Unit – 5 (Principal parts of Ship)

Bow -

Constructional arrangements are dependent upon the shape of the bulb. In

general they are to have horizontal diaphragm plates spaced not more than
1 meter apart and when bulb is large a centre line wash bulkhead is to be
fitted.

Some of the bow design types are:

The Bulbous Bow

A Normal Bow without a Bulb

Other Special Bows

A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow (or front) of a ship just below
the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull,
reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability.
Large ships with bulbous bows generally have twelve to fifteen percent
better fuel efficiency than similar vessels without them. A bulbous bow also
increases the buoyancy of the forward part and hence reduces the pitching
of the ship to a small degree.

Vessels with high kinetic energy, which is proportional to mass and the
square of the velocity, benefit from having a bulbous bow that is designed
for their operating speed; this includes vessels with high mass (e.g.
supertankers) or a high service speed (e.g. passenger ships, and cargo
ships). Vessels of lower mass (less than 4,000 dwt) and those that operate
at slower speeds (less than 12 kts) have a reduced benefit from bulbous
bows, because of the eddies that occur in those cases; examples include
tugboats, powerboats, sailing vessels, and small yachts.
Stern -

When we look at the stern of a ship, we often wonder as to why do ships

have various types of aft end structures and what’s the purpose of each one
of them. While constructing and designing a ship, a number of factors such
as hydrodynamic efficiency, construction simplicity, flow patterns &
aesthetics are considered for designing a ship’s stern.

Basically, the following criteria governs the choice of the ship’s stern form:

It should be designed to provide low resistance

It should be able to provide high propulsion efficiency by ensuring uniform

inflow of water to propeller

The stern designed must avoid vibrations.

Common Types of Ship’s Sterns:

Basically, the sterns can be broadly classified into the following –

Elliptical Stern

Cruiser Stern

Transom Stern
Shell Plating-

Again when we say shell plating, we are referring to a steel plate. In this
case it is too obvious from the name.

Shell plating is the steel plate used on the shell of the ship. The dictionary
meaning of the shell is “hard outer covering”. So shell plating is whatever we
see on outer side of the ship.

One of the main purpose of shell plating is to provide watertight skin of the
ship. Apart from that it also adds to the longitudinal strength of the ship.

Ship construction requires us to be able to pin point each component. So

when we say shell plating, it is a huge area. We can further divide this area
in two broad parts, which is

Bottom shell plating

Side shell plating

Bottom shell plating is the shell plating on the bottom part of the ship. Or we
can can that bottom shell plating form the watertight skin of the bottom of
the ship. It is the plate laid in the horizontal direction.

Side shell plating is the shell plating on the sides of the ship that forms the
watertight skin along the ship side. It is the plate laid in the vertical
direction.
Double bottom tanks:

A double bottom is a ship hull design and construction method where the
bottom of the ship has two complete layers of watertight hull surface: one
outer layer forming the normal hull of the ship and a second inner hull which
is somewhat higher in the ship, which forms a redundant barrier to seawater
in case the outer hull is damaged and leaks.

The space in between the two bottoms is often used as storage tanks for
fresh water or ballast water. Fuel storage in the double bottom is not
allowed for new built ships since 2007, due to MARPOL 73/78.

Double bottoms are significantly safer than single bottoms. In case of

grounding or other underwater damage, most of the time the damage is
limited to flooding the bottom compartment and the main occupied areas of
the ship remain intact. For this reason, double bottoms have been required
in all passenger ships for decades as part of the Safety Of Life At Sea or
SOLAS Convention.

An even more extensive protection is available as a double hull, where the

second hull layer extends up the sides of the ship as well as in the bottom.

A double bottom also conveniently forms a stiff and strong girder or beam
structure with the two hull plating layers as upper and lower plates for a
composite beam. This greatly strengthens the hull in secondary hull bending
and strength, and to some degree in primary hull bending and strength.

Some of the advantages of double bottom in ships are:

Provide protection to hull in case of grounding

Provide great longitudinal strength

Can be used as tanks to carry ballast water or fresh water.

Helps to prevent pollution in case of liquid cargo (like oil in tankers)

Helps to maintain stability of ship

The tank top acts as a platform for machinery and cargo

Crago Hold –

A ship cargo hold is an enclosed space within a ship designed for storing
cargo such as coal, grain or salt. It usually lies under the deck of a ship and
can hold anything from 20 tonnes to 200,000 tones. The purpose of a ship
cargo hold is to protect cargo while it is transported to its destination.
Access is usually gained by a large hatch at the top of the hold, and the
cargo can be either loaded in crates or left unpacked.

Several factors will determine how to best store, load and discharge the
items in a ship cargo hold. These vary from the type of vessel, its cubic
capacity and the appliances installed on board the ship and on shore. But
ultimately, if you were to think of the cargo as income, the ship’s hold is one
of the most important areas of the vessel and should be maintained to the
highest of standards.
Tween Decks-

Tweendeckers are general cargo ships with two or sometimes three decks.
The upper deck is called the main deck or weather deck, and the next lower
deck is the tweendeck. Cargo such as bales, bags, or drums can be stacked
in the tweendeck space, atop the tweendeck. Beneath the tweendeck is the
hold space, used for general cargo. Cargo ships that have fittings to carry
standard shipping containers and retractable tweendecks (that can be
moved out of the way) so that the ship can carry bulk cargo are known as
multipurpose vessels.
Deep Tank-

Deep tanks are tanks on board ship in which liquid cargoes are transported.

Deep tanks may be found on board Tankers, they may also be constructed
on board general cargo ships.

Deep tanks on board Tanker ships are generally located abaft the collision
bulkhead. These tanks are only used for storing extra fuel on ships which
make long international voyages, or calling at port where bunkers are not
readily, or not at a competitive price.

Deep tanks extend through the depth and breadth of the ship abaft the
collision bulkhead, in addition forward and aft of the deep tank a void space
is retained known as the cofferdam.

The deep tanks and the cofferdam are sub-divided with one or more
longitudinal bulkhead. Fuel heating and pumping system must be fitted.

On Board General cargo ships, deep tanks are of two types:

1. Dedicated liquid carrier deep tanks.

2. Multi-purpose deep tanks

PEAK TANKS -

Tanks located at the extreme end of the ship are termed as peak tanks.
Tanks at the fore end of the ship is termed as Fore Peak tank, tank at the aft
end of the ship is termed as Aft Peak

Tank.

Fore peak tank is the volume enclosed between the Collision bulkhead, ship’s
hull plating, and the fore peak tank top.

Aft peak tank is the volume enclosed between the Aft Bulkhead, Ship’s hull
plating, and the Aft peak tank top.

These tanks are located in the high stress regions of the ship, hence they
have to be fitted with special strengthening arrangements termed as panting
arrangements.

Fore peak and aft peak tank is generally used as Ballast water tank and
fresh water tank respectively.

Access to these tanks is provided through manhole located on the tank top.

Since both theses tanks are used for storing liquid, these tanks must be
provided with air pipes for intake and expulsion of air during liquid
movements to avoid vaccumization, sounding pipes for calculating quantity
of liquid present in the tank, filling and pumping out pipe line arrangements.
Duct Keel -

Duct keel is provided in double bottom hull ships and consists of solid plates
welded into a box shape, forming an internal watertight passage running
along the length of the ship, usually from collision bulkhead to forward
engine room bulkhead. It is formed by two longitudinal girders which should
not be less than 1.83 m apart.

Keel of a ship –

The keel of a ship is similar to the spinal cord of humans. As the spine
functions to keep our backbone upright by linking and supporting our body,
the keel is the primary structural member and backbone of the vessel which
runs along the centreline of the bottom plate around which the hull of the
ship is built. It is the main longitudinal component of the ship to which every
other main structural item is connected directly or indirectly.
Keel is a plate which runs longitudinally from stem to stern of the ship and
has slightly more thickness than the adjoining plates as the ship sits on this
area in the blocks during construction as well as in dry docks.

Forecastle Deck:

All seagoing vessels are to be fitted with forecastles or increased sheer. The
height of the exposed deck at the side (at fore perpendicular) above the
summer load waterline is to be not less than that determined from the Rules
– this is a function of the length and block coefficient.

Forecastles are to extended from the stem to a point at least 0.07 L abaft
the forward perpendicular or if the required bow height is obtained by means
of increased sheer, the sheer is to extend for at least 0.15L from the forward
perpendicular.

The forecastle is one of the foremost parts of the ship of length less than 7%
of total deck length.
Forecastle serves many functions such as holding, anchoring and securing
the major parts of the ship.

Quarterdeck:

The part of the upper deck abaft the mainmast, including the poop deck
when there is one. Usually reserved for ship's officers, guests, and
passengers.
Main Deck:

As the name suggests, the main deck is the primary deck in any vessel. The
main deck however is not the topmost deck in a vessel which is referred to
as the weather deck. On sailing warships it is usually the deck below the
upper deck.

Weather Deck:

A deck that is not roofed and thus is open to the ever-changing weather
conditions of the sea is referred to as the weather deck. It is the upper most
deck on the ship which is exposed to environment.

Hatch Covers:

A large steel structure fitted over a hatch opening to prevent the ingress of
water into the cargo hold. It may also be the supporting structure for deck
cargo. Various designs exist for particular applications. Hatches are opened
with a spreader using the vessel cranes or container cranes on shore.
Cargo Gear:

Equipment for loading, unloading, and rearranging of freight. Usually a ship

is equipped with cargo-handling gear of the periodic-motion type—loading
booms, cranes, and sometimes elevators.
Anchoring equipment:

Anchoring equipment is designed for temporary mooring a vessel within a

harbour or sheltered area when the vessel is awaiting berth, etc. It is
assumed that under normal circumstances a ship will use only one bow
anchor and chain cable at a time.
Mooring Equipments:

The set of fittings and mechanisms aboard a ship that are used to warp and
secure the ship when it is moored at a dock, at the wall of a lock, to buoys,
or alongside another vessel.
Mast House:

A deckhouse built around a mast as a platform for cargo-handling

machinery, gear, and controls.