HATCH COVERS:

GET IT
RIGHT
& TIGHT
SUPERIOR LOSS
PREVENTION
PROTECT• PREVENT• PERFORM

1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................3 TESTING.......................................................................................................... 25
• Hose tests........................................................................................ 26
HATCH COVERS & LEGISLATION: A PRACTICAL APPROACH............. 4 • Ultrasonic tests.............................................................................28
• Reporting..........................................................................................31
HATCH COVERS: DESIGN ISSUES................................................................6
TRAINING........................................................................................................ 32
HATCH COVERS: ACHIEVING TIGHTNESS................................................7 • Occupational/safety training.................................................. 32
• Operational training.................................................................... 33
HATCH COVERS: KEY PARTS....................................................................... 8 • Inspection training....................................................................... 33
• Packing rubbers...............................................................................9
• Bearing pads.....................................................................................11 MAIN PROBLEMS FOUND..........................................................................34
• Locators ...........................................................................................13 • Common mistakes........................................................................34
• Stoppers............................................................................................15 • Weather tightness mistakes....................................................34
• Securing systems..........................................................................16 • Mechanical mistakes..................................................................34
• Drain systems................................................................................. 17 • Hydraulic mistakes......................................................................34
• Compression bars..........................................................................18
• Operating systems........................................................................19 CONCLUSIONS...............................................................................................34
• Hatch panels...................................................................................20
• Coaming plating.............................................................................21

INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE: PROVING DUE DILIGENCE............ 22

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INTRODUCTION
Each year, insurers face significant costs as a result of losses
caused by wetting damage to water-sensitive cargoes.

The business model of shipping is to transport cargo for a freight

that will be paid for when the goods are delivered in time and in
good condition. Only when ships are seaworthy, cargoworthy and
operated in a safe manner and environmentally friendly way will it
be possible to meet with the expectations of customers and gene-
rate a profit. Within the scope of cargoworthiness, hatch covers
are key equipment for dry cargo ships.

Whilst in many cases wetting damage to cargo is caused by leaking

hatch covers, problems with hatch cover operation systems are
also responsible for delays, claims, accidents and injuries.
FIGURE 1 SHOWING WETTING DAMAGE TO BULK CARGO – COURTESY FRANS VOOGT

Hatch covers are generally referred to as heavy-duty shipboard owners’, manager’s and legal personnel’s chances of proving that
equipment and, as the wording suggests, this is generally material due diligence was exercised to provide shippers or charterers with
that can withstand rough handling and does not need consistent a sea- and cargoworthy ship in case a claim for wetting damage is
maintenance. However, this loss prevention bulletin will hopefully filed against the ship.
eradicate this way of thinking, as hatch covers are fine pieces of
engineering that need professional handling and proper mainte- If we want hatch covers to do what they are designed for and meet
nance in order to function properly. expectations, then the designing, engineering and installation pro-
cesses, as well as training, operation and maintenance, all deserve
Within the legal framework, the International Convention on Load the same attention.
Lines is one of the most important conventions related to hatch
covers, and requires them to be strong, tight and well secured As the transport of goods by sea is crucial for the world economy,
in order to remain weathertight and withstand the rigours of an this brochure was created to raise awareness of the importance
ocean voyage. of hatch covers and their role in keeping ships and crew safe
and cargo dry. Proper inspection, correct operation and regular
Finally, and even when engineered, installed, handled and opera- maintenance will ensure that the goods loaded onboard ships can
ted with great care and professionalism, the continuous exposure be transported in a safe, responsible and environmentally-friendly
to the elements and rigours of ocean voyages means that hatch manner and be delivered in time and in good condition.
covers must be maintained whilst the ship is in service as well
as during docking periods. The continuous trend in cutting costs Walter Vervloesem (FNI)
often results in requesting crew members to carry out repairs that IMCS bvba
are beyond their capacity, often with inappropriate materials and Chairman, IMCS Group
spare parts. Such an approach, together with mediocre documen-
ting and poor maintenance systems, will limit or even nullify the

3
HATCH COVERS & LEGISLATION:
A PRACTICAL APPROACH
Most people will associate hatch covers with the hatch cover tests ship’s stability and create excessive stresses on the ship’s hull.
that are carried out at the shippers’ or charterer’s request prior to
giving the green light for loading operations or accepting the ship With hatch covers covering up large openings in the ship’s
as being on-hire. This is not an unusual request, as the shippers’ weatherdeck, the ingress of water through the hatch covers (but
and charterers’ main concern is that the hatch covers will not leak also any other openings such as vents, accesses and portholes
during the forthcoming voyage as this would ruin the quality of that would give access to the interior of the ship), will add weight
the products shipped and scuttle the profit-making part of the sea to the vessel (1m³ of water weighs one tonne). When this happens
venture. to a vessel that is fully loaded to its marks when at sea, the vessel
will quickly become heavier, the load line will become submerged
Although profit may be the driver of transporting goods by sea, and the freeboard reduced, and together with increased stresses
it should not be overlooked that the safety of the ship and crew on the ship’s hull this results in the vessel’s safety being impaired.
prevails. What is paramount in any sea venture is the safety of the
ship and crew. After all, cargo is replaceable, but human life is not. It is therefore necessary that hatch covers are always weather-
tight in order to prevent the ingress of water.
The ship’s load lines are generally used to establish the quantity of
cargo that has been loaded, which, economically or commercially Tightness depends on different parameters, of which the sealing
speaking, is important from a freight (revenue) and contract point (rubber packing and compression bar) is the most well-known.
of view. However, from a safety point of view, not the quantity loa- However, it should not be overlooked that hatch covers, once
ded (and the part of the ship that is under water), but the remaining closed and battened down, should remain in place throughout the
freeboard (the part of the ship that is above the water) after the voyage and as such they need to be efficiently secured to the ship’s
ship has been loaded is paramount, as freeboard means reserve hatch coaming as well. Finally, the ship’s hatch covers should be
buoyancy, which in turn means extra safety. able to withstand the rigours of an ocean voyage. Therefore, it
should be ensured that water that crashes on the hatch covers
This is clearly addressed by the International Convention on Load cannot cause structural damage, as this would most probably
Lines (ICLL), which states that its main goal is to “Establish uniform result in catastrophic failure, with possible loss of the vessel as a
principles and rules with respect to the limits to which ships on result.
international voyages may be loaded, having regard to the need for
safeguarding life and property at sea”. From the aforementioned it becomes clear that, from a safety
point of view, not only must overloading be avoided, but the
The ICLL further states that “The load strength, tightness and securing of hatch covers are important
line shall never be submerged at any issues that will have to be considered during any inspection. This
time when the ship puts to sea, during the is also mentioned in the ICLL, which states that “The means of
voyage or on arrival” (Art. 12). As such, securing weathertightness shall be to the satisfaction of the admi-
the ICLL not only addresses the fact that nistration” and “The arrangements shall ensure that the tightness
overloading is not allowed because it can be maintained in any sea condition and for this purpose tests
would reduce the freeboard (reserve for tightness shall be required at the initial survey and may be
buoyancy of the ship), but also because required at periodical surveys and at annual inspections or at more
FIGURE 2 INTERNATIONAL CON-
VENTION ON LOAD LINES
overloading would have an effect on the frequent intervals” (Reg. 16-4).

4
 as is the case during a major water leakage. Thanks to the “water-
tight” closure, the leakage will not spread, and the vessel will stay
afloat.

From a practical point of view, hatch covers should be weather-

tight but, in some cases, (e.g. container vessels), the adminis-
tration may approve so-called partly (reduced) weathertight or
non-weathertight hatch cover designs, subject to strict conditions.
FIGURE 3 INCORRECTLY MARKED LOAD LINE MARKS
Partly weathertight designs will only have compression packing
It is important to note that the ICLL is a convention, which means rubbers on the perimeter, and wipe or lap seals at the cross joints.
that it is a statutory requirement for the signatory parties to the
convention. In simple terms, it should be considered as a law, Non-weathertight hatch covers have no sealing arrangements
imposed by the flag state and as such it is important that shipow- and usually rely on a water retarding Labyrinth-type system to
ners, managers and crew are aware of the fact that not complying prevent major ingress. To compensate for the lack of tightness,
with the ICLL requirements (when ratified by their flag state) is an such sealing arrangements are usually only approved on the con-
infringement of the law. dition that extra bilge pumping capacity and CO² (for firefighting)
is provided on board.
As such, construction, installation, testing, maintenance and
repairs should not be taken lightly. Surveys for assigning the When complying with the requirements as laid down in the ICLL,
freeboard will include mentioning the type of openings on board the ship’s load line certificate will be issued by the administration,
the ship as well as the required degree of tightness. In some cases, or by the classification society that acts as Recognised Organisa-
the ICLL certificate will also impose trading limitations, which tion.
should always be observed and considered when making the ship’s
passage plan for the upcoming voyage. What is not well known is that the “Record of Conditions of
Assignment of Load Lines” should also be attached to the load
Considering that hatch covers must be inspected and tested regu- line certificate. This record includes details of the disposition and
larly, it is good to be able to document that inspections, mainte- dimensions of the superstructure, trunks, deckhouses, machinery
nance and repairs have been carried out as required and therefore casings, bulwarks, etc., and also about the position and sealing
it is recommended that all hatch cover-related inspections and requirements of the hatchways.
tests are properly filed and readily available on board.
A perusal of this document during surveys is interesting, as it
Although it is quite common to refer to watertightness to indicate provides details about the tightness requirements (weathertight,
that hatch covers should not allow water to enter the hold, it can partly- or non-weathertight) of the hatch covers as approved by
be seen from the ICLL that hatch covers do not have to be water- the Administration.
tight, but weathertight.
Whilst the ICLL is by far the most important hatch cover-related
This means that in any sea conditions, water (that comes from convention, it should be emphasised that hatch covers are also
the “weather” side such as green seas, spray, rain, etc.) should subject to compliance with other important conventions (SOLAS,
not enter the ship’s hold. Typical locations where you will find MARPOL) and codes (IMDG). Furthermore, useful guidance about
weathertight closures are situated above the waterline. safety aspects as well as the safe handling and operation of hatch
On the other hand, “watertight” means that “water will not pass covers can be found in the Code of Safe Working Practice for Mer-
through the sealing arrangements from both directions across chant Seamen (CSWP).
the seal under a head of water”. Therefore, a closure between two
compartments below the waterline will typically be watertight. Whilst hatch covers will be inspected by surveyors of the adminis-
Watertight compartments are resistant to great water pressure, tration or classification societies to ensure compliance with the

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FIGURE 4 CREW SHOULD BE TRAINED IN UNSAFE PRACTICES WHEN OPERATING HATCH
COVERS - HERE SHOWING CREWMEMBER PUTTING HIS HAND ON THE HATCH COVER
TRACKWAY WHILST CLOSING

ICLL requirements, hatch covers are also frequently inspected In addition to the above, and when acting on behalf of P&I provi-
by surveyors acting on behalf of shippers, charterers and P&I ders, surveyors will also check if due diligence has been exercised.
providers. Proving due diligence is necessary in case a claim for wetting
damage is filed against the ship, as in such cases owners will have
In many cases, shippers and charterers will only require a hatch to prove that the wetting damage is not the result of improper (or
cover test (usually a hose or ultrasonic test) to ensure that the lack of) maintenance, but is to be attributed to the perils of the sea
hatch covers are fit and tight for the upcoming voyage. (force majeure). To do so, the ship will have to prove and document
that the hatch covers are in good condition, are well maintained,
However, it should be noted that a test is not a substitute for a are regularly inspected and are tested in line with good industry
careful visual inspection of the hatch covers. To conclude that practice and standards.
hatch covers are weathertight, and will remain weathertight
throughout the voyage, both a test and a visual inspection are
necessary.

HATCH COVERS: DESIGN ISSUES

In order to comply with the ICLL requirements, it is important weathertight and non-weathertight)
to ensure that “weathertightness can be maintained in any sea • Budget (min – max scantling, steel price, etc.)
condition” (reg. 16(4)). • Trading pattern (warm or cold climate, tropical rain showers
and speed of closing hatch covers)
From a manufacturing point of view, this is quite a challenge as
“any” sea condition means that even in the harshest conditions, These criteria must then be married up to the ICLL requirements,
water should not penetrate the ship’s holds (see “overloading”) so which means that the following issues should also be considered
as not to endanger the ship and crew. by the manufacturers:

In the design stage, it is important to consider several important • Available deck space for stowing the panels
design issues and to combine these with safeguards that will • Available stowage height for panels
prevent water ingress. The design issues include the client’s infor- • Required coaming height
mation and desired data, such as: • Type of sealing (rubber packing and compression bars)
• Type of operation (opening and actuating mechanisms)
• Type of vessel (bulk carrier, multipurpose, reefer, etc.) • Availability of deck cranes/winches for opening hatch covers
• Hatch dimensions/required extent of opening • Required/maximum panel weight (ship’s gear, shore gear, etc.)
• Required opening/closing time (depending on trading pattern) • Available power on board
• Degree of automation (available crew, etc.) • Construction type (open web, double skin) and required fit-
• Repair possibilities (availability of shore specialists/ship’s tings (cleats, packing)
crew repair skills, spare parts, etc.)
• Carriage of cargo on hatch covers Finally, once the design is complete, the plans will be submitted to
• Required degree of tightness (weathertight/reduced the administration for approval.

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HATCH COVERS: ACHIEVING TIGHTNESS
A well-designed ship with approved hatch covers will meet the cover plating, which is why this plating needs to be strong and
ICLL requirements that state the hatch covers must be weather- well-supported by the hatch panel stiffeners.
tight. In the first place, it is important to know that whilst a ship is
at sea, it will be subject to deformations such as flexing, hogging, Although it may theoretically be possible to make a single hatch
sagging, twisting and a combination thereof as a result of wave panel/pontoon, the weight and size of such a pontoon would make
action, load, ballast or empty condition and sometimes ice pres- it practically impossible to handle it and stow it away. Therefore,
sure. most designs consist of a series of loose pontoons or sets of linked
or hinged panels that will eventually cover the hatch opening.
As hatch covers must be strongly built, they will be heavy and rigid
pieces of equipment. On the other hand, the ship is flexible, partly This creates intersections
because the deck has large openings in it (hatchways). The size between adjacent panels,
of the hatchway openings will be one of the parameters that will and these intersections
determine the flexibility of the ship (e.g. open hatch ships). The are a vulnerable part in
flexibility of the ship and the rigidity of the hatch covers will mean the hatch cover system.
that the panels will not move in unison with the ship. This will This is proven by the many
result in relative movement between the panels and the ship and wetting damage claims FIGURE 6 TYPICAL LEAKAGE PATTERN IN WAY OF
PANEL INTERSECTIONS/CROSS JOINTS
also between the panels in a hatch cover set. that show a clear and typical
pattern of water ingress via the cross joints.

As we will see later, the hatch cover packing rubbers will only be
able to compensate for a given range of deflections, meaning that
in extremely heavy weather conditions the compression range of
the rubber will no longer be able to compensate for the relative
movement between the panels. As this will generally happen at a
moment where tightness is needed most (i.e. in heavy weather) it
is necessary to include a third safety barrier in the design, which is
the drainage system.
FIGURE 5 ILLUSTRATING RELATIVE MOVEMENTS BETWEEN PANELS.
(COURTESY MACGREGOR)

Therefore, it is recognised that rubbers alone may not be able to

The impact of these relative movements can be controlled and keep all the water out and that some water may pass through the
minimised by the design of sealing arrangements, steel structure, packing rubber/compression bar interface in the case of extremely
bearing pads and stoppers. heavy weather. As the ICLL does not allow water to run into the
hold, the incoming water will be collected in the drainage channel
Whilst it is commonly believed that the hatch covers are made and will be drained away out on deck.
weathertight by means of the packing rubbers, is should be noted
that weathertightness is not achieved by packing rubbers alone.
The first barrier to water ingress will be the hatch plating itself.
Indeed, most of the overcoming water will be kept out by the hatch

7
 heavy weather means that from an insurance point of view,
ship owners are entitled to call in the “perils of the sea” clause.
Under this clause, the claim resulting from water ingress during
extremely heavy weather (“force majeure”) will be absorbed by the
cargo insurance (on condition that the owners can prove that they
exercised due diligence).

From a risk management point of view, a sea voyage is considered

as a venture. To make the transport of goods by sea less risky,
and by knowing that wetting damage accounts for a large portion
of overall claims paid by insurance companies year on year, the
FIGURE 7 SHOWING THE 3 SAFETY BARRIERS IN HATCH COVER DESIGN, I.E. THE STEEL
HATCH PLATING (1), THE SEALING SYSTEM (2) AND THE DRAIN CHANNEL (3) three-tier safety barrier concept allows the risk to be mitigated to
As this will happen in heavy weather, the ship will be rolling and an acceptable level.
pitching heavily. Under these circumstances, it is not unusual for
some water that accumulates in the drainage channel to pass To reduce the risk, it should be clear that the vessel’s hatch covers
over the drainage channel and fall onto the cargo stowed below, must be of a trustworthy design, installed by specialists, and
causing wetting damage and therefore claims. The fact that with properly operated and maintained by the ship’s crew.
well-maintained hatch covers this will only happen in extremely

HATCH COVERS: KEY PARTS

As mentioned above, and in line with ICLL requirements, hatch to the inspector or surveyor to familiarise themselves with the
covers must be tested at regular intervals. Even when no leaks are hatch cover type and operation system prior to inspection. The key
found, such a test reflects a tightness condition at the time of the parts described in this brochure are generally found on every type
test only. According to the ICLL, it is not only important that hatch of hatch cover and can be considered the most important ones.
covers pass a test at a certain moment (snapshot), but also that When inspection reveals that these key parts are in order and fit
they can maintain tightness throughout their in-service life. for duty, the chances of water ingress will be remote.

Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a visual inspection of the With regard to the visual inspection, and although there is a per-
key items. Once the hatch covers have been visually inspected and ception that hatch covers are heavy, robust pieces of equipment,
based on the test results and details of the visual inspection, it will hatch covers are, in fact, fine pieces of engineering that work
be possible to determine if the hatch covers are and will remain against very small tolerances and clearances. As such, we are
weathertight. talking about millimetres and it is recommended that during
inspections, checks are carried out against the manual specs and
Visual inspections should not be limited to key items only, but should drawings. Using the right tools for taking measurements of clea-
include all necessary items and hatch cover fittings. However, as rances and imprints is recommended.
there is a big variety of hatch cover designs on the market, it is up

FIGURE 8 SHOWING THE USE OF DEDICATED TOOLS FOR MEASURING CLEARANCES AND PERMANENT SET IN PACKING RUBBER

8
From a practical point of view, consulting the manual prior to the arrangement, it would be easy for water to infiltrate into the
commencement of the inspection will provide you with useful ship’s holds, which is not permitted. Therefore, it is necessary to
details and information, as will a quick review of the last inspec- fit a compression seal (packing rubber) into the panel’s retaining
tion results, tests reports and maintenance files. channels.

Nowadays, we see that in several cases, hatch cover maintenance Due to continuous interaction between the packing rubber and
is included in the ship’s Planned Maintenance System (PMS). the compression bar (or flat mating surface on the coaming),
However, the checks or tests to be carried out according to the PMS packing rubbers will suffer and age at a steady pace. Furthermore,
are often quite superficial and do not provide the necessary info to exposure of the packing rubbers to heat, cold, sunlight, cargo
conclude that all is in order. Even though ISM focuses on the pre- (abrasive/chemicals, …), chlorides, etc. during their service life will
vention of accidents, pollution and damage to third-party property accelerate the deterioration and ageing process. As such, packing
(a.o. the cargo loaded), few safety management systems seen on rubbers also require high-end engineering to ensure that the
board so far include appropriate information about the inspection, rubbers retain their resilience throughout their service life. When
maintenance and correct operation of the ship’s hatch covers. hatch covers are well maintained and taken care of, rubber packing
should normally have a service life of approximately five years
In order to facilitate preparation for the visual hatch cover inspec- (two surveys) but there are cases on record where packing rubber
tion, the main key parts of a hatch cover system are listed below: can last even longer.
• Packing rubbers
• Bearing pads (steel-to-steel contact) Different types of packing rubber are available on the market, and
• Locators the right seal for the ship will depend on a wide variety of factors.
• Stoppers Hatch cover manufacturers are the right people to advise on which
• Operation mechanisms rubber packing will perform best for a specific type of ship and
• Drainage system hatch.
• Hatch panels
• Compression bar The compression seal referred to earlier is designed to be com-
• Securing mechanisms pressed up to a specific depth, which is referred to as the rubber’s
“design compression” and which will allow the rubber to compress
and relax and, as such, absorb relative movements between the

PACKING RUBBERS hatch covers and the coaming compression bar.

As pointed out earlier, hatch covers are rigid pieces of equipment, Depending on the type of rubber packing (box type or CAT/sliding
and as the ship is more flexible, there will be relative movement profile seals), the design compression will generally be in the
between the panels and the ship’s hatch coaming whilst the ship range of 8–20mm. Exact information about the packing rubber’s
is at sea. design compression should normally be available from the
maker’s manual or drawings.
Due to these relative movements, and without a proper sealing

FIGURE 9 KEY INFORMATION ON PACKING RUBBERS AS SHOWN IN THE MAKER’S MANUAL

9
In the absence of manufacturer details, the design compression When the hatch covers are well maintained, the steel-to-steel
of ordinary box-type rubber packing can be estimated using the contact (see “Bearing pads”) will keep the panel in its correct
following rule of thumb: sealing position, i.e. at design compression level. This prevents the
packing rubbers from becoming over-compressed.
Design compression = 25% of the nominal thickness
of the packing rubber Over-compression of the packing rubber should always be avoi-
ded, as it will destroy the structure of the rubber and cause pre-
Packing rubbers will age over time and slowly a permanent set will mature development of the permanent set (i.e. in the case of a box
become visible. Together with the permanent set, the rubber will seal, this will be a groove in the packing rubber in the contact area
lose some of its resilience and in order to ensure that a minimum between the packing rubber and compression bar, whilst for a CAT
compensating capacity and resilience can be guaranteed (neces- or sliding seal this will be the moment when the triangular-shaped
sary to prevent water ingress and assure the vessel’s safety), part of the rubber becomes round shaped) with loss of resilience
discard criteria are applicable and will also be mentioned in the as a result (see figure 11) .
manual. However, when not available, inspectors may use another
rule of thumb to calculate the discard criteria of ordinary box-type Over-compression in a packing rubber is like “overstretching”
rubber packing as a result of a permanent set as follows: an elastic band. Once overstretched, the elastic band will never
regain its initial
Discard criteria = 50% of the design compression. length (plastic
deformation (ref.
This is further illustrated by the below sketch: Hook’s Law)) and
the time needed to
return to its original
stage will be longer.
FIGURE 12 NORMAL CAT SEAL IN GOOD CONDITION (LEFT)
AND A CAT SEAL WITH EXCESSIVE PERMANENT SET (RIGHT)
This brings us to
another important issue, i.e. the reaction capacity (or reaction
time) of a packing rubber. If a rubber packing is over-compressed,
it will become “slow” or “lazy” and will no longer be able to respond
instantaneously to the relative movements between the adjacent
panels as well as between the panels and coaming, thereby lea-
ving some time for water to penetrate through the seal.

FIGURE 10 ILLUSTRATING THE DISCARD CRITERION OF AN ORDINARY BOX-TYPE

PACKING RUBBER
To allow the packing rubber to regain its original shape quickly,
packing rubber will need to have a certain compression force (as
can be seen from the above drawing, the compression force of a
normal 90x50 packing rubber can be in the range of 9000N/m).
Based on the mean compression force of a packing rubber, it will
be seen that a considerable force is required to bring the panel up
to its design compression. While some may think that it is the duty
of the quick-acting cleats to pull the panels down, it is generally
the weight of the panel that will ensure that the packing rubber is
compressed to its design compression when the hatch is closed.

Once closed, the panel will rest on the bearing pad system, which
will prevent over-compression of the packing rubber.
FIGURE 11 MEASURING THE PERMANENT SET OF AN ORDINARY BOX-TYPE PACKING RUBBER

10
Once a permanent set starts to develop, which is inevitable, it is
important to monitor the evolution closely. If the permanent set
develops rapidly, the reason for this abnormally accelerated/rapid
decay should be investigated. Frequently seen causes are the use
of low-quality rubber or improperly adjusted bearing pads (or
both). In the latter case (improperly adjusted bearing pads), repla-
cing the rubber packing with a new one will not solve the problem,
as the newly fitted packing rubber will become over-compressed
from its installation and quickly develop a permanent set again.

An important lesson to be learnt here is that packing rubber should

only be renewed after the height of the bearing pads is checked
FIGURE 13 GENERAL VIEW OF A BEARING PAD SYSTEM
and properly adjusted.
• When at sea, panels will be subjected to weather and cargo
It should now be clear that the proper performance of a packing loads. Overcoming seas and the weight of cargo loaded on
rubber is a matter of millimetres. Both the design compression and the hatch covers, as well as the weight of the panel itself, will
corresponding discard criteria are very accurately determined, and tend to push the panels down. Bearing pads will absorb these
the range of allowable deviation is limited. Furthermore, packing forces and transfer them to the ship’s deck structure.
rubbers will only function well if the correct dimensions and
compression force are observed. Whilst it may be tempting to look • A s bearing pads provide a “hard” resting surface for the pa-
for cheap alternatives to the original rubber, it should be noted that nel, they prevent compression of the packing rubber beyond
the right packing rubber is the result of advanced research and the design compression (over-compression). In other words,
engineering, and that cheaper alternatives might not be able to live if the design compression of the packing rubber is 13mm,
up to expectations. bearing pads will prevent the packing rubber from further
compression due to the weight of the panel, weather and/or
cargo loads.

BEARING PADS
• As there is relative movement between the panels and coa-
Bearing pads (also called resting pads, landing pads, vertical (Fz ming, it is necessary that both mating halves are allowed to
stoppers) are a key element in the design of hatch covers. Bearing move/slide. Irregularities in the mating surfaces (e.g. rust or
pads provide steel-to-steel contact between the hatch covers scale) or excessive wear (e.g. due to incompatible steel) will
and the ship’s hatch coaming. A bearing pad system consists of prevent free movement, as a result of which loads and for-
two mating halves, one of which is mounted on the hatch cover ces would be transferred to the panel or coaming and cause
panel and another that is positioned on the coaming table. Due to damage.
the relative movements between the panels and the coaming, the
FIGURE 14 CRACKED
mating half mounted on the panel’s side plating is referred to as PANEL SIDE PLATING AS
A RESULT FROM WEAR
the moving part, whilst the half on the coaming table is referred to
ON BEARING PAD
as the fixed part.
As there is movement between the two parts, wear can be expec-
ted during the in-service life of the ship. Usually wear will be in
the range of 1mm per year and this can be considered as a rule of
thumb. Bearing pad wear depends not only on the age of the ship/
FIGURE 15 WORN OUT
pads, but also on loads acting on the pads and the position where MATING SURFACE OF A
BEARING PAD
the pads are installed.

Bearing pads are important for many reasons, but the four items
listed below are probably amongst the most important ones that
should be considered:

11
• In the early days of steel hatch Another disadvantage of greasing the bearing pads is that when
covers, the steel-to-steel the ship is carrying granulated/abrasive cargoes, such as ore, coal,
contact was realised through fertilizer, etc., the dust from the cargo will fall and settle on the
contact between the cover’s greased surface of the bearing pads, and the mixture of grease
side plating and hatch coaming. and cargo dust will act as a grinding paste. Therefore, and before
As the interaction between deciding to grease the bearing pads, it is recommended to consult
the hatch panel and coaming manufacturers for advice.
interface caused grooving
of the hatch coaming plating
and wear on the side plating (a FIGURE 16 SHOWING DEEP GROOVING
IN THE COAMING TABLE AS A RESULT
deadly combination for packing
FROM CONTACT WIH THE PANEL SIDE
rubber over-compression as PLATING

well as difficult and expensive repairs to fix), bearing pads

are a solution for this problem and allow for relatively easy
maintenance, repairs, adjustment or renewal.

Whilst initially bearing pads were

made of steel, we now see that
there are different types of mate- FIGURE 19 SHOWING FINE DUST FROM THE CARGO (WHITE FERTILIZER) STICKING TO THE
GREASED BEARING PAD SURFACE
rial used for the mating halves. This
is done to alleviate friction, reduce As wear on the bearing pads will result in over-compression of the
the disturbing sound of steel on packing rubber, it is important to monitor wear at regular intervals.
steel, enhance resistance to dirt FIGURE 17 SHOWING WEAR LINES IN A quick and easy way to do this is to verify the skirt clearance,
THE MATING SURFACE OF THE BEA-
etc. Some designs include wear indi- RING PAD i.e. the clearance between the lower edge of the panel and the
cators (lines or rings), which is handy coaming table. This is normally one of the standard measures that
as they show when it is necessary to replace the pads. can be found in the ship’s drawings and indicates the level of wear.
In the case of newbuilds, this is also a good reference measure that
It is often seen that bearing pads are greased by the ship’s crew should be checked, recorded and included in the ship’s manual for
and that sometimes greasing is a task that is included in the ship’s further use and reference when repairs or adjustments are to be
maintenance plan. It should be borne in mind that high loads are made. Beware that this measure is not “absolute” and that toleran-
acting on the bearing pads and therefore normal grease will not ces may apply, but more considerable deviations are an indication
perform well and will be squeezed out, leaving the pad dry of the onset of wear.

FIGURE 18 CREW MEMBER GREASING A BEARING PAD WITH A ROLLER BRUSH ON A FIGURE 20 MEASURING SKIRT CLEARANCE BETWEEN PANEL AND COAMING TABLE
CELLULAR CONTAINER VESSEL

12
If bearing pad wear is noted, it may be tempting to have this In addition to over-compression of the packing rubber, panel or
“quickly” repaired by the ship’s crew. Although maintenance or coaming damage, bearing pad wear may also affect other hatch
repair is recommended, the adjustment of steel-to-steel contact cover component parts, such as wheels, hinges, cylinders and
is specialist work. In good designs, manufacturers will recognise securing devices.
the wear problem and counter this by using different types of steel
(hard steel like Hardox for the “moving” part and softer steel for Bearing pads are one of the most important items in a hatch cover
the “fixed” part) or other proven and tested materials. Very often, design and their number, size, design and location are carefully
improper or quick “welding-up” or shim plate repairs are the basis determined and considered during the design and approval pro-
of serious problems afterwards. cess. Getting the steel-to-steel contact right is of crucial impor-
tance and repairs or adjustments should be done in dialogue with
and/or by manufacturers or specialist servicing teams.

LOCATORS

FIGURE 21 SHOWING LOCATOR ASSEMBLY ON THE HATCH COAMING FIGURE 22 MEASURING CLEARANCE IN WAY OF THE LOCATOR

Hatch cover panels must be opened and closed, and when closed From a positioning point of view, not only is the longitudinal posi-
they must be correctly positioned (located) so that there is no tion important (compression in corner/end piece area and cross
discontinuity in the weathertight seal along the perimeter of the joints), but also transversally, panels must be correctly positioned.
hatch and in the cross joints between the panels. Misalignment can have many causes, but centreline locators do
help in ensuring that the panel is properly centred when closing.
Locators are designed to ensure that, with the panels closed, the Checking of clearances is also important here. In case the packing
rubbers in the cross joints and corner areas are compressed up to rubber were to show an offset imprint, panel alignment should be
their design compression and as such are able to compensate for checked.
the relative movements that result from the flexing of the ship
whilst at sea.

As locators determine the design compression in the seal with

the panels closed, locators require very careful installation and
adjustment. Locator tolerances will generally not be more than a
few millimetres, and it is important that clearances are regularly
monitored and compared with manual specs, as wear on the loca-
tors will directly affect design compression and tightness.

FIGURE 23 SHOWING CENTRELINE LOCATOR

13
As tightness depends on the positioners may also be acting as locators. A useful indicator as
design compression and as to whether the side pins are acting as a positioner or a locator is
this compression is a matter to check the clearance in way of the slots in the coaming. If this
of millimetres, it will be clearance is relatively small (2–4mm) then the pins will most
understood that excessive probably act as a locator (relating to the rubber packing’s design
locator clearances result in a compression). If the clearance is more substantial, then the pins
lack of compression to such are most probably positioners.
an extent that the allowed FIGURE 24 THE OFF-CENTRE IMPRINT ON
THE PACKING RUBBER INDICATES IMPROPER
variation of seal compression It should be noted that coaming retraction as a result of hydrosta-
ALIGNMENT
is exceeded, which enhances tic pressure acting on the hull may result in the panels not being
the risk of water ingress. able to be positioned. To avoid this problem, good designs will
include king beams.
Whilst it is not the purpose of this brochure to highlight each
specific type of hatch cover, it is worthwhile noting that mini-bul- It is of utmost impor-
kers (multi-purpose coastal vessels that often trade in the NW tance that buyers of
and Mediterranean areas) are frequently equipped with stacking 2nd hand tonnage
pontoons that are lifted away and moved forward or aft to their insist that the hatch
stowage location on the coaming by the ship’s own gantry crane or cover manual and
motorised panels. drawings are part of
the set of documents
In several designs, panels are positioned by so-called “position- that need to be
FIGURE 25 SHOWING REPLACEABLE LOCATORS
ers”, i.e. large and strong pins fitted at the side of the hatch panel provided at the time
which fit into relatively large slots in the hatch coaming table. of handover. Missing
Sometimes, there is confusion as to whether these pins are acting info may prevent proper maintenance or repairs and may have a
as locators or not. Further inspection may reveal that apart from serious impact on future employment and P&I cover. As locators
these pins, the hatch covers are equipped with genuine locators are also prone to wear and wastage, new designs Include replace-
or junction pieces (on older designs) to achieve tightness at the able locator pads which are easy to adjust and replace.
corners and cross joints. However, in some designs, these pin-like

FIGURE 26 TYPICAL MINI-BULKER WITH OWN GANTRY FIGURE 27 CLOSE-UP OF GANTRY CRANE WHILST FIGURE 28 SHOWING A KING BEAM POSITIONED IN THE
CRANE SHIFTING PANELS MIDDLE OF THE HATCH TO LIMIT COAMING RETRACTION

14
STOPPERS pads, locators and stoppers may be combined or integrated in
one piece, which may sometimes be a bit confusing. Therefore,
Whilst locators ensure that the correct design compression is it is important to study the manual and drawings to familiarise
achieved when the panels are closed, it will be necessary to main- yourself with the system.
tain this sealing condition throughout the ship’s in-service life.

During a voyage, the ship’s hull and deck will be subject to deflec-
Intermediate summary
tions (hogging, sagging, twisting, warping) and deformations
(hydrostatic pressure due to draft, ice pressure, etc.). Further- Whilst most of the water is kept out by the hatch cover panel
more, the effects of rolling and pitching when in a seaway will try plating (first safety barrier), water ingress into the hold as a
to push or pull the panels away from their correct sealing position. result from relative movements between the panels and between
As hatch covers are fine pieces of engineering, and with tightness the panels and coaming is prevented by the sealing system. It is
depending on a few mm, excessive movements of the panels important to ensure that there are no discontinuities in the sealing
may result in damage, water ingress and significant maintenance system (openings, gaps, damages, etc.) and that the correct pack-
or repair costs. To prevent this from happening, stoppers are ing rubber design compression is maintained. Bearing pads (also
installed. Under no circumstances should the stoppers be a tight called Fz-stoppers) will prevent over-compression, while locators
fit, as this would cause the loads and stresses to be passed on will ensure correct compression in the longitudinal direction (or
directly into the hatch structure and cause damage. So, in line transversal direction on side rolling hatch covers) and proper
with the sealing system, bearing pads and locators, the stoppers alignment of the panels. Stoppers or restraints will maintain this
(sometimes also referred to as restraints) will be allowed some condition whilst at sea and prevent excessive movements that
movement, but within very strict and controlled margins. could dislocate the panels from their correct sealing position and
cause damage or water ingress. As such, hatch cover tightness
Also stopper clearances must be closely checked and compared can only be achieved when all parts work in unison and through
with the specs as mentioned in the hatch cover manual. carefully balancing forces and loads.

Whilst the stopper function is described here as a separate func-

tion, it should be noted that from a design point of view, bearing

FIGURE 29 MEASURING EXCESSIVE CLEARANCE IN WAY OF A TRANSVERSAL (FY) STOPPER FIGURE 30 SHOWING STOPPER ON THE PANEL SIDE PLATING

15
SECURING SYSTEMS rate in strength and in good condition (pay attention to this when
As per the ICLL, it is required to secure the hatch panels so that ordering spare parts).
they remain in position throughout the voyage. If panels were to
be pushed off by overcoming waves or lost overboard, the ship’s During inspection of the cleats, it is important to check that they
holds would be open to the elements, which could have disastrous are all in place, structurally sound and free of damage.
consequences. Therefore, where stoppers restrict movements of
the panels, cleats will secure the panels to the hatch coaming. Wear on cleats is often
the result of corrosion and
Different types of cleats are available on the market and the subsequent maintenance
right cleating system is selected in terms of the time available to (i.e. chipping/descaling
prepare the ship for sea after loading or discharging, the number etc) which results in loss
of crew members on board, required strength, maintenance of steel, diminution of the
issues, and so on. The most common type are manually-operated cross-sectional thickness
quick-acting cleats, whereas automated and auto cleat systems, which affects the strength
as well as holding down devices (mainly on container carriers) are and holding capacity of the
FIGURE 32 SHOWING CORRODED CRUTCH OF A
also in use. Cleats are fitted to hold the panel down when at Sea cleats. QUICK ACTING CLEAT, AFFECTING THE OVERALL
STRENGTH OF THE CLEAT SYSTEM
and not to obtain a tighter seal. Furthermore, cleats are flexibly
mounted (hence the rubber washer) so that they will allow for Also, sandblasting of the panels and coaming has the same effect
some limited movement of the panel. on the strength of the securing system. Especially on older ton-
nage, it is recommended to check that cleats are in place and that
Quite often, securing is considered a synonym for pulling or they are not suffering from wastage or corrosion.
screwing down hard and tight, but this is not so for hatch covers
and their securing devices. Quite often, when a hatch
cover test reveals leaks the
crew will decide to tighten up
the cleats more and in such
cases it is common to use
cheater bars or spanners to
tighten up the cleats tightly,
hoping that the leakage
will stop due to extra com-
pression on the seal. This is
dangerous practice because
cleats should never be
over-tightened. Furthermore,
FIGURE 33 SHIP’S CREW TIGHTENING UP THE
it also shows that there is a CLEATS WITH A CHEATER BAR
FIGURE 31 SHOWING PARTS OF A MANUALLY OPERATED QUICK ACTING CLEAT
lack of basic understanding of
Rigid securing of the hatch cover panels to the coaming, in combi- hatch covers, as the steel-to-steel contact provided by the bearing
nation with the relative movements between the hatch covers and pads will prevent the panel from being pulled down further. If
the ship, would lead to damage of the securing system (failing of leakages were reduced after tightening up, this would indicate that
the cleats) and deformations or damage to the hatch coaming or either the panel, coaming or both are deformed as a result from the
panel plating. additional tightening action.

Like any lashing and securing system, cleats must be strong and fit It should be noted that quality cleats will usually have a spacer ring
for duty. So, all parts of the securing system should be commensu- in the rubber washer, which will prevent overtightening as well.

16
There are cases on record where the crew had removed these With regard to the positioning of cleats, it should be noted that
spacer rings to tighten up the cleat further and squeeze the rubber cleats are always in a vertical position and never crooked, as any
till it was down to the size of a pancake! deviation from the vertical direction would result in a loss of hol-
ding power and improper engaging of the hinged head in the snug.
In several designs, it is possible that cross-joint wedges are used.
With the typical cross joint wedges, it is also often seen that the For cleats, the most important thing
striker plates are welded up so that extra force is needed when to remember is that they should be
driving the wedges home, believing that the harder it is to close tightened gently so that they will
them, the better they will secure the panel, which is not true. secure the panel to the coaming,
by still allowing for some relative
movement. Cross joint wedges
FIGURE 36 SHOWING CROOKED CLEAT
should be easy to drive home, protec-
ted from travelling back (as a result from vibrations), and striker
plates should never be welded up.

DRAINAGE SYSTEMS
In order to consider a hatch type as “weathertight”, it is necessary
to have a drainage system installed.

When relative movements exceed the design compression of the

FIGURE 34 SHOWING A STRIKER PLATE OF A CROSS JOINT CLEAT THAT HAS BEEN WELDED
UP, WHICH MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DRIVE THE WEDGE HOME AND WILL RESULT IN DAMAGE rubber packing, which will generally happen during extremely
heavy weather, there is a possibility that the seal/compression bar
The cross wedges are fitted in order to ensure that the panels are interface will open up, allowing water to pass and run into the hold,
all on the same plane and level with the adjacent panels. Cross which is not permitted according to the ICLL.
wedges are not to be used to push the panel down and obtain a
tighter seal in the cross joint (also in the cross joint there will be a When waves crash over the deck and hatches, any water that
form of steel to steel contact to prevent over-compression). would pass through the cross joint or perimeter sealing arrange-
ment will be collected in the drainage channels and run out on deck
Also, the tightening bolts via the drainage hole, drainpipe and the non-return drain valve. To
on the sides of the panels allow evacuation of water, the drainage system should always be
in the cross joint (meeting) free and unobstructed.
section on some designs are
only fitted to join the forward It should not be overlooked that a drain valve is an open connection
and aft sections of the hatch between the hold and the deck and as such, drain openings should
cover set and should not be be closed and plugged in case of fire in the ship’s hold (in order to
screwed tight in the hope of keep the CO² inside the hold and to prevent air from entering). This
obtaining a tighter seal at the is made possible by screwing the fire cap on the discharge mouth
FIGURE 35 NOTE THE USE OF SEVERAL RUBBER
meeting joint. WASHERS ON THE PANEL’S QUICK ACTING CLE- of the drain valve. This is also a requirement in case the cargo
ATS. ALSO THE RUBBER WASHERS HAVE BEEN
OVERPAINTED WHICH WILL RESULT IN RAPID
carried is under fumigation, as closing the drain valve with the fire
In some cases, crew will fit DECAY OF THE RUBBER cap will prevent loss of the fumigant (which can be dangerous and
double rubber washers to the cleats. This practice should be dis- would make fumigation less efficient).
couraged as in most cases it will be a deviation from the originally
approved design.

17
 COMPRESSION BARS
Packing rubbers act against a mating surface in order to become
compressed until they reach their design compression.
The type of mating surface depends on the type of packing rubber
that is selected. It can either be a raised compression bar (for the
normal traditional box seals) or a flat steel mating surface (for
CAT or C- gaskets (sliding seals). In case of CAT or C-gasket seals,
the sealing surface will either consist of the coaming table or a
stainless-steel plate welded on the coaming table. The latter is
preferred since it is resistant to rust/corrosion and will provide a
smooth contact surface. The advantage of flat steel mating sur-
FIGURE 37 SHOWING A COAMING DRAIN VALVE WITH THE FIRE CAP PROPERLY CONNECTED faces is also that they can be easily installed and kept clean whilst
TO THE VALVE WITH A LANYARD
there are no restrictions in movement.
Sometimes, crew members may decide to plug the drainage hole in
the coaming whilst loading or discharging bulk cargo with a woo-
den bung or rags to avoid clogging the drainage hole, drainpipe and
drain valve. This is good practice, as long as the plug is removed
prior to the ship sailing out.
FIGURE 39 RAISED COMPRESSION BAR FIGURE 40 FLAT STEEL MATING SURFACE
WITH ROUNDED CONTACT EDGE
Sometimes, when the drain valve is damaged, a piece of used fire-
hose may be used as a temporary repair, on condition that the hose For compression bars, three issues must be considered:
is long enough to bend back on itself to prevent water on deck from
entering the drainage system. However, hoses are not a substitute First of all, compression
for a proper repair of the drain valve and a genuine type should be bars have to be straight,
ordered or installed as soon as possible. as an irregular sealing
edge would cause une-
ven compression, which
should be avoided.
Over-compression will
damage the seal whilst
under-compression FIGURE 41 SHOWING INDENT IN COMPRESSION BAR
WHICH RESULTS IN UNEVEN COMPRESSION
will result in premature
opening of the seal and allow water ingress, even under less harsh
conditions. Normally, some slight tolerances for unevenness will
be allowed during newbuilding, but tolerances are limited to a few
millimetres.
FIGURE 38 FIREHOSES (OF SUFFICIENT LENGTH) CAN ONLY BE CONSIDERED AS A TEMPO-
RARY REPAIR FOR A DAMAGED DRAIN VALVE
Secondly, the sealing
edge of the compression
bar should be smooth
and round-shaped to
avoid abrasion damage
to the rubber packing.

FIGURE 42 HEAVILY CORRODED AND DAMAGED COM-

PRESSION BAR

18
Nowadays, most compression bars are made of stainless steel, operator for opening and closing
but older designs used mild steel, which was prone to corrosion. the hatch covers with another crew
Corrosion and scale made the sealing surface of the compression member standing by to ensure that
bar rough, uneven, and caused damage to the packing rubber. hatch covers are ready to be ope-
ned and closed and to observe a
Furthermore, corrosion results in thinning down and reduced safety perimeter around the hatch
strength of the compression bar, whereas knife edges on the mild covers during operation.
steel compression bars would cut into the packing rubber and
cause damage to the seal. The operator stands should be
FIGURE 43 IMPROPER OPERATION OF
safe, provide a good overview of HATCH COVERS CAN RESULT IN
ACCIDENTS
Finally, compression bars should be strong to withstand the com- the hatch cover operating area,
pression force (in combination with the relative movements) of the and controls should be clearly marked and indicated. Never should
packing rubber (see “Packing rubbers”). the controls be lashed back with a rope to operate them from a
distance or keep them running whilst the stand is unmanned!

OPERATING SYSTEMS During the operation of well-maintained hatch covers and ope-
rating systems there will normally not be any abnormal noises,
Whilst the basic single pull panels were still rather small and light, deviating sounds or vibrations. Also, operating times, which are
more modern panels are heavy pieces of equipment. Hatch cover mentioned in the hatch cover manual, should be regularly checked
panels can be opened/closed with different systems, ranging from and deviations, if any, investigated.
wires or chains, rack and pinion, hydraulic cylinders, roll-up-roll
systems and over the last five years also with electrically driven Hydraulic systems operate at very high pressures (up to 250 bar).
systems. If oil is leaking, this also means that dirt can enter the system. In
view of the pressures involved, any dirt or particles that find their
In view of the weight of hatch cover panels, hydraulically operated way into the system will have high damage potential. Therefore,
systems were the preferred method for opening and closing hatch the hydraulic system, as well as power pack should be carefully
covers for a long time. However, with the development of powerful inspected for leaks or damage and cleanliness of the oil is key to
electric motors, the use of electrically driven systems for hatch trouble-free operation. Oil coming straight out of the barrel does
cover operations was made possible. The advantages of electric not have the required degree of cleanliness and filtering is always
systems include that they are easy to install and that they do away recommended.
with the need for hydraulic cylinders, hydraulic piping on deck and
hydraulic powerpacks, as well as time consuming maintenance When hatch covers are open, hydraulic
issues and the cost of hydraulic oil. Also, the risk of pollution and cylinders are exposed to the environment
contamination of cargo in case of hydraulic hose failure no longer and cargo dust or remnants might stick
exists when electric systems are used. However, its use is not on the cylinder surface and be drawn into
yet widespread and most ships that are in service today still use the cylinder during operations, resulting
hydraulic systems. in leakage and damage to seals. In order
to protect the cylinders from becoming
FIGURE 44 HATCH COVER
The improper operation of hatch covers can have serious safety dirt-stained, protection sleeves are availa- CYLINDER SLEEVES HELP IN
KEEPING CYLINDERS AND
and operational consequences and personnel in charge of ope- ble, and their use is recommended. SEALS IN GOOD CONDITION

rating the hatch covers should be trained in their use as part of

onboard or ship-specific training. During hatch cover operations, Finally, it should be remembered that operating systems can fail.
and from a safety point of view, it is recommended to have one If they do so whilst water sensitive cargo is being loaded or

19
discharged, there is a risk that the cargo will suffer wetting straightforward, the hatch cradle is an
damage. Therefore, the availability of suitable emergency protec- important piece of equipment and should
tive equipment that can protect the cargo and rigged up quickly be properly maintained.
should be considered.
FIGURE 46 HATCH PANEL
From a safety and operational point of SAFETY DEVICES SHOULD
ALWAYS BE PROPERLY
For hydraulic power failures, manufacturers will provide emer- view, uncontrolled closing should be
ENGAGED
gency hydraulic packs. In an unplanned failure scenario, setting prevented. Always ensure that the panel
up the system may take some time, but when on board, the crew safety latches or locking systems are structurally sound and pro-
in charge of hatch cover operations should be made familiar with perly engaged when the panels are in an open position.
its use.
Moving parts such as hinges and wheels should be operating
Although it may be necessary to carry out hold cleaning operations freely without abnormal noise, and greasing should be carried out
or repairs in the cargo holds or to hatch covers whilst at sea, with the appropriate grease at the required intervals.
opening the hatch covers whilst on passage is not allowed. If a
problem occurs and if panels cannot be closed in time, both the
ship and crew may be in danger.

FIGURE 47 ALWAYS ENSURE THAT FIGURE 48 MARKING THE GREASING

MOVING PARTS ARE PROPERLY POINTS IS GOOD PRACTICE
GREASED

Remember that for wheeled panel systems, the wheels should

be turning freely when the hatch covers are closed and battened
down. If this is not the case, it means that the panel wheels are
taking up the loads that are acting on the panels (instead of the
bearing pads) with damage to the wheels and bearings or bushings
as a result.
FIGURE 45 EMERGENCY HATCH COVER OPERATION POWER PACK

Most hatch cover systems have dedicated operating systems HATCH PANELS
(e.g. rack and pinion, hydraulic cylinders, roll-up-roll, …) or can be
operated with on-board equipment such as dedicated winches, Whilst hatch cover tightness is
ship’s gantry or cradle cranes. However, pontoon-type hatch often associated with rubber
covers, generally seen on board container vessels, rely on shore packing and drains, it is the
gantry cranes to be lifted away. It should always be checked that hatch top and side plating that
the crane is able to lift the pontoons in question (crane weight and will mainly prevent water from
SWL should be checked) and that the lifting sockets on the panels gaining access to the hold. It
(usually painted in a contrasting colour) are in good structural is therefore crucial to inspect FIGURE 49 ADVANCED CORROSION WILL
AFFECT THE INTEGRITY OF THE PANEL
condition. the hatch covers and hatch PLATING AND STRUCTURE

structure to ensure that the

In the NW Europe-Mediterranean trading area, there are a lot of initial strength requirements are complied with and that both
small vessels (mini-bulkers, coastal vessels, etc.) that are equip- plating and structure scantlings are able to withstand the rigours
ped with stacking-type pontoons operated by the ship’s own hatch of an ocean voyage, including large or standing waves crashing
Cradle or gantry crane. Whilst the panel design is quite simple and onto the deck and hatch covers.

20
 Painting hatch covers is not
COAMING PLATING
merely a cosmetic issue, Just like the panel plating the hatch coaming plating, which sur-
but necessary because rounds the hatchway, prevents the entry of water and as such its
hatch covers are exposed structural condition is important.
to abrasive cargo, sea- and
rainwater and physical Whenever cargo has suffered wetting damage, large rusty streaks
damage during cargo ope- on the coaming plating may be the first indicator that water has
rations. Unprotected steel entered the ship’s holds.
FIGURE 50 CRACK IN PANEL GIRDER DUE TO
EXCESSIVE STRESSES (COURTESY MACGREGOR) may quickly deteriorate and
succumb due to corrosive action. Cracks and deformations can
be the result of improper maintenance or panel adjustment, worn
bearing pads, overloading or heavy weather damage and should
be identified. In case repairs are necessary, the same should be
brought to the attention of the classification society.

As hatch covers are

used more and more as a
platform for loading cargo
on deck, overloading and
damage as a result from FIGURE 54 RUST STREAKS ON THE HATCH COAMING PLATING AS A RESULT FROM WATER
INGRESS
improper load spreading
should also be considered. From a structural point of view, the hatch coaming is welded to the
If stevedores damage the deck and as such is part of the ship’s structure. The coaming is also
FIGURE 51 SHOWING DEFORMED HATCH COVER
PLATING AS A RESULT FROM LOADING HEAVY hatch covers during loading, home to the many hatch cover-related parts such as the wheel
CARGO WITHOUT PROPER LOAD SPREADING
ARRANGEMENTS protest letters should be track, bearing pads, locators, cleats, and so on.
drafted and proper repairs should be carried out as necessary in
order to ensure that the hatch covers are fit for duty before sailing With many of these essential
from the port in question. parts being load-bearing, the
structural integrity of the
Doubler repairs, often seen coaming plating and coaming
as a remedy for holes and table needs to be inspected at
cracks in the panel top regular intervals. FIGURE 55 ADVANCED CORROSION TO
COAMING TABLE
plating, should never be
considered as a substitute The hatch coaming stays have a double function in that they add to
for proper and permanent the rigidity of the coaming plating and transfer the loads acting on
FIGURE 52 DOUBLERS WELDED ON TOP OF THE repair. Also, the assistance the panels into the deck structure. Stays should be inspected for
HATCH TOP PLATING
of classification society cracks and deformations as well. Cracks found in the toes of the
should be called in as improper repair methods (especially with brackets are often an indication of excessive stresses that can be
regard to welding and heat treatment) may cause significant and related to a design issue (improper tapering of the bracket). Even
sometimes permanent damage to the hatch covers. though it is frequently seen during inspections, crew members
should never try to “redesign” the hatch covers by making repairs
Also welding of stoppers to the coaming without the consent of classification society or the
or D-rings onto the hatch flag state.
top plating for lashing
and securing purposes or
cutting of the same after
discharge of the deck cargo,
should be properly planned

FIGURE 53 PREPARING AND WELDING D-RINGS ON

and carried out by profes-
HATCH TOP PLATING FOR LASHING PURPOSES sionals. FIGURE 56 IMPRESSION OF HATCH COAMING FIGURE 57 SHOWING STARTING CRACK IN
STAYS TOE OF HATCH COAMING BRACKET

21
Ships with large hatches (especially mini-bulkers) like the one
depicted below may suffer from coaming deflection and some
designs incorporate the use of a kingbeam to avoid inward or
outward bending of the coaming as a result from draft changes or
ice pressure. Without a kingbeam, coaming deflection may prevent
the opening or closing of the hatch covers.

Just like the panel plating, the coaming plating, which surrounds
the hatchway, prevents the entry of water and as such, its
structural condition is important.

FIGURE 58 SHOWING A KINGBEAM, USED TO PREVENT COAMING DEFLECTION

INSPECTION & MAINTENANCE:

PROVING DUE DILIGENCE
To sail from A to B, propulsion and power-generating machinery During installation and prior to commissioning, it should be
is important. However, in order to make a profit from transporting verified that all clearances and tolerances are in line with the
goods by sea, hatch covers are necessary for the safety of the ship hatch cover manual and drawings, a copy of which should be left
and crew as well as for keeping the cargo dry so that it arrives at its on board. Finally, it is also recommended to include ultrasonic
destination in good condition. hatch cover testing in the building contract, as this will be the best
method to verify that the sealing arrangements are in order prior
Whilst the main and auxiliary engines in most cases receive the to taking delivery of the ship.
attention and maintenance they deserve, hatch cover maintenance
is often overlooked. Also, engine maintenance will generally be Right from the start of the ship’s in-service life, it is recommended
done using the manufacturer’s guidelines, recommendations and to include hatch cover maintenance in the ships PMS and to work
spare parts, whilst hatch cover maintenance will, in many cases, out the necessary hatch cover-specific checklists. Best practice
be limited to the minimum that is necessary, with the cheapest would be to link repairs to spare part management as well. Doing
possible spare parts and very often without proper guidance, as so will have the benefit that any arrears on hatch cover mainte-
the manual and drawings may have been lost over time. nance will clearly show up so that proper action can be taken to
avoid items from becoming overdue.
With a view to proper inspection and maintenance during the
in-service life of the ship, it is important that hatch covers are Those in charge of hatch cover operations, their maintenance and
designed with great care, in line with the ship’s trading pattern inspection should be familiar with the ship’s hatch cover system
requirements and with the owner’s desired data in mind. Then it and both general as well as hatch cover-specific training is worth
should be verified that the hatch covers are installed in a proper considering. In many cases, hatch cover training is not part of the
manner, so supervision by a knowledgeable person during the curriculum offered by maritime training centres and as such,
building process is necessary as well. training will have to be obtained from other (external) sources.
While the most economical way to carry out maintenance and

22
repairs during the in-service life of the ship would be to use the test due to over-compressed packing rubbers. In such cases, the
ship’s crew, this approach should be considered with some caution. crew will generally be ordered to replace the packing rubber to
Whilst day-to-day maintenance and small repairs can indeed be restore the sealing so that it looks like new again. However, as
carried out by the ship’s crew (provided they are properly instruc- over-compression is generally the result of wear from steel-to-
ted and trained), some parts that require enhanced maintenance steel contact, the root cause, which is bearing pad wear, will not
and more delicate repairs like adjustment and alignment, should be addressed. Whilst money is saved by carrying out the repairs
be done by specialists. Whilst this may seem expensive, this by the ship’s crew and subsequent passing of the ultrasonic test,
approach will allow things to be done right first time and in time. the result of this repair will be that in a very short period the newly
Experience has shown that when crew members try to tackle the fitted packing rubber will be over-compressed again.
more specialist issues, the outcome of their efforts (often under
stress in view of upcoming cargo operation deadlines) might not Normally, a qualified surveyor and ultrasonic operator should
meet expectations and more time will be needed by experts to identify the fact that, when the test is passed after the above
get things right again. Another advantage of involving specialists rubber renewal repairs have been carried out, the steel-to-steel
is that when a claim should be filed, it can be shown contact is still lacking and he should therefore fail the
that no shortcuts were taken and that due diligence test on this basis. However, in most cases this will not
”Things to be
was exercised by calling in advice and assistance be done and in general, once the ultrasonic test is pas-
from experts.
done right sed, the false belief that all is in order will prevail.
first time
Whilst well-maintained hatch covers will normally What can make things even worse is that the crew, in
and in time.”
pass an ultrasonic test without problems, reality order to pull the panels further down in an attempt
shows that approximately 75% of the ships tested do to achieve steel-to-steel contact, will overtighten
not pass an ultrasonic test the first time. In approximately 50% of the cleats and make the system too rigid so that the chance of
cases, the reasons for leakage can be attributed to maintenance structural damage to coaming, panels and cleats as well as loss of
issues that can be resolved quickly whilst the remainder of the weathertightness during the upcoming voyage is inevitable, with
ships tested have more serious problems for which specialist huge costs and claims as a result.
assistance is recommended.
Furthermore, the temporary repairs will not always be successful,
As passing an ultrasonic test is often a prerequisite for starting and with deadlines for cargo operations becoming an issue, the
loading or being taken on-hire, and with many ships failing the first last resort may be to apply abundant quantities of Vaseline or
test, the ship’s crew will be urged to carry out repairs with the sole grease in order to block the passage of ultrasound and pass the
purpose of passing the ultrasonic test as quickly as possible. test anyway. Whilst this may help a little in passing the ultrasonic
test (but certainly not in all cases and definitely not for areas with
This is generally the moment whereby quick and temporary repairs more significant lack of compression), this gives a false sense
are carried out and where everyone is relieved when the test is of security as the Vaseline will damage the rubber (see “Packing
passed. Unfortunately, and despite efforts made by the crew (usu- rubbers”) and will be washed off when in heavy weather whilst at
ally under pressure, during night-time and with limited spare parts sea, leaving the sealing system open to the passage of water with
and equipment being available) these repairs are generally poorly expensive claims as a result.
executed and in most cases not of such a quality that the hatch
covers will remain weathertight during the forthcoming voyage Finally, it is not unusual that, in cases of persistent leakage and
and certainly not for several months afterwards. after several attempts to pass the test, sealants, such as RAM-
NEK tape and expansion foam, will be applied by the ship prior to
Moreover, root cause analysis is rarely conducted and therefore sailing. These sealants may not always be as effective as hoped,
repairs are often more focused on cosmetics rather than on and in case a claim for wetting damage would be filed against the
making the hatch covers weathertight.¨A typical example of such ship, the application of such sealants will be considered as evi-
a situation would be where the hatch covers fail an ultrasonic dence that the master and crew were aware of the fact that hatch

23
covers were leaking and eventually decided to use sealants rather As hatch covers are designed, made and approved to withstand
than carrying out proper repairs prior to going to sea. heavy weather (without using sealants), they will not leak under
“normal” heavy weather. Therefore, if hatch covers are in good
condition and well maintained, and if goods are found to be
wet-damaged upon arrival at the discharge port, this would auto-
matically mean that the ship encountered exceptional weather
conditions (causing relative movements that are beyond the pack-
ing rubber’s design compression) whilst en-route. Whenever it can
be proven that hatch covers are in order and that the ship ran into
extreme heavy weather, cargo interests will have no other option
than to accept that the damage sustained by the cargo is the result
FIGURE 59 SHOWING RAM-NEK TAPE FIGURE 60 EXPANSION FOAM USED IN WAY
APPLIED TO THE HATCH COVERS IN WAY OF THE HATCH COVER PANEL PERIMETER of force majeure and pay for the loss incurred.
OF THE CROSS JOINTS

There are cases where, as a standard rule, charterers or shippers Under the Hague Visby rules, it is the owners and master’s obliga-
ask the master to apply RAM-NEK as extra precaution. This is not tion to exercise due diligence, which means that all possible and
an unreasonable request and most masters will do so in order not reasonable steps have been taken in preparing the ship for sea. In
to jeopardize the relation and cooperation with the charterers. simple terms, this would mean that the master or officer in charge
However, in case the cargo would become wet damaged, claimants should inspect the hatch covers to check that there are no obvious
will generally consider the use of sealants as prima facie evidence and visible defects or damages and that, if anomalies were to be
that hatch cover weathertightness was compromised at the out- found, they are repaired in a proper way before the commence-
set of the voyage and that the master and owners failed to provide ment of the voyage.
a sea- and cargoworthy ship.
As proper maintenance is crucial, and In order to set up a mainte-
Generally, owners or masters might say that the sealants were nance strategy, it may be handy to divide the hatch cover’s critical
applied as “extra security”, but this can only be accepted on con- components into four categories as follows:
dition that the hatch covers successfully pass a thorough visual
inspection and a tightness test which, in most cases, will be very • Bearing pads/stoppers/locators
difficult if not impossible. • Sealing & drainage
• Mechanical items (parts used to move the panels, wheels,
Therefore, masters should be aware that applying sealants wheel tracks, hinges, chains, etc.)
should only be done on condition that the hatch covers are in good • Hydraulics (piping, pack, valves, cylinders, controls, motors)
condition and are proven to be weathertight. Having hatch covers
inspected and tested by a third party and making a proper entry From a practical point of view, it should be considered that not all
in the logbook before sealants are applied will help the master to of the above items can be maintained during one drydock and as
prove that the sealants were indeed used as extra security only. such it is up to the owners, master and superintendent to decide
what can reasonably be done by the ship’s crew and what needs
Finally, it should not be overlooked that sealants will have to be done by a specialist company (in drydock) so that upon
to be removed once the voyage is completed, which is often renewal of the class and load line certificate (every five years), all
a time-consuming exercise. Removing the RAM-NEK tape or the required items have received a thorough inspection and that
expansion foam from the vessel’s hatch covers might even cause repairs have been carried out as necessary.
damage to panel coating, which will then need reconditioning.
Also, and when not properly removed it may prevent proper clo- In the unfortunate event that a claim were to be filed against
sing of the hatches afterwards. the ship, and in order to help the P&I providers and legal people
to defend the owner’s interests, it will be up to the master and
owners to prove that they have done whatever is necessary in

24
order to make the hatch covers weathertight. This can be done by Of course, and when appropriate, a sea protest should also be
providing relevant documents such as: prepared, and a local P&I correspondent should be called in to
assist the ship’s staff with further survey and test requirements
• Work schedules (including compiling of evidence).
• Maintenance logs & test reports
• Work specifications To avoid claim situations, and as already emphasised before, regu-
• Accounts lar inspection and proper maintenance of the hatch covers will
• Standing instructions avoid such problems and allow for trouble-free trading. Ultima-
• Reports and correspondence tely, and when a claim is filed against the ship, the costs associated
• Logbook entries with damaged cargo and claims handling, delays and emergency
• Hatch patentee manual repairs may nullify any profit from many months of successful and
• Holding valid (relevant) certificates claim-free trading. Therefore, whenever it might be tempting to
• Evidence of planning voyage & weather reports carry out hatch cover repairs quickly with cheap alternative spare
• Proof of operating the ship in a good/seamanlike manner parts by unqualified people, it should always be remembered that
during the voyage (C/C, RPM, etc.) “the bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of
low price is forgotten”

TESTING
With regards to hatch cover testing, the ICLL (Reg. 16.4 – “Means have ultrasonic test equipment on board and as such independent
for Securing Weathertightness”) states: surveyors (who are qualified and certified and use classification
“The arrangements shall ensure that the tightness can be maintai- society-type approved equipment) are appointed to carry out an
ned in any sea conditions, and for this purpose tests for tightness ultrasonic test.
shall be required at the initial survey, and may be required at
periodical surveys and at annual inspections or at more frequent Unfortunately, most instructions for testing (ultrasonic or hose
intervals”. test) only require carrying out a tightness test on the hatch covers,
which is not correct. By carrying out a test, the surveyor is only
Apart from the statutory requirement for tightness, aimed at safe- able to test the sealing system. Although this is very important,
guarding the ship and crew, weathertightness of hatch covers is the test will only reflect that at the moment of the test no leaky
also important for the cargo itself as well as cargo interests. This areas (i.e. water infiltration or areas where readings > 10% OHV are
is proven by the fact that many shippers or charterers will require measured) were found. Whilst passing an ultrasonic or hose test is
(and even state in the charter party), that hatch covers must be a good sign, the conclusion that hatch covers are weathertight can
tested prior to commencement of loading operations and that the only be made when the other critical parts as mentioned in this
ship can be rejected in case test results are not satisfactory. brochure have been visually inspected, checked and found to be in
order. Only when this is the case can it be concluded that the hatch
There are different methods for testing tightness (e.g. light covers are tight, and that tightness will be maintained during the
infiltration, chalk/grease test (for normal or sliding-type rubbers), forthcoming voyage. Saying that hatch covers are weathertight,
smoke test, pressure decay) but hose testing and ultrasonic tight- that loading operations can start or the vessel taken on-hire when
ness tests are the most used and appropriate tests for checking no leaks are found during a hose or ultrasonic test alone would be
the weathertight integrity of hatch covers. dangerous and might well lead to cargo claims.
Whilst hose tests can be carried out by the ship’s crew, not all ships

25
FIGURE 61 THE ABOVE GRAPHS SHOW THAT ALMOST 50% OF THE 170 SHIPS INSPECTED OVER A THREE-MONTH PERIOD HAD SERIOUS HATCH COVER-RELATED PROBLEMS THAT WOULD
AFFECT WEATHERTIGHTNESS.

HOSE TESTS of the water that accumulates in the drainage channel will be
When carrying out hose tests for class and statutory purposes, spilled over the drainage channel rim and fall on the cargo stowed
it is necessary to check compliance with the ICLL criteria which underneath, causing a claim for wetting damage.
require that in any sea condition, water will not enter into the hold
and that, at any stage of the voyage, the load line mark will not be Typically this would happen in heavy weather and in cases where
exceeded. the packing rubber compression is not sufficient to compensate
for the serious distortions caused by the relative movements and/
This is the reason why classification society surveyors will carry or when the mean compression force of the packing rubber is such
out a test with two people, i.e. one surveyor on deck to ensure that that a rapid response to those relative movements is delayed. In
the test is carried out correctly, and another surveyor who is in the such a situation, and for rather short periods, there would be a gap
hold to check that no water enters the hold. When considering the between the compression bar and packing rubber (as there would
three safety barriers of a weathertight hatch cover system, we be no contact or compression any more) so that water can pass
know that when water enters the hold during the hose test in port, through the sealing arrangements and accumulate in the drain from
there is a problem with the sealing arrangement (lack of contact where it will be evacuated out on deck. Also, minor damages to the
that allows water to pass) and that water ingress is so significant sealing arrangements, such as gaps or missing sections of rubber,
that it can no longer be contained by the drainage channel, which could cause similar problems. The amount of water that would
is the last safety barrier to water entry in the hold. If hatch covers enter the hold in this way (i.e. by spillage over the drainage channel
leak whilst in port, they will certainly leak when at sea when the rim) is such that it will not put the safety of the ship and crew at
ship is in a dynamic condition. So water leakage into the hold during risk but it might be sufficient to generate a serious cargo claim.
a hose test in port indicates a significant safety problem. As this
may put the ship and crew at risk it will not be possible for the Only in cases where the hatch
classification society or Flag state surveyor to issue the load line covers are well maintained and
certificate and proper repairs will have to be carried out in order to extreme heavy weather was
restore weathertightness. encountered, will the wetting
damage be considered as the
Water that passes through the sealing arrangements in extremely result of force majeure, and any
heavy weather conditions will be collected in the drainage channel claims for cargo damage would
and evacuated through the drainpipe and drain valve. then be compensated by the
However, when the vessel is rolling and pitching in a seaway, part cargo underwriters. FIGURE 62 SHOWING HEAVILY DAMAGED
COILS AS A RESULT FROM WATER INGRESS

26
However, in case water were to enter the hold under normal pressure to build up on top of the packing rubber/compression bar
weather conditions that are likely to be expected when at sea (and interface and in case of leakage, water that passes through a leaky
which do not create extreme deflections), and especially when area would be collected in the drainage channel and be evacuated
investigation would reveal that hatch covers are not well main- out on deck through the drain
tained, the damage sustained will not be considered to have been valve. (Note: perimeter joints
the result of extremely heavy weather, but rather as the result of would still require a water jet
failing to exercise due diligence. This would put the owners in a for testing). Therefore, water
difficult position when trying to defend themselves and playing that is seen leaking out of the
the card of extremely heavy weather. drain valve during a hose test is
an indication of problems in the
FIGURE 64 HOSE TESTING WITHOUT NOZZLE
Whilst physical damage to a sealing system is relatively easy to packing rubber/compression IN ORDER TO FILL UP THE INTERPANEL VOID
SPACE DURING HOSE TESTING OF THE CROSS
detect during a visual inspection (cuts/missing lengths of packing bar interface. JOINTS.
rubber, gouged compression bars, etc.), a lack of compression in
the sealing system is more difficult to observe and may not always As a lot of water is generated
be detected with hose tests. during hose tests, it may not
always be easy to see if water
As long as there is physical contact between the packing rubber is leaking out of the drain;
and the compression bar, the physical barrier that is created will therefore, it is recommended
prevent water from passing through. However, areas with light that a plastic bag is placed at
FIGURE 65 WATER COLLECTED IN PLASTIC
contact may, even with small relative movements, open up on the discharge end of the drain BAG ATTACHED TO DRAIN VALVE DURING
HOSE TEST
passage and allow water entry with consequent damage to the valve. This bag will, in case of
cargo as a result. leakage, fill up with water and
provide evidence that there
Another issue to keep in mind is that a jet of water generated by a is a problem with the sealing
fire hose that is equipped with a nozzle may actually prevent the arrangements.
testing water from reaching the rubber/compression bar interface
at the cross joints. This is because the space left between the top However, as already stated
plating of the adjacent hatch panels is very small and will cause above, lack of compression FIGURE 66 WATER LEAKING FROM DRAIN
VALVE DURING HOSE TEST
the jet of water to break apart on top of the panels instead of ente- may not be easy to detect with
ring the interpanel void space where the cross join sealing system a hose test. In this context it should be understood that when
is located. In such a case, the there is lack of compression in the sealing arrangement, the seal
absence of water in the hold in question will open up prematurely and will already allow water
would not be an indication that entry during more clement weather conditions.
the sealing arrangements are
in order, but merely the result As heavy weather conditions are encountered frequently when
of lack of water and hydrosta- at sea, the risk exposure for wetting damage to cargo is higher in
tic pressure acting on the seal cases where the hatch cover packing rubber compression force is
FIGURE 63 WATER BREAKING APART ON THE
during the test. HATCH TOP PLATING DURING HOSE TESTING impaired (more chance of it opening up), which would increase the
OF THE CROSS JOINTS.
claim potential significantly. In view of the above, hose tests may
An improved testing method when carrying out hose tests with a not be the ideal testing method to ensure that the hatch cover’s
view to assessing the integrity of a weathertight system (espe- sealing system is fit for service, especially when considering cargo
cially when delicate cargo is to be loaded) would be to close the safety, as hose tests do not provide information on the packing
panel’s side guttering and fill up the cross joint interpanel void rubber compression. When it comes to checking sealing systems
spaces with water (with a fire hose without a nozzle and thus for compression, ultrasound testing may provide additional infor-
without applying a high pressure jet). This will allow hydrostatic mation and evidence.

27
FIGURE 67 ULTRASONIC TRANSMITTER POSITIONED IN THE FIGURE 68 ULTRASONIC TEST IN WAY OF THE CROSS JOINTS FIGURE 69 ULTRASONIC TESTING ALLOWS TO FIND LEAKS
SHIP’S HOLD WITH PINPOINT ACCURACY

ULTRASONIC TESTS sensor, which will generate a small electrical current, resulting in a
It is beyond the scope of this article to provide a scientific contribu- low measurement that is an indication for a small leak.
tion to ultrasound technology, but the basics of ultrasound will, in
simple terms, be explained below. In case of a big leak, a “bundle” or “beam” of ultrasounds will hit
the receiver’s sensor and cause a significant impact and electrical
Ultrasound testing is based on the characteristics of a piezo discharge, resulting in a high measurement that indicates a big
electrical crystal which vibrates when subject to an electrical cur- leak.
rent and which, when squeezed, discharges an electrical current.
Even though ultrasound cannot be heard, a technique called
In the transmitter, which is positioned in the ship’s hold, a piezo “heterodynage” allows to convert an ultrasonic signal into an
electrical crystal is installed which, when subjected to an electri- audible signal. By listening to this audible signal, the operator will
cal current, starts to vibrate (actually, the transmitter contains easily find leaky areas in the sealing system. Furthermore, and
several sensors which all contain piezo electrical crystals). This with ultrasound being high frequency waves, the sound will travel
vibration will create an ultrasonic signal that travels through the in a directional way (like a laser beam) which helps the operator in
hold until it reaches the hatch covers. Being high frequency waves, finding the leaky spot with pin-point accuracy. This would not be
ultrasound signals do not have a good penetrating capacity and possible with a hose test.
as a result they remain stuck in the hold where they will start to
build up a sound pressure. In case there is discontinuity in the In fact, the word “leakage” may not be fully correct and it would
sealing system, and assisted by the sound pressure, ultrasounds be more appropriate to use “lack of compression” instead. This is
will be “pushed” through any opening or gap in the sealing system. because, with ultrasound, we are not only finding areas where
On deck, the operator will be scanning the sealing area with a the packing rubber is physically damaged (gaps, cracks, etc…) and
receiver unit. When ultrasound signals are passing through the which would allow water to penetrate during a hose test, but also
sealing arrangement, they will be picked up by the receiver as they areas where the packing rubber lacks compression and would
cause an impact on the piezo electrical crystal inside the receiver, therefore no longer be able to compensate for relative movements
thereby creating an electrical current that can easily be measured. when the ship is at sea. So actually, and by using ultrasonic testing
As such, it is possible to measure a signal that would normally not equipment for making a test when the ship is in port, and when no
be detected by the human ear. areas with lack of compression are found, we also know that when
the ship will be at sea, the packing rubber will be able to compen-
Following the above logic, a small leaky spot will only allow a small sate for the relative movements and maintain a tight seal, even in
amount of ultrasounds to pass through and “hit” the receiver’s heavy weather.

28
In order to obtain an idea of the importance of a leak, and to decide
if the sealing condition is still acceptable or not, a reference value
should be set. This reference value is found in the form of an “open
hatch value” (OHV), which is the ultrasound signal that is measured
at an open hatch, i.e. a hatch where the hatch covers are open and
which can, therefore, be considered as a “big hole”. The value mea-
sured at the open hatch will be quite significant and represents the
maximum value or biggest measure that one will be able to find
when carrying out a test on a particular hatch (the measurements
recorded during the test will not and cannot normally be more than
the OHV). During the test, the readings obtained will be compared
with this Open Hatch Value. To decide if the hatch cover sealing
condition is still acceptable, the fail/pass criteria for ultrasonic
testing has been set at 10% of the OHV. Whatever is below 10%
means that the compression status of the packing rubber is accep-
table, and readings above 10% indicate that too much compression
has been lost and therefore weathertightness is impaired.

The biggest advantage of ultrasound testing is that the test

results give an indication of the compression status of the packing
rubber. If compression is good, the packing rubber will have suffi-
cient compression force, which means that the rubber packing will
be able to compensate for relative movements/flexible deforma-
tions at the sealing interface and as such provide a tight seal. The
fact that we can identify whether the rubber will perform well at FIGURE 70 TYPICAL EXAMPLE OF AN AUTOMATICALLY GENERATED HATCH TEST REPORT.
RED STARS ON THE SKETCH REPRESENT SPOT LEAKS, WHILE LINEAR LEAKS ARE
sea whilst the ship is still in port provides extra safety. DEPICTED AS RED LINES.

pioneering and developing ultrasound tightness testing of hatch

Other advantages offered by ultrasound tightness testing include: covers. In the early days of ultrasound testing, the perception was
• One-man operation (observe safety!) that many ships passed a hose test but failed an ultrasonic test.
• No pollution risks This made people believe that if hatch covers passed an ultrasonic
• No limitations by temperature/weather test they must be in perfect condition. This perception then started
• Possible during day/night to lead its own life and has led to many principals appointing a
• Pinpoint accuracy surveyor to carry out an ultrasonic test and to advise them if hatch
• Quick & easy to use covers are weathertight and if the ship can start loading or being
• Holds can be loaded/empty taken on-hire, etc.
• Compression measured/fail pass criteria can be set (enhan-
ced safety) However, as seen before, it is impossible to say that hatch covers
• Professional test report can be generated in a few seconds are weathertight on the basis of an ultrasonic test alone. This is
(see photo) because, with ultrasound testing, only the sealing arrangement
• The test is (or should preferably be) carried out by a qualified is tested. Whilst this is indeed a very important part of the hatch
operator so that results can be considered reliable and correct cover arrangement, the sealing arrangement alone does not make
a hatch cover weathertight.
Although ultrasound testing has many advantages, several points
should be observed and considered:
The author has, since the late 1980s, been heavily involved in

29
Weathertightness also depends on the other key parts that are being carried out, they should be able to confirm that the hatch
installed and help the hatch covers and sealing system to be and covers are ready for testing. Evidence such as crooked/misaligned
remain weathertight (and safely secured) during the voyage. The- cleats, improper steel-to-steel contact, misaligned or mismat-
refore, the condition of these key parts also needs to be assessed ching panels and so on are indicators that the panels may not be
and this can only be done by means of a visual inspection. This is properly closed and battened down, which might result in a lack of
also clearly explained in the DNV 403 ultrasonic tightness testing compression and affect the test results.
procedure which states that, in case measurements taken during
an ultrasound test are < 10% OHV, the hatch covers can only be Operators should also be aware of the effects of snow, grease or
considered to be weathertight “subject to a visual inspection”. So Vaseline on the packing rubbers, effects of over-compression on
in order to advise on whether or not a hatch cover is weathertight, test results, false echoes, etc. to ensure that the readings taken
both tightness test results and visual inspection details should be during the test are correct.
considered.
Once the test is completed, the biggest chal-
Of course, carrying out a visual inspection of lenge is to evaluate the test results and find
”Hatch covers can only
the hatch covers, in addition to an ultrasonic out if the hatch covers are fit for duty. In this
test, will take more time, as will the drafting of be considered weather- context, readers should know that ultrasonic
a test and inspection report with photographs. tight when they pass an tests are carried out to provide information on
Both time pressure and costs result in the fact the possible risk of water ingress (and damage
ultrasonic test as well as
that many principals will only ask an ultrasound to the cargo).
inspection to be carried out, as they are convin- a visual inspection.”
ced that this will be sufficient. This is definitely As such, it is important to understand the
not the case and is dangerous practice. meaning of the readings obtained during the
test (not only the figures) and their impact on the weathertight
Whilst operating ultrasonic test equipment is not difficult, it requi- integrity of the hatch covers and to link this data to the possibility
res some skills and experience to use the equipment in the correct of water ingress and cargo damage during the forthcoming voya-
way. Operators should familiarise themselves with the operation ge(s).
of the equipment and learn how to evaluate measurements obtai-
ned during a test onboard a ship. The most dangerous conclusion that one can make is to say that,
if during an ultrasonic test no measurements more than 10% OHV
Another practical problem is that there are many surveyors and are found, the hatch covers are weathertight and that there is,
inspectors who have an ultrasound testing kit and who are familiar therefore, no risk of water ingress and cargo damage.
with its use, but there are not so many operators who are also able
to carry out a good visual inspection as well. Therefore, it may not As stated earlier, hatch covers can only be considered weather-
always be easy for principals to obtain the necessary and correct tight when they pass an ultrasonic test as well as a visual inspec-
information to evaluate whether the ship’s hatch covers are indeed tion that indicates that all parts that contribute to achieving and
weathertight and will remain so during a voyage. maintaining weathertightness are in good condition.

The fact that the importance of a visual inspection should not be Another example is that many decision-makers will be concerned
underestimated is also made clear by the IACS UR Z17 procedures when they receive a report that indicates some red dots/stars
for service suppliers, which require operators using ultrasound (spot leaks) that are in range of 50% or more of the OHV. On the
equipment for tightness testing of hatch covers to be familiar with other hand, they will feel quite relaxed to see a measurement that
hatch designs, hatch cover operation, maintenance and repairs, etc. is slightly above the 10% OHV fail-pass criteria over a longer length
in a cross joint (because this is just a little over the acceptable
Another reason why operators of ultrasound equipment should value).
have a good understanding of hatch covers is that, prior to the test

30
What is important and necessary to understand in order to come REPORTING
to a correct conclusion is that ultrasound measurements reflect a No job is completed until the paperwork is done. This is also true
certain degree of compression (or lack thereof) and of course, the for hatch cover tests and inspections and in many cases, surveyors
higher the measurement, the more compression has been lost. will be asked to provide a test report which is a time-consuming
However, the real question that needs to be answered is how exercise.
much water will infiltrate the hold as a result of the leaky spot
that is found. In the case of spot leaks with a high value, water To help the surveyor with this difficult task it may be useful to
can indeed infiltrate, but the overall amount that will infiltrate is know that free software that generates a professional test report
most likely not so much that it cannot be safely evacuated by the quickly and easily is available. Moreover, it is now also possible to
drainage system. However, in the case of the leaky cross joint, the create comprehensive hatch cover test reports and share them
main issue is that even a reading that is slightly above the fail pass with principals in real time by using Apps
criteria indicates that there is lack of compression in the sealing
arrangement over a longer length. This is generally a more dang-
erous situation as the readings in this case indicate that there is
loss of compression over several metres, and this means that the
seal will open up prematurely (i.e. during more clement weather
conditions where distortions between the panels and the panel/
coaming are not excessive as would be the case in “normal” heavy
weather situations. In case a cross joint opens up over a longer FIGURE 71 SHOWING THE FREE SDT SHERLOG REPORTER APP.
length, the amount of water that can infiltrate will be significant HTTPS://WWW.SDTULTRASOUND.COM/SHERLOGREPORTER

and this will normally be more than can be safely accommodated

by the drainage channel. As a result, a more significant amount of Using the right testing tools and appropriate software is impor-
water will be spilled over the inboard drainage channel rim which tant, as it facilitates the reporting work, enables professional
will cause wetting damage to the cargo. reports to be provided quickly and easily, helps readers in visu-
alizing and understanding the test results and make the correct
The above example makes it clear that a few spot leaks with high decisions.
values might not always present a big risk or result in a significant
claim; therefore, it may well be that from an ingress and claim Also, for ship owners and managers, it may be important to
potential point of view there is no need to overreact or panic. After use these software tools as it would allow them to document
all, and as long as the water can reasonably safely be evacuated by inspections and tests made by the crew (even when no ultrasonic
means of the drainage system, there is no risk of being non-com- equipment is on board) and prove due diligence whenever this is
pliant with the ICLL requirements and the overall risk exposure for should be required.
cargo damage will be remote.

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TRAINING
Hatch cover training is generally not a part of the curriculum OCCUPATIONAL/SAFETY TRAINING
offered by the maritime training centres. Furthermore, with hatch
cover maintenance often being reduced to the bare minimum, Year-on-year accidents and injuries related to hatch cover opera-
missing manuals and poor practices not being recognised, there tions are reported, often with loss of life or limb.
is a risk that poor practices will start to lead their own life and for Chapter 16 of the CSWP (2015 edition) addresses a wide variety
wrong practices being considered standard. of hatch cover-related issues and in Ch. 16.2.8 it is stated that “All
personnel involved with the handling and/or operation of hatch
With hatch covers being heavy pieces of moving equipment that covers should be properly instructed in their handling and opera-
are mechanically operated (with high pressure equipment) and tion. All stages of opening or closing hatches should be supervised
having the potential to cause injury, pollution and cargo damage, by a responsible person”. In practice, however, it is often seen that
hatch cover training should be considered and promoted. no proper hatch cover familiarisation programme is available on
board.
In view of the risks involved, one would expect to see relevant pro-
cedures in the ship’s SMS, but in practice this is rarely the case and For people involved in hatch cover operation, not only should a
owners/managers should be encouraged to include procedures general familiarisation training be given, but also hatch cover-spe-
about key hatch cover operations in their SMS. cific training that highlights the specific risks related to the hatch
type installed on board. Depending on the prevailing conditions,
Basically, we can divide hatch cover training into three categories: carrying out a risk assessment that takes specific risks into consi-
occupational training, operational training and inspection training. deration when different operations are carried out simultaneously
in the proximity of the hatch covers might even be considered.
For crew on board, a further distinction can be made in terms
of general familiarisation training and a hatch cover- specific Training should not only be focused on good practice for the crew,
training. but should also highlight dangerous practices by stevedores,
servicing staff, visitors, etc.

Bad and dangerous practices (sitting/walking on coaming, putting

hands on trackways, etc.). Crew members should be familiarised
with hatch covers, their operation and safety issues

FIGURE 72 SHOWING BAD AND DANGEROUS PRACTICES (SITTING/WALKING ON COAMING, PUTTING HAND ON TRACKWAY,.) CREW SHOULD BE PROPERLY FAMI-
LIARIZED WITH HATCH COVERS, THEIR OPERATION AND SAFETY ISSUES

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OPERATIONAL TRAINING influence on safe and efficient hatch cover operation (such as
During the commissioning process, it is not uncommon for hatch loaded draft, whether the vessel will be trading high density
cover manufacturers to provide the crew on board at that time cargo or light cargo, etc.), so that possible difficulties or problems
with information and training about the correct use of the hatch related to hatch cover operations can already be identified and
cover system. However, due to crew rotation, this useful and prac- tackled in the design stage. If deemed necessary, calling in the
tical info gets fragmented and lost over time and things will start advice of external experts might be of help in identifying specific
to take on their own lives very quickly. trade/hatch type-related details that might assist manufacturers
in designing hatch cover systems and arrangements that meet the
Apart from the dangers linked to this situation, erroneous opera- expectations of the client and are in line with applicable rules and
tion is often the basis for problems, claims and warranty disputes. regulations.

To avoid the above problems, and even if a manual is available, it INSPECTION TRAINING
may be worthwhile recording additional useful information rela- On board, there will be teams assigned to the operation of the
ted to the correct and safe operation of hatch covers. hatch covers whilst others will be in charge of the inspection
of the hatch covers. Most probably the C/O will be in charge of
Not only are the correct opening and closing procedures impor- hatch cover inspections, but they might decide to delegate this
tant, but also the conditions under which the hatch covers can be task to the second or third officer after proper familiarisation and
operated should be well known. There are operational limitations hatch-specific training.
that pertain to specific ship conditions, such as trim, heel, trans-
versal and longitudinal coaming deflection, that can be found in To ensure that onboard inspections are correctly carried out and
the manuals of reputable manufacturers. can support servicing teams in case repairs are to be carried out,
necessary and useful information about key parts, clearances and
A typical example of operational conditions is listed below: tolerances, etc. should be available on board.

Maximum operating conditions: Once an inspection is carried out, it is recommended that an entry
• Heel ± 3° is made in this respect in the ship’s logbook. This will allow an
• Bow Trim 0.25° inspection history to build up which is something that can come in
• Aft Trim 1.0° handy when due diligence needs to be demonstrated.

Maximum coaming deflections on weather deck level: For superintendents, port captains and surveyors, more enhanced
Transversally: Longitudinally: training should be considered. Such training should not only deal
• Inwards 2 x 25 mm • Warping over the ship’s breadth 40 mm with the obvious mishaps, but should provide a more profound
• Outwards 2 x 15 mm • Hogging/sagging 0.6 mm/m understanding of hatch cover problems, inspections and planning
for drydock, repairs, discussing repairs with shipyards, etc. such
Failure to observe these limitations whilst working out the advanced courses are organised by the IMCS Training Academy
loading/discharge plans as well as during the act of loading/ (see “Hatch cover level 2” training course and workshop on www.
discharging (uneven distribution of cargo, ballasting operations imcs-training.eu).
and effects of squat on river berths) might cause hatch covers to
derail or result in hatch covers not being opened/closed in time. Also, a better understanding of hatch covers and their operation
The OOW/cargo officer should be advised to be vigilant and moni- will allow for proper root cause investigation and contribute to
tor such operational limitations closely. more professional and efficient repairs.

During the design stage, owners should be critical and try to

provide manufacturers with the maximum amount of operational
and trading information which, in their opinion, might have an

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MAIN PROBLEMS FOUND • Installation of backstrip rubber everywhere, even on top of
Experience has revealed that, when testing and inspecting hatch rubber packing
covers, the following typical or frequently seen issues are identi- • Mix of new and old rubber
fied below. • Using old rubber (from shipboard stock and ignoring shelf
life)

Common issues • Use of small pieces and filling-in of gaps

• Insufficient knowledge about hatch covers, not allowing for • Unpainted or lightly painted rubber channel
good inspections and proper, understandable reporting
• Overestimating the capability of the ship’s crew for repairs Mechanical
(maintenance & adjustment) • Abnormal sounds/vibration during operation ignored
• Overlooking the importance of involving class when shipbo- • No greasing, no greasing plan
ard repairs are carried out on hatch covers • Onboard repairs instead of ashore
• Improper/temporary repairs by crew • Ignoring safety issues (heavy and moving equipment)
• Missing manual/drawings
• No on-board instructions for maintenance Hydraulic
• No maintenance files on board (PMS) • Cleaning filter instead of changing
• Hatch covers not included in SMS • Improper filtering
• No understanding of due diligence principle/issues • Closed covers without pump
• Changing of pipes without flushing

Weather tightness • Valve positions during voyage

• Ignoring discard/replacement criteria (over-compression) • Ignoring leaks & pollution risk
• Replace rubber and not fix the pads • Ignoring high pressure risk

CONCLUSIONS
Improperly maintained or wrongly operated hatch covers are Remember, if you take care of your hatch covers, your hatch covers
vehicles for disasters and will have an will take care of you!
impact on the successful outcome of the voyage.
The author wishes all readers fair winds and smooth seas and
Whist taking care of hatch covers should not be difficult, it is often hopes that the information disclosed will help all involved with
the case that hatch cover maintenance is neglected and that hatch hatch covers in the execution of their day-to-day work.
covers do not get the attention they deserve.

With this publication, we have tried to highlight the most impor-

tant and practical hatch cover-related issues so that anyone invol-
ved in hatch cover work will be able to recognise the challenges of
hatch cover maintenance and operation.

34
IMCS GROUP OF COMPANIES The Author

The history of the IMCS Group of Companies goes back to 1990 After leaving the sea in 1988, Walter
when IMCS-Belgium was founded in Antwerp. From 1993, IMCS Vervloesem (FNI) redirected his career
branch offices were set up in strategic locations throughout and became a marine surveyor and
Europe and in the Baltic and Black Sea areas. consultant. He joined IMCS Belgium in
1995, and became Chairman of the IMCS
In 2001, under the Chairmanship of Walter Vervloesem (FNI), the Group in 2001. He pioneered the use of
“IMCS Group of Companies” was set-up with a view to strengthe- ultrasonic tightness testing back in the
ning ties between the different IMCS entities, streamlining survey late eighties and early nineties, and is the
and reporting standards, and enhancing professionalism through training instructor for the SDT-IMCS worldwide training program
an in-house quality system, training programs, seminars and for operators using ultrasonic tightness testing equipment for
Group meetings. testing the weathertight integrity of hatch covers. In 2011, he foun-
ded the IMCS Training Academy. Walter is the author of several
After 2005, further expansion included representation in overseas major reference works published by the Nautical Institute, such
areas such as China and Brazil and in 2016, offices in Chile and India as “The Ship Survey and Audit Companion” (2000), “Hatch Covers
were set-up. Inspections” (2004), “Mooring and Anchoring Ships” (2009) and
has contributed to many books and articles for leading maritime
The worldwide IMCS Group network presently comprises 20 organisations.
offices, and our surveyors carry out 5000+ surveys per year. More
than 1000 hatch cover and cargo worthiness surveys (part of
which are within the scope of dedicated ship inspection programs)
are carried out annually by a team of highly trained surveyors.

The recent economic downturn brought several challenges, which

were turned into opportunities by recognising our principal’s
needs and working out tailor-made solutions, developing dedi- IMCS Belgium
cated ship vetting platforms and setting-up the IMCS Training Noorderlaan 79 – bus 6
Academy as well as by embracing modern techniques such as 3D 2030 Antwerp, Belgium
scanning and the use of drones. Tel: +32 3 4582930
Mob: +32 475 46 81 63
Throughout the years, IMCS has worked hard to make quality its e-mail: [email protected]
hallmark, and significant efforts are made every day to ensure web: www.imcs-group.com
high standards of performance and customersatisfaction.

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