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5 Cargo

Causes:Heat damage

It was found that the smell came from the air ventilation The Club has experienced several claims of cargo damage
pipe of one of the fuel oil tanks. A hole had been detected
caused by heating of bunker fuel in bunker tanks adjacent to
in the pipe so the crew put plastic and tape around the cargo holds.

damaged area and considered this to be repaired.The types of vessel most at risk are bulk carriers. It is

important to know that in speciic conditions cargo can
suffer heat damage at temperatures as low as 40-50°C.
Heavy weather
Furthermore, cargo loaded in the most aft cargo hold might
Heavy weather case study 1
be exposed to excessive heat if service and settling tanks
The bulk carrier had loaded corn, and after loading was are adjacent to the cargo hold as these tanks will reach

complete all cargo hatches were sealed with Ramnek tapes temperatures of about 90°C. If sensitive cargo is loaded in
and underwent a water hose test and cleanliness inspection
the aft cargo hold the crew must plan so the cargo does not
by the surveyor, which they passed.suffer heat damage.

During the voyage to the discharge port the vessel Bunker fuel can also be stored in the double bottom
encountered heavy weather, up to force 10, which caused the
tanks beneath the cargo hold, and this will radiate heat to
vessel to pitch and roll heavily for a couple of days. When the the tank top. A warm tank top or bulkhead surface might

vessel arrived at the discharge port it was discovered that the cause the cargo to become discoloured, caked, carbonised,
top surface of the cargo was wet, caked and mouldy.
mouldy and at worst, even to self-ignite. Other factors that
will contribute to the damage include the moisture content
Causes:
of the cargo at loading port, ventilation of cargo hold during
An external surveyor at the discharge port inspected the cargo
the voyage and condensation due to external temperature.
hatch covers, paying particular attention to rubber gaskets, Some cargoes, which are sensitive to heat include

closing devices, non–return valves, ventilators, hatch access, soybean, maize, wheat and sunlower seeds. Note that
double drainage channels etc. All were visually found to be in
soybeans can be damaged at temperatures as low as 40°C.
good working order. However, traces of seawater were foundThe best prevention is to have procedures in place

on the inner hatch coaming. An ultrasonic test was conducted controlling how bunker tanks should be heated. Crews need
on the affected hold and it was found that the cross joints,
to know at what temperature cargo becomes damaged and
between forward and aft hatch panels, had leaked. It was also to keep detailed records of what has been carried out during

found that there was no contact between compression bars and loading, sailing and discharge. It is important to prove that
rubber gaskets on the cargo hatches cross joint panel. The cargo
best practices have been followed.
had suffered damage from the leaking cargo hatch covers.If best practices have been followed then it is probable

that the cargo was not in a proper condition when it was

loaded and it is unlikely that heating the bunker caused the
Heavy weather case study 2damage. The better and more detailed the records are then

While the bulk carrier was loading soybeans it rained frequently. the easier it is to determine the cause of the damage.
The Master stated that the hatch covers were closed before the

rain commenced. The vessel was weather routed but still ended

up sailing through heavy weather, up to force 10. The vessel Heat damage case study 1
was rolling and pitching heavily and the deck and cargo hatches The bulk carrier had loaded wheat and during discharge it

were covered in seawater. During the passage the vessel’s bilges was found that some of the cargo was damaged in cargo

were checked twice a day and found to be dry. In the discharge holds 2 and 3. The cargo receiver claimed that the cargo was
port it was found that the top layer of cargo was mouldy.heat damaged. The top layer of the cargo was in the proper

condition in both cargo holds. During the voyage heavy fuel
Causes:
oil tanks had been heated. Some of the cargo by the aft
The marine sealing tape was damaged in the heavy weather bulkhead of cargo hold 2 had been discoloured and there

so the Master submitted a sea protest to the authorities in was also a burning smell. Behind this bulkhead were heavy

the discharge port. It was found that the cargo hatch cover fuel oil tanks. In cargo hold 3 there was some damaged
had leaked.cargo in the aft part. The settlings tanks were adjacent to

the cargo hold bulkhead. There was no cofferdam between

the service/settling tanks and cargo hold. These tanks were
heated in excess of 80°C.

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