The Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction: Ships of Classes I, II and II(A)) Regulations 1998

Stability in the damaged condition Requirements for ships constructed before 29 April 1990

44.—(1) (a) Subject to the Merchant Shipping (Ro-Ro Passenger Ship Survivability) Regulations 1997(1) and regulation 45(2), in addition to the requirements of regulation 37, every ship shall be so constructed as to provide sufficient intact stability in all service conditions to enable the ship to withstand the flooding of any one of the main compartments into which the ship is subdivided in accordance with the provisions of regulation 8. If two of the main compartments, being adjacent to each other, are separated by a bulkhead which is stepped under the conditions of paragraph 6(3)(a) of Schedule 2 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) the intact stability shall be adequate to withstand the flooding of those two adjacent main compartments.

(b) Where in any ship the factor of subdivision required under paragraph 4 or 9 of Schedule 2 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) is 0.50 or less but more than 0.33, the intact stability shall be adequate to withstand the flooding of any two adjacent main compartments.

(c) Where in any ship the factor of subdivision required under paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) is 0.33 or less, the intact stability shall be adequate to withstand the flooding of any three adjacent main compartments.

(2) (a) For the purposes of this regulation the sufficiency of the intact stability of every ship shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Sections 1 and 2 of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) except that for ro-ro passenger ships the sufficiency of intact stability shall be determined in accordance with sections 1 and 3 of Schedule 2 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) not later than the first periodic survey after the date of compliance prescribed below, according to the value of A/Amax as calculated in accordance with MSC/Circ.574.

Value of A/Amax	Date of Compliance
Less than 85%	1 October 1998
85% or more but less than 90%	1 October 2000
90% or more but less than 95%	1 October 2002
95% or more but less than 97.5%	1 October 2004
97.5% or more	1 October 2005

(b) The intact stability of every United Kingdom ro-ro passenger ship shall be examined in accordance with the appropriate sections of Schedule 3 of Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M) in order to establish the sufficiency of positive stability provided as required by subparagraphs (1)(a) and (2)(a) whenever considered necessary in connection with amended stability information prepared in accordance with regulation 38(4) and (5). Such re-examinations shall demonstrate that at all stages of flooding there is sufficient positive residual stability after the assumed damage prescribed in section 1 of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M).

(3) (a) Every ship shall be constructed as to keep asymmetrical flooding, when the ship is in a damaged condition, at the minimum consistent with efficient arrangements. If cross-flooding fittings are provided in any such ship the fittings shall, where practicable, be self-acting but in any case where controls to cross-flooding fittings are provided, they shall be capable of being operated from above the bulkhead deck. The cross-flooding fittings shall be capable of reducing the heel within 15 minutes, sufficiently to meet the requirements of subparagraph 2(2)(c) of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M).

(b) If the margin line may become submerged during the flooding assumed for the purposes of the calculation referred to in Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M), the construction of the ship shall be such as will enable the master of the ship to ensure—

(i) that the maximum angle of heel after flooding but before equalisation shall not exceed 15 degrees; and

(ii) that the margin line shall not be submerged in the final stage of flooding.

(4) (a) There shall be provided by the owner in every ship a document for the use of the master of the ship containing—

(i) information as to the use of any cross-flooding fittings provided in the ship;

(ii) information necessary for the maintenance of sufficient intact stability under service conditions to enable the ship to withstand damage to the extent referred to in section 1 of Schedule 3 in Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1698 (M); and

(iii) information as to the condition of stability on which the calculations of heel have been based, together with a warning that excessive heeling might result should the ship sustain damage when in a less favourable condition.

(b) This additional information shall be included in the stability information book.

(1)

S.I. 1997/647.