a simple question ?

[Tony Wilding]

HI, I HAVE NOTICED ON MOST PHOTOS OF CARGO SHIPS, WHERE THE SCUPPER DRAINS AND WASHPORTS ARE ON MAIN DECK LEVEL, ALL SEEM TO HAVE BLACK STREAKS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE SHIP, IS IT BECAUSE COAL WAS THE CARGO, AND STREAKS ARE FROM HOSEING DOWN THE DECKS ? TONY WILDING.

[Ivan Cloherty]

HI, I HAVE NOTICED ON MOST PHOTOS OF CARGO SHIPS, WHERE THE SCUPPER DRAINS AND WASHPORTS ARE ON MAIN DECK LEVEL, ALL SEEM TO HAVE BLACK STREAKS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE SHIP, IS IT BECAUSE COAL WAS THE CARGO, AND STREAKS ARE FROM HOSEING DOWN THE DECKS ? TONY WILDING.

Hi Tony

Not necessarily coal, it could be an accumulation of many things, vessel may have been discharging other commodities where coal was previously discharged at the berth, stevedore traffic would have brought it on board, combined with airborne dust, residues of the cargo carried, ores, lampblack, numerous other dark cargoes, don't suppose there is a simple answer, but the expertise on this site will probably let one surface. In a dock area there is so much airborne dust from varios commodities in the area, even when we discharged general and boxed cargo, the white deck housings became black, hosing them down produced black streaky run off water. The streaks although black when fresh usually turned reddish brown as they dried as a result of corrosion from the decks and weeping rivets or deckrail sockets.

Above is just an observation from behind the nozzle

Ivan

[Tony Wilding]

thanks ivan, the ship can look very smart from main deck upwards, but spoiled by the streaks on her hull. tony.

[Ivan Cloherty]

thanks ivan, the ship can look very smart from main deck upwards, but spoiled by the streaks on her hull. tony.

Yes it was a sad fact of life, unfortunately UK shipyard practice was to cut out a section of stringer angle this acted as a scupperthe water dripping straight down the sheer strake.

The German and Swedish yards did the same, but welded a lip on the sheer strake in the way of the scupper this made the water deflect away giving it a little trajectory away from the hull, just one of those little finishing touches that helped appearances and maintenance.

Ivan

[Tony Wilding]

Simple but efficient ! Its a pity we did not adopt the same practise, could not have added much extra to the price of the ship. Thanks for the information, u live and learn, never too old. Tony.

[happy daze john in oz]

Could also be from using salt water to hose down. In the galley on may liners the deck was often washed down with hot salt water to move any grease there. Problem was you then had to wash down all the satinless steel with fresh water to prevent discoloring and rusting.