The customs regulations of the United States, which interpret the laws regarding the measurement of vessels, define closed-in spaces as follows: crew. By "closed-in spaces" is to be understood spaces which are sheltered from the action of the sea and weather, even though openings be left in the inclosure. Measuring officers will exercise due vigilance that the intent of the law in this respect is not evaded. It should be borne in mind, however, that no closed-in spaces above the upper deck to the hull are to be admeasured unless available for cargo or stores or the berthing or accommodation of passengers or The engine room, pilot house, galley, windlass house, and the like are, when so situated and used, exempt. Whether for the purpose of measurement a deck is to be regarded as an upper deck or as the shelter to an upper deck is to be determined in each instance both by the character and structural conditions of the erection and by the purpose to which the between-deck is devoted. Differences in construction are so numerous that no definition or rule on this subject has been formulated. If the deck is a continuous deck, fastened down and water-tight, sealing up the cylinder formed between the two decks and making it a fit place for the stowage of cargo, like a hold, the deck is to be treated as an upper deck, and the space between it and the deck below is to be measured. If, however, the cylinder open to the shipment of seas, and the space is not reasonably fit for the carrying of dry cargo, but is used only for cargo generally classed as deck cargo, such as cattle, horses, chemicals, oil in barrels, etc., then, usually, the deck is to be regarded as a shelter deck, and the space as "sheltered space above the upper deck which is under cover and open to the weather, that is, not inclosed,” and not to be included in the recorded tonnage. is Specific as are the foregoing instructions, the admeasurers at the several ports of the United States are obliged to exercise their judgment as to what shall be considered open and what closed spaces. The practice of our admeasurers is not uniform at all ports. The surveyor of the port of New York, where most vessels are measured for tonnage taxes and where many of our ships are measured for registry and enrollment, reports the following regulations to be in force at that port: 1. Closed-in spaces above the upper deck.—If there be a break, poop, bridge, forecastle, deck house, hatchway, or any other permanent closed-in space above the upper deck available for cargo or stores, or for the berthing or accommodation of passengers or crew, the tonnage of that space shall be ascertained and added to the gross tonnage. 2. Closed-in spaces defined. By closed-in spaces is to be understood spaces which are sheltered from the action of the sea and weather, even though openings be left in the inclosure. Forecastles, bridges, poops, or any other permanent erection with one or more openings in the sides or ends fitted with doors or other permanently attached means of closing them should be measured and included in the gross tonnage. 3. Bulkhead openings.--When an opening in the bulkhead of a deck erection is closed either by a hinged door, or by a portable plate which is secured in place by nut and screw bolts so as to be water-tight, the opening may be regarded as completely closed. 4. Openings in front of bridge house or poop.-When there is an opening or openings in the bulkhead at the front of a bridge house or poop closed by hinged doors or by shifting boards when fitted into channel bars, which extend the full height of the opening, the space may be regarded as closed. 5. Openings in after end of bridge house or forecastle.-When there are openings in the bulkhead at the after end of a bridge house or forecastle, closed by portable plates secured in place by nut and screw bolts or closed by shifting boards, when fitted into channel bars which extend the full height of the openings, the space may be regarded as completely closed. 6. Open spaces.-Spaces under awning decks without other connection with the body of the ship than the stanchions necessary for supporting them, which are not spaces separated off and are permanently exposed to the weather and the sea, will not be comprised in the gross tonnage. 7. Exempted spaces. It should be borne in mind, however, that no closed-in spaces above the upper deck to the hull are to be admeasured, unless available for cargo or stores or the berthing or accommodation of passengers or The engine room, pilot house, galley, windlass house, and the like are, when so situated and used, exempt. 8. Exemption of cabins on decks above upper deck.—No part of any vessel will be admeasured or registered for tonnage that is used for cabins or staterooms and constructed entirely above the first deck which is not a deck to the hull. crew. 9. A deck to the hull defined.—Any deck is a deck to the hull which has a direct bearing upon the frame timbers, even though lighter than other decks in the same vessel and though only a portion of the timbers extend to such deck. In iron vessels an upper deck supported by stanchions of wood or iron bolted to the angle irons or to the iron plating of the vessel is to be taken as a deck to the hull. The foregoing definitions given to open and closed spaces by the measurement authorities of Great Britain and the United States and by the regulations of the Suez Canal Co. show clearly the possibility of large variations in the gross tonnage of vessels of the same size and design. In crder fully to explain the differences in the practice of measuring vessels to determine their gross tonnage, the British, Suez, German, and American rules are analyzed in turn and compared. It will be seen that the rules and practice of these three countries and the Suez company, while agreeing as to the inclusion within gross tonnage of the principal spaces used or usable for the accommodation of passengers and crew (other than the spaces under the shelter deck which are usually exempted from measurement in Great Britain and Germany), differ as to the inclusion within, or exemption from, gross tonnage of various minor spaces which taken together may appreciably affect the gross, and consequently the net, tonnage of the vessels measured by the several rules. GREAT BRITAIN'S GROSS TONNAGE RULES. The analysis of the measurement rules may best begin with those of Great Britain, because the British Merchant Shipping Act of 1854, in which the Moorsom measuring system was first incorporated, has been made the basis of the measurement laws and rules of the other countries. The British practice as to the measurement of vessels has largely influenced the rules adopted by other countries, because the British marine comprises nearly or quite half the shipping engaged in international trade. Formerly the percentage was even higher than it is at the present time. The British Merchant Shipping Act of 1854 has been somewhat modified by the laws of 1867, 1876, 1889, 1894, 1906, and 1907. The present rules of the Board of Trade governing the measurement of vessels are in accordance with the Merchant Shipping Acts of 1894, 1906, and 1907; and, of course, are so drafted as to conform to the decisions rendered by the House of Lords and the British Courts in 1875 and later, defining what constitutes open spaces within the meaning of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1854. The measurement rules now in force in Great Britain include the following spaces within gross tonnage: 1. The space between the upper deck and the floor of the hold, with the exception of certain minor exempted spaces included within hatchways, companionways, domes and skylights and spaces between ribs and floor beams in the case of certain vessels. The exact spaces exempted are enumerated below. 2. Gross tonnage under the British rules includes the spaces within any "break, poop, or any permanent closed-in space on the upper deck available for cargo or stores or for the berthing or accommodation of passengers or crew." The meaning given to the words "permanent closed-in" by the British courts and consequently by the Board of Trade has been explained above. Whenever the poop, forecastle, or any superstructure is inclosed according to the requirements of the British rules, the space is measured and included within the gross tonnage. The space under a shelter deck is not included in the measurement, if the openings in the shelter deck and in the bulkheads subdividing the space between the shelter and upper decks fulfill the requirements of the regulations prescribed by the Board of Trade in accordance with the decision of the House of Lords in the Bear and other cases. If cargo is carried in spaces which have the openings stipulated by the rules and which are thus exempted from measurement, the actual space occupied by the cargo is measured. The space thus occupied by "deck cargo" is not added to the vessel's gross or net tonnage, but is added to the tonnage upon which light dues or other tonnage taxes are collected. 3. The space occupied by hatchways is measured and the part of this space in excess of one-half of 1 per cent of the vessel's gross tonnage exclusive of hatchways is added to the gross tonnage of a vessel. The following spaces are exempted from measurement and are thus not included in the gross tonnage under the British rules: 1. Superstructures not permanently inclosed; that is, superstructures having the openings prescribed by the rules. 2. Spaces under the shelter deck, provided the shelter deck and the bulkheads subdividing the space between the shelter deck from the upper deck have the openings prescribed by the Board of Trade rules. 3. Any closed-in space or spaces solely appropriated to and fitted with machinery, and the wheelhouse for sheltering the man or men when at the wheel, if not larger than required for such purposes. 4. Any erection on the upper deck of vessels fitted for the shelter of deck passengers on short voyages. The exemption of this space from measurement, however, is admissible only by special directions from the Board of Trade.. When claim is made by the vessel owner for exemption of these spaces, the surveyors must apply to the Board of Trade for instructions. 5. The cook house and bakeries, when fitted with ovens and used entirely for their designated purposes, and the condenser space, provided the cook house, bakeries, and condenser space are not larger than are required to shelter the cook when employed at his work and the engineer when engaged in condensing water for passengers and crew. 6. Toilets of reasonable size and number for officers and crew. In the case of passenger vessels, a toilet exempted from measurement is allowed for each 50 persons, but not more than 12 toilets are exempted. 7. The light and air and funnel spaces above the machinery compartments are exempted from measurement unless the owner of the vessel, for reasons that will be explained later, requests the inclusion of these spaces within the measurement. 8. Of the space included within hatchways, one-half of 1 per cent of the gross tonnage of the vessel exclusive of hatchways is omitted from the gross tonnage. 9. The spaces within the double bottom used for water ballast are exempted from measurement. When such spaces are used for or are available for the carriage of cargo, stores, or fuel they are measured and included in the gross tonnage. 10. The spaces between the frames or ribs of a vessel and between the floor beams are not included in the measurement. The breadth of the vessel is its width between the inner edges of its frames or between the inner faces of the inner side plating. The depth of a vessel is measured upward from the upper side of the floor timber or beam "at the inside of the limber strake"; that is, next to the keelson at the center line of the vessel. 11. Companionways are exempted from measurement excepting such portions of them as are used for smoking rooms. Ladders and stairways in exempted spaces are excluded from measurement. 12. Domes and skylights are exempted from measurement. The "certificate of survey" issued by the surveyors of the Board of Trade to vessels measured under the British rules is presented, reduced in size, in Form 1. It summarizes the spaces included within gross tonnage. The "tonnage formula," Form 2, used for calculating the ship's tonnage under the Merchant Shipping Acts of 1894 to 1907 indicates in detail the spaces that are measured. This "tonnage formula" also contains other entries that will later be considered in the discussion of net tonnage. Number of decks.. Rigged.. Build. Galleries. Length from fore part of stem under the bowsprit Depth in hold from upper deck to ceiling at mid- Round of beam. Length of engine room (if any). PARTICULARS OF DISPLACEMENT. NOTE. The only spaces above the upper deck not included in the cubical contents forming the ship's registered tonnage are.. I, the undersigned. day of 18-. Surveyor. |