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Mooring requirements & emergency towing -off wire for gas carrier - Ship and berth compatibility

General precautions & mooring requirements for gas carrier

The consequences of a gas carrier ranging along or breaking out of a berth could be disastrous, particularly during cargo transfer when damage could be caused to loading arms or hoses. Correct mooring is therefore of the utmost importance.

Mooring requirements are usually determined by the terminal, supplemented by advise from the pilot. For general guidance on moorings, see the OCIMF publication “Effective Mooring”.



Once the vessel has been secured, moorings should be regularly checked and tended to ensure that they remain effective.

(1) The crew of the watch must pay attention to mooring ropes all the time, and adjust them for the vessel not to move.

(2) While the vessel moored at a wharf which is equipped with mooring tension monitoring system, notify terminal-side before adjusting mooring lines and record it.

(3) Use tension winches by manual brakes.

(4) Do not use same bollard for a wire and a hawser (Avoid mixed mooring).


Ship and berth compatibility

It is required that a compatibility study must have been completed for any terminal/berth that an LNG vessel is required to attend. The compatibility study will be undertaken by the Managing Office or Charterers and will be berth specific. For terminals with more than one berth, a compatibility study is required for each berth that the vessel may be required to use.

The compatibility study is to ensure suitability of a vessel for the berth in question and considers issues such as fender arrangements, gangway position, cargo arm working envelope, ESD arrangements, communication arrangements, tidal information and ships draft etc.

The compatibility study will include an Optimoor mooring analysis report. This identifies the requisite mooring plan and the limiting weather conditions for this mooring configuration. Except under exceptional circumstances at the Master's discretion, the agreed mooring configuration should not be deviated from without prior approval from the managing office.

Prior to arrival in the port, all deck officers should take time to study the plan. The mooring plan should also be reviewed as part of the Master/Pilot pre-mooring discussion when the pilot can be appraised of ship's requirements.

On receipt of new voyage orders, Masters should verify that a compatibility study has been completed for the proposed terminal/berth and appraise themselves of these studies prior to arrival to ensure that all berth specific limitations or anomalies are understood. The managing office should be contacted immediately should this information be unavailable.


Emergency Towing-Off Wires (Fire Wires) - Gas carrier requirements

The ship should provide towing-off wires, ready for immediate use without adjustment, in case the ship needs to be moved in the event of fire or other emergency.


Wires should be positioned fore and aft on the offshore side of the ship, be in good condition, of adequate strength, and properly secured to the bitts such that full towing loads can be applied. The eyes should be maintained at or about the waterline in a position that tugs can reach without difficulty.




Sufficient slack to enable the tugs to tow effectively should be retained between the bitts and the fairlead, but prevented from running out by a rope yarn or other easily broken means. There are various methods currently in use for rigging emergency towing wires, and the arrangement may vary from port to port. A terminal which requires a particular method to be used should advise the ship accordingly.



Related Information:

  1. Openings in Deckhouses and Superstructures


  2. Ship’s Readiness to Move




Restrictions for use of Mobile-phone in gas carrier

Precautions against abnormal weather or other conditions

Cargo Machinery Room Precautions

Lashing of Movable Articles

Safety checklist for gas carrier

Reactivity of liquefied gas cargo and safety guideline

Procedure for loading Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Cargo Conditioning in Liquefied Gas Carriers

Procedure for segregation of Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Stripping Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Procedure for Changing Liquefied Gas Cargoes

Displacing Atmosphere with Inert Gas (Inerting)

Maintaining tank pressure during a laden voyage

Liquefied gas carrier safety training

Tackling fire onboard liquefied gas carrier ship

LNG spill risk during marine transportation and hazards associated

Inerting of Cargo Tanks prior loading LNG cargo

Gassing-up requirement for cargo tanks

Preparation for Cargo Transfer

Procedure for discussion prior cargo transfer

Defining various gas carrier types

Fuel flexibility of LNG ships

LNG ship spillage risk

LNG shipment

Initial Cool Down of cargo tanks

Leaks on the Cargo System, Continuous Flow - how to prevent

LNG tank leaks and immediate action by gas carriers

Leaks from a Loading Arm due to Tidal or Current Effects

Minor or major leaks from LNG tanks

Procedures for LNG cargo discharging



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