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[funnel]

Hello all.


I was just going over the plan of the cargo ship, Hunan, and found that I had missed a marking on it stating, 'folding bulwark'. I have attached an image of the plan.


Can anyone tell me about these. I presume that these bulwark sections could be laid flat on the deck to allow anything on the derrick not to crash into the bulwark. There are several of these sections in the bulwarks elsewhere and yet I can see no information on how these were held in place, or hinged.


For example its the bulwark section hinged at the bottom to allow the whole to fall to the deck or, does the top rail of the bulwark hinge back on top of the top rail preceding it and then just a flat bulwark panel rests on the deck.


 Further how is it all locked in situ as a bulwark.


Any ideas anyone?


Toby

[funnel]

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[Colin Bishop]

From the plan the bulwarks look like they fold down inwards, possibly to enable deck cargo to be taken on board maybe?

Colin

[derekwarner]

Toby........these folded or hinged sections of bulwark are a functional requirement for the vessels crane hoist hook path


Dependent on the type or crane jib, some jibs were pivoting fixed height horizontal monorail,  some jibs could elevate


It is all to getting clearance between the top of the bulwark & the base or lower section pallet or wire basket being loaded/unloaded


The method of securing the bulwark back up to vertical position must be such that the original run of bulwark strength is maintained


As you see in that last image, the vessels jib could slew over the shore side, be slewed or jibbed in over the folded bulwark and then over to be lowered down into the hatch
 
It is not a crane for loading cargo, but vessel stores and provisions [& mechanical spares] crane


Derek

[Colin Bishop]

So would that entail some form of horizontal bolting arrangement Derek?Colin

[derekwarner]

Yes Colin...the structure of the bulwark is a surveyable element of the vessel design or deck plan. So the securing of the lowerable section must comply with original design strengths


The confusing part is the first image from Toby notes that it is also a bulwark gangway    ...could be wrong, however I believe the last part of the notation may be incorrect

Derek 

[Colin Bishop]

You can see a missing bulwark section here:

http://www.navymodeling.com/Foto2004_Modelli_Amici_Pierre26.html

plus our own Bryan Young built a model of the ship:

https://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3187.0

I think it is quite likely that the vessel would have accommodated native passengers sleeping on deck - hence the reference to a gangway.

Colin

[derekwarner]

Yes, after seeing the images from Bryans build....the folded bulwark section certainly could have been general cargo related, however the main gangway appears as midships & would have been P&S..........


Derek

[funnel]

Hello Colin and Derek and thank you for your replies!


The image which includes the term gangway is on the original 1932 plan and the image without the term is from the plan of the re- fit in 1958.


I have learned from you that the bulwark strength had to be maintained.  This raises the issue of how this was achieved.  I will now look at the link.


Thanks Toby

[funnel]

Hello Colin


I have just viewed that in the first link but it does not show the folding bulwark. It shows the cut out section where removable handrail/ stanchions section were placed.


See picture from plan.


Toby

[Colin Bishop]

Ships do get frequently modified during their lifetimes. They rarely remain in 'as originally fitted' condition as shown on the builder's plans.

Colin

[funnel]

Derek




Interesting because these folding sections number 6 and there are 2 sections with handrail/ stanchions. Further the two flights of companion way to side passenger/ cargo doors appears virtual a mid- ships and the accommodation ladder is at the stern.

[funnel]

Colin


Again thank you. I have both sets of drawings and the bulwarks remain the same in both because as you say it is a necessary thing by nature of the ship.

[Colin Bishop]

These things are always interesting to puzzle out and often depend on how the ship was used.


On the liner model I am building the portholes on one side of the ship are bigger than on the other and a study of the internal arrangements on the plan shows that these were first class cabins.


Colin

[funnel]

Ah ha!


That answers another question for this ship. .. size of windows and portholes etc.

[derekwarner]

If the vessel was built for cargo work in Asian ports [as depicted] brings back an old B&W movie of a cargo vessel being unloaded/loaded in an Asian port


The ships steam derrick winch cranes being used simultaneously in the hoisting & lowering work


There were literally near hundreds of straw hatted Coolies on the sea deck and the lower or tween decks hulking 50 lb bags of produce to the stowed position


Now here is where racial segregation became evident.....if the vessel was in a Chinese port, the straw hatted Coolies would be Malay in origin and considered a Class below the Chinese. If the vessel were in a Malayan port, the situation is reversed and the Chinese become the lower Class 




Further evidence of this racial division is that the Coolies were not permitted to use the ships main Gangway as this was for Passengers and uniformed vessel crew.......hence the bullwark gangways for the laborer Coolies

[derekwarner]

please delete duplication