Sea cargo reference
Wood Chip
Holds that fill before they reach the weight limit. The notes below cover the cargo, the way the hull is arranged, and the limit that puts a ship in this class.
- Ship's gear
- Usually fitted with unloading conveyors or cranes
- How capacity is counted
- Hold volume in cubic metres
- Usual size
- Commonly 40,000-60,000 DWT with very large hold volume
- Cargo type
- Wood chips
Wood chip carriers
A bulk hull with far more hold volume than its deadweight suggests. The cargo fills the space long before it reaches the weight limit.
Wood chips are very light for their bulk, so the ship is drawn around cubic capacity, not tonnes. Hulls are deep and boxy, and the superstructure is often raised so the bridge can see over a high deck cargo.
They serve pulp and paper mills, running from forestry regions to the mill. Many carry their own discharge gear, because chip terminals are often remote.
Cargo on board
How the hull is arranged
- Hull and gear are drawn around one cargo, not around general trade.
- The handling fit matches the trade: heavy-lift derricks, stern or side ramps, ventilation, or a refrigeration plant.
- The structure is strengthened where that cargo needs it, for point loads, vehicle decks, or several tween decks.
Why this trade uses it
- Takes cargo a general ship cannot carry safely or at a workable cost.
- Built-in gear keeps port time short where the shore has little equipment.
- For many of these trades it is the only practical ship.
Settle these points before you fix
- The trade is narrow, so ships are scarce and the rate is less competitive than open-market tonnage.
- The return voyage is often in ballast, because the special fit has nothing to load home.
- Many of these trades add their own rules on top of ordinary cargo law.