Section 1 General
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Clasifications Register Rules and Regulations - Rules and Regulations for the Classification of Ships, July 2022 - Part 4 Ship Structures (Ship Types) - Chapter 2 Ferries, Roll On-Roll Off Ships and Passenger Ships - Section 1 General

Section 1 General

Parent topic: Chapter 2 Ferries, Roll On-Roll Off Ships and Passenger Ships

1.1 Application

1.1.1 This Chapter applies to seagoing passenger ships and ferries, including those with roll on-roll off capability, as well as passenger yachts, sailing passenger ships, roll on-roll off cargo ships and vehicle carriers defined as follows:
  1. A passenger ship is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 12 passengers.
  2. A passenger ferry is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 12 passengers on a regular scheduled service between specified ports operating in reasonable weather conditions. Reasonable weather is defined in Pt 1, Ch 2, 2.1 Definitions 2.1.5
  3. A roll on-roll off passenger ship is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 12 passengers, as well as the carriage of vehicles accessed by means of ramps and doors located at the bow, stern or through the side shell, or any combination thereof.
  4. A roll on-roll off passenger ferry is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 12 passengers, as well as the carriage of vehicles accessed by means of ramps and doors located at the bow, stern or through the side shell, or any combination thereof where the ferry is on regular scheduled service between specified ports operating in reasonable weather. Reasonable weather is defined in Pt 1, Ch 2, 2.1 Definitions 2.1.5
  5. A passenger/vehicle ferry has the same definition as a roll on-roll off passenger ferry.
  6. A passenger yacht is defined as a yacht that is specially designed and constructed in accordance with National Administration requirements for passenger yachts.
  7. A sailing passenger ship is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of more than 12 passengers and incorporating sail devices which are intended to be the primary means of propulsion.
  8. A roll on-roll off cargo ship is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of vehicles and cargo in pallet form or in containers, loaded/unloaded by wheeled vehicles and accessed by means of ramps and doors located at the bow, stern or through the side shell, or any combination thereof.
  9. A vehicle carrier, sometimes referred to as a pure car carrier or a pure car/truck carrier, is defined as a ship specially designed and constructed for the carriage of large numbers of vehicles, accessed by means of ramps and doors located at the stern and/or through the side shell.

1.1.2 Ships intended to operate only in certain areas or conditions which have been agreed by the Committee, as defined in Pt 1, Ch 2 Classification Regulations, will receive individual consideration on the basis of the Rules with respect to the environmental conditions agreed for the design basis and approval.

1.1.3 The scantlings and arrangements are to be as required by Pt 4, Ch 1 General Cargo Ships except as otherwise specified in this Chapter.

1.1.4 The scantlings of the primary supporting structure for multi-decked passenger ships are to be assessed by direct calculation, in accordance with the ShipRight Structural Design Assessment Procedure for passenger ships, wherever:

  1. the superstructure will be subjected to significant load from flexure of the hull girder; or

  2. it is required to utilise the load-carrying capability of the superstructure for longitudinal strength; or

  3. a limited number of transverse bulkheads above the bulkhead deck are present to carry the racking response ; or

  4. as required by Lloyd’s Register (hereinafter referred to as 'LR').

See also Pt 4, Ch 2, 1.3 Class notations 1.3.7 and Pt 4, Ch 2, 12 Direct calculation.

1.1.5 A multi-decked ship is generally defined as a ship having one or more continuous decks above the bulkhead deck which contribute to the global strength of the ship. The efficiency of decks can vary in conjunction with their length, scantlings arrangement and materials.

1.1.6 The scantlings of the primary supporting structure of a vehicle ferry, passenger/vehicle ferry, roll on–roll off cargo ship, roll on–roll off passenger ship or vehicle carrier are to be assessed by direct calculation in accordance with the ShipRight Structural Design Assessment Procedure for Ro–Ro ships and the ShipRight Construction Monitoring Procedure. See also Pt 4, Ch 2, 1.3 Class notations 1.3.7 and Pt 4, Ch 2, 12 Direct calculation.

1.1.7 For the purpose of providing operational information to the Master for safe return to port after a flooding casualty, passenger ships having a Load Line length of 120 m or more or having three or more main vertical zones are to have:

  1. an onboard stability computer; or

  2. shore-based support.

Where an onboard computer system having a stability computation capability is provided, the system is to be certified in accordance with LR’s document entitled Approval of Longitudinal Strength and Stability Calculations Programs, see also Pt 1, Ch 2, 1.1 General 1.1.11.

1.2 Structural configuration

1.2.1 The requirements provide for a basic structural configuration of a multi-deck hull which includes a double bottom, and in some cases wing tanks up to the lowest deck.

1.2.2 For passenger ships, the structural arrangements detailed in Chapter II-1, Part B, of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, and applicable amendments as they apply to passenger ships are to be complied with in their entirety.

1.2.3 Where bulkheads are omitted in accordance with Pt 3, Ch 3, 4 Bulkhead requirements, a system of partial bulkheads, web frames and deck transverses should be fitted to provide equivalent transverse strength.

1.2.4 Longitudinal framing is, in general, to be adopted at the strength deck and at the bottom, but special consideration will be given to proposals for transverse framing in these regions.

1.2.5 Reference should be made to the Regulations of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 and applicable amendments and to the relevant Statutory Requirements of the National Authority of the country in which the ship is to be registered.

1.2.6 Attention is also drawn to the requirements for passenger ships given in:

1.2.7 Attention is drawn to National Authority requirements relating to the stowage and securing of vehicles and cargo units on board roll on-roll off ships. Steel used for the construction of fixed securing fittings attached to the ship's structure is to comply with the requirements of Rules for the Manufacture, Testing and Certification of Materials (hereinafter referred to as the Rules for the Manufacture, Testing and Certification of Materials, July 2022), or with an equivalent acceptable specification. Due account is to be taken of the grade and tensile strength of the hull material in way of the attachment and the chemical composition of the steel is to be such as to ensure acceptable qualities of weldability.

1.2.8 Sailing passenger ships are to be fitted with auxiliary propulsive power to ensure adequate speed and manoeuvrability of the vessel in conditions when the sail systems are not available for use. The auxiliary propulsion and other essential machinery are to comply with the requirements of Pt 5 Main and Auxiliary Machinery of the Rules, as applicable.

1.2.9 Sail systems may be made up in the form of soft sails, semi-rigid and rigid sail configurations including wind turbines or systems incorporating rotating cylinders.

1.2.10 For sailing vessels, a continuous visual read out of the apparent wind speed and direction is to be available to the ship's master when the vessel is under way. Sail control and service systems are to provide adequate speed of response to neutralise the sail system in the event of high wind conditions. Sufficient information and evidence is to be submitted to substantiate that the foregoing arrangements are in place.

1.2.11 For sailing passenger ships, the Rules for classification will, in principle, apply to the mast arrangements and standing gear, but will exclude running gear, yards, booms and sail arrangements.

1.2.12 For sailing passenger ships, the equipment requirements will be in accordance with the letter and numeral two grades higher than that corresponding to the calculated Equipment Numeral.

1.3 Class notations

1.3.1 In general, ships complying with the requirements of this Chapter will be eligible to be classed:

  • ‘100A1 passenger ship’, or
  • ‘100A1 passenger ferry’, or
  • ‘100A1 roll on-roll off passenger ship’,or
  • ‘100A1 roll on-roll off passenger ferry’,or
  • ‘100A1 passenger/vehicle ferry’, or
  • ‘100A1 passenger yacht’, or
  • ‘100A1 sailing passenger ship’, or
  • ‘100A1 roll on-roll off cargo ship’, or
  • ‘100A1 vehicle carrier’.

1.3.2 For passenger ships that comply with the requirements of the European Council Directive 98/18/EC of 17 March 1998 on safety rules and standards for passengers ships, and subsequent revisions, the following class notations may be appended to the main class notation:

  1. EU(A). This class notation will be assigned to a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages other than voyages covered by Classes B, C and D.

  2. EU(B). This class notation will be assigned to a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages in the course of which it is at no time more than 20 miles from the line of coast, where shipwrecked persons can land, corresponding to the medium tide height.

  3. EU(C). This class notation will be assigned to a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages in sea areas where the probability of exceeding 2,5 m significant wave height is smaller than 10 per cent over a one-year period for all-year-round operation, or over a specific restricted period of the year for operation exclusively in such period (e.g. summer period operation), in the course of which it is at no time more than 15 miles from a place of refuge, nor more than 5 miles from the line of coast, where shipwrecked persons can land, corresponding to the medium tide height.

  4. EU(D). This class notation will be assigned to a passenger ship engaged on domestic voyages in sea areas where the probability of exceeding 1,5 m significant wave height is smaller than 10 per cent over a one-year period for all-year- round operation, or over a specific restricted period of the year for operation exclusively in such period (e.g. summer period operation), in the course of which it is at no time more than 6 miles from a place of refuge, nor more than 3 miles from the line of coast, where shipwrecked persons can land, corresponding to the medium tide height.

1.3.3 A ship assigned a class notation incorporating the word `passenger', which is also designed to fulfil other functions not associated with passenger carrying is to comply with the requirements of this Chapter for passenger ships together with the requirements of the relevant Chapter of this Part for the particular ship type.

1.3.4 Where ferries are specially reinforced for the carriage of trains on fixed rails, the class notation will also include the word `train'.

1.3.5 The Regulations for the classification and assignment of class notations are given in Pt 1, Ch 2 Classification Regulations, to which reference should be made.

1.3.6 The ‘ShipRight Procedures’ for hull construction of ships are detailed in Pt 3, Ch 16 ShipRight Procedures for the Design, Construction and Lifetime Care of Ships and the classification notations and descriptive notes associated with these procedures are given in Pt 1, Ch 2, 2 Character of classification and class notations.

1.3.7 The ‘Structural Design Assessment’ (SDA) and ‘Construction Monitoring’ (CM) procedures detailed in the ShipRight Procedures Manual, published by LR, are mandatory for multi-decked passenger ships where it is considered that the superstructure will be subjected to a significant load from flexure of the hull girder; or, where it is required to utilise the load carrying capability of the superstructure for longitudinal strength, and for other passenger ships of abnormal hull form, or of unusual structural configuration or complexity.

1.4 Information required

1.4.1 In addition to the information and plans required by Pt 3, Ch 1, 5 Information required, the following details are to be submitted:

  • The intended service areas required for ships designed to operate within specified geographical limits.
  • Stern or bow ramps.
  • Bow, stern and side doors.
  • Movable decks, if fitted, including stowing arrangements for portable components.
  • Sail plans and associated operational and design conditions, including apparent wind speeds (sailing ships).
  • Masts and all structural components of the standing rigging (sailing ships).
  • The standing rigging and all standing rigging attachments (sailing ships).
  • The design deck loadings including details of wheeled vehicles, see Pt 3, Ch 9, 3 Decks loaded by wheeled vehicles, and trains, where applicable.
  • Locations of fixed securing points for wheeled vehicles, with indication of the magnitude and direction of the imposed lashing force.

1.5 Symbols

1.5.1 For the definition of symbols not defined in this Chapter, see Pt 4, Ch 1, 1.5 Symbols and definitions.

1.5.2 The following definitions apply to ships employing sails:

Standing rigging – Rigging of fixed length used to support masts/bowsprit.
Running rigging – Rigging used to control yards, booms and sails and which may pass over revolving sheaves.
Apparent wind speed – The vector resultant of the combination of real wind speed and ship velocity.
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