TANKERS

The oil traffic through the canals in an average year amounts to over 1,000,000 long tons so that the canal tankers form an important part of the canal fleet. Many of Canada's refineries for imported oils are on the Island of Montreal and their products are distributed throughout Eastern Canada. Much of this distribution is by water and canal-type vessels are used.

Almost all are of the trunk-deck type with a single centerline bulkhead and 5 main cargo tanks. The molded depth to the upper deck is 18 ft, this, in conjunction with the trunk deck giving adequate cubic capacity for the deadweight available on the permissible dimensions.

Fig. 28 Canal Tanker Imperial Collingwood

It will be noted that the wheelhouse is moved aft in these tankers, its normal position being occupied by a trunked hatch to the forward hold used for the carriage of cased oils. Some vessels have the foremast stepped just aft of this hatch and have a derrick fitted for the handling of the cased cargo, others have the mast placed on the house as shown in Fig. 28. This illustration also shows the overhanging bridge wings which are a standard fitting on this type and enable the officer of the watch to see over the side without descending to the upper deck level.

The mooring-winch arrangement is modified somewhat in the tanker, all the winches being placed at the ends of the vessel. This is due to the fact that suitable leads for the wires cannot be arranged from the edge of the trunk deck.

Fig. 29 Canal Tanker Lakeshell, Built in 1940

The average capacity of this type of vessel is about 21,000 bbl with a deadweight of 2800 long tons, an exception being the Lakeshell, Fig. 29, which has a deadweight of 2950 long tons.

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This paper was presented at a meeting of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and is reproduced with permission.