Ship Types & Cargo — Most Asked Questions
48 questions asked about ship types & cargo across the General and Fn 3 and Fn 4b papers, heaviest first. 1 of them are must-master.
Learn the system first
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1 Type of ship?
Also asked: “what type of ship sailed?”
Answer
Ships are classed by cargo: the three big groups are container ships, bulk carriers and tankers, subdivided into oil, gas, chemical and product tankers, plus passenger, ro-ro and offshore types.
- Three main categories: container ships, bulk carriers (grain, ore) and tankers, with multi-purpose ships covering mixed trades.
- Tanker subdivisions: oil, gas carriers built for LPG/LNG/liquefied chemical gases in bulk, chemical and product carriers, plus juice, wine and integrated-tug-barge types.
- Dry side: container, bulk carrier, passenger, ro-ro and offshore ships, each with its own structural subdivision.
- Say it as: what she carries decides her subdivision, midship section, freeboard and fire protection — type first, details after.
Surveyor follow-up: what makes a gas carrier different from an oil tanker in construction?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
2 Igc code n igf code.?
Also asked: “Tell me about igc code”
Answer
IGC is for ships carrying gas as cargo; IGF is for ships burning gas as fuel — one guards the cargo tanks, the other the fuel system.
- IGC covers construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk — tank types, survival capability and separation distances.
- IGF covers ships using low-flashpoint fuels like LNG — bunkering, fuel preparation, double barriers and machinery spaces.
- Chemical practice behind IGC runs through the IBC and BCH codes; gas practice layers IGC over EGC and GC history.
- Say which your ship falls under: gas carrier means IGC, dual-fuel means IGF on top of her own type rules.
Surveyor follow-up: LNG-fuelled bulk carrier — IGC, IGF, or both, and what does each cover on her?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter VII — Carriage of Dangerous Goods & IMDG Code -
3 Types of tankers
Also asked: “Types of oil tankers”, “Types of chemical tanker”, “Types of product tankers”
Answer
Tankers split by cargo: crude and product oil, chemicals, gas, and the specials — each with its own construction and fire rules.
- Oil tankers: Type A for low-flash cargoes like crude and gasoline, Type B for high-flash cargoes like bitumen, diesel and fuel oils.
- Chemical and product carriers move aggressive liquids in coated or stainless tanks with tight stripping and venting.
- Gas carriers move LPG and LNG liquefied in bulk under IGC — pressure, semi-refrigerated or fully refrigerated.
- Specials: Type D flammables beyond Type A danger, plus juice, wine and integrated tug-barge units.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical tanker loading a clean petroleum product — chemical rules, oil rules, or both?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
4 Oil and chemical tanker
Answer
Oil tankers move petroleum in plain steel; chemical tankers move aggressive parcels in coated or stainless tanks with heavier foam cover.
- Oil tanks are plain steel sized for crude and products; chemical tanks add epoxy, polyurethane, zinc-silicate or stainless cladding against corrosion and contamination.
- Chemical foam cover is far heavier: about 2.0 litres per square metre per minute over the deck against 0.6 for oil.
- Chemical venting, stripping and segregation run tighter — incompatible parcels never share boundaries.
- Answer with type first: what she carries decides coating, tank size, venting and fire rules.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical tanker loading clean petroleum — chemical rules, oil rules, or both?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
5 Why single hull tankers are phased out
Answer
One plate between oil and sea sank Erika: IMO brought the phase-out forward and double hulls became the rule.
- Single hulls carry cargo against the shell — one crack from grounding or collision means oil out.
- After Erika polluted the French coast in 1999, IMO accelerated the phase-out from April 2001.
- Pre-MARPOL Category 1 tankers gone by 2005; MARPOL and small tankers Categories 2 and 3 by 2010.
- Since 1993 new tankers of 5,000 deadweight and up sail double-hulled with wing and double-bottom protection.
Surveyor follow-up: single-hull tanker arrives in ballast in 2008 — load her or turn her away, and under what rule?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
6 Type of ship ( container
Also asked: “type of ship(container”, “Type of ship( Container”
Answer
Container ships are cellular box carriers: cell guides below, twistlocks and lashings above, pontoon covers over wide open hatches.
- Fully cellular design with vertical cell guides in the holds slotting each box into its bay-row-tier address.
- Deck stows locked by twistlocks with lashing bridges and rods into the 20- and 40-foot fittings.
- Wide hatches closed by steel pontoon covers dogged weathertight against coaming seals.
- Sizes run feeder to ultra-large: geared ships carry their own cranes, gearless giants work gantry terminals with loadicator control.
Surveyor follow-up: Bay 12 Row 04 Tier 86 — above or below deck, and what holds that box in place?
Full theory: Midship Sections Compared by Type of Ship -
7 Type of ship, company
Also asked: “Company and ship”
Answer
Open with ship and company in one breath: type, trade, owner and your rank — then the plant behind you.
- Ship type and deadweight with the company operating her and the trade she runs.
- Your rank and watch role on board — what you stood, overhauled and signed for.
- Main plant by builder, type and power so the surveyor can aim questions at it.
- One line on cargo system quirks — tanks, hatches or reefers — since the next question comes from it.
Surveyor follow-up: your company runs tankers and bulkers — which rules change when you change ship type?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
8 Bulk carrier water ingress alarm
Also asked: “Water ingress alarms of Cargo Hold”
Answer
Bulk carriers watch every hold, ballast and dry space: two hold levels plus dry-space alarms, aft-end detectors, bridge repeat.
- Each hold alarms at 0.5 m over the inner bottom and again at 15% of hold depth capped at 2 m, detectors at the aft end.
- Ballast and dry spaces carry their own level alarms under the same regulation regardless of build date.
- Audible and visual alarms on the bridge with hold identification — the watch knows which hold first.
- Regulation XII with loading-instrument and stability rules behind it for ships under and over 150 m.
Surveyor follow-up: first alarm in No. 3 with the ship upright — ballast, wash-down or breach, and what do you sound first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
9 Large container ships are mainly fitted with 5 or 6-bladed propellers
Answer
Big container ships run five or six blades to kill vibration and share cavitation: more blades, smoother pressure field.
- Five blades cost most to make but vibrate least with the best rough-sea holding; six blades spread the load further still.
- Blade count is tuned away from hull and machinery resonance — the wheel must not sing with the ship.
- More blades shrink the per-blade load, easing tip and vortex cavitation against wake rotation.
- Four blades эконом fuel on smaller hulls; big fast hulls pay for five or six for comfort and thrust.
Surveyor follow-up: six blades yet vibration at one rpm band — blade count, pitch or resonance, and what proves it?
Full theory: The Propeller — Fixed Pitch, Controllable Pitch and Cavitation -
10 Type of ship (bulk
Also asked: “Type of ship(bulk”, “Type of ship(bulk carrier”
Answer
Bulk carriers are single-deck box carriers with top-side and hopper tanks: grabs, conveyors and cranes load her, hatches define her.
- Single deck with wide hatches, high coamings and pontoon or folding covers over boxy holds.
- Top-side and hopper-side tanks shape the hold for self-trimming andith strength without pillars.
- Geared bulkers carry their own cranes; gearless giants work shore gear at high-rate terminals.
- Types split handy, supra, capesize and mini-bulkers by deadweight, draft and trade.
Surveyor follow-up: geared or gearless for a grab-discharge port with no shore cranes — which one, and why?
Full theory: Midship Sections Compared by Type of Ship -
11 With reference to passenger ship discuss the following basic principles adopted as fire safety measures: (b) Separation of accommodation spaces from the remainder of the ship by thermal and structural boundaries
Answer
Passenger fire safety divides the ship into thermal boxes: accommodation sealed from machinery by rated A and B divisions.
- Prevent first with controlled carpets, linings and furniture that starve ignition.
- Detect and contain fast with alarms, patrols on big passenger ships and fixed systems in the space of origin.
- Separate accommodation by A-60 to machinery and A-0 to B-0 between cabins, with escape routes guarded throughout.
- Evacuation design closes the loop: muster, two-way radios and patrols for ships over 36 passengers.
Surveyor follow-up: cabin-to-machinery bulkhead offered as B-0 — accept it, and what grade does it need?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter II-2 — Fire Protection, Detection & Extinction -
12 As per MARPOL 73/78 Annex I, all the oil tankers of 150 GT and above must have an approved Oil Discharge Monitoring System. The system must have provision to work in manual operating mode if the auto system is not workin
Also asked: “As per MARPOL 73/78 Annex I, all the oil tankers of 150 GT and above must have an approved Oil Discharge Monitoring System. The system must have provision to work in manual operating mode if the auto system is not working”
Answer
Tanker discharge control never goes blind: approved monitoring with auto stop plus a manual mode logged to the minute.
- Fitted on every oil tanker of 150 gross tons and up for cargo-area discharge control.
- Auto mode stops the discharge past the allowed rate; failure stops it too and goes in the book as Code F.
- Manual mode allowed only with logged start, method — 100 ppm or 15 ppm plant — and positions.
- Prove calibration, stop function and record entries before the surveyor asks.
Surveyor follow-up: auto fails mid-discharge with clean effluent — keep pumping manual or stop, and which code?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
13 Bulk carrier regulation
Answer
Bulk carriers answer to Chapter XII: survivability, surveys, hatch strength and water alarms on every hold.
- Extra damage-stability and structure rules for bulkers over 150 m with close-up hatch and hold surveys.
- Water-ingress alarms in every hold with ballast and dry-space alarms behind them.
- Hatch covers, coamings and securing proved weathertight against green seas.
- Loading instrument approved for stability with standard test conditions aboard.
Surveyor follow-up: wasted coaming offered for ballast sailing — which regulation stops her?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
14 Type of Ship (Chemical Tanker
Answer
Chemical tankers are parcel carriers for aggressive liquids: coated or stainless tanks, tight segregation, heavy foam cover.
- Many incompatible cargoes in small segregated tanks with close temperature and pressure control.
- Tanks in coated steel, zinc silicate or stainless cladding against corrosion and contamination.
- IBC Code construction with survival capability, separation and venting per parcel hazard.
- Foam cover far above oil practice with chemical-resistant concentrates matched to the cargo list.
Surveyor follow-up: clean petroleum offered to a chemical tanker — chemical rules, oil rules, or both?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter VII — Carriage of Dangerous Goods & IMDG Code -
15 Hc limit in cargo tank
Answer
Hydrocarbon vapour stays outside explosive range: below 1% lower limit for entry, controlled above 10% upper limit in inerted tanks.
- Lower explosive limit near 1% by volume with air for most petroleum vapours; upper limit near 10%.
- Between the limits the mixture ignites — outside it cannot burn or explode.
- Vapour pressure sets the percentage: low pressure reads below the limit, high pressure climbs inside it.
- Heavy vapours sink into recesses, accommodation and machinery fringes — ventilate low spaces first.
Surveyor follow-up: meter reads 0.5% in a loading tank — enter, ventilate or inert, and why?
Full theory: Deck Foam & Inert Gas (IG) Systems on Tankers -
16 Structural difference between tanker and bulk carrier
Also asked: “Construction difference between oil tanker n bulk carrier”
Answer
Tankers split liquid in longitudinal bulkheads; bulkers carry dry solids between transverse corrugations — liquid-tight versus grab-tough.
- Tankers run double hull with longitudinal framing, deep side webs, cross ties and small subdivided tanks against sloshing.
- Bulkers run single holds with transverse corrugated bulkheads, hopper sides and topside tanks for grabs and self-trimming.
- Double bottoms both longitudinally framed with plate-and-bracket floors, but tanker spacing answers liquid surge.
- Ends converge again: fine pounding structure forward on both, just different cargo behind it.
Surveyor follow-up: point at the midship section and name longitudinal versus transverse members — then say why.
Full theory: Midship Sections Compared by Type of Ship -
17 With reference to oil monitoring of bilge and tanker ballast discharges
Answer
Every oily discharge sails under a monitor: bilges through 15-ppm filtering gear, tanker ballast through recording control that stops itself.
- Bilge and fuel-tank ballast pass separating and filtering plant before any overboard valve opens.
- Tanker cargo-space effluent goes through monitoring-and-control that auto-stops past permitted oil content with a permanent record.
- Clean-ballast discharge stays under the oil-content meter’s eye even where auto-stop is not demanded.
- Prove by record book, recorder trace and auto-stop drill — monitoring unwitnessed is monitoring unfitted.
Surveyor follow-up: recorder flat with discharge running from a tanker cargo tank — monitor, valve or crew first, and what stops now?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex I — Prevention of Pollution by Oil -
18 Boil off rate of lng
Answer
LNG boils off about 0.2% a day: heat leak into the tank makes vapour that must go somewhere useful or be reliquefied.
- Boil-off keeps tank pressure above atmospheric, which is what keeps air out of the cargo.
- Vapour is burned in the engine or boiler, re-liquefied by the recondenser, or passed to a pressure holder.
- A low boil-off rate means good insulation; a rising one means tank or insulation trouble before it becomes cargo loss.
- Quote the rate with its use — “0.2% daily to the engines” is the answer the surveyor wants.
Surveyor follow-up: boil-off doubled this week with the recondenser proved running — insulation, level or cargo condition first?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
19 Code of bulk carrier
Answer
Bulk carriers are steel-hulled dry cargo ships carrying loose cargo in holds, usually forward of the superstructure.
- Type by ice class notation — CSB and equivalent mark protected or unprotected ice class by construction.
- Carries coal, ore, grain and similar loose cargo with hatch covers sized to grab or shiploader discharge.
- SOLAS Chapter XII adds double-side strength, hold water alarms and damage-stability rules on top of construction.
- Name the notation and the trade together — “CSB, ore carrier” beats “big dry ship”.
Surveyor follow-up: ore carrier quoted without ice notation with holds double-skinned — which fact earns the surveyor’s next question?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
20 Difference between passenger ship water tight door and cargo ship water tight door?
Answer
Passenger doors are pressure-tested and power-closed for accommodation; cargo doors are dogged manually and hosed at sea.
- Passenger watertight doors are hydraulically closed with power from emergency supplies and tested to a head of water before fitting.
- Cargo-ship doors are steel, dogged by hand or drop-bolt, and hose-tested at sea rather than pressure-hydraulically proven.
- Passenger doors may be closed from a control point but open locally, with switches both sides and auto-close on release.
- The difference is subdivision duty: passenger ships carry hundreds of people, so doors act as part of the flooding boundary.
Surveyor follow-up: cargo door found dogged open with the sea running aft — drag or detain, and what proves it closed?
Full theory: Ship Bulkheads: Watertight, Corrugated and Fire -
21 Fire in container how u will know
Answer
Container fires announce themselves by smoke, heat and gas: bay detection alarms first, then smoke at vents and holds.
- Smoke and heat detectors in the bay and hold give the first alarm on the panel, with the bay number.
- Smoke or flame seen at container vents, hold hatches or the funnel, with the bay closed down and holds sealed.
- Gas detection and temperature checks confirm the fire inside a closed box before any bay is opened.
- Contain it: close the bay, seal the holds, cool boundaries and prepare the fixed system before flooding anything.
Surveyor follow-up: one bay detector alarming with no smoke seen — seal the bay, investigate inside, or open and look first?
Full theory: Ship Fire Detectors: Heat, Smoke & Flame Types -
22 How much capacity of you container (8500
Answer
Container capacity is quoted in TEU: 8500 TEU is a large feeder-to-Panamax size ship, about 150 000 to 170 000 DWT.
- TEU means twenty-foot equivalent unit, so a 40-foot container counts as two TEU.
- Container ships are classed as capacity or space determined, and their size is generally given in TEU — 1500, 3000, 6000 or 10000.
- Standard boxes are 20 by 8 by 8.5 ft and 40 by 8 by 8.5 ft; a 40 ft box itself weighs about 3.8 tonnes empty.
- Maximum stowage is about 20 tonnes per 20 ft box, but the real stowage rate is nearer 12 tonnes per container.
Surveyor follow-up: 8500 boxes stated on a ship rated 6000 TEU with 40-foot boxes on deck — which number is the capacity?
Full theory: Ship Accommodation, Midship Section & Container Stowage -
23 Inadequate oil supply
Also asked: “Deficiencies in the oil supply”
Answer
Inadequate oil supply is a pressure-and-temperature story: falling pressures, rising metal temperatures, falling oil level.
- Causes run suction air, low sump level, dirty filters, blocked strainers, worn pumps or relief valves passing.
- Symptoms are low pressure alarms, rising bearing and oil temperatures, knocking and increasing oil consumption.
- Reduce load or stop before bearings wipe — a starved bearing fails in minutes, not hours.
- Find it in order: level, suction, filters, pump, clearances — and log pressures against load while hunting.
Surveyor follow-up: pressure low with level full and filters clean on a rolling ship — suction, pump or pressure switch first?
Full theory: Cooling, Lubrication and Fuel — Systems and the Tanks Checked Before Starting -
24 Is annex 2 valid on your ship (no...crude oil tanker
Answer
On a crude oil tanker, Annex II is carried but not applied: only when noxious liquids ride in bulk does it govern.
- Annex I governs the oil tanker’s cargo area; Annex II covers bulk noxious liquids in categories A to D.
- An oil tanker carrying no noxious bulk liquid has Annex II on board but with no applicable carriage.
- Chemical tankers, defined as built or adapted for bulk noxious liquids, run both annexes simultaneously.
- Answer with your ship’s trades, not a yes or no — the surveyor wants which annex bites on which voyage.
Surveyor follow-up: crude tanker with a chemical parcel loaded next voyage — which annex wakes up, and what ship does it become?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex II — Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk -
25 Lifeboat specs for gas carrier
Answer
Gas carriers run fire-protected boats, and free-fall designs prove themselves at certification trim and heel.
- Fire-protected totally enclosed boats with spray cover and air supply, stowed and launched from forward stations.
- Free-fall boats certify at a stated height, ramp length and ramp angle, with survival after entry at trim and list.
- Oil, chemical and gas carriers with heel beyond the stability criterion need survival craft proven for occupants right forward and aft.
- Crew must reach and launch with the boat before the deck is gas — gas protection decides station and procedure.
Surveyor follow-up: free-fall boat certified at a height the ship cannot launch from — compliant, requalified or replaced?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills -
26 Peculiarity in carrying iron ore
Answer
Iron ore is heavy, fine and unforgiving: dust, shifting lumps and dense loading punish the hull, the gear and the lungs.
- High density and small particle size concentrate load on tank tops, so bottom strength and hold stiffening are worked hard.
- Ore shifts and settles in heavy weather, so cargo cranes, holds and access must tolerate a moving body of cargo.
- Ore dust chokes and corrodes equipment, and holds run hot and damp with condensation — a self-heating cargo to watch.
- Loading rate and trim matter: overloading the hold structure and poor distribution cause structural damage the surveyor finds.
Surveyor follow-up: ore carrier with hold-deck indentation and dust everywhere — cargo density, distribution or loading rate first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
27 Permiabilty of tanker and bulk
Answer
Permeability is how full a space fills before floating: tanks and bulk holds take high figures, decks and holds lower.
- Cargo holds on bulk carriers are taken at about 0.60 permeability in ordinary intact-stability work.
- Engine spaces are taken at about 0.85, accommodation at about 0.90, because they flood almost completely.
- Double-bottom and ballast spaces vary with the calculation; the damage case uses the figure that applies to the space.
- Flooded volume drives free-surface loss, list and loss of righting moment — the numbers decide survival, not comfort.
Surveyor follow-up: one hold flood modelled at 0.60 and machinery space at 0.45 with no reason — which figure does the surveyor challenge?
Full theory: Ship Hydrostatics: Buoyancy, Displacement and Trim -
28 Provision to load dangerous cargo present in container
Answer
Dangerous cargo in a container travels on IMDG paper: declared, segregated, placarded, ventilated and inspected.
- Container packed to IMDG rules with the declaration, correct placards on all four sides and the container number.
- Segregate by class and IMDG table away from sources of heat, ignition and incompatible cargoes.
- Ventilate holds and bays, keep detectors and fire cover ready, and forbid hot work near declared dangerous boxes.
- The ship’s Dangerous Goods Declaration lists every container, class and stow position before sailing.
Surveyor follow-up: one container stowed undeclared under a class-mate placard — refuse, restow or sail with the paper fixed?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter VII — Carriage of Dangerous Goods & IMDG Code -
29 Safety arrangements on bulk carrier in cargo holds?
Answer
Holds are entered like enclosed spaces: big hatchways, access ladders, forced ventilation, gas testing and permits.
- Large hatchways give access with companion ladders and removable stanchions fore-and-aft of every hold.
- Ventilate before entry with mechanical fans, then test oxygen and toxic gases — grain holds hold CO and oxygen-poor air.
- Enter under permit with an attendant, lifelines, lighting and rescue gear held at the hatch.
- Hold water-level detectors aft in every hold alarm before a hold quietly floods, not after the ship lists.
Surveyor follow-up: grain hold entered with the ladder lashed shut and no gas test logged — enter, ventilate or refuse first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
30 Ship type(offshore
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31 Special requirements for bulk carrier(solas12
Answer
Chapter XII hardens bulk carriers against hold flooding: strengthened double sides, hold alarms, loading instruments and damage stability.
- Cargo holds and ballast spaces designed to withstand flooding loads with structural allowances for cargo-induced failure.
- Water-level detectors in every cargo hold aft, alarming at 0.5 m and again at 15% of hold depth up to 2 m.
- Loading instruments fitted on shorter modern ships, with software approved for intact-stability calculation.
- Damage stability must keep the margin line dry — the ESP and stability booklet are the surveyor’s evidence.
Surveyor follow-up: one hold alarm dead with ESP thickness reports overdue — repair alarm, load limit or detain first?
Full theory: SOLAS Chapter XII — Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers -
32 Than asked only 1 ship(i said 1st one bulk carrier
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33 Top tank in bulk carrier
Answer
The topside tank is the space between deck and upper stool: ballast and fuel, or a stability-critical void when empty.
- Topside tanks sit outboard of the upper stool with hopper tanks below them along the side shell.
- Used for ballast or fuel oil depending on the design, with sounding and air pipes fitted like any tank.
- Ballast in the topsides controls list and trim on bulk carriers, so tanks are pressed full before departure.
- On the survey drawing, name it between the upper stool and the deck edge, not in the hold or the wing.
Surveyor follow-up: topside tank half full and ship listing to port — fill, transfer or discharge first, and why?
Full theory: Double Bottom Structure and Bottom Framing -
34 Type of cargo pump on chemical tanker
Answer
Chemical tankers run deepwell or submerged pumps inside the tanks: no pump room, no gland leakage, no cargo mixing.
- Submersible pumps sit in the tank with individual drives, which removes the dangerous pumproom entirely.
- Glands and shaft seals in Teflon, with stainless casings and impellers to suit corrosive cargoes.
- One pump per grade also stops cross-contamination between cargoes — the chemical trade’s first fear.
- Conventional centrifugal cargo pumps in pumprooms still appear on older ships, driven through a gas-tight stuffing box.
Surveyor follow-up: deepwell pump with steel shaft seals in corrosive service — seal material, pump design or cargo compatibility first?
Full theory: Submerged Hydraulic Cargo Pumps (Framo), Cofferdam Purging & Crude Oil Washing (COW) -
35 Type of ship ( lng
Answer
An LNG carrier moves methane at cryogenic temperature in membrane or independent Type B tanks inside a double hull.
- Cargo kept liquid at about −162°C under positive pressure so air cannot enter the tanks.
- Containment is membrane (Gaz Transport style) or independent Type B, most of the older fleet Moss spherical.
- A full secondary barrier system protects the hull from the cold, with recondensation or combustion using boil-off.
- Double hull, gas detection, exclusion zones and free-fall survival craft set the ship apart from an oil tanker.
Surveyor follow-up: LNG carrier with membrane tanks claimed as Type A — containment type, class or terminology first to fail?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
36 Type of ship ( ro ro
Answer
A ro-ro carries wheeled cargo: stern or bow ramps load it, decks and lashings secure it, and it sails without cranes.
- Vehicle decks with ramps — stern, bow or quarter — load cars, trailers and machinery without shore cranes.
- Cargo is wheel-loaded and lashed to deck; decks may be movable, folding or hydraulically tilted.
- Fire detection, ventilation and fixed systems suit a ship that is a floating garage with petrol inside.
- Special-category spaces and ro-ro passenger decks add SOLAS II-2 requirements above ordinary cargo ships.
Surveyor follow-up: ro-ro quoted with cranes working the holds — is it ro-ro, lo-lo or a con-ro, and what defines the difference?
Full theory: Ship Accommodation, Midship Section & Container Stowage -
37 Type of ship ...which type of gas carrier ....cargo temp
Answer
Gas carriers divide by cargo and temperature: LPG and ammonia near ambient, LNG cryogenic, ethane in between.
- LPG carriers move propane, butane and propylene liquefied at modest pressure, tanks holding near ambient.
- LNG carriers move methane at about −162°C in cryogenic membrane or Type B containment.
- Ethane carriers work colder than LPG but warmer than LNG, needing recondensation and cold-tolerant steel.
- Ammonia, vinyl chloride and chlorine ride as liquefied chemical gases with their own toxic or corrosive rules.
Surveyor follow-up: ethane carrier quoted at −90°C with mild-steel cargo system — cargo, temperature or material spec first?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
38 Type of ship sail
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39 Type of ship sailed? Specs?cargo carried ?
Answer
Name the ship’s type, then the specifications that go with it: tonnage, principal dimensions, service speed and the cargo it trades.
- Start with the type and trade — container feeder, VLCC, bulk carrier, reefer, gas carrier — because everything else is about that.
- Give length overall, beam, moulded depth and the tonnage, since those are the figures a surveyor checks against the certificate.
- Quote the service speed and the service speed’s fuel figure if you know it; the speed is what sets the trade.
- State the principal cargoes carried and the trade route, then one or two handling characteristics of that type.
Surveyor follow-up: tonnage given as GT with no length or beam — is that a specification or a certificate number?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
40 Type of ship( mine was reefer
Answer
The reefer is a temperature-controlled ship: refrigerated cargo holds with machinery, airflow and a temperature record on every voyage.
- A reefer carries chilled or frozen cargo in insulated holds cooled by refrigeration machinery, not by an inert gas.
- Each hold has its own evaporator and air circulator, with the temperature logged continuously for the cargo and the authorities.
- Cargo varies from bananas and citrus to frozen meat and fish, each with a set-point and a ventilation policy.
- Answer with your ship’s reefer type, capacity in cubic feet or boxes, and the temperatures carried — that is the reefer answer.
Surveyor follow-up: reefer described with no hold temperatures or capacity — what makes it a reefer rather than any general cargo ship?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
41 Type of ship, Name of company, how many months
Answer
Name the ship, the company that operates her and the length of service — then tie the months of experience to the type.
- Give the company name exactly as it appears in the ISM Document of Compliance and the crew list.
- State the months of sea service in the rank you hold, and the total time on this particular ship.
- Link them: months on this type of ship is what the surveyor is buying, so say the type and the time together.
- If the company has changed, say which company and when — the surveyor will read the CSR for the history anyway.
Surveyor follow-up: eighteen months stated with a three-year-old CSR entry for the same company — which record settles it?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
42 Type of ship. Sailing experience
Also asked: “Type of ship Experience?”
Answer
The surveyor is pairing your ship’s type with your experience on it: what she carries, and how long you have known her behaviour.
- Name the ship’s type and trade first, because the experience is worth nothing without saying what she is.
- Give the tonnage, the principal cargoes and the service speed — the numbers that decide her handling and trim.
- Then give your time on her and the experience that time bought: manoeuvring, stability, the way she behaves at sea.
- Finish with a limitation you have learned — the surveyor trusts a captain who knows what his ship will not do.
Surveyor follow-up: twenty years stated on a ship with three years of service history — which figure is the one he checks?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
43 Types of chemical tankers ( i got confused and didn't answer, later came to know he mean ship types according to ibc code just used different words to confuse
Answer
IBC sorts chemical tankers by hazard, not by cargo name: Types 1, 2 and 3 with progressively less onerous construction.
- Type 1 carries the most hazardous products, surviving the most severe damage with tanks set furthest inboard.
- Types 2 and 3 carry progressively less hazardous grades with correspondingly relaxed construction.
- A ship carrying a range is assigned the standard of the most hazardous product in its list.
- Compliance earns the International Certificate of Fitness for the Carriage of Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk.
Surveyor follow-up: chemical tanker with a Type 3 certificate and a Type 1 product on the manifest — which standard rules?
Full theory: MARPOL Annex II — Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk -
44 Types of tanks (lng carrier
Answer
LNG containment comes in three families: integral, membrane and independent Type A and Type B tanks.
- Integral tanks form part of the hull structure, used for LPG and butane where no cryogenic barrier is needed.
- Membrane tanks are thin non-self-supporting layers inside the hull, insulated and fully relievable.
- Independent Type A ships carry liquid at full cargo pressure, designed with classical ship-strength calculations.
- Independent Type B designs, most famously Moss spherical, use a reduced-stress model allowing partly-filled cargo space.
Surveyor follow-up: Moss sphere described as a membrane tank — containment family, pressure model or terminology first wrong?
Full theory: Ship Types, Hull Form and the Parts of a Ship -
45 What is gm?gm is more for which ship bulky or container?
Answer
GM sets initial stiffness: container ships run stiff near 1.5 m, bulk carriers tender with far less, because their cargo shifts.
- General cargo ships sit around 0.30–0.50 m GM loaded, oil tankers to VLCCs 0.30–1.00 m.
- Container ships and ro-ros run stiff at roughly 1.5 m — a jerky ride accepted for safety against shifting boxes.
- Bulk-ore and bulk carriers run tender with low GM because loose cargo shifts and free surface already costs margin.
- Comfortable roll periods are 20–25 s; 8–10 s means stiff, 30–35 s means tender — say the trade with the number.
Surveyor follow-up: bulk carrier with GM higher than the container ship’s — cargo shift, ballast error or calculation slip first?
Full theory: Ship Stability: GM, Righting Levers and Free Surface -
46 What removal procedure from front side of ship in bulk carrier
Answer
Working forward into a bulk carrier hold is confined-space work from the moment the manhole is opened: permit, test, then enter.
- The hold is entered through a manhole or hatch under an enclosed space permit, with the hatch cover secured open above.
- The space is gas-freed and tested at the top, middle and bottom, and the bulk carrier’s own holds carry a grain CO hazard.
- The attendant, lifeline and breathing equipment are stationed at the access before the first step down.
- A bulk carrier’s forward spaces are the highest-risk entry on the ship — that is the surveyor’s standing point.
Surveyor follow-up: hold entered with a single reading at the top and the test gas bottle left ashore — who accepted that?
Full theory: Permits to Work: Enclosed Space Entry Criteria & Precautions -
47 Which ship has large gm (bulk or container
Answer
The container ship: stiff, about 1.5 m GM, against a bulk carrier which runs tender on loose cargo.
- Container ships and ro-ros run stiff at roughly 1.5 m GM loaded, taking the jerky ride for the safety margin.
- Bulk-ore and bulk carriers run tender, because loose cargo shifts and free surface already cost them margin.
- General cargo ships sit around 0.30–0.50 m and tankers to VLCCs 0.30–1.00 m loaded.
- So the answer is the container ship — and the reason is that a shifting box is a far worse casualty than a shifting sack of ore.
Surveyor follow-up: container ship with GM higher than the class maximum — is that safety, a bad loading calculation or both?
Full theory: Ship Stability: GM, Righting Levers and Free Surface -
48 Why bulk carrier have freefall life boat?
Answer
Free-fall boats launch by gravity down a stern ramp: quick, simple and clear of the cargo gear, the house and the fire.
- Launched by drop from a stern ramp rather than by davit falls, so no winch, brake or wire is needed at the moment of abandon.
- Aft stations keep boats away from the accommodation and the cargo area, which on a bulk carrier can be alight.
- No gravity davit to fail, no crew needed on the falls — the boat simply goes when the hooks release.
- Certified for a stated height, ramp length and ramp angle, with survival proved after entry at trim and list.
Surveyor follow-up: free-fall ramp fouled by a stowed spare with hooks proved clear — launch, shift the spare or use the reserve boat?
Full theory: LSA Chapter 5: Lifeboats — Types, Engine, Davit & Drills
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