National Standards for Inland Waterway New Vessels

CHAPTER 1 – DEFINITIONS

Types of Craft.

1. ’Craft’  a vessel or other item of floating equipment

2. ‘Vessel’  an inland waterways vessel or sea-going ship

3. ‘Inland waterways vessel’ a vessel intended solely or mainly for use on inland waterways.

4. ‘Sea-going ship’   a vessel certificated for deep sea or coastal use.

5. ‘Self propelled vessel’   a vessel intended to carry cargo and built to navigate independently under its own power.

6. ‘Tug’ a vessel specially built to tow other vessels.

7. ‘Pusher-tug’ a vessel specially built or adapted to push a push-tow formation.

8. ‘Lighter’  a vessel intended to carry cargo and built to be towed, either having no motive power or having only sufficient motive power to perform restricted manoeuvres.

9. ‘Push barge’   a vessel intended to carry cargo, built or specially modified to be pushed. Either having no motive power of its own or having only sufficient motive power to perform restricted manoeuvres when not part of a push-tow formation.

10. ‘Ship-mounted lighter’ a non powered lighter or a push barge built to be carried in or onboard a sea-going ship and to navigate inland waterways.


Specific areas on board

11. ‘Engine space’ Those spaces and trunks to such spaces which contain:

a) internal combustion machinery used for main propulsion; or

b) internal combustion machinery used for purposes other than main propulsion where such machinery has in the aggregate a total power output of not less than 375 kW; or

c) any oil-fired boiler or oil fuel unit designed to produce steam or a thermal fluid with a pressure greater than 0.18N/mm². Oil fuel unit includes any equipment used for the preparation and delivery of oil fuel, heated or not, to boilers (including inert gas generators) and engines (including gas turbines) at a pressure of more than 0.18 N/mm²; or

d) inert gas generators, incinerators greater than 75kW, waste disposal units; or

e) oil fuel pumps with pressure greater than 0.98 N/mm².

12. ‘Main engine room’ the space containing the main propulsion machinery.

13. ‘Superstructure’ a watertight permanent structure with rigid boundaries joined to the deck in a permanent and watertight manner.

14. ‘Wheelhouse’ the space containing the controls and instruments necessary for manoeuvring the craft.

15. ‘Accommodation’ the space intended for the use of persons normally on board including galley, food store, toilet, bathroom, passageways and stairwell but not including the wheelhouse.

16. ‘Hold’ the part of the vessel, with a bulkhead at either end, intended to contain the cargo, either open topped or closed by means of hatches. ‘Tank’ a tank permanently part of the vessel, the boundaries of the tank being either the hull itself or a separate ‘skin’.

17. ‘Tank’ a tank permanently part of the vessel, the boundaries of the tank being either the hull itself or a separate ‘skin’.


Technical marine terms

18. ‘Plane of maximum draught’ the plane corresponding to the maximum draught at which the craft is permitted to operate.

19. ‘Safety clearance’ the distance between the plane of maximum draught and a parallel plane passing through the lowest point at which the vessel is no longer deemed to be watertight.

20. ‘Freeboard (F)  the distance between the plane of maximum draught  and the parallel plane through the lowest point of the deck-side or, where there is no deck-side, the lowest point of the top of the hull side.

21. ‘Bulkhead deck’ the deck to which the required watertight bulkheads join and from which the freeboard is measured.

22. ‘Bulkhead’  a division of a given height, usually vertical, that separates areas of the ship and delimited by the vessel’s bottom, side plating or other bulkheads.

23. ‘Transverse bulkhead’ a bulkhead extending from the side plating on one side to the side plating on the other.

24. ‘Load line length’ means either 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least moulded depth measured from the top of the keel, or the length from the fore side of the stem to the axis of the rudder stock on that waterline, whichever is the greater.  In a vessel designed with a rake of keel, the waterline on which this length is measured should be parallel to the design waterline.

25. ‘Length (L)’ the maximum length of the hull in metres, excluding rudder and bowsprit.

26. ‘Breadth (B)’ the greatest width of the vessels hull in metres, measured on the outside of the hull plating (excluding paddle wheels, fixed fenders etc.).

27. ‘Depth (D)’ the smallest vertical distance in metres between the bottom of the hull bottom plating or keel and the lowest point of the deck at side.

28. ‘Draught (T)’ the vertical distance in metres between the deepest part of the hull bottom plating or keel and the plane of maximum draught.

29. ‘Fore perpendicular’ an imaginary vertical line where the bow of the vessel meets the plane of maximum draught.


Steering system

30. ‘Steering system’ all the equipment required to steer the vessel so as to comply with the manoeuvrability requirements of Chapter 5.

31. ‘Rudder’ the rudder blade or blades including all rudder shafts, rudder quadrants and all components connecting to the steering gear.

32. ‘Steering gear ’ the equipment, including powered drive unit if any, and the means of applying torque to the rudder stock necessary for effecting movement of the rudder stock for the purpose of steering the vessel.

33. ‘Drive unit’ the steering gear drive, between the power source and the steering gear.

34. ‘Power source’ the power supply for the steering gear drive and the control system. Either from batteries, internal combustion engine or the vessels electrical system.

35. ‘Steering Control’ the components and circuitry to control power driven steering drive unit(s).

36. ‘Hand steering’ a system where a manual operation of a steering wheel or tiller operates the rudder by mechanical linkage without any additional power supply.

37. ‘Hand-hydraulic drive’ a form of steering with manual hydraulic transmission.

38. ‘Rate-of-turn regulator’ equipment which automatically monitors and maintains a given rate-of-turn of the vessel in accordance with the values entered into it.


Properties of components and materials

39. ‘Weathertight’ a component, device or a closing appliance is considered weathertight if it is designed to prevent the passage of water into the vessel in any normal operating conditions.

40. ‘Watertight’ a structural component or device fitted out in such a manner as to prevent any ingress of water.

41. ‘Gastight’ a component or device built or fitted so as to prevent the passage of gas or vapour.


Other definitions

42. ‘Approved classification society’ a classification society approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

43. ‘Certifying Authority’ the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) or any organisation authorised by the MCA to act as a Certifying Authority for the purposes of these regulations.



CHAPTER 2 – SURVEY AND INSPECTION (for statutory public consultation in 2008/09)

CHAPTER 3 SHIPBUILDING REQUIREMENTS

Article 3.01 Basic requirement

New vessels should be constructed in accordance with the Rules for Inland Waterway vessels of an approved classification society.  Where standards are not specified herewith reference should be made to harmonised inland navigation vessel standards (CEN - BS/EN/ISO).  Where vessels are to be constructed that are not in accordance with approved classification society rules, and use separate scantling and strength calculations as suitable for the area of operations by the designing naval architect, the drawings and calculations will be submitted to certifying authority for approval.

Article 3.02 Strength and stability

1. The hull shall be sufficiently strong to withstand all of the stresses to which it is normally subjected;

(a) in the case of newly built vessels or major conversions affecting vessel strength, adequate strength shall be demonstrated by presenting design calculation proof. That proof is not required where a classification certificate from an approved classification society is submitted;

(b) Vessels shall be designed with a diminution limit of 25%. Where greater limits are applied the minimum permissible thicknesses are to be clearly marked on the vessels plans.

Greater limits, up to 30%, will be considered acceptable at localised points, to the satisfaction of the attending surveyor.

(c) Where a vessel is built and maintained to an approved classification society rules and regulations the classification society diminution limits shall be applied.  

All these diminution limits are only applicable to steel vessels.

(d) Plates shall be renewed if bottom, bilge or side plates are below the permissible value laid down in this way. Although the use of “doubling” is permitted as sacrificial wear/rubbing strips they may not be used as a permanent repair method for diminished structure.  

(NOTE: THE WORDING FOR NON-STEEL VESSELS IS STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION BY EC).  

2. The stability of vessels shall correspond to their intended use.

Article 3.03 Hull

1. Bulkheads rising up to the deck or, where there is no deck, up to the gunwale, shall be installed at the following points:

a) A collision bulkhead at a suitable distance from the bow in such a way that the buoyancy of the laden vessel is ensured, with a residual safety clearance of 100 mm if water enters the watertight compartment ahead of the collision bulkhead. As a general rule, this requirement shall be considered to have been met if the collision bulkhead has been installed at a distance of between 0.04 L and 0.04 L + 2 m measured from the fore perpendicular line in the plane of maximum draught. If this distance exceeds 0.04 L + 2 m this requirement shall be proved by calculation.

(b) An aft-peak bulkhead at a suitable distance from the stern where the vessels' length exceeds 24 m.

2. No accommodation or equipment needed for vessel safety or operation may be located ahead of the plane of the collision bulkhead. This requirement shall not apply to anchor gear¹.
Safety equipment includes Life Saving Apparatus and Firefighting Equipment but not bowthrusters

3. The accommodation, engine spaces, and the workspaces forming part of these, shall be separated from the holds by watertight transverse bulkheads that extend up to the deck.

4. The accommodation shall be separated from the engine spaces, and from the holds, by gas tight divisions and shall be directly accessible from the deck. If no such access has been provided an emergency exit shall also lead directly to the deck.

5. The bulkheads specified in sections 1 and 3 and the separation of areas specified in section 4 shall not contain any openings.
However, doors in the aft peak bulkhead and penetrations, in particular for shafts and pipework, shall be permitted where they are so designed that the effectiveness of those bulkheads and of the separation of areas is not impaired. The doors in the aft peak bulkhead shall bear the following legible instruction on both sides:

'Door to be closed immediately after use`.

6. The water inlets and discharges, and the pipework connected to these, shall be such that no unintentional ingress of water into the vessel is possible.

7.  Anchors when stowed should not protrude beyond the side plating of the vessel or should otherwise be in a protected position so that they do not pose any risk of damage to other vessels or waterway infrastructure.

Article 3.04 Engine Spaces and bunkers

1. Engine spaces shall be arranged in such a way that the equipment therein can be operated, serviced and maintained easily and safely.

2. The liquid-fuel or lubricant bunkers and accommodation, may not have any common surfaces which are under the static pressure of the liquid when in normal service.  This requirement does not apply to vessel under 24metres load line length.  

3. Engine spaces and bunker bulkheads, ceilings and doors shall be made of steel or another equivalent non-combustible material. Bulkhead or plating forming a boundary between engine spaces, accommodation and fire control station, shall be gastight. On vessels operating in category C and D waters this plating shall also be fitted with fire insulation to A15 standard (or equivalent).  This requirement for installation does not apply to vessel under 24metres load line length, except where the vessel can carry freight in hold(s).  

4. Engine spaces and other spaces in which flammable or toxic gases are likely to escape shall be capable of being adequately ventilated.

5. Stairways and ladders providing access to engine spaces and bunkers shall be firmly attached and be made of steel (unless otherwise agreed by the Certifying Authority for vessels under 24 metres load line length) or another shock-resistant and non-combustible material.

6. Engine spaces shall have two exits of which one may be an emergency exit ².
The second exit may be dispensed with if:

(a) the total floor area (average length × average width at the level of the floor plating) of the engine space does not exceed 35 m² and

(b) the path between each point where servicing or maintenance operations are to be carried out and the exit, or foot of the stairway near the exit providing access to the outside, is not longer than five metres and that

(c) a fire extinguisher is located at the servicing point that is furthest removed from the exit door notwithstanding the requirements of 10.03.

7. The maximum permissible sound pressure level in the engine spaces shall be 110 dB(A). The measuring points shall be selected as a function of the maintenance work needed during normal operation of the plant located therein.

CHAPTER 4 SAFETY CLEARANCE, FREEBOARD AND DRAUGHT MARKS

Article 4.01 Safety clearance

1. The safety clearance shall be at least 250 mm in category A waters, 300 mm in category B, 500mm in category C and 750 mm in category D waters.

2. The safety clearance in the case of vessels whose openings cannot be closed by weather tight devices, and for vessels sailing with their holds uncovered, shall be increased in such a way that each of those openings shall be at least 500 mm from the plane of maximum draught.

3. Vessels operating in category D waters shall have weathertight hatches.  Vessels designed to operate in D waters with no hatch covers to be specially considered by the MCA.

Article 4.02 Freeboard

1. The minimum freeboard of vessels with a continuous deck, without sheer and superstructures shall be 150 mm.

2. In category A, B and C waters the minimum freeboard of vessels with sheer and superstructures may be reduced in accordance with the following formula:

where:

βv βa   Sev Sea

- is a correction coefficient that takes account of all the superstructures involved; - is a coefficient for correcting the effect of the forward sheer resulting from the presence of superstructures in the forward quarter length L of the vessel; - is a coefficient for correcting the effect of the aft sheer resulting from the presence of superstructures in the aft quarter of length L of the vessel; - is the effective forward sheer in mm; - is the effective aft sheer in mm.

3. The coefficient is calculated via the following formula:

where:

The effective length of a superstructure is calculated via the following formulae:

where:

If b or b is less than 0.6 the effective length le of the superstructure will be zero.
   B     B₁

4. Coefficients β_v and β_a are calculated via the following formulae:

5. The effective aft/forward sheers Se_v/Se_a are calculated via the following formulae:

         Se_v = S_v . p
         Se_a = S_a . p

where:

S_v is the actual forward sheer, in mm; however S_v shall not be taken to be more than 1 000mm;
S_a is the actual aft sheer at the rear, in mm; however S_a may not be taken to be more than 500mm.

p is a coefficient calculated by the following formula:

         p = 4 . X
                    L

X is the abscissa measured from the extremity of the point where the sheer is 0.25 S_v or 0.25 S_a respectively (see drawing).

However, coefficient p will not be taken to be more than 1.

6. If βa . Se_a is greater than β_v . Se_v, the value of β_v . Se_v will be taken as being the value for
β_a . Se_a.

Article 4.03 Minimum freeboard

In view of the reductions referred to in Article 4.02 the minimum freeboard shall not be less than 80 mm.

Article 4.04 Draught marks

1. The plane of maximum draught shall be determined in such a way that the specifications concerning minimum freeboard and minimum safety clearance are both met at the same time. However, for safety reasons, the certifying authority may lay down a greater value for the safety clearance or freeboard.

2. The plane of maximum draught shall be indicated by means of highly visible, indelible draught marks on each side of the vessel.

3.1 The basic pair of draught marks, for a vessel certificated to operate in only one category of water, shall be horizontal lines 450 millimetres long and 25 millimetres wide.  The top of the line shall  be horizontal and coincide with the plane of maximum authorised draught.  The centre of the line to be positioned amidships.

3.2 For vessels certified to operate in more than one category of water, the draught marks referred to in 3.1 shall be supplemented by the addition of a 25 millimetre wide vertical line to which one, or in the case of more categories certificated, several lines shall be affixed. These affixed lines shall be positioned at the forward end of basic marks and shall be 150 millimetres long by 25 millimetres wide. (For example of multi-category draught mark, together with typical examples (including a basic draft mark), - see figure 1. Note that the examples are all based upon category B waters basic marks. If the waters for which the vessel is certificated do not start at category B then similar principles to be followed).  

3.3 Letter(s) marking the water categories for which the vessel is certified shall be marked at the forward ends of the line(s).  The lettering shall be 60 mm high by 40mm wide.  

4. Additionally, where the line of the deck is not immediately discernable, a vessel should be provided with a deck line.  The deck line positioned and centred above the basic draught marks , should be permanent and be painted on a contrasting background and be a bar of 300 millimetres in length and 25 millimetres wide.  

5. Draught marks may only be altered with the approval, and under the supervision of, the certifying authority.

6. Draught marks shall only be marked for the categories of water in which a vessel is authorised by its certificate to operate.

(Note: Amidships relates to half way along length (L))

         

Article 4.05 Maximum loaded draught of craft whose hulls are not always closed so as to be sprayproofed and weathertight.

1. If the plane of maximum draught is determined by assuming that the holds may be closed in such a way as to make them weathertight and the safety clearance is less than the 500 mm prescribed by Article 4.0.1.2 then the maximum draught for sailing with uncovered holds shall be determined and indicated by 2 pairs of additional basic draught marks. One pair shall be placed not further forward than one sixth (L) from the after end of the vessel and the other pair at a similar distance from the forward end.

The marking of the additional basic draught marks shall follow the same principles described in Article 4.04 but as the safety clearance is the same for more than one category, as per Article 4.01.2 then additional letters indicating the other categories for which the vessel is certificated will need to be marked at the forward end of the draught mark line. I.e. AB, or ABC, or BC.

2. If the vessel operates only with uncovered holds and the above draught marks are affixed then the amidships marks may be omitted.

3. Also, to make clear that the additional draft marks relate to when operating with uncovered holds, the letter ‘O’ to be marked at the after end of the draft mark line(s).

4. Letters shall be positioned in a similar way as shown in Figure 1, and shall be 60mm high by 40mm wide.


Article 4.06 Draught scales

1. Vessels shall bear a draught scale fore and aft.

2. The zero points on each draught scale shall be taken from the plane running parallel to the plane of maximum draught passing through the lowest point of the hull or of the keel where such exists.  The scale of decimetres, or metres and decimetres, denoting a draught of water shall be marked on the vessel on each side of its stem and stern as follows:-

(a) in figures in two-decimetres intervals, if the scale is in decimetres; and

(b) in figures at each metre interval and at intervening two-decimetres intervals, if the scale is in metres and decimetres;

the capital letter ‘M’ being placed after each metre figure; the top figure of the scale showing both the metre and (except where it marks a full metre interval) the decimetre figure; the lower line of the figures, or figures and letters (as the case may be), coinciding with the draught line denoted thereby; the figures and letters being not less than 1 decimetre in length and being marked by being cut in and painted white or yellow on a dark ground, or in such a way as the MCA approves.