APPENDIX XIV.

BRITISH BOARD OF TRADE INSTRUCTIONS TO SURVEYORS CONCERNING THE MEASURE

MENT OF VESSELS FOR THE ISSUE OF

SUEZ CANAL CERTIFICATES, 1913.

APPENDIX XIV.

BRITISH BOARD OF TRADE INSTRUCTIONS TO SURVEYORS CONCERNING THE MEASUREMENT OF VESSELS FOR THE ISSUE OF SUEZ CANAL CERTIFICATES.1

114. General. The transit dues of the Suez Canal are charged on the basis of the net tonnage ascertained in accordance with the system of measurement recommended by the International Commission which assembled at Constantinople in 1873.

Extracts from the report of the commission, including the regulations for tonnage measurement, are printed on pages 385 to 390 and 407 to 412, and in accordance with the recommendations of the commission, the Board of Trade are prepared to issue certificates (form surveys 60A) of the tonnage of vessels calculated in the manner prescribed by the rules in question.

3

115. When a shipowner wishes a ship to be measured for a special certificate under the rules applicable to the Suez Canal, application should be made on the form surveys 6, and the fee 3 should be paid to the superintendent of a mercantile marine office. In the case of unregistered structures of special types, e. g., floating docks, etc., the applicants should be referred to the London office of the Suez Canal Co.

116. The surveyor should, on receipt of the application, apply to the principal surveyor for tonnage in London for the formula and papers of the previous measurement of the ship.

GROSS TONNAGE.

117. Under-deck measurement. For the purpose of the special certificate it will be the duty of the measuring surveyor to include in the gross measurement the entire cubic contents of the ship under the uppermost deck, except the space (if any) between the inner and outer plating (upon whatever system constructed) known as a double bottom for water ballast, which can be certified as not available for the carriage of cargo, stores, or fuel. The deepwater ballast tanks known as fore or after peak tanks are to be included in the tonnage measurement.

118. In the case of vessels which have already been measured for British tonnage, it will not be necessary to remeasure the tonnage under the uppermost deck, unless the Surveyor finds that some space has formerly been exempted that must, under the Suez Canal Rules, be included, or vice versa, or unless the British under-deck tonnage is measured under the modified rule set out on pages 276 to 278.

119. Spaces above deck. For the purpose of the special certificate the surveyor must also include in the gross tonnage the entire cubic contents of every covered and closed-in space above the uppermost deck, and with regard to such spaces he should be guided by paragraph 1 of the regulations, page 407, and by the instructions contained in the following 11 paragraphs (120 to 130) which relate only to spaces entitled to exemption from British tonnage measurement. It should be noted that spaces covered only by planks separated from one another by intervals exceeding 1 inch in breadth are not to be included in the gross tonnage. 120. Open spaces. If the permanent opening measured at the end of the erection (forecastle, bridge space, or poop) is equal to or greater than one-half the breadth of the deck in way of it, and is not fitted with a coaming, the portion of the erection measured from the open end, and not exceeding in length such half breadth, is (subject to the following paragraph)

1 The paragraph numbers are those in the Board of Trade's official publication. The numbers are retained to facilitate reference to the official document. The references in the text to paragraph numbers are to the numbers of the paragraphs reprinted in Appendix IV of this report. 2 The report is printed as a Parliamentary Paper [C.-943], 1874.

See par. 2, p. 283.

to be regarded as an "open space" and described as such on the back of the Suez Canal certificate. When, however, a coaming is fitted to such an opening the space within it is to be included in the gross tonnage in every case, and only the exemptions provided for in paragraphs 123 to 130 are to be allowed.

121. If in the interior of an erection, in consequence of any arrangement whatever, and at a distance from the open end less than half the breadth of the deck as above defined, the opening is at this point less than the said half breadth, only the length of the space between that point and the open end of the erection is to be regarded as an "open space" and described as such on the back of the Suez Canal certificate.

122. The above instructions respecting "open spaces" apply to deck erections extending from side to side, whether situated in the lowest or any other tier, but in all cases where the openings in these erections are less than the half breadth of the deck in way of them they are to be measured in the gross tonnage and only the exemptions provided for in paragraphs 123 to 130 are to be allowed. When, however, two side-to-side erections are separated by an interval, the length of which is less than the least half breadth of the deck in way of such interval, then, whatever be the breadth of the permanent openings, the erections less the interval are to be measured in the gross tonnage, and only the exemptions provided for in paragraphs 123 to 130 are to be allowed.

123. Exempted spaces.1-In the case of shelter-deck spaces with one or more openings in the shelter deck and sides of the vessel the whole of the space under the shelter deck should be included in the tonnage measurement with the exception of that part of the space which is immediately abreast the openings (if any) in the sides of the ship.

124. In all cases where a vessel is fitted with forecastle, bridge space and poop, there shall be exempted from measurement (a) such length of the forecastle, measured from the inside of the stem at half height of the said forecastle, as shall be equal to one-eighth of the full length of the ship; (b) such, length of the poop measured from the inside of the stern timber at half height of the said poop as shall be equal to one-tenth of the full length of the ship; (c) such length of the bridge as is equal to the length of the actual deck openings to engine and boiler spaces, it being understood that such openings shall not be considered to extend beyond the forward bulkhead of the stokehold and the after bulkhead of the main engine room.

125. In all cases where the poop and bridge, or forecastle and bridge, are combined and continuous, then only that length in each case which is due to the openings of engine and boiler spaces as defined under 124 (c) above shall be exempted from measurement.

126. From the side-to-side erections referred to in the foregoing paragraphs 124 and 125 further exemptions may also be allowed for the portions of the spaces abreast of the permanent openings (if any) in the side plating, and also for the "open spaces" referred to in paragraphs 120-122 above.

127. When the engines are aft and the light and air casings are situated in an ordinary poop, the space is to be dealt with as for a combined poop and bridge, but the bridge space is to benefit only by the exemption of the portion abreast the permanent openings (if any) in the side plating or "open spaces" at the ends.

128. By "full length of the ship" shall be understood, in all cases, such length as is comprised between the inside of stem at half height of the forecastle to the inside of the stern timber at half height of the poop.

129. The exemptions provided for in paragraphs 124 and 125 above apply, in their entirety, only to deck erections situated in the lowest tier; the only exemptions to be made in side-to-side erections situated above this tier, and besides the "open spaces" (if any), are those portions immediately abreast of any permanent openings which may exist in the side plating.

130. In the case of shelter-deck spaces, the exemptions provided for may be allowed on the written request of the owners, either in the shelter-deck space as provided for in paragraph

1 These exemptions were agreed on between the Board of Trade and the Suez Canal Co. in 1904 and were embodied in what were known as "the 1904 rules."