Chapter 8: Ro-Ro Cargo:

Whilst cellular container ships were in the process of revolutionising the high volume and long haul non-
bulk cargo trade, roll-on/roll-off ships were doing the same for the short haul trade. Europe provided the
initial success story for the ro-ro shipping industry. It soon spread to the Baltic and Mediterranean routes
– and then worldwide.
Although the loading and stowage methods employed on ro-ro ships result in a relatively large proportion
of wasted space, these same methods mean that turn round time is exceptionally short – and freight
rates can be relatively high.
Not only has ro-ro shipping come to domination for short haul voyages, it also enjoys some major
advantages over conventional and container shipping that has allowed it to be competitive on some
longer hauls:
 The cost of working conventional break-bulk cargo continues to escalate.

 Container handling requires high cost infrastructure that cannot be justified for low cargo volumes.
The design of some ro-ro vessels allows them to work alongside any straight fronted wharf with little
(and conceivably zero) support from shore-based equipment.

 Over-size and awkward shaped cargo does not lend itself to containerisation, whereas cargo spaces
on ro-ro vessels are not restricted to standard, unitised packaging.

A number of companies have found it advantageous on some long-haul routes to combine the advantages
of cellular containerisation and ro-ro facilities within the same vessel. They are thus able to offer a more
complete non-bulk cargo service. The Australian National Line (ANL) and Atlantic Container Line (ACL)
are two such companies that received mention in the previous chapter.

Loading access:
Ro-ro vessels are distinguished from other cargo vessels in that they provide horizontal (or nearly
horizontal) access to cargo spaces. This involves the provision of one or more ramps for the use of
wheeled transport. Such ramps may take a variety of forms, including:
Stern ramp/door: It is a shell-door in which a ramp is hinged at the bottom and is raised to provide a
flush-fitting watertight door. The doors may be operated by hydraulic rams or multi-sheave wire
purchases. For minor ports where the dock area is insufficiently strong to support the ramp when loaded,
its weight may be supported by chains. In such cases only finger flaps are resting on the wharf.
On some ships there may be two stern ramps/doors to provide the flexibility of working with either
broad or narrow shore facilities.
Stern ramp with separate watertight shell-door: In this case the ramp will normally be lowered to the
wharf before the top-hinged door can be opened. Where the vessel is designed for a particular trade
between regular ro-ro terminals the ramp may be provided from the shore.
Quarter ramps: It permits the vessel to use ports where no stern loading facilities exist. They are
lowered diagonally to the wharf and are most commonly found with a separate watertight door.
Slewing stern ramps: It provides flexibility as they may be landed on the wharf astern, to port or to
starboard.
Bow visor: Access is provided by the bow-shaped visor opening upwards and a ramp/door opening
downwards. The visor provides protection from the impact of the seas whilst the ramp in the closed
position provides the watertight seal.
Bow wing doors: They are similar to the bow visor except that the bow-shaped outer doors open
outwards from the centre.
Forward angled & slewing ramps: They are similar to their astern counterparts. A separate inner door
provides watertight integrity.
Side door ramps: They come in a variety of sizes depending on their purpose. As with stern doors the
ramp and door may be integral or separate. Doors may open vertically or horizontally. Horizontally
opening doors may be single or double.
In addition to the external access ramps there will normally be a number of internal ramps. These may
be fixed or moveable, with some of the moveable ramps forming hatch covers in their closed positions.
Lifting platforms may be used in areas where ramps are impractical.
Reading:
MacGregor News and other publications from the International MacGregor Organisation are available in the library and
provide illustrations of various types of ramps available.

As with much in the shipping industry, innovation in design is rapid, and trade publications such as
MacGregor News may be consulted to view the latest in ramp and door design.

Loading:
For ships registered in the United Kingdom working anywhere in the world, and for all ships operating in
UK waters, the relevant legislation is again The Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations
1999.
The Regulations require the shipper to provide the owner or master with a description of the cargo, gross
mass of the units and any special properties of the cargo, to enable them to ensure compatibility,
suitability and safe stowage of the cargo. It is an offence for the master to accept cargo for which this
information has not been provided.
With specific reference to ro-ro ships the Regulations require the owner and master to ensure that
“appropriate precautions are taken during loading and transport of cargo units on board ro-ro ships,
especially with regard to the securing arrangements on board such ships and on the cargo units and with
regard to the strength of the securing points and lashings.
…..cargo on board all ships ……with roll-on/roll-off cargo spaces, shall be stowed and secured in
accordance with the Cargo Securing Manual before the ship leaves a berth.”
It is the Cargo Securing Manual that provides the first source of reference for ship’s officers involved
with the stowing and securing of cargo on board.
Since the Regulations require the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage and Securing to be
carried on board, this should be referred to when doubt exists. There is an additional publication that
provides guidelines aimed specifically at ro-ro ships - the Roll-on/Roll-off Ships – Stowage and Securing
of Vehicles – Code of Practice. The latest (third) edition was published by the MCA in 2003.
Section 1 of this Code lists the principle sources of danger, Section 2 considers the protection of
personnel on ramps and vehicle decks, and Section 3 gives guidance on the use of vehicle decks, ship’s
ramps, lifting appliances and securing arrangements. Section 4 is aimed at the shippers ensuring that
their vehicles are suitable for transportation by sea.
Section 5 is of great relevance to ship’s officers for it deals specifically with stowage and securing.
Amongst the advice it gives is the following:
 Shippers’ special advice or guidelines regarding handling and stowage of individual vehicles should be
observed.

 Vehicles should, so far as is possible, be aligned in a fore and aft direction, and they should not be
stowed across water spray fire curtains or flood barrier doors where fitted.

 They should be stowed as closely together as practicable in the athwart-ships direction to restrict
movement in the event of lashing failure.
 Safe access to securing arrangements, stairways and escape routes should be maintained and vehicles
should not obstruct operating controls of bow/stern doors.

 Parking brakes should be applied.

 Semi-trailers should not be supported on their landing legs unless specially designed for sea transport
and the deck area has adequate strength.

 Free play in vehicle suspension should be overcome by securing as tightly as lashing tensioning
devices will permit, with the use of trestles, jacks, releasing the pressure in compressed air
suspension systems.

 Freight vehicles of more than 3.5 tonnes should be secured in all circumstances where the expected
conditions for the intended voyage are such that movement of the vehicles relative to the ship should
be expected.

 Vehicles on inclined decks should be chocked.

 Lashings should only be attached to proper securing points and should be equally tensioned. Special
attention should be given to those vehicles likely to experience the greatest acceleration forces
(those stowed high up and towards the ends of the ship).

 Securing operations should be completed before the ship leaves the berth and regularly inspected
during the voyage.

There is a great deal of further information about the lashing arrangements that should be read by those
serving on ro-ro vessels.
Section 6 concerns specialised vehicles and cargoes. Much of this refers to the IMDG Code but there is
also advice on items like tracked and tank vehicles, refrigerated freight vehicles and livestock carriers.
Section 7 deals with the Cargo Securing Manual which should be developed “pursuant to IMO resolution
A.489 (XII)”. This resolution is reproduced in Appendix 1 of the Code of Safe Practice for Cargo Stowage
and Securing. Given the importance of securing cargo on ro-ro ships the relevant extract is included
below:

Cargo Securing Manual:

The information contained in the Cargo Securing Manual should include the following items as
appropriate:
 Details of fixed securing arrangements and their locations (pad-eyes, eyebolts, elephant-feet, etc).

 Locations and stowage of portable securing gear.

 Details of portable securing gear including an inventory of items provided and their strengths.

 Example of correct application of portable securing gear on various cargo units, vehicles and other
entities carried on the ship.

 Indication of the variation of transverse, longitudinal and vertical accelerations to be expected in

various positions on board the ship.
Illustrative lashing charts are also included in the Annex to the MCA Code. These lashing charts are based
on a 6 lane ro-ro ship with a semi-trailer stowed at the forward end of the outboard lane. The assumed
roll angle is 25°, pitch angle 5° & the SWL of each lashing 9.5 tonne (95kN approx).
0.7 B
Arguments used are height above waterline and roll period (T), where T 
GM
The charts are reproduced on the next page.
Reference should also be made to Marine Guidance Note MGN 341 (M) that highlights the dangers to
passengers and crew during ro-ro operations. It interprets the SOLAS Regulation concerning access to
vehicle decks and gives guidance on limiting the danger due to fuel in the tanks of motor vehicles.

Source: Roll-on/Roll-off Ships –Stowage and Securing of Vehicles –Code of Practice

Although there is no requirement to do so, the securing manuals of at least one Ro-Ro company duplicate
the above charts exactly. A popular alternative is to arrange lashings so that they cross at the ends of
the trailers rather than encroaching into the spaces between them. Requirements for stowage and
securing on board Ro-Ro vessels are laid down in the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant
Seamen (see MCA Roll-on/Roll-off ships-Stowage & Securing of vehicles Code of Practice and MGN 418).

Stowage units:
Cargo may be loaded on board in a variety of units. The selection will depend largely on the trade and
length of passage. On short sea voyages there will naturally be a greater proportion of cargo that
remains on wheeled transport than there is on longer passages. Removing the wheeled transport on
longer voyages not only releases valuable assets for continuous use, it can reduce broken stowage and
make securing of the cargo simpler.
A brief description of some of the handling systems follows:
 On short voyages there may be a large proportion of road vehicles complete with their drive units.

 Road trailers less their motive units may be towed on and off by tractors.

 Purpose built roll trailers that cannot be used outside terminal areas may remain with the cargo
throughout the voyage. These often have solid rubber tyres and hard suspension, and are capable of
carrying very heavy loads.

 Cargo may be taken on board by roll trailer but stowed off the trailer.

 A variety of flats may be used to carry and travel with the cargo. These may be loaded using front or
side loading trucks, or on trailers that can be removed.

 Some cargoes (like forest products) may be loaded onto purpose built cassettes that are loaded using
cassette trailers. The trailers can then be lowered hydraulically and removed from under the
cassettes. Certain trailers have the ability to rotate all wheels so that the cassettes can be moved
sideways to achieve a solid stow and remove the need for lashing.

 Pallets can be loaded using roll trailers or fork-lift trucks.

 Containers and swap-bodies may be brought aboard on a trailer.

 A variety of motor vehicles can be loaded under their own power.

Where cargo units have to be individually secured there must be sufficient access for crews to carry out
the lashing. When cargo is block stowed the same attention must be given to separation (using dunnage
etc) as for any general cargo.
During the loading activity a great volume of fumes will be produced so good ventilation is essential.
Gas monitoring equipment must be activated. The need for good ventilation to clear any fuel fumes
continues during the voyage. When refrigerated units are carried there must be sufficient ventilation for
cooling them. The same applies to tank cargo that is heated throughout the voyage.

Ro-Ro (Pax/ Cargo):

Roll-on/ Roll-off vessels are workhorses of the inter-island and island-mainland transportation,
particularly for an island nation like UK. Even after the opening of the channel tunnel, which is far from
perfect, the importance of ferry trade has not diminished considerably. These vessels are basically
employed in short-haul trade having quick turnarounds in worlds’ busiest waters. They mainly cater for a
combination of passengers, vehicles and goods transportation between mainland or inter-island routes.
They are subject to regulations applicable to all trades including passenger operations and in addition
further regulations on safety issues such as vehicle decks, bow doors and adverse stability due to large
spaces and FSE in case of water ingress or accumulation whilst during operational emergencies (Fire-
fighting, list and cargo shift etc). As in the past, there have been many incidents and accidents causing
considerable loss of life and property, and consequent media attention. Therefore they are subject to
more stringent regulations to make them safe and prevent accidents and pollution. Understandably, as a
consequent of the capsizing of Herald of Free Enterprise, a raft of regulations were introduced and there
have been many more since then both as pro-active measures and from lessons learnt from accidents and
incidents.

Ballast:
The unique feature of ro-ro vessels that distinguishes them from conventional and cellular dry cargo
ships is their ability to load cargo essentially horizontally, thus requiring no fixed lifting gear. It is
therefore of paramount importance that access to the ship does remain essentially horizontal.
The latest generation of high-powered tractors are capable of towing gross weights in excess of 100
tonnes up 10° inclines. This remains the exception, and maximum acceptable angles for any access
ramps are typically 6° - 7°. Tractor power is not the only limiting factor. Excessive slopes can cause
grounding problems – or “topping” problems where there is limited head-room.

Because of these special problems associated with ro-ro loading and discharge, attention to ballasting is
particularly important. Problems will be exacerbated at berths where tidal ranges are large. When
exceptionally long or heavy loads are to be loaded/discharged, careful planning may be necessary to
take advantage of available windows of opportunity.
In any case, the proper use of ballast to control draught and trim throughout will result in a speedier and
more efficient operation.

Passenger Operations on Ro-Pax ships:

Passengers are mainly handled at shore terminals but a reasonable level of accommodation, recreation,
entertainment, catering and other passenger services are maintained on board. Most accommodation is
on or above the main deck for both passengers and crew. They are multi-decks vessels in order to
accommodate all types of vehicles ranging from small automobiles to very long articulated trucks. The
vehicles are generally driven on board through bow/ stern doors and stowed in position on vehicle decks
by their operators/ drivers with the help of ship/ shore staff. Once they are in position, they are secured
and lashed to ensure that they do not move when the ship takes to sea. The cargo may be loaded by
fork-lift trucks through the bow/ stern doors or lowered by ship or shore cranes onto the deck or into a
cargo hold.
Self-assessment exercise 8:
Question 1:
a) The Roll-on/Roll-off Ships – Stowage and Securing of Vehicles – Code of Practice gives 9 points of
advice on stowage and securing of vehicles (including semi-trailers) on Ro-Ro ships. List 6 of them.
b) A particular semi-trailer on a Ro-Ro ship is required to have three lashings per side – illustrate how
these lashings should be placed according to the same Code.
Question 2:

Explain why ballasting operations are of particular importance on a Ro-Ro vessel working cargo.

a) Describe 6 types of stowage units that may be carried aboard Ro-Ro.

Question 3:
A vessel is being designed for service on a route where ports have only rudimentary wharf infrastructure.
If the vessel may be required to berth either side alongside straight-faced wharves, and work a variety of
cargo units, describe a combination of ramp(s) and door(s) that will provide a high degree of flexibility
Question 4:
Summarise the references in Chapter 32 of the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seamen on

the following topics:

a) Ventilation of vehicle decks;

b) Fire safety on vehicle decks;

c) The angle of vehicle lashings;

d) Compressed air suspension systems on vehicles;

e) Gas cylinders fitted to caravans.