AB Ship Construction and Cargo 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the 'camber' of a ship's deck?
- The fore-and-aft slope of the keel
- The transverse curvature of the deck, higher at the centerline than at the sides (Correct answer)
- The overhang of the bow beyond the waterline
- The vertical distance between decks
Correct answer: The transverse curvature of the deck, higher at the centerline than at the sides
Camber (or round of beam) is the athwartship curvature of a deck, sloping from the centerline down to the sides to aid water drainage.
Question 2: What is the function of scuppers on a vessel?
- To anchor the cargo in heavy weather
- To drain water from the deck overboard (Correct answer)
- To ventilate the cargo holds
- To secure hatch covers
Correct answer: To drain water from the deck overboard
Scuppers are openings in the ship's side at deck level that allow water accumulated on deck to drain overboard.
Question 3: Dangerous goods classified as 'Class 2' under the IMDG Code are:
- Flammable liquids
- Gases (Correct answer)
- Explosives
- Radioactive materials
Correct answer: Gases
IMDG Class 2 covers gases, including flammable gases (2.1), non-flammable non-toxic gases (2.2), and toxic gases (2.3).
Question 4: The 'garboard strake' refers to:
- The uppermost row of hull plating
- The row of hull plating immediately adjacent to the keel (Correct answer)
- The plating around the hawse pipe
- The plating at the waterline
Correct answer: The row of hull plating immediately adjacent to the keel
The garboard strake is the first row of hull plating on each side immediately adjacent to and running alongside the keel.
Question 5: When stowing cargo, what does 'dunnage' refer to?
- The written cargo manifest
- Wood, matting, or other material placed between or under cargo to protect it and allow air circulation (Correct answer)
- Surplus cargo left on the dock
- The tally record of cargo loaded
Correct answer: Wood, matting, or other material placed between or under cargo to protect it and allow air circulation
Dunnage is material (typically wood boards or matting) placed under or between cargo to prevent damage, allow ventilation, and provide drainage.
Question 6: What is the 'displacement' of a vessel?
- The total volume of all cargo holds
- The weight of water displaced by the hull, equal to the total weight of the vessel (Correct answer)
- The distance the ship travels before stopping from full speed
- The rated cargo capacity in metric tons
Correct answer: The weight of water displaced by the hull, equal to the total weight of the vessel
Displacement is the weight of water displaced by the submerged hull, which by Archimedes' principle equals the total weight of the vessel.
Question 7: What is the purpose of a ship's 'stripping pump' in cargo operations?
- To pump cargo from one hold to another
- To remove the final residues of liquid cargo from tanks that main cargo pumps cannot reach (Correct answer)
- To supply water to deck washdown systems
- To prime the main ballast pump
Correct answer: To remove the final residues of liquid cargo from tanks that main cargo pumps cannot reach
A stripping pump removes the last small quantities of liquid cargo remaining in a tank after the main cargo pumps can no longer function efficiently.
AB Ship Construction and Cargo 4
What is the 'camber' of a ship's deck?