Ballast tank

• A ballast tank is a compartment within a boat, ship or other

floating structure that holds water, which is used as ballast to
provide hydrostatic stability for a vessel, to reduce or
control buoyancy, as in a submarine, to correct trim or list, to
provide a more even load distribution along the hull to reduce
structural hogging or sagging stresses, or to increase draft, as in
a semi-submersible vessel or platform
• Using water in a tank provides easier weight adjustment than the stone or
iron ballast used in older vessels, and makes it easy for the crew to reduce a
vessel's draft when it enters shallower water, by temporarily pumping out
ballast. Airships use ballast tanks mainly to control buoyancy and correct
trim
• Ballast tanks and crude cargo tanks are continuously exposed
to corrosive environment. Typically, ballast condition is worst
in terms of corrosion damage, particularly in empty or
partially filled conditions. Cathodic protection or coatings are
commonly adopted for protecting structures from corrosive
environment.
• Problems are due to improperly designed, applied, and
maintained corrosion systems, and incompatibilities
between structural and corrosion protection systems, such
as flexible bulkhead covered with stiff coatings and corrosion
cells set up between the parent materials and the weld heat
affected zone (HAZ) region resulting in grooving corrosion.
• Coating and coating inspection
• The application of coatings to water ballast tanks and cargo
tanks is the primary means of corrosion protection for ships
and is recognized as one of the most important factors
affecting integrity, maintenance cost and service life.
Coatings serve mainly to minimize the corrosion rate,
thereby potentially delaying the utilization of the built-in
corrosion margins included in a vessel's structural scantlings.
Anode Location
• In ballast-only or cargo ballast tanks of clean oil tankers,
anodes should be distributed evenly over all the uncoated
structure but with some emphasis on horizontal surfaces.
The majority of anodes will therefore be located on the
bottom structure.
• Coating Breakdown and Corrosion
• Ballast tanks are required to be surveyed periodically for coating
breakdown and corrosion. Lloyd’s Register Rules and Regulations for
the Classification of Ships, include this requirement.
DAMAGES
• During loading and unloading damages may be caused to holds,
comings, ladders and cargo gear, mainly due to the use of mechanical
appliances. Such damages must be recorded in the Deck Log Book
and a “Letter of Protest” is delivered to the stevedores. Care is taken
that any such letter be delivered within the time limits set forth in the
charter party and a copy thereof be faxed/mailed to the Company
(refer to S & Q Procedures Manual , section 3). Another inspection
takes place jointly by the crew and the stevedores for the verification
of damages. The stevedores are asked to accept responsibility for any
such damage in writing.
• Stevedores may damage the ship, or its equipment (e.g. cranes,
derricks and winches), or cargo. Charter parties usually contain a
Stevedore Damage clause, the terms of which the master should be
aware of, familiar with and adhere to. * In case of damage to the ship
or its equipment, a stevedore damage report in the following terms
should be sent to the stevedore company management as soon as
possible after the damage occurred or has been discovered.
• Take the photographs of any damage or circumstances relating to the
incident and all affected cargoes, damaged parts of vessels’ structure etc.,
if possible, but do not give them out of your hands unless you are
instructed to do so! This might strengthen your owners or the ship’s
position.
• Collect objects / parts and statements, if possible, in order to have
evidences safeguarded.
• All relevant documentation (e.g. Bill of Lading, Charter Party, Cargo
Manifests, Mate’s Receipts, Instructions of Charterers or other parties
interested in the cargo), written claims from third parties, statement of
facts, medical bills etc., concerning damages to cargo, ship or other third
party property or persons.
Damage Report / Statement of Facts
The responsible person in charge must prepare a report,
which as a standard should contain details regarding:
• Name of vessel
• Name of assured ship owner
• Voyage details (insofar as relevant)
• Position / Port of incident
• Date and time of the incident / damages caused
• Bill of Lading no. (if relevant)
• Kind / Specie and approximate numbers/volume/value of
cargo or damaged property or person(s) injured in question
• Name of claimant
• Kind and estimation of extent of damages caused
• Possible causes of damage / loss
• Limit any report to facts, not personal opinions:
• Do not give an opinion, especially in the accident report, as to who was
responsible
• Do not allow crew members to express opinions towards third parties outside the
vessel
• Do not already admit any liability, either verbally or writing
• Do not sign a document, which you know contains incorrect information
• Do not think the problem will go away if you do nothing

CAPT.A.AMINIAN