Different Types of Ships: Ship Owners Market

Dökme Yük Gemileri

Dökme Yük Gemileri Tahıl, Kömür, Demir Cevheri, Boksit, Fosfat ve Nitrat gibi maddeleri taşımak
üzere dizayn edilmiş gemilerdir.

Dökme Yük Gemileri basit yapıda, birçok ambar ve bunların sızdırmazlığını sağlayan ambar kapakları
ile donatılmış gemilerdir. Bu gemilerde tek bir güverte bulunur.

Gemiler;
- Tek bir yük cinsine göre (Cevher gemileri gibi) olabildiği gibi

- Çok maksatlı (Dökmeciler, Dökme Cevher gemileri gibi) olabilir.

Dökme Yük Gemileri büyüklüklerine göre 5 kategoriye ayrılır.

- Handysize: from 10,000 to 35,000 tons

- Handymax: from 35,000 to 50,000 tons

- Panamax: from 50,000 to 80,000 tons

- Capesize: more than 120,000 tons

Taşıdığı Riskler:

- Aktarma vasıtaları nedeniyle ambarlar ve ambar kapaklarına oluşabilecek hasarlar

- Reduced awareness on the part of ship owners to safety and maintenance issues, due to reduced
pressure from charterers and authorities because this type of ship poses fewer environmental risks
than tankers do.
- More rapid weakening of structures as a result of the density of cargo loads.

 
Container Ships
The container ship is a cargo vessel designed to transport containers. The capacity of a container
ship is indicated inTEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit). TEU refers to the length of the standardized
container ship (about 6 meters). Container ships can be loaded in open-air holds (open top) or in holds
with hatch covers in which other containers are stacked. The largest container ships now reach the
height of 400 meters able to transport up to 15,000 containers.

Many container ships do not have handling equipment as most major terminals are equipped with
stern gantries. When ships serve ports that are not provided with handling materials, they are
equipped with cranes.

Below deck, containers are stacked one over the other in slots made with sliding rails. On deck, the
number of container floors (or ship container shelves) is limited for reasons of stability and visibility.
During a voyage, the containers are secured to hold them in place.

Main Risks:

- Loss of containers.
- Risks associated with more frequent maneuvers, due to the large number of stops.

 
Carriers of Heavy Cargo
A Carrier of heavy cargo is a cargo vessel especially designed to carry cumbersome or unusually
heavy cargo such as windmills, locomotives, cranes, oil rigs... 

Among carriers of heavy loads, there are:

- Semi-submersibles that have the ability to plunge into water (by ballast filling) in order to load the
package.

- Conventional vessels with high-capacity cranes.

Main Risks:

- Loss of stability during loading.

- No heavy cargo stowage that can cause the vessel’s loss of stability during its navigation.
- Damage to the ship and cargo during handling operations.

Gas Carriers
Gas carriers are tankers equipped with sophisticated materials for transporting gas (LPG or LNG).

LPG: Liquefied Petroleum Gas

LNG: Liquefied Natural Gas
- Natural gas is transported in its liquid state at a low temperature (-162 ° C) to reduce its volume and
thus increase transport capacity. In its liquid state, natural gas represents a volume 600 times smaller
than the volume in its gaseous state.

- The liquefied petroleum gas may be transported refrigerated (e.g. at -45 °C for the butane) or at a
room temperature, the pressure of which is close to atmospheric pressure. The gas can also be
transported under pressure. In the case of high pressures, the tanks are spherical in shape to resist
this pressure.

Main Risks:

Risks associated with the safe transportation of gas.

Chemical Tankers
Chemical tankers are divided into several broad categories:
- Oil tankers / Chemical tankers

They carry both refined oil and chemical products in different tanks. The products they transport are
numerous derivatives from oil as well as derivatives from "easy" chemicals, that is; chemical products
that are not too dangerous, like octane or xylene.

- Multipurpose chemical tankers or parcel tankers

They transport many different products at atmospheric pressure. Each tank is equipped with its
submersible pump and its own piping system.

- Specialized chemical tankers

These vessels carry only one type of product with specific properties for which they are especially
designed. Most often, they have a cargo heating system or a specialized coating. In carrying only one
type of product, the risk of the goods being contaminated is avoided.

Main Risks

- Freight claims in case of cargo pollution or poor cleaning of tanks between two loadings.
- Risks related to the safety of transported goods.
- Increased risks related to cabotage (from one industrial zone to another).

 
Roll-on/Roll-off Ships
Ro-ro ships are vessels designed to transport vehicles and other wheeled vehicles.

Ro-ro ships are characterized by the presence of a main deck extending over the greatest possible
length, located near the operating waterlines; this is to facilitate access by means of a rear ramp,
without excessive constraints due to dock height or tide amplitude. Garages extend over almost the
entire length of the ship, moving from one car-deck to another, by ramps (or car deck) or by elevator.

Ro-ro ships are equipped with fixed lashing equipment on decks (sockets, rings), bulkheads (rings)
and on ceilings.

Access to the vessel can be done in different ways: by door and ramp at the front (in the case of
ferries / car ferries), by lateral door and ramp (on the shell plating), or by rear door and ramp.

Among ro-ro ships, there are pure ro-ro ships, ferries, car carriers, heavy cargo ro-ro ships, container
ro-ro ships.

Main Risks: 

-Risk of fire in the ship’s garage.

Passenger Ships
A passenger ship is a vessel designed to carry passengers, who either wish to cross an ocean, river or
to join a cruise. 

A cruise ship is a vessel whose purpose is to provide sea tourist travel. This type of ship typically sails
at night to allow passengers to enjoy stopovers during the day for sightseeing. The size of cruise ships
range from ten to several thousand passengers.

Vessels designed for crossings are mostly car ferries. These ships have the characteristics of ro-ro
ships which have the capability to board passengers.
Main Risks:

- Fire risks in passenger areas (mainly in cabins).

- Risks related to specific navigation zones (near the coasts, unusual areas...).

Lay-up Vessels
A lay-up vessel is a vessel whose commercial activity is stopped temporarily. Its staff is therefore
reduced to a bare minimum in accordance with the requirements of its flag. The State of the area or
zone where the vessel is laid-up is also entitled to inspect the lay-up conditions; likewise, the ship
classification society imposes its rules on the matter.

There are several cases:  hot lay-up vessel (up to 12 months of lay-up), cold lay-up vessel (from 1 to 5
years) and long-term lay-up vessel (> 5 years).

The lay-up duration will determine the established procedures and lay-up conditions of the ship such
as:

- The lay-up area of the vessel must be located away from wind, strong currents and heaves.
- Necessary precautions adapted to the area and lay-up duration of the vessel must be taken.
- The time required to put back the vessel into operation depends on the lay-up period and on
measures taken during this period:
- For a lay-up between 1 and 3 months: about 24 hours are necessary for the ship’s reactivation.
- For a lay-up between 3 and 12 months: about 1 week.
- For a lay-up between 1 and 5 years: about 1 month.
- For a lay-up of more than 5 years: about 3 months .