Guidelines for lay-up of shipsSuggestions to help minimise P&I claims, including personal injury, wreckremoval and pollution and other contamination of the local environment

LP NewsJANUARY 2009

UK P&I CLUB

IntroductionIn conjunction with BMT Marine & Offshore Surveys(Incorporating The Salvage Association) the Club hasproposed the following criteria and recommendationsfor lay-up arrangements in order to minimise P&Iclaims, including personal injury, wreck removal andpollution, particularly oil leakage, antifouling and othercontamination of the local environment. Also damageto third party property, including other vessels,underwater cables, beaches and reefs, pleasure craftand aquaculture.

The guidelines have been drafted to assist the Club’sshipowners in the preparation of their vessels for aperiod of lay-up and to provide recommendations formaintaining the ships in a safe and effective condition.

The laid up ships will be subject to all relevant national,port and other statutory requirements, agreement byHull & Machinery insurers and the recommendations ofthe relevant classification society. Supportingdocumentation including agreements and certificates

from these parties should be readily available forreference. The proposals outlined below are subject tocompliance with all such requirements andrecommendations.

Manufacturers of machinery may additionally provideguidance on the long-term protection and maintenanceof their equipment.

Prior to commencing the lay-up of a vessel theshipowner or operator should carry out a full riskassessment covering the suitability of the site, safety ofthe crew, vessel, mooring and environment and alsothe preservation of the vessel and machinery. Writtenprocedures for the lay-up, manning, maintenance andinspection should be prepared and all likely riskssuitably managed. Professional guidance should besought if necessary.

It should be noted that these proposals are of a generalnature and are not intended to be complete or coveringall circumstances or vessel types, and may be modifiedto suit a particular ship or situation.

Both the UK Club and BMT Marine & OffshoreSurveys, their subsidiaries and affiliates, including allofficers, employees, surveyors and agents assume noresponsibility and shall not be liable to any person ororganisation for any loss, damage, injury or expense,howsoever caused, resulting from any reliance onthese proposals and the information andrecommendations contained in this document.

Lay-up philosophyThere are two basic criteria that the lay-up is designedto meet:

● To maintain the security, safety and protection of thevessel, crew, and the environment.

● To preserve and maintain the structure andmachinery by providing protection against corrosionand static seizure.

The extent to which a vessel’s owner will lay-up anyship will depend on a number of factors, including, theexpected period of lay-up, need to reduce overheadrunning costs, anticipated time to resumption oftrading, time needed for reactivation and the age andvalue of the ship.

The vessel can be laid up either in ‘Hot’ or ‘Cold’mode. There will, however, be variations on thesemodes as owners elect different time scales, manningrequirements and degree of lay-up.

‘Hot’ lay-up is usually relatively short term and meansthat the vessel may have a reduced number of crew on

board and will have some of the machinery working.The advantages are that the vessel can be easily laid upand it can be reactivated with less cost, time and effort.

‘Cold’ lay-up for a longer term requires the vessel to bemoored in a secured location and all systems are shutdown with minimum ongoing maintenance to preventdeterioration of the hull structure and machinery.A specialist lay-up crew may be employed, possibly onlya watchman from a contracted ‘housekeeping’company will be on board for much of this period. Thereare a number of disadvantages to cold lay-up,particularly machinery or hull degradation andsubsequent reactivation could take weeks. The vesselmay require dry-docking as part of the reactivation. Ifreactivation procedures are not correctly carried out,serious long term damage to the machinery may becaused. One area of uncertainty is that modern vesselshave a large amount of sophisticated computerequipment and there is little current experience thatthese systems will start up again when the vessel isreactivated after a long lay-up.

Approval of lay-up siteUntil being disbanded in January 2001 the ILU/IUA JointHull Returns Bureau maintained a record of around 400approved sites worldwide, however, the subsequentchanges in infrastructure and conditions at some ofthese sites may mean that they are no longer suitableto be approved. In addition increases in vessel size willmean that many old locations are not suitable formodern tonnage. As a result consideration should begiven that each new location may need to be surveyedbefore being approved.

This process will include but not be limited toassessment of the following:

● Degree of shelter provided from open seas, winds,waves, swells etc.

● Method of mooring vessels: including ships berthedalongside, at buoys, anchors, stern moorings,anchored rafts of several vessels, etc.

● Availability of spare or replacement mooringequipment.

● Detailed climatological information from best sourcesavailable relating to likely maximum force anddirection of wind, waves and swell, and incidence ofcyclones, hurricanes, ice, etc. Reliability of localweather forecasting services.

● Local currents and tides.

● Tidal range.

● Bathymetry and anchorage depth and type of holdingground, with diver or sonar surveys as appropriate.

● Depth of water to be sufficient to remain afloat at allstages of the tide with sufficient under keelclearance.

● Proximity to any obstructions, wrecks, underwatercables or pipes.

● Details of local authorities and availability of tugs, firefighting, medical & safety services.

● Availability of services such as fresh water, wastedisposal, shore power and repairers.

● Security of location.

● Assessment of likely hull fouling due to marinegrowth.

● Location of any effluent or corrosive discharges.

● Proximity to passing traffic and other moored vessels.

● Proximity of any commercial aquaculture includingfish farms, oyster beds, water intakes etc.

● Space available or number of designated lay-uppositions.

● Suitable access and egress channels, pilotage, tugassistance during mooring, etc.

● Proximity of underwater cables, wrecks etc.

● Potential windage of vessels, containers on deck, etc.

● Facilities for shore monitoring of vessel position,remote GPS monitoring etc.

Approval of lay-up arrangementsThis will include the following main aspects:

● The method and safety of the mooring and all the

various activities relating to the safety of the vesseland crew.

● The preservation of the vessel and her machineryand equipment to prevent damage or deteriorationand to assist with subsequent reactivation.

● Approval of arrangements by Flag State, Port State,harbour authorities, classification and hull andmachinery and their appointed surveyors.

Mooring arrangementsThe main part of these arrangements is to firstly checkthat the ship is safely placed in the mooring, and thenthat appropriate laying up arrangements are made. Themooring arrangements vary considerably dependingupon the location chosen and are dictated bytopography and bathymetry. For example in fjord

situations the ships aremoored by anchors forwardand wires to the shore aft.In sheltered bays they arelaid together in rafts, bowto stern, with anchors atboth ends. In some benignareas they are laid on arunning mooring with bothanchors laid out. Vesselsmay also be laid upalongside a suitable berth.

The following are points to consider:

● The mooring must be sufficient to hold from theseverest wind expected from the most unfavourabledirection. Assessment of depth of water comparedto vessel draft and freeboard.

● Always ensure that the anchors are well pulled in,and the chains are as straight as possible andstretched tight. A normal scope on the anchor couldbe 10 shackles, but more can be used.

● If in any doubt regarding anchors holding they shouldbe picked up and re-laid, and a diver put downwhere necessary. Anchor positions should bemarked with buoys to show locations and tofacilitate recovery if slipped.

● If wires are used astern they must be under eventension, taut and kept tight.

● Position of anchor chains and mooring lines to bevaried at regular intervals to prevent uneven wear inway of contact points such as hawse pipes,fairleads, winches, etc.

● Suitable fendering and safe gangways with

adequate lighting must be placed between ships andbetween ship and quay.

as deemed appropriate. Remote monitoring to beutilised where relevant.

● A fire fightingcapability to beprovided through thesustainedoperationalavailability ofemergencyequipment andapparatus.

● The minimisation offire risk through theremoval of unnecessary flammable material, gasfreeing and cleaning of certain compartments and bythe employment of safe working practices.

● Arrangements should be made for the safecontainment and frequent removal of garbage andsewage produced by crew or watch personnel.

● An evacuation facility through the operationalupkeep of lifeboats/liferafts, breathing apparatusand associated equipment.

● Protection to compartments and machinery bysealing all air intake and exhaust openings which arenot required.

● On board security by means of limiting access byboarding, securing and sealing of doors into theaccommodation and other spaces. Provision ofsuitable alarm systems with remote monitoring.

● Provision of a safe working environment for crew onboard or for watchmen and maintenance crews.

● The minimisation of risk of air pollution.

● Enclosed spaces to be ventilated prior to entry.

● Oil tanks to be drained, cleaned and maintained ingas free condition and tested at regular intervals,and all oil pipelines drained and cleaned prior to longterm lay-up.

Preservation and maintenanceThe objective is to eradicate accelerated corrosion andseizure through the:

● Total and effective sealing of major accommodationand machinery spaces from external atmosphericconditions, particularly where high humidity levelsexist.

● Controlled dehumidification of internal air spaces

● To minimise windage and improve anchor holding,tankers should take about 30 percent deadweightballast, and bulk carriers should have maximumballast.

● Except in special circumstances, mooring for lay-upon a single anchor has been found unsatisfactory.

● High profile vessels such as car carriers, passenger/cruise ships and container vessels with containerstacks will require allowances to be made for theadditional windage when assessing the mooringarrangements.

● Final lay-up draft marks forward and aft to bepainted conspicuously with white lines on port andstarboard sides.

● Rigging of emergency towing lines fore and aft,ready for use, without adjustment, should the vesselneed to be towed off.

● Where multiple vessels are laid up together, eitheralongside or in anchored or moored groups or ‘rafts’,they should be of a similar size. Vessels alongsideshould normally be not more than three abreast andall heading in the same direction. When moored inrafts vessels are normally not more than six abreastand anchored so that they are heading in alternatedirections and secured bow to stern.

Security, safety, protection andenvironmentThe objective is to provide and maintain:

● For a hot lay-up sufficient and qualified ship’sofficers and crew should be onboard in order tomaintain full time fire, leakage, mooring, safety andsecurity watch of the vessel. For a cold lay-upefficient, independently powered fire and floodingalarms and/or warning lights/whistles/klaxons to befitted for machinery space, bilges and other spaces

(including void spaces within machinery andpipelines) to prevent sweating and humidity corrosiondamage, as well as moisture absorption into electricalcables and fittings.

● Regular turning of rotating machinery to preventcorrosion damage to bearings, seizure andcomponent distortion.

● Application ofpreservatives andsuitable lubricants toexternal equipment andmachinery not within thedehumidified spaces.

● Hull cathodic protectionto be maintained, andfor long term lay-upballast tanks to besuitably protected.

InspectionsThe objective is to conduct regular inspections either bya skeleton crew or a contracted service company andcarry out tests on structure, machinery and equipmentthrough established techniques to ensure that thestandard of preservation is maintained. Inspectionregimes should be fully documented in advance of lay-up and may include daily, weekly, monthly or annualactivities. Full procedures and necessary records are tobe maintained.

Such checks will include:

● Frequent checks of mooring and fenderingarrangements.

● Frequent checks of embarkation, lighting and othersafety systems.

● Frequent checks on communication systems.

● Regular bilge and other soundings.

● Regular checks on operation of emergencyequipment and apparatus, fire, leakage, and securitysystems and alarms (see Security, safety, protectionand environment).

● Visual checks on ‘controlled’ space sealingarrangements.

● Measurement checks on relative humidity levelswithin ‘controlled’ spaces.

● Visual checks on protective coatings of all externalmachinery and equipment.

● Visual checks on oil levels in machinery sumps.

● Visual checks on all ‘filled’ systems for leaks, suchas hydraulics, fuel, lubrication oil, air conditioningand water.

● Visual and measurement checks of battery systems.

● Live test of emergency fire pump and system.

● Measurement checks of electrical circuit insulationcontinuity.

● Visual checks on all occupied storage tank levels.

● Periodic visual examination of all opened machineryand equipment within dehumidified spaces.

● Periodic underwater survey by qualified divingcontractor.

● Measurement checks on hull potential (cathodicprotection system).

Preparation proceduresControlled humidity space sealing anddehumidification

The owners/contractor will provide all the necessarymaterial and equipment to establish and maintain acontrolled dehumidified atmosphere within designatedareas including:

Main Machinery spaces at 30 - 50% RH

Accommodation spaces at 45 - 55 % RH

All openings including doors, windows, port holes,vent/extraction apertures, sanitary outlets, scuppers,drains and air intake grids should be secured andsealed using proven methods. Limited means of accessto be retained.

Dehumidification units of adequate capacity to be sited

and installed, together with associated distributiontrunking to achieve sufficient air circulation both withinthe ‘controlled’ spaces as a whole and through majorindividual items of machinery, equipment and systemswithin those spaces. The circulation of dry air will bearranged such that the desired levels of relative humiditywill be achieved throughout.

All water/steam systems and tanks within the controlledspaces, except those required for the lay-up operationwill be drained free of water (including bilge areas),dried and left open to dehumidified atmosphere. Non-return valve internals will be removed where necessaryto improve air circulation within the systems.

Internal machinery and equipment

Individual machinery within the dehumidified spacesshould be treated as follows:

Internal combustion engines

● Fuel oil lines to be isolated, injectors removed,cleaned, coated with oil and stowed.

● Cylinders to be lubricated with lube oil whilst engineis turned by hand.

● Cooling systems to be drained of water and left opento dehumidified atmosphere. Where neoprene sealingrings are fitted, system will be left charged to preventdry out and corrosion inhibitors added.

● Sea water systems to be drained and opened todehumidified atmosphere.

● Selected inspection covers to be removed to allowfree circulation of dry air throughout the machine.

● Exhaust lines will be blanked.

Air compressors and system

● Lube oil to be drained whilst warm, system rechargedwith clean oil and machine run for 5 minutes beforefinal shut-down.

● Unless the compressor is required for use during lay-up routines, covers and valves on all stages should beremoved and cylinders lubricated.

● Air filters and inspection covers to be removed andheader drains left open to allow free circulation of air.

● Receivers to be drained and mopped dry and drainsand inspection doors left open.

Fresh water systems and pumps

● Internals to be drained and dried out. Inspectioncovers and drain plugs removed for air circulation.

● Suction strainers to be drained and left open.

Salt water systems and pumps

● All sea water to be drained from pumps andassociated systems and left open to thedehumidified atmosphere.

● All strainers to be drained, mopped dry and left opentogether with selected valves, thus permitting thecirculation of dry air.

Fuel oil purifiers

● Internals to be removed, cleaned, coated withgrease and stowed.

● Bowl and crankcase will be left open to atmosphere.

● Crankcase to be drained, cleaned and charged withnew oil of owners supply.

Accommodation

If the vessel is laid-up unmanned then:

● In addition to external sealing arrangementsdescribed in Controlled humidity space sealing anddehumidification, all sanitary fittings to haveopenings sealed and water supply systems isolated.

● All provisions stores to be emptied, cleaned anddoors secured in open position.

● All cabin linen to be stowed in a central locker inclean condition, mattresses stood on edge and allcupboard and cabin doors secured in open position.

● All access alleyway decks to be covered with H/Dpolythene.

● All navigation and communication systems to beisolated (except local VHF Trans/receiver) and roomdoors left open to ensure good air circulation.

● Accommodation spaces to be sprayed withinsecticide to prevent infestations of cockroachesetc.

● Lighting circuit breakers to be opened whererelevant leaving only the emergency lighting circuitsin use during lay-up.

External equipment

● All moving and working parts of deck fittings to beproved free and thoroughly coated with preservativegrease. Crane cabs to be secured and sealed andcontrol positions covered and secured.

● Arrangements to be made for the regular turning ofsteam/hydraulic deck machinery on air. Internals ofengines and all working parts to be regularlylubricated.

● Lifeboats and davits to be kept in good workingorder, being regularly lowered and the engines runon test.

Electrical installation

● Electrical power to be provided by a portable dieselgenerator or shore power when available. This willminimise the utilisation of the vessel’s ownemergency generator which can then be laid up.Temporary cables to be supplied and safely installedas necessary.

● Full insulation teststo be carried out onall distributionsystems andmotors at thecommencement oflay-up, readingsrecorded andsubmitted to owneron a regular basis.

● The condition ofexternal motors to bemonitored by takingregular insulation readings and if the conditiondeteriorates to a point where it would be detrimentalto the motor then, where possible, it would beremoved and stowed in a dehumidified area.

● All starters, control panels and distribution boardswithin dehumidified spaces, where safe to do so, tohave access doors partially opened to allow freecirculation of dry air.

Documentation and record keeping

● All work carried out during lay-up preparation to be

carefully recorded,documented andphotographed.Copies of suchrecords to beretained on boardduring the lay-upperiod for useduring subsequentreactivation.

● Any spares orequipmentsubsequentlyremoved for operational purposes such as transfer toother operational vessels to be recorded forreplacement during later reactivation.

● Log books of all activities on board to be maintained.

General

● All machinery and equipment components removedfrom their normal location to be properly labelled andstowed adjacent to the parent unit within thedehumidified spaces. The parent unit to be markedwith appropriate labels where such componentshave been removed.

● Apertures/inspection openings where covers havebeen removed for air circulation to be covered withfine mesh wire gauze to prevent ingress of foreignmatter.

● External equipment removed to within thedehumidified spaces to be properly stowed, thestorage location carefully recorded and the normallocation site labelled.

Maintenance during lay-upLay-up routines to be carried out throughout the laid upperiod by skeleton staff or contractor, including checksas listed in the section titled Inspections.

Main engine and auxiliary engines, compressors,pumps etc to be regularly turned with lubrication oilunder pressure. Engines to be stopped in a differentposition each time.

Owner’s responsibilitiesSafety requirements

● All safety equipment is to be in good working orderand fully tested prior to lay-up. Lighting, fire fightingand lifesaving equipment to be maintained inoperational condition during lay-up.

● All combustible and flammable material not required

UK P&I CLUBIS MANAGEDBY THOMASMILLER

For further information please contact:Loss Prevention Department, Thomas Miller P&I LtdTel: +44 20 7204 2307. Fax +44 20 7283 6517Email: lossprevention.ukclub@thomasmiller.com

during lay-up to be removed prior to lay-up, includingchemicals and paint.

● All compartments must be gas free.

Manning

● The owners must retain sufficient crew on board tocarry out the lay-up preparation. The crew can bereduced as work progresses until the vessel is finallyde-manned or reduced to an agreed skeleton crew. Ifunmanned, the contractors to provide watchmen toensure the security of the vessel, and staff to carryout maintenance routines.

● Reductions in manning below minimum manninglevels should be agreed with the relevant Flag Stateand any necessary dispensation obtained.

Structure

● Underwater area must be adequately protected withsacrificial anodes and hull potential to be at asatisfactory level.

● During lay-up ballast tanks should be maintainedeither full or empty. Full tanks may be protected bymeans of corrosion inhibitors or sacrificial anodes.Empty tanks should be dried out to minimisecorrosion.

● All sea valves to be fitted with internal blank flanges.External sea suctions to be closed off by divers usingfibreglass blanks fitted with neoprene seals. Theblanks to have a pocket so that a biocide brick canbe inserted to prevent marine growth in the grids.

● The stern seal to be checked externally by divers toensure there are no ropes or lines penetrating intothe seal assembly that could result in leakage.

● A safe access to the vessel must be provided forcontractor’s watchmen and maintenance crews.

Electrical installation

All electrical equipment and cables must be in goodcondition, particularly those required during lay-upsuch as engine room and accommodation lightingsystems and main and auxiliary switchboards.

Cranes

At least one stores crane should be in good workingorder for use during the lay-up period, and have validload test certificates issued.

Stores and provisions

All excess or unnecessary equipment, stores andprovisions should be off-loaded, particularly in longterm lay-up situations.