1. PORT BERTHING FACILITIES &
INFRASTRUCTURE- SURVEYOR’S
PRESPECTIVE.
After attending various surveys for P & I
Clubs pertaining to Port Assets such as Pier,
attachments like Fender, Bollard etc Port
tugs and also alleged touching bottom,
author shares his experience
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

2. PORT INFRASTRUCTURE
• Port infrastructure comprises of following:
• Berthing facilities
• Cargo handling equipments
• Storage facilities
• Connectivity
- Road Link
- Rail Link
- Air Link
• Other facilities
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

3. BERTHING FACILITIES
• Length of berth
• Clear Breadth available in the berth
• Depth of the berth
• Type of vessel: General cargo vessel, bulk
carrier, container vessel, tankers
• Tugs: Types and No. of tugs
• Cargo to be handled
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

4. CARGO HANDLING
• For dry bulk : a)Ship or shore crane to offload on wharf
by grabs/net slings and thence transport by pay-loaders
and tippers. b) Through Self-unloading system
from ship to shore by conveyors c) Cargo to be
discharged to hoppers/silos and thence by conveyors.
• For liquid bulk: a) From ship to road tanker lorries b)
Though permanent shore pipe line connected to shore
tank terminal
• For Containers: Gantry Cranes, Tyre mounted
container stackers, spreaders of different sizes.
• For General Cargo: Shore Cranes, Floating cranes in
case of heavy load.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

5. STORAGE FACILITIES
• For dry bulk/General Cargo: Transit sheds,
covered or uncovered. Facilities available within
covered warehouse. Safety precautions to
control fire hazards. Maintenance of
shed/roof/good house keeping.
• For liquid bulk: Shore Pipe line maintenance,
pressure test, pig clearance and associated
machinery, maintenance of N/R valves at shore
tank terminal etc.
• For Container: Adequate foundationed /Paved
floor depending no. of max. tiers to be stacked.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

6. CONNECTIVITY
• Road link: well laid dock roads for smooth flow of
trailers and lorries. With 2 nos. Container
Terminals, but only with one gate , congestions is
a perennial problem. You may guess which port I
am talking about
• Rail link: Proper lay out of railways sidings inside
Port for smooth clearance of bulk
cargo/containers to ICD.
• Air Link: This is must for emergency parts
required for a ship or any technician to attend to
ship or port.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

7. OTHER FACILITIES
By other facilities, we mean the following:
• Ship repair facilities.
• Dry-dock facilities
• Fresh Water supply facilities
• Bunker supply facilities
• Supply of Provisions, spare parts etc.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

8. INADEQUATE OR POOR MAINTENCE
OF INFRASTRUCTURE
• I have briefly discussed basic infrastructure
and berthing facilities that are required in a
Port.
• Let us see in the following slides, how the
inadequate infrastructure or poor
maintenance of port/pier attachments result
in claims to Ship Owners
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

9. FENDERS
• These fenders are installed at Pier/berth, to
prevent vessel’s direct contact with berth and
to prevent impact/chaffing damages both to
ship and berth.
• If the fenders are not properly maintained,
naturally there will be damages to ship and
berth.
• In the following slides you may see some
images:
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

10. FENDERS
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

11. FENDERS
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

12. FENDERS
• In the first image, Fender main portion cut and missing
and only top and bottom rubber portion and
nuts/bolts available.
• In the second image , Fender completely missing and
instead used rubber tyres are found tied and hanging.
• This kind of poor maintenance of fenders not only
result in damage to ship and also damage to kerb wall
of jetty. Any amount of protest letter by Master, will be
of little effect and huge claims have to be paid, failing
which sailing/port clearance is held up
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

13. DEPTH OF BERTH
• After coal is moved to Ennore, this menace is
somewhat reduced.
• Spillage of cargo during discharge fall in dock
basin, so that they form a mountain-like below
water and hence vessel is not coming properly
alongside. Periodical dredging of port will ease
this problem.
• When ever vessel loading in such berths, Master
will be panicky as if his vessel touched bottom.
• He has to notify Charterer/Owner’s H & M
Insurer for any damage to hull.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

14. ALLEGED TOUCHING BOTTOM
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

15. U/W DIVING
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

16. CONSEQUENCES
• Underwater diving and videography of
underwater hull for damages, if any.
• Temporary repairs, if required.
• Unnecessary hold up of vessel and loss of
productivity.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

17. CASE STUDY
• A Gearless vessel berthed in A Private Port for
discharging import coal.
• Stevedoring done by port using shore crane
and grabs.
• Vessel completed discharge.
• Whilst removing pay-loader from one of the
holds, wire rope parted and pay-loader fell
into the hold and holed tank top.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

18. CASE STUDY (Contd.)
• Unfortunately, DB Tank in the concerned hold
was a fuel tank.
• Joint Survey was held between Owner’s P & I
Surveyor, Charterer’s P & I Surveyor, Port
Surveyor and Owner’s H & M Surveyor.
• Class Surveyor was also called by Owners who
recommended to repair of the hole in tank top,
prior to sailing.
• With great resistance Port accepted Damage
Report from vessel.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

19. CASE STUDY (Contd.)
• Port shifted the vessel to anchorage and permitted
repair only in the anchorage.
• Since there are no repairs facilities available locally in
that Private Port , repair company was arranged from
another port town which is about 200 Kms away.
• Being a Gearless vessel, vessel had to come alongside
once for taking steel plates, repair gear etc. and went
back to anchorage.
• As the DB tank is a fuel tank, they have to thoroughly
clean the tank and make it gas free to do hot work.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

20. CASE STUDY (Contd.)
• Entire cleaning of DB Tank, making it gas free,
inspection of tank by competent authority to
certify fit for man entry and hot work,
cropping of tank top plates, welding of plates,
Ultrasonic Test, pressure test all done in the
anchorage.
• Repair was arranged by Charterers.
• It took 34 days for vessel becoming ready.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

21. CASE STUDY (Contd.)
• Claim:
• Cost of Repairs : USD 35000/- +
• Loss of Hire suffered by Owners.
• Cause of damage: Poor maintenance of Cargo
Handling Gear by Port.
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA

22. CONCLUSION
• I have briefly outlined how inadequate Port
Infrastructure, berthing facilities and poor
maintenance affect Ship Owners and
Productivity .
• Hope my presentation is informative.
• Comments welcome to:
sridharan1941@hotmail.com
PRESENTED BY ER. P.SRIDHARAN C.Eng
FIMAR E. MIIMS (U.K) FIIISLA