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Tonnage Hatch/Dunnage or Tonnage - merged threads

13K views 45 replies 29 participants last post by  dave kirkham 
#1 ·
I recall many moons ago, on I think a Palm Line vessel, there was a small hatch towards the stern referred to as the "tonnage hatch". I do not recall it being used for cargo (although I may be mistaken), it seemed to be a storage compartment for ropes etc. What was the significance of the "tonnage hatch"?. Was it to do with reserve buoyancy? I only came across this feature rarely on the ships I sailed upon.
 
#30 ·
Interesting thought...there isn't much one can say....if anyone historically had said Dunnage Hold to me I would have always thought of the small hold, in those days,of mine, dunnage was often carried by ships and reloaded after discharge. These days much of the timber is supplied new and certified each trip and is landed for destroying at destination.....certainly this was the case on the last ships I acted as Cargo Super for...Canada.,Australia & China.

geoff
 
#37 ·
B\)

On one ship in the early 50's we had a Lazarette, it was used by the lampie to store his stuff, as well as the cook where his spuds and other vegies were stored.
It was also the place where Freddie, our former POW second steward, kept his still and fermenting potato peelings - and whatever else went into it.
He obviously had the collusion of cookie - who was always pissed - and of lampie - who was often half-pissed!
Mixed with Lauchlin Rose's ship's lime juice and sugar, it wasn't a bad drop either! The barter system provided Freddie, who was a chain smoker, with a constant supply of ****.

Taff
 
#35 ·
When there was a craze for wood turning on the ship's engine room Colchester lathe we used to haunt the quaysides looking through piles of dunnage.
It was surprising what we found , anything from eucalyptus hardwoods through to softwoods of all sorts. I recall scavenging around the Adelaide docks at night and coming up with some lengths of about 3 x 3 Mahogany that may not have been dunnage but it made beautiful tapered stool and table legs.

Bob
 
#36 ·
dunnage hatch when I was on ships that had them were small hatches aft, kinda like a attic where all sorts of things were stored by the bosun-lampy. I recall having a hatch board sent (dropped) down & hitting me in the back just above the waste when down there stowing this & that. I & the bosun thought I would be paralysed as could not get up or walk everything numb they had to sling me up on deck then carry me to my cabin. Thankfully I was able to get around the next day. Feel that is the cause of my back problems every now & then now?
 
#39 ·
Reading again through Alisatair's explanation of tonnage etc. makes me think that it is the best bit of writing on tonnage that I've read; certainly far better than some of the stuff I was told or read at college many moons ago. Thanks Alistair for some clarity.
 
#41 ·
Can't remember, thought the crew bathroom was there, but IIRC one of the causes of Global Mariner (ex Ruddbank) foundering so fast was doors between the holds being left open causing faster longitudinal flooding. I always assumed these were fitted to improve the use of exhibition space at the conversion but perhaps they were an original feature.
 
#42 ·
The tonnage hatch was not necessarily aft of No. 5 (or the aft hatch).

I was on one ship (Scotstoun of 1965) where it was at the forward end of No.2.

She was trading as a closed shelter decker so the hatch lid was bolted and watertight.

The fiction being maintained with an open shelter deck was that the tonnage hatch was not weathertight, hence no batten bars or wedges, the tarpaulins were lashed down one way or another.
 
#43 ·
Hi Guys,
We had tonnage hatch on all the Hain's ships I sailed on, these were standard 5 hatch tramps and the tonnage hatch was always abaft of No 5.
On Treneglos etc, where main hatches were Mcgreggor single pull, I seem to recall the tonnage hatch had a steel plate cover, bolted down with a rubber gasket watertight seal, and access 'booby hatch'.
I still have some old cargo plans which shows us using the tonnage hatch for speci cargo, like cases of photo film on Japan-Brazil run.
I can also remember loading corned beef in tonnage hatch on return run.
Whether this was strictly legal or not I am not sure?
Interestingly I have cargo plan for Trewidden on UK-NZ run showing tonnage hatch empty. But even then way back in the 1970's Kiwi dockers were reknown for strict adherence to health & safety.
We used to do various things on cross trades, which we wouldn't do when running in or out of UK or New Zealand.
:)
dave
 
#45 ·
#26 bobs, I sailed on the Benledi in the mid 70's which I'm sure had two load lines, and was also taught about the different tonnages for second mates and mates, both studied for in the 70's, so am surprised you note that were rendered obsolete in 65.
 
#46 ·
Hi Guys,
I am not sure of my facts, my memory isn't as good as it once was, but did this open/closed shelterdeck differentiation persist in transit fees for the Panama and Suez canals? that would explain why we sometimes used them as cargo space, but left them clear when transiting the canals?
:)
Dave
 
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