This incident information refer to to heavy corrosion/pitting and subsequent cracking that was discovered in the side shell plating and frames of an old bulk carrier at sea, in ballast condition. The damage was found in way of the pipes connecting the hopper tanks and the top side tanks in cargo hold no. 4.
During a normal daily inspection serious indents were found in a ship’s bow in way of the Bosun store at port side, affecting shell plating and 12 frames. The damage was assumed to have occurred during heavy weather conditions, which had caused bow impact pressure, which exceeded the capacity of the bow structure. This could either have happened because the sea state caused higher loads than accounted for in the class rules or the ship may have operated outside the range of “good marine practice”. Damage, has occurred quite frequently on container ships and also on other cargo ships, having comparable speed and high flare angle.
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Officer of the Watch 