Hatch Cover Securing and Weathertightness Before Sailing
The vessel is loading bagged cement at a river berth. On No. 2 tween-deck hatch, the carpenter reports that four of the twelve steel securing cleats have wasted hinge pins and will not pull down evenly. Rather than renew the cleats, he proposes to drive hardwood wedges between the coaming and the cover edge, renew the 300 mm hardwood battens on the cover top, and cover the whole hatch with a new tarpaulin painted with bitumen. In the same area the drainage channel around the coaming is packed with cement dust, and the rubber gasket has a 400 mm split at the aft starboard corner. The vessel holds a Load Line Certificate and port state control is expected within the week; the terminal wants the hatch closed and the ship to sail on the evening tide.
1. Assess whether the proposed work restores weathertight integrity and whether the ship can sail as planned. Explain what weathertight requires here.
Read the worked answer
The proposal does not restore weathertight integrity, and the ship should not sail on that basis.
- Weathertight means the hatch cover prevents water from entering the cargo space in any sea condition up to the assigned freeboard and expected weather. It is achieved by a continuous gasket compressed evenly by the approved securing arrangement against a sound coaming, with drains clear. It is not achieved by a tarpaulin laid over the top.
- Hardwood wedges are not an approved cleat. They apply point loads, work loose, cannot be tightened to a known compression and are not part of the approved securing arrangement. Altering that arrangement without approval affects the Load Line assignment.
- Four wasted cleats and a 400 mm gasket split mean the cover cannot be pulled down evenly; water will enter at the aft starboard corner.
- Blocked drainage channels allow water to stand against the gasket and eventually overflow into the hold; clearing them is part of weathertightness, not cosmetic work.
- Battens and paint protect the cover top but have no effect on the seal.
The vessel should not sail until the cleats are renewed, the gasket is repaired and the drains are clear, with a satisfactory test recorded.
2. Set out the repair and testing sequence you would insist on, including records.
Read the worked answer
- Clear the drainage channels completely and flush them; confirm they drain freely.
- Inspect the coaming and cover edge for corrosion, distortion and cement build-up. Any wasted coaming must be dealt with before a new gasket can seal.
- Renew the four cleats and their hinge pins with the approved pattern, and check all twelve cleats operate and pull down evenly.
- Renew the gasket in accordance with the manufacturer's method. A 400 mm split at a corner should be repaired by replacing that section or the full gasket, with a properly bonded or vulcanised joint - not a butt joint held with adhesive tape.
- Close and secure the hatch, then test: a hose test at the pressure required by the classification society, or an ultrasonic tightness test, with particular attention to the aft starboard corner and the drain area.
- Have the classification surveyor attend and record the repair and test. Enter the work in the hatch cover maintenance file, note it in the deck log, and retain the test record with the Load Line Certificate documentation.
3. What is the carpenter's authority boundary here - what should he refuse to do, and to whom should he refer?
Read the worked answer
The carpenter may prepare surfaces, clear drains, renew battens, measure and report, and carry out repairs that follow the approved drawings. He should refuse to:
- alter or substitute the approved hatch cover securing arrangement, including replacing steel cleats with wedges;
- declare a hatch weathertight, or sign any document to that effect;
- fit a tarpaulin as a substitute for a gasketed steel cover seal and treat the hatch as closed.
These are matters for the chief officer, the superintendent and the classification surveyor. The carpenter's proper action is to report the condition in writing, including the four wasted pins and the gasket split, recommend renewal of the cleats and gasket, and ask for the surveyor to attend before the vessel sails. If he is pressured to close the hatch with wedges and a tarpaulin, he should escalate to the master and record his objection. On a load-line ship, unauthorised changes to hatch securing can invalidate the basis of the Load Line Certificate and are not a carpentry judgement call.