The Ro-Ro vessels are usually threeor four-deckers. The cargo is
distributed at various cargo levels through fixed internal ramps and movable bulkheads.
On Soviet ships of the Kapitan Smirnoff type, the power plant is of 50,000 e. h. p., which provides operational speed at about 25 knots per hour.
DIALOGUES
1
AGENT. Glad to see you safe and sound and in the same good mood, as usual. It seems to me that you are going to start discharging today, eh? How long will it take you to lower and fix the ramp?
CAPTAIN. Thank you for your compliment, Mr Howard. I am glad too to see you. Lowering and fixing the ramp won't take us too much time. I hope in half an hour we shall be able to start discharging.
AGENT. So soon as that? Brilliant! What are you going to start with? CAPTAIN. We'll start with motor-cars and lorries.
AGENT. Who will drive them down?
CAPTAIN. Our boys, of course! We have 15 licensed drivers among the members of our crew. By the way, this work was agreed upon with your Trade Union.
AGENT. Shall we pay them for the job?
CAPTAIN. Yes, you shall. At the same rate as you pay to your drivers. AGENT. Oh, I see.
2
AGENT. According to your stowage plan, sir, you've stowed rice in bags in Hold No. 7. Our surveyor is interested to know whether there is a proper ventilation in that hold. He wants to know at what rate the air
is exchanged there.
SECOND MATE. There is normal ventilation in that hold! The rate of exchange is about 6 %. So, the whole volume of air is changed approximately 5-6 times an hour.
AGENT. Thank you, sir. The surveyor is quite satisfied with the figures. By the way, when we were coming here we had a kind of dispute with him. He wanted to know how many tons of cargo can pass over the ramp at a time? I mean over its axis.
SECOND MATE. Did you know that exactly?
AGENT. Unfortunately, I didn't. I could only surmise that. SECOND MATE. What was your approximation, then? AGENT. I told him I thought it was something about 50 tons.
SECOND MATE. You were very close to the true figure. Its nominal value is 55 tons, but actually it can stand even more.
AGENT. Thank you, sir. It's always pleasant to feel that you were right, isn't it?
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3
AGENT. Thank God, we've finished with that lot. The tallyman's receipts fully coincide with your data. Now we shall have to settle the question about trailers. So far as we have prepared some 500 containers on our trailers I think we might exchange these trailers for those which you have rolled off from your ship.
SECOND MATE. Yes, it stands to reason to do so. Are these trailers of the same size and construction?
AGENT. Yes, they are ordinary standard trailers of the same make and quality.
SECOND MATE. To my mind we can do it. But you know I'll have to consult with the Master about this business, it's up to him to pass a decision. What do you think about technical survey of the trailers?
AGENT. Well, yours, in a way, have undergone the survey. While discharging our surveyor carefully checked them and made out a record. I suppose we might do the same with our trailers. You may
charge your surveyor with that business and post your man to help him.
SECOND MATE. Yes, I think that's a good idea. I'll suggest it to our Master and let you know the result. He will soon come back aboard.
LABORATORY EXERCISES
I. Listen to the text of the lesson again and answer the following questions:
1. What do the words "Ro-Ro" mean? 2. How is the cargo loaded and discharged on Ro-Ro vessels? 3. What is the advantage of rolling the cargo in and out of the ship? 4. What takes less time rolling the cargo in and out of ships or lifting and lowering it by cranes? 5. Did it require small investments to build new ships and specialized terminals? 6. What cargoes can Ro-Ro vessels carry? 7. What for are stern-ramps provided in such vessels? 8. Can loading and discharging cargoes be carried out simultaneously on Ro-Ro vessels? 9. At what angle is the ramp positioned with regard to the ship's fore-and-aft line? 10. In what way is the cargo brought to different decks of the ship? 11. What is e. h. p. of Soviet Ro-Ro vessels? 12. What is the usual operational speed of these vessels?
II. Ask your partner questions and make him give brief answers using the model.
Model: If they had more powerful cranes they wouldn't need a shore crane.
In what case wouldn't they need a shore crane?
In case they had more powerful cranes aboard.
1. If those trailers had a longer axis we would put those cases on them. 2. If we had more time we should finish the job today. 3. If she knew the exact figure she wouldn't use approximation. 4. If they had a bigger ramp we should use it. 5. If we had more licensed drivers we should finish discharging quicker.
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III. Listen to the short dialogues, repeat each sentence during the pauses and
learn the dialogues by heart:
"Have you got licensed drivers aboard your Soviet ship?" "Yes, we have. What do you need them for?"
"All our boys went on strike. Couldn't your drivers finish the discharging?"
"Well, they could, but on condition that your Trade Union would not object."
* * *
"What is the rate of ventilation in this compartment?"
"At full load the whole volume of air can be changed 5-6 times an hour."
* * *
"To avoid loss of time could you exchange your trailers for ours?" "To my mind we could. But still I must consult the Master. It's up to
him to decide it."
IV. Listen to each of the long dialogues again and retell briefly their contents from the point of view of: (a) one speaker, (b) the other speaker, (c) an onlooker.
Make your partner ask you about some details which you missed.
V. Write the dictation:
Ro-Ro vessels have brought another revolution in the world's shipping. These vessels can be loaded and discharged by far quicker than the conventional ships. More effective and quicker handling of cargoes considerably reduced the port time for vessels. The main principle of operating Ro-Ro vessels is that the cargo is rolled in and out of the ships on wheeled platforms, or "trailers" as they are usually called. This operation proved to be more rational and speedy than the conventional lifting and lowering of cargoes by cranes. Another advantage of such cargo-handling is that the cargo can be transported on the trailers by land without reloading. This method is especially applicable and convenient for the carriage of containers. The Ro-Ro vessels can carry not only packed goods but bulk cargoes as well. The Ro-Ro vessels are built with ramps at the stern. This makes it possible for the tractors or lorries towing trailers run at an average speed of about 20 kilometers an hour. The ramps are usually placed in the direction of the fore-and-aft line or at an angle of about 40° to it. Inside the vessel the trailers are carried between the decks over fixed internal ramps. Soviet Ro-Ro vessels are propelled by the engines of 50,000 e. h. p. which provides operational speed of 25 knots an hour.
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VI. Practise in pairs enacting the following situations. You act as the captain in (a), (b), (c), your partner — as the agent in (a), at the consignees' representative in
(b), as the shippers' representative in (c). Then you change your parts.
(a) Your agent says that in connection with the National holiday in the port there are no drivers available at the moment. He suggests you to make use of the members of your crew who are licensed drivers. He proposes to pay them at the standard rates. You agree to his proposal on condition that the local Trade Union will not object against it.
(b) The consignees' representative found some defect with three of the containers discharged from your vessel. You are arguing with him stating that all those defects were caused before their shipment and that they have been all marked in respective Inspection Reports. On reading the copies of the Reports, which you presented him, the consignees' representative agreed with your arguments.
(c) When receiving motor-cars for shipment you found that two of them had cracks both in the windscreens and rear windows. The shippers' representative proposed to give you a guarantee letter, but you refused it and insisted that appropriate remarks should be made both in the Inspection Report and in the Bill of Lading.
VII. Translate into English:
Суда типа Ро-Ро на деле оказались очень эффективными и практичными. Груз на эти суда завозится и вывозится на колесных повозках, или так называемых прицепах. Прицепы буксируются тракторами или грузовыми машинами. На судах типа Ро-Ро в корме сделана рампа. Рампа опускается на причал либо прямо в диаметральной плоскости судна, либо под некоторым углом к ней. По этой рампе идут машины с прицепами, на которых уложен груз. Груз может быть в упаковке или навалом. Скорость грузовых машин или тракторов около 20 км в час. Такой способ обработки грузов намного производительнее, чем при обычном подъеме и опускании груза лебедками или кранами. Есть еще одно, и не менее важное, преимущество этого способа обработки грузов. Контейнеры и другие грузы, уложенные на прицепах, могут перевозиться по земле на
большие расстояния без всякой перегрузки.
Опыт последних лет показал, что такая быстрая обработка грузов позволила значительно сократить время стоянки судов Ро-Ро в порту по сравнению с судами обычного типа. В Советском Союзе уже построено много судов типа Ро-Ро. Эти суда сейчас успешно работают на многих линиях. Они оборудованы двигателями в 50 000 э. л. с, что позволяет обеспечить рабочую скорость около 25 узлов. Несмотря на большие капитальные затраты на их постройку и на оборудование специализированных терминалов, эти суда уже полностью оправдали себя.
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LESSON 21
TRANSPORTATION OF DANGEROUS CARGOES BY SEA
Words and Word Combinations
dangerous - опасный peril - опасность, риск harm - вред, ущерб
property - свойство, качество
to work out - вырабатывать, разрабатывать to differ - различаться, отличаться chemicals - химикаты, химические вещества
United Nations Organization - Организация Объединенных Наций (ООН) tо face - сталкиваться (с чём- л.), стоять лицом
IMO — Inter-governmental Maritime Organization-Межправительственная морская организация
to charge with - поручать, вверять to elaborate - тщательно разработать
unified - унифицированный, объединенный version - версия, вариант
domestic - внутренний, домашний explosives - взрывчатые вещества compressed - сжатый, спрессованный liquified - сжиженный
dissolved - растворенный
inflammable - легко воспламеняющийся, горючий liquids - жидкости
solids - твердые тела oxidizing - окисляющий substance - вещество poisonous - ядовитый
corrosive - едкий, разъедающий; едкое, разъедающее вещество miscellaneous - разнообразный, смешанный
provisions - положения, условия, постановления to segregate - отделять, выделять, изолировать incompatible - несовместимый
detailed - подробный
to label - наклеивать ярлык
preventive - предупредительный, профилактический explosion - взрыв
thoroughly - тщательно
to ascertain - удостовериться, убедиться to present - предоставлять
to foresee - предвидеть, предусмотреть precaution - предосторожность
to miss - не хватать
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