Different Types of Ships: Ship Owners Market

Bulk Carriers
A bulk carrier is a cargo vessel designed to transport solid bulk cargo (grain, coal, iron ore,
bauxite, phosphates and nitrates.)

Bulk carriers are vessels of simple construction, equipped with several holds and watertight
closings (hatch covers). They have only one deck.

Vessels can be:

- very specialized (ore carriers adapted for transporting heavy minerals)

- multi-purpose (bulk carriers, bulk ore carriers)

Bulk carriers are commonly divided into four size categories:

- 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

Main Risks:

- Damage to holds and hatch covers caused by handling equipment.

- 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.

 
ContainerShips

The container ship is a cargo vessel designed to transport containers. The capacity of a
container ship is indicated in TEU (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 .

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Transportation and Communications
MARITIME INDUSTRY AUTHORITY
MARINA CIRCULAR NO. 2013 – 02

TO : ALL DOMESTIC SHIPPING COMPANIES, SHIPOWNERS, SHIP

OPERATORS, CHARTERERS, PUBLIC SERVICE OPERATORS,
OTHER MARITIME ENTITIES AND ALL CONCERNED
SUBJECT : REVISED RULES FOR THE REGISTRATION, DOCUMENTATION
AND DELETION OF SHIPS OPERATING IN PHILIPPINE WATERS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 474, Section 12 (d) of Executive Order Nos.
125, as amended, Section 10 (1) Chapter III of Republic Act 9295, and Chapter XV
of the Philippine Merchant Marine Rules and Regulations (PMMRR) 1997, the
following revised rules are hereby adopted:

1. Purpose

xxx

12. “Type of Ship” according to use or service refers to the classes of ships
enumerated in Regulation I/5 of the Philippine Merchant Marine Rules and
Regulations (PMMRR) 1997, as follows;

Class A. Passenger ships

Class B. Cargo ships
Class C. Tankers
Class D. Tugs and Dredgers
Class E. Fishing Vessels
Class F. Yachts
Class G. High Speed Crafts
Class H. Special Purpose ships
Class I. Miscellaneous Ships

Type of Ship, according to construction refers, to the grouping of ship

based on its design, as enumerated in Appendix B of MARINA Administrative
Order No. 07-12 dated 12 April 2012.