container ships, maybe a stupid question.

[alf corbyn]

my thanks to neil howerd for a very comprehensive explanation. also to red lead ted and others, but istill don't know hown they load grain etc. do they put in a container?. a very interesting thread.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Worked on the Docks at R/Seaforth in the Seventy's Eighty's till 1990.They use Big Tower Crane,attached with long pipes that suck the grain from the ships hold,that goes to the grain Silo.The Holdsman move the Pipes round the hold of the Hatch.Later they put in JCB Diggers and Bob Cats and Drivers moving the Grain to the Sucker Pipes,Holdsman use Shovels to clear the coman's and skirting boards,and brushs to clean up.The Hatches are as big has Football Pitches.Knacked Now.Brain Slowing Down.Ken.R634898.

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi Alf,the Seaforth Grain Berth(Silo) unload Big Bulk Grain Ships 50 Thousand Ton's Plus,and lot's of Barges,and any small ships.I did work at the Liverpol grain,and they did bring some ships with Container' in Full of Grain,in the eighties,plus the lower hold with bulk grain.If I was you go to Liverpool and go down to Seaforth docks,as them if you could have a look round.Ken.

[John Pruden]

kenneth i think i still have the plans for the grain terminal i was forman for peter lind co they built them i worked on them from pileing to putting the lid on the bins they are blastproof roof centres but roof sides are made weaker in case of explosions i put the roof on them.jp

[Kenneth Kenny]

Hi John,thank for the information,I remember in the early seventies,when working on a ship at the Gladstone Dock,Three workman lost there lives in one day building the Seaforth Silo.May they R.I.P.Ken.

[John Cassels]

Had to look again at Tony's first post to remind myself of the question.

This type of construction was after my time so can only say what I've heard. This deck contruction was indeed an extension
of the underdeck cell guide system. As far as I remember , these ships did not have hatch covers.
The thinking behind this was ; as there was so little difference between the total area covered by containers and hatchway
cross section area that any water ingress due either to seas or rain would be minimal.
In any case , they were equipped with high capacity bilge pumps.

Hope this answers.

[Tony Wilding]

Thanks John, but what happens if its light ship, empty, or only half full, The Derbyshire went down in under a minute because of broached hatches. no pump could cope.

[Ivan Cloherty]

Thanks John, but what happens if its light ship, empty, or only half full, The Derbyshire went down in under a minute because of broached hatches. no pump could cope.

Tony if she were light ship or lightly loaded then she would have a higher freeboard and would tend to ride the waves thereby having a tendency not to take a lot of green seas with which the pumps could cope. The Derbyshire, a loaded bulk carrier with virtually no freeboard would plough through the waves and swell and ship a lot of green seas. Some of the top wing tanks at the side of the cellular holds of a container ship would remain empty giving her what is known as 'reserve buoyancy'

[robpage]

Sitting occasionally watching the solent , I don't think I have ever seen one of those massive container ships arrive less than totally full , I assumed they carried empty boxes to make up the cargo . Reading into the Instructions there seems to be some with lift on lift off , stow on the Quay hatch covers , and some with open hatches , they seem to have forward bridges / Accommodation or the first three hatches covered with lift on lift off covers before teh top to bottom stowage . The things fit so tight into the space that free areas are minimised . I had doubts about the boxes watertight integrity , having bought some second hand ones in the past , but the whole thing seems to work .

[John Pruden]

Hi John,thank for the information,I remember in the early seventies,when working on a ship at the Gladstone Dock,Three workman lost there lives in one day building the Seaforth Silo.May they R.I.P.Ken.

the convayer tube for emptying grain brock loose and fell into the dock with men inside it i remember that it was about 10am in the morning i heard the crack and then the tube went into the water one man fell onto the quey and died sad day on that job.jp