Requirements to be observed in connexion with loading of grain.
(1) Where bulk grain is loaded in any ship, shifting boards and feeders shall be erected in the ship to the satisfaction of the surveyor:
Provided that where the amount of bulk grain loaded is less than one-third of the ship’s total dead-weight cargo capacity, the provisions of these Regulations in regard to shifting boards and feeders shall not, unless the Deputy Director so directs, apply:
Provided further that if the grain is distributed in the various holds so that not more than one-third of the dead-weight cargo capacity of any lower hold is contained therein, shifting boards or feeders shall not be required in that hold, but the grain shall be levelled off and secured from shifting by being covered with not less than four tiers of bags in the manner prescribed in regulation 11 of these Regulations:
Provided also that if the grain is distributed in the various holds so that one-third or more, but not the whole of the dead-weight cargo capacity of any lower hold is contained therein, feeders shall not be required in that hold, but unless the Deputy Director otherwise directs, shifting boards shall be required, and one-fourth of the grain shall be in bags, stowed as prescribed in regulation 11 of these Regulations.
(2) Shifting boards, where fitted—
Shifting boards, &c
(a) shall extend from the upper deck to the floor, and shall be grain-tight, with grain-tight fillings between the beams, and shall extend to the top of all amidship feeders; and
(b) shall be properly secured, to the satisfaction of the surveyor, to stanchions, or, where there are no stanchions, between uprights, and shored or stayed in position. The scantlings of the shifting boards, uprights, shores, or wire stays shall be as prescribed in Schedule I. of these Regulations.
(3) Except where otherwise specially approved by the surveyor outer ends of shores of shifting boards shall be on the frames of the vessel, and not against the plating.
(4) All wood hatch feeders and wooden bulkheads shall be boarded on the inside.
(5) The ceiling of the holds shall be made thoroughly grain-tight, and the cement between the frames above the ceiling shall be made thoroughly sound and be free from cracks.
(6) No grain shall be loaded into any hold until the limbers have been cleaned and have been inspected by a surveyor.
(7) The grain shall be well trimmed into the wings and the spaces between the, beams completely filled, and the ship shall be so loaded as to give sufficient stability. The ship shall not be overloaded.
Carriage of grain between decks.
(1) No bulk grain shall be carried in between decks, or, where a ship has more than two decks, between the two upper decks, unless in feeders, properly constructed, to fill any orlop deck and the lower hold.
(2) For the purposes of this regulation, the lower hold and the third or lowest deck may be considered as together constituting the lower hold if there are sufficient openings in the deck and the distance to the bulkheads does not exceed the distance prescribed in regulation 16 of these Regulations.
(3) When trunked feeders pass through a tween deck, such feeders shall be well blocked off with grain in bags or general cargo, but if the vessel is too deep to carry any bagged grain or general cargo in the ’tween decks, the feeders shall be shored or properly secured to the satisfaction of the surveyor.
Requirements for securing loose bulk grain.
(1) Where in these Regulations bulk grain is required to be over-stowed for the purpose of securing it against shifting, not less than four tiers of grain in bags, or other approved cargo, shall be used, and in order to facilitate the stowing of the bagged grain or other cargo, at least 6 feet of space shall be left below the beams to the top of the bulk grain. Bagged grain used for this purpose shall be in sound bags, and be properly stowed with the tiers laid close together.
(2) Before being over-stowed, the bulk grain shall be trimmed level and covered with two thicknesses of boards about 6 inches wide and 1 inch thick, the lower boards being placed fore and aft, and the upper boards athwartships, with spaces between the lower boards of not more than 3 feet, and between the upper boards of not more than 9 inches.
Existing grain-tight divisions, &c., may be used.
The use of grain-tight divisions, shifting boards, shores, and wire rope stays, already fitted in the ship and in good condition, shall be permitted if approved by the surveyor.
Grain carried in poop, &c.,
(1) Grain in poop, peaks, shelter, or bridge deck shall be contained in bags.
(2) Where grain is so carried, shifting boards shall be fitted deck to deck.
Bulkheads to divide continuous holds.
Steam-ships with a continuous hold, forward or aft, shall, if so required by the surveyor, have such hold divided transversely, to his satisfaction, either by means of a suitable bulkhead, or by means of bagged grain, built from the floor of the hold to the deck above.
Midship hatchway feeders, and wing feeders.
(1) Hatchway feeders shall in every case, where fitted, contain grain in amount not less than 2½ per cent. of the total grain in the hold: Provided that where wing feeders are required to be fitted in the same compartment as a hatchway feeder, the wing feeders and hatchway feeder combined shall contain not less than 2½ per cent., in the aggregate, of the total amount of grain in that compartment, the percentage of grain in each feeder being properly apportioned.
(2) When hatchway feeders are trunked, the sides and ends shall be grain-tight and strongly constructed of sound planks of approved size placed vertically and secured inside the hatch coamings, and stiffened and shored as the surveyor considers necessary.
(3) The feeders shall be divided longitudinally by fore and aft grain-tight shifting boards.
(4) Bunker hatches, if available, may with the approval of the surveyor be used as feeders where practicable.
(5) Subject to regulation 16 of these Regulations, single-deck steamers with high hatch coamings may load full or part cargoes of bulk grain by utilizing the hatch coamings as feeders: Provided that where a hatch coaming above any hold is too small to accommodate 2½ per cent. of the total grain in that hold, or, where the prescribed distance from the hatchway feeder is exceeded, so much of the top of the bulk grain as is required by the surveyor shall be secured with grain in bags stowed as prescribed in these Regulations.
(6) When hatch coamings used as feeders extend into the hold a foot or more below the deck situated above the hold they feed, they shall, when required by the surveyor, have two 2-in. openings in the part below the deck between the beams at the sides, and holes the same distance apart on the ends of the coamings to allow the grain to feed into the wings and ends of holds.
(7) Wing feeders fitted in ’tween decks shall be strongly constructed and well secured, and shall contain, in the aggregate, grain in amount not less than 2½ per cent. of the quantity of bulk grain stowed beyond the prescribed distance from the midship hatchway feeders.
Distance of extremities of hold from feeder.
(1) Steamships with laid ’tween decks and carrying bulk grain shall be fitted with hatchway feeders.
(2) Where any part of a hold or compartment lies beyond a radius of 24 feet (or any less distance specified by the surveyor) from the nearest hatchway feeder either—
(a) a wing feeder shall be provided to feed that part; or
(b) if there is no opening in the ’tween decks for a wing feeder, the bulk grain in that part shall be secured by the over-stowing, in the prescribed manner, of not less than four tiers of grain in bags.
Turret steamers with single deck or single deck and beams.
Steamships of the type known as “Turret,” with single deck or single deck and beams, may load full cargoes of grain in bulk, but shall have shifting boards, and if required by the surveyor, trimming bulkheads forward and aft extending from deck to floor, or if coming under hatches, to top of coaming, as directed by the surveyor, and substantially fitted to his satisfaction. The loose grain in the end compartments shall be secured in the manner prescribed.
Sheathing of stokehold bulkheads, &c.
(1) Stokehold bulkheads and donkey boiler recesses shall be sheathed with wood and made grain-tight, with an air space between the iron and the wood, when exposed to heat from the main or donkey boilers.
(2) Where the stokehold bulkheads and donkey boiler recesses are already properly sheathed, the surveyor may pass the vessel, but not less than 9 inches of air space will be required where the sheathing is to be erected or renewed.
(3) This regulation shall only apply where the fires of the main or donkey boilers are liable to cause damage by excessive heat.
Tank tops to be covered with grain-tight platform.
Where grain is carried in bulk in steam-ships having double-bottom water-ballast tanks, the latter shall be covered with a grain-tight platform (on 2½ inch by 3 inch scantling laid athwartships), made of two thicknesses of sound and dry planks each 1 inch thick, or of one thickness of planks 2 inches thick, but this platform may, if the surveyor so approves, be dispensed with where the top of the tanks are of heavy plates, and precautions to the satisfaction of the surveyor are taken against overflow from the bilges.
Grain-tight floors.
Steam-ships without ballast tanks, having a cargo platform in good order, shall not be required to fit a grain-tight floor over it, otherwise a grain floor to the satisfaction of the surveyor shall be required.
Support of wooden or temporary bulkhead.
Any wooden or temporary bulkhead dividing a cross bunker from a hold compartment containing grain shall be supported, in a manner approved by the surveyor, against collapse due to pressure from the grain in the hold after the coal in the cross bunker has been worked out, thereby depriving the bulkhead of the support the coal would otherwise give.
Note.—The following extract from a Notice issued by the Board of Trade is reprinted as a warning in connexion with the bulkheads referred to in this regulation:—
“The attention of Owners and Masters of vessels loading grain in bulk is drawn to the necessity of properly supporting the wood bulkheads that divide a cross bunker from a hold compartment containing grain. Cases have occurred recently where the bulkhead, not having been properly supported, has given way under the pressure of the grain in the adjoining hold, after the coal in the cross bunker had been worked out, and in consequence the grain cargo had shifted. Owners and Masters are therefore advised that such wood bulkheads require to be properly supported in the bunkers by shores, or otherwise, and special attention should be given to the cants at the bottom to ensure that they are wide enough, well fastened, and supported either by angle lugs riveted to the inner bottom plating or by fore and aft planks butted against the cants and well spiked to the ceiling in the bunkers.”