola Paper Reel Cassette Carrier

53-10 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

Figure 53.17 RO-RO Forest Products Carrier Helena

The preceding guidelines notwithstanding, the specifics
of the commodity and trade infrastructure are issues to be
clarified with the shipowner at an early stage for truly ra-
tional decisions within the design process.
53.3.3 Hull Structure
Typical hull structure for coastal or ocean-going bulkers
will be applied in vessels, which carry forest products as
part of mixed bulk cargo. Similarly, vessels transporting
containerized or RO-RO forest products will meet the nor-
mal parameters for these ships, as will barges used for
local carriage. These designs will require adequate longi-
tudinal strength and structural scantlings for their service
areas (including ice stiffening if necessary, as is usually the
case in the Baltic, for example).
Framing may be transverse or longitudinal (or a combi-
nation), with double bottom and often side tanks for
strength, damage protection and ballast storage.
It is important to bear in mind that structural integrity
must be maintained during all phases of the transport op-
eration, which includes designing against overly high
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers 53-11

Figure 53.18 Floating Forest Products Warehouse Jaeger Arrow

stresses which may arise during loading/unloading of logs,
lumber, trucks, etc.
Decks, especially those supporting cargo, need to be
adequately supported to bear the loads applied, whether as
distributed loads (logs) or point loads (truck wheels).
Where hatch covers are supporting cargo, which is
often the case in mixed cargo vessels, it is important to ver-
ify that these, too, can carry the applied loads. Hatch cover-
less ships will of course not require such hatch design, but
deserve special attention to the structure around the deck
openings.
Cranes and other deck loading/unloading equipment
must be located on suitable pillars, bulkheads or deep
structure to provide sufficient support. Local details in way
of deck connections for these items also should be consid-
ered, including foundations, brackets and plate inserts.
Lashed cargo will require tie-down points for straps or
wires. Design of these items should take into account the
expected forces due to accelerations at the cargo level.
The specialized chip carriers usually have a large depth
due to the low density of the cargo: these ships do not have
the strength problems of ore bulkers, for example, which
53-12 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2

Figure 53.19 Self-unloading Wood Chip Carrier Pearl Venus

Table 53.I Specific Gravity of Some Woods of woodchips, which cannot be removed by the port equip-
ment.
Species Avg. S.G.

Softwoods 53.3.4 Ship Outfitting

Douglas Fir 0.45 For forest products ships, the main focus of outfitting is
Western 0.42 upon the immobilization of cargo. It is necessary to ensure
Western White 0.35
that cargo damage is not incurred, especially in the case of
White Fir 0.37
finished products such as paper, due to shifts induced by
Hardwoods ship motion. It is equally important to protect the ship from
Black 0.51 the cargo: shifting cargo can severely damage internal or
Northern Red 0.56
external structure, as well as impacting stability.
White 0.60
Yellow 0.42
Various means are available to address this, from air
Western Red 0.31 bags to more conventional dunnage. Lashing with straps or
Lignum 1.05 cable is also possible, to restrain the cargo or its container
Teak 0.55 (cassette). Either way, the product is prevented from mov-
African 0.42 ing about in an unrestricted manner.
Protection from moisture is also an issue for forest prod-
ucts, due to the possibility of water absorption leading to
can experience severe stress distributions during port load- damage of the cargo. This can range from destruction of
ing and unloading. paper finish to swelling or decay of timber, depending on
As a relatively fluid cargo, wood chips can be trapped the product in question. Moisture-sensitive products should
easily inside the structure. Where possible, sloping of in- be effectively shielded from the environment through
ternal members, or even external framing of cargo com- proper design of openings (such as doors or hatches), in-
partments, should be considered to minimize the amount cluding seals, closures and coamings.
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers
53.3.5 Cargo Handling
As previously mentioned, logs are brought to the water-
front by trucks. However, today there are still rail deliver-
ies and occasionally helicopter deliveries in remote areas.
Log barges usually are equipped with two rotating jib
cranes mounted on pedestals that keep them above the top
of the loaded logs. Some log barges carry their own boom
boats. Once in the water boom boats and small tugs as-
semble the logs into booms.
If they are to be loaded onto a log barge, they are as-
sembled into bundles by passing wire strops around them,
and lifted onto the barge by the rotating jib cranes.
The logs are unloaded by filling the tipping side tanks,
and they then are taken either from the water at local mills
for processing, or loaded onto an oceangoing ship for far
destinations.
The loading of logs onto ships is usually by ship-
mounted cranes (Figure 53.2) or occasionally on trucks or
cassettes for special RO-RO ships (Figures 53.14, 53.16
and 53.17).
Once the logs are processed into their final product
(lumber, wood chips, or paper reels) water transport can be
by multipurpose cargo ships, but generally in specialized
ships such as wood chip carriers and paper reel carriers.
Paper reel carriers can be both the open-hatch and RO-RO
type.
Wood chip carriers are usually loaded by special shore-
based equipment so the onboard cargo handling gear is for
unloading. It can consist of rotating jib cranes with bucket
grabs that drop their load into hoppers at one side between
hatches which in turn feed the wood chips onto a conveyor
that runs from the aftermost hopper to the forward unload-
ing belts near the bow on both the port and starboard sides
(Figures 53.5 and 53.19).
Paper reel carriers of the open hatch type are loaded by
gantry cranes mounted on rails so that they can traverse the
length of the holds (Figures 53.15 and 53.18). They have
special spreaders that can lift up to 12 reels at one time
(Figure 53.20). In the case of RO-RO ships handling paper
reels special wheelless cassettes are used. RO-RO ships
also can be used to carry lumber, as can conventional con-
tainer ships.
53.3.6 Cargo Handling Machinery Arrangement
Cranes, conveyors and other loading/unloading machinery
must be serviced by suitable sources of electrical and/or
hydraulic power, either from primary ship systems, dedi-
cated auxiliaries, or self-contained power packs. This will
have an effect on arrangement as the necessary compo-
nents (pipes, cables, etc.) are planned.
53-13
Figure 53.20 Vacuum Paper Roll Spreader
Similarly, consideration should be given to the neces-
sary trunks for ventilation, exhaust, and access.
Additionally, it is important to remember the lines of
sight to and from loading/unloading equipment. Often the
loading or unloading operation will be taking place into
and out of deep holds, or surrounded by vehicles or large
piles of wood. Ability to direct the operations of this ma-
chinery must be reflected in the layout and in the design of
communications systems.
Depending upon the port situation, the service of the
vessel may dictate certain aspects of the loading/unloading
machinery, such as crane outreach and positioning (all on
one side, or both sides, or centerline). This is an issue to be
discussed with a customer, particularly as such decisions
can greatly affect cost; for example, the cost of doubling
the number of cranes can negate the beneficial impact of a
large beam on carrying capacity.
Typical loading machinery/attachments for various car-
goes (aside from trucks/containers) are as follows:
• pulp clamps or lifting straps for pulp,
• roll clamps or core probes for paper rolls,
• forklifts using standard log fork, log grapple fork, push-
ers, or telescopic lift forks for logs and lumber,
• orange peel bucket, clamshell bucket, belt conveyors,
pneumatic blowers and vacuums for wood chips, and
• specialized cassette lifters, MAFI loaders, cranes, etc.,
for cargo grouped on specialized pallets.
The use of ballast in tipping tanks on a barge must be
carefully designed to avoid the potentially disastrous ef-
fects of over-ballasting: capsize or sinking. This requires
careful diligence in weight estimating and stability calcu-
lations, as well as provision for emergency measures such
as quick counter flooding.
53-14 Ship Design & Construction, Volume 2
53.4 DESIGN ISSUES
53.4.1 Arrangements
RO-RO forest product carriers usually do not stow any
cargo below the main deck. This leaves a large volume of
ship space that is not utilized by forest product cargoes. It
is usually arranged as tank spaces. This tankage can be
used for water ballast when sailing in a return voyage with-
out cargo or for an alternative cargo, such as bitumen.
53.4.2 Stability and Damage Safety
In particular for vessels carrying deck cargo, calculations
by a load master computer program are required to moni-
tor stability during loading and ensure adequate stability
during the voyage.
In the case of firmly secured deck cargo, the impact of
the wood buoyancy may be taken into account in intact
stability calculations. In typical computer analysis, this
would involve creating a displacing appendage approxi-
mating the volume occupied by wood (noting that this will
be some percentage of the total wood volume, depending
on the packing factor). It is not advisable to use such meth-
ods in damage stability. However, it is overly optimistic to
assume that the cargo stays in place following collisions or
other damage.
Timber load lines may be assigned under the 1966 In-
ternational Load Line Convention, which make allowance
for the buoyant effect of wood cargo by permitting less free-
board in most conditions. Separate notations are placed on
the Plimsoll marks to indicate ships so certified (5).
53.4.3 Fire Safety
Large amounts of paper and/or wood on a vessel can pose
a fire risk, especially when carried in a mixed-freight situ-
ation. Unfortunately, for paper products the act of extin-
guishing with large amounts of water can cause as much
damage as a fire itself. Emphasis, therefore, should be
placed on fire prevention at the design stage, through ade-
quate insulation as well as isolation of cargo spaces from
potential sources of ignition.
53.4.4 Comfort, Motion, Noise, and Vibration
The effect of vessel motions on cargo can be quite severe,
especially on deck cargo. Possibilities include the eco-
nomic consequences of forest products lost overboard, in-
stability due to cargo shifts, and damage to surrounding
structures from moving items. The potential for personal
injury or ship loss becomes a danger in such situations.
53.5 SHIP CHARACTERISTICS
Table 53.II presents the main characteristics of typical
barges and ships whose general arrangements are given
earlier in the chapter.
53.6 REFERENCES
1. Yearbook of Forest Products, Food and Agriculture Organi-
zation of the United Nations, 1996
2. International Symposium on Transport and Handling in the
Pulp and Paper Industry, various volumes starting 1972
3. Haygreen, J. C., and Bowyer J. L., Forest Products and
Wood Science: An Introduction, Iowa State University
Press, Ames, Iowa, 1996
4. Hanaya, M., “Ocean Transport of Woodchips – Specialized
Design and Handling Facilities,” International Symposium
on Transport and Handling in the Pulp and Paper Industry,
1972
5. 1966 International Load Line Convention, International
Maritime Organization
6. Lincoln, W., The Encyclopedia of Wood, Quarto Publishing
Inc., London, 1989
7. Findlay, W. P. K., Timber: Properties and Uses, Granada
Publishing Ltd., London, 1975
8. Significant Ships, Royal Institution of Naval Architects,
London, 1990
9. Significant Ships, Royal Institution of Naval Architects,
London, 1991
10. Significant Ships, Royal Institution of Naval Architects,
London, 1996
11. Significant Ships, Royal Institution of Naval Architects,
London, 2001
 Chapter 53: Forest Products Carriers 53-15

TABLE 53.II Principal Characteristics of Typical Forest Products Vessels

Nora Baumwall Saga Spray Mistral

TYPE Timber Carrier—Special Side-loading Open Hatch Bulk RO-RO Trailership

design Newsprint/container Carrier/Protected Cargo
Carrier Handling
CLASSIFICATION LRS +100A1, Ice Class GL +100 A5 E3, DNV + 1A1 Bulk GL +100 A5 E4,
1B (FSw),+LMC. NAV-O, +MC, AUT Carrier Grain, NAV-O, +MC E4, AUT
UMS,SCM EO dk(+), OCS Equipped for Containers
LENGTH O. A. m 79.99 100.15 199.20 153.45
LENGTH B.P. m 76.20 92.50 190.00 142.80
BREADTH MLD. m 12.10 15.30 30.50 20.60
DEPTH TO MAIN DECK 6.45 8.30 16.40 114.15/8.42
DESIGN DRAFT m 4.00 5.46 10.00 7.00
DESIGN SCANTLING m 6.60 11.80
DISPLACEMENT t 6069 12 736
DEADWEIGHT t 2117 3873 37 543 7438
SPEED knots 12.5 14.0 15.0 11.0
PROPULSION Medium Speed Diesel Medium Speed Diesel Diesel Diesel
MACHINERY
POWER kW 1249 3300 8944 12 600
PROPULSOR Fixed Pitch Controllable Pitch Fixed Pitch, 5 blade Controllable Pitch 5000
2600 diam @ 227 RPM 3400 diam @ 176 RPM 5500 @ 117 RPM diam @ 145 RPM
GENERATORS No. and 2×220 3×336 3 x809 kW 3×600 kW
kW 1 Engine Driven 800 1 Engine Driven 1750
MANUEVERING 1 Tunnel Bow Thruster 1 Tunnel Bow Thruster 1 Tunnel Bow thruster
180 kW 315 kW 800 kW
CRANES 1 for Hatch-cover None Side elevator for 2×40t gantry
Handling loading and unloading
newsprint
RAMPS 2 Stern Ramps/Doors
1 internal Ramp with
Cover
MOORING EQUIP- 1 Windlasses 2 Windlass/Winches 2 Windlass/Winches
MENT 1 Capstan 2 Winches 2 winches
CAPACITIES
Cargo m3 To Coaming Top 3878 Grain 5950 Grain 51 946 14 599
Heavy Fuel m3 311 2745 840
Diesel Oil m3 129 81 133 153
Water Ballast m3 1104 1734 16 185 3963
Containers TEU 96 in Hold 150 on deck 1688 303
NUMBER OF HOLDS 1 1 10 1 hold and 1 tweendeck
GROSS TONNAGE 1976 3990 29381 10 471
PASSENGERS 12
MANNING
Officers 3 5 12 7
Crew 3+1 6 14 + 1 5
(Continues on page 52-16)
TABLE 53.II (Continued)
Obbula Helena Jaeger Arrow Pearl Venus

TYPE RO-RO Trailership RO-RO Trailership Forest Products Floating Self-unloading Wood
Warehouse and Bitumen Chip Carrier
Carrier
CLASSIFICATION LRS +100A1, Ice Class LRS +100A1, LRS +100A1, Strength- NKK NS*,
1A, RO-RO Cargo Ship, Ice Class 1A, RO-RO ened for Heavy Cargoes, MNS* (MO)
+LMC, UMS, IWS, SCMCargo Ship, +LMC, UMS, Coal-tar Pitch (Molten),
(NMA), LNC(AA) Also Ice Class 1A Independent Tanks, Max
DNV W1 Temp 260º C, Max SG
1.25, ESP, LI, Ice Class
1A, CAC, +LMC, UMS
LENGTH O. A. m 156.00 169.00 171.40 227.00
LENGTH B.P. m 146.00 157.20 162.40 217.00
BREADTH MLD. m 23.50 25.60 24.80 32.20
DEPTH TO MAIN DECK 13.10/7.60 18.50/13.15/7.25 16.4026.60/14.00 22.50
DESIGN DRAFT m 6.30 6.70 9.60 10.00
DESIGN SCANTLING m 6.60 7.00 11.00 10.80
DISPLACEMENT t 15 719 34 200
DEADWEIGHT t 9268 11 843 18 530 48 495
SPEED knots 16 14.6 18.0 13.50
PROPULSION Medium Speed Diesels Medium Speed Diesels Diesel Diesel
MACHINERY
POWER kW 2×3650 5430 and 3620 12 263 8860
PROPULSOR Controllable Pitch Controllable Pitch Fixed Pitch Fixed Pitch
4450 diam @ 134 RPM 4400 diam @ 140 RPM 6700 diam @ 101 RPM 5700 diam @ 109 RPM
GENERATORS No.× kW 3×640 2×760 3 3×560 kW
1 Engine Driven 1200 1 Engine Driven 1300
MANUEVERING 1 Tunnel Bow Thruster 1 Tunnel Bow Thruster 1 × 1500 kW
1085 kW 315 kW Schilling Rudder
Schilling Rudder
CRANES None None Side elevator for 2×36t overhead traveling
loading and unloading gantry in Warehouse
newsprint
RAMPS 1 Stern Ramp/Door 1 Stern Ramp/Door 2 Side Cargo Doors 12 Stern Ramps/doors
1 Internal Hoistable Ramp 2 Internal Ramps which provide crane
extension and weather
protection
MOORING EQUIP- 2 Windlass/Winches 2 Windlass/Winches 2 Windlass/Winches
MENT 4 Winches, 1 Capstan 4 Winches 2 Winches
CAPACITIES
Cargo m3 Bale 32 000 Grain 5950 Grain 19 848 Grain 114 470
Tanks Bitumen 7458
Heavy Fuel m3 930 1000 2420 2014
Diesel Oil m3 90 235 147 172
Water Ballast m3 9350 6695 10 606 14 411
Containers TEU 20 (empty) on 20 on Upper Deck 1688
Upper Deck.
Cassettes 76 Main, 65 Upper Dk
Lane Length m 2278
NUMBER OF HOLDS 1 Tweendeck 2 Tweendecks 5 Holds 1 Tweendeck 6
GROSS TONNENAGE 18 000 22 193 29 103 44 802
PASSENGERS
MANNING
Officers 7 16 8 10 + 2
Crew 5 9+4 23 + 2 12 + 2
Repair Crew 4 1