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Can a ship load bulk grain without Documents of Authorization as per Grain Code? If Yes, under what condition?

Written by Amit Sharma

A ship not having onboard a document of authorization issued in accordance with Grain  Code & still want to load grain cargo may be permitted to load bulk grain but then it needs to fulfil certain criterias which is as follows:

  1. The total weight of the bulk grain shall not exceed one third of the deadweight of the ship;
  2. All filled compartments, trimmed, shall be fitted with centreline divisions extending, for the full length of such compartments, downwards from the underside of the deck or hatch covers to a distance below the deck line of at least one eighth of the maximum breadth of the compartment or 2.4 m, whichever is the greater, except that saucers constructed in accordance with Grain code  may be accepted in lieu of a centreline division in and beneath a hatchway except in the case of linseed and other seeds having similar properties;
  3. All hatches to filled compartments, trimmed, shall be closed and covers secured in place;
  4.  All free grain surfaces in partly filled cargo space shall be trimmed level and secured in accordance with grain code;
  5. Throughout the voyage the metacentric height after correction for the free surface effects of liquids in tanks shall be 0.3 m or that given by the following  formula, whichever is the greater:

 GMR = L B Vd (0.25 B – 0.645 × square root of Vd B)/ SF x Δ x 0.0875

 Where:

L =total combined length of all full compartments (metres)
B = moulded breadth of the vessel (metres)
SF = stowage factor (cubic metres per tonne)
Vd = calculated average void depth calculated in accordance with B 1 (metres-Note:not millimetres)
D = displacement (tonnes);

About the author

Amit Sharma

Graduated from M.E.R.I. Mumbai (Mumbai University), After a brief sailing founded this website with the idea to bring the maritime education online which must be free and available for all at all times and to find basic solutions that are of extreme importance to a seafarer by our innovative ideas.

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