Hull Construction Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1431)

• 82.3 (1) Where any cargo ports and other access openings above the bulkhead deck are located

  • (a) in the ship’s side, or

  • (b) at an exposed location on an enclosure and the enclosure protects any openings in the bulkhead deck that are not fitted with weathertight closing appliances,

  the number of such cargo ports and other access openings shall be the minimum compatible with the design and proper working of the ship and each such opening shall be fitted with approved closing appliances so constructed as to maintain the structural and weathertight integrity of the ship’s side or that enclosure.

• (2) Every opening referred to in subsection (1) that is located in the first tier of superstructures above the bulkhead deck and that has a clear opening of more than 1.5 m² shall be provided with a sensing device that will activate a green indicator light located in the wheelhouse, which light remains continuously lit as long as the closing appliance with which the opening is fitted is closed and effectively secured.

• 82.4 (1) Every closing appliance required by section 82.2 or 82.3 shall be designed to open outwards and shall be provided with positive structural support against external pressure.

• (2) A power available indicating device shall be provided to confirm the operational readiness of every sensing or indicating device required by section 82.2 or 82.3.

• (3) Every sensing device and every indicating device required by section 82.2 or 82.3 shall be tested at intervals no greater than the intervals between each boat and fire drill and the master shall ensure that the particulars of each test are entered in the ship’s log.

• (4) Notwithstanding the arrangements required by sections 82.2 and 82.3 and subsections (1) to (3) of this section, alternative arrangements may be made if such alternative arrangements are at least as effective as the arrangements so required.

Non-structural Tanks

83 The requirements for fuel oil tanks that do not form an integral part of the ship’s structure and have a capacity of more than 4 500 L are as follows:

• (a) the outside plating shall be fitted with stiffeners so that the area of the unsupported flat surface of a plate whose thickness is set out in column I of an item of the table to this section does not exceed the area set out in column II of the item;

• (b) the following shall be fitted to each tank, namely,

  • (i) wash plates, if required,

  • (ii) doublers or striking plates, under all sounding pipes,

  • (iii) in the case of riveted construction, drip trays, and

  • (iv) manholes whose covers are secured by 16-mm studs spaced apart at a distance of 70 mm or less, centre to centre;

• (c) if drains are fitted, they shall be of the weighted-lever or other self-closing type;

• (d) every air pipe to a tank shall

  • (i) be carried well above deck,

  • (ii) have an outlet that is

    • (A) in a safe location, and

    • (B) fitted with readily removable wire-gauze screens, the total area of clear opening of the screens being not less than the cross-sectional area of the air pipe, and

  • (iii) have a net area that

    • (A) in the case of a tank that can be filled by the ship’s pumps or by shore pumps, is greater than the effective area of the corresponding filling pipe by at least 25 per cent; and

    • (B) in any other case, is at least equal to the effective area of the corresponding filling pipe; and

• (e) on completion of its fitting, every tank shall be tested in the presence of a steamship inspector by filling it with water to a head that is equal to the maximum head to which the tank will be subjected or a head of 2.44 m above the tank crown, whichever is greater.

84 [Repealed, SOR/2017-14, s. 404]

85 [Repealed, SOR/2021-135, s. 54]

Rails, Stanchions, Bulwarks and Freeing Ports

• 86 (1) In passenger ships, other than partially decked ships, when the means for preventing persons from falling overboard or from the top of a poop, bridge or deck house, etc., consists of rails and stanchions, the top of the uppermost rail shall be not less in height than 1 m above the top of the deck, but in order to provide adequate protection for children the rails shall be not more than 230 mm apart, unless strong netting is provided.

• (2) Where bulwarks are fitted on any part of the freeboard deck to which passengers have access, they shall be not less than 1.22 m high; elsewhere bulwarks shall be at least 1 m high; the freeing ports in all bulwarks shall be fitted with suitable grids for the protection of persons on board.

• (3) The height of the rails shall be taken as the distance measured from the top of the uppermost rail to the top of the deck at a point vertically below the inner edge of the rail, or, if the deck has a waterway, to the top of the deck plank next to the waterway.

• (4) Any partial deck to which passengers have access shall be provided with guard rails or bulwarks in accordance with this section; in the open parts of such ships, and in open ships, the top of the covering board or of the wash strake, or of the upper coaming of the half deck, shall be not less than 760 mm above the flooring boards if the ship does not exceed 6.1 m in length, and not less than 915 mm if the ship is 12.2 m or over in length; for ships having lengths between 6.1 m and 12.2 m the height shall be in proportion; when the height from the top of the covering board, etc., is less than that stated above, a washboard or rail shall be fitted so that the top of the washboard or rail is at least the height required above the flooring boards.

• (5) In the case of all cargo ships, rails or equivalent protection shall be installed near the periphery of all weather decks accessible to persons on board; such rails shall, except for vessels that operate within the limits of inland voyages, Class I, be in at least three courses and shall be at least 915 mm high unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the Board that the installation of rails of such height would be unreasonable or impracticable, having regard to the business of the ship.

• (6) In the case of cargo ships that operate within the limits of inland voyages, Class I, the provisions of subsection (5) apply except that rails in two courses may be fitted.

• (7) In the case of ships that carry vehicles on the open deck, suitable chains, cables or other barriers shall be installed at the ends of the vehicle runways; in addition, suitable gates, rails or other devices shall be installed as a continuation of the regularly required rails.

• (8) In ships of all classes suitable covers, guards or rails shall be installed in way of all exposed and dangerous places such as gears, machinery, etc.

• (9) In ships of all classes, regardless of the ship’s tonnage, the requirements for bulwark freeing ports as set out in the Load Line Rules shall apply; where the length of a well exceeds seven-tenths of the length of the ship as defined in the Load Line Rules, the scale of freeing port areas may be reduced by 25 per cent.

87 [Repealed, SOR/95-254, s. 8]

88 [Repealed, SOR/95-254, s. 9]

Steering Gear

• 89 (1) This section applies to every new ship that is subject to inspection, and that had its keel laid on or after April 27, 1961.

• (2) [Repealed, SOR/2002-220, s. 4]

• (3) The means of attachment of the steering gear to the rudder stock shall be designed for strength at least equal to that of the rudder stock.

• (4) Stops for the rudder shall be provided and strongly secured to the deck in the way of the tiller or quadrant.

• (5) Every power driven main steering gear shall be provided with a device for stopping the gear before the rudder stops are reached, and this device shall be synchronized with the rudder stock or with the position of the gear rather than with the steering gear control system.

• 90 (1) This section applies to every ship that is subject to inspection and that had its keel laid before April 27, 1961.

• (2) Every ship shall be provided with suitable steering gear and in so far as is reasonably practicable with auxiliary steering gear consisting of

  • (a) relieving tackle;

  • (b) auxiliary power; or

  • (c) hand-steering gear, attached to the rudder stock independently of the main steering gear.

• (3) Where the steering gear on the ships to which this section applies is replaced, the new steering gear shall be in accordance with the requirements of section 89.

Storm Rails

91 Suitable storm rails shall be installed in all passageways and at deck house sides where passengers or crew might have normal access; storm rails shall be installed on both sides of passageways that are 1.83 m or more in width.

92 In all ships that carry vehicles, the stowage arrangement of the vehicles shall be such as to provide ready escape from any vehicle in an emergency.

Passenger Launches in Excess of 15.25 m in Length

• 93 (1) In passenger launches in excess of 15.25 m in length the propelling machinery shall be separated from the other spaces by a bulkhead or casing; such bulkhead or casing shall be of watertight construction in way of bilges and so constructed above the bilge as to serve as an efficient firebreak; the propelling machinery shall, when located in an open cockpit, be covered by a covering or casing so constructed as to serve as an efficient firebreak.

• (2) Any enclosed space occupied by the propelling machinery or oil fuel tanks shall be efficiently ventilated to remove any possible accumulation of flammable or explosive vapour; to meet this requirement there shall be provided adequate inlet and outlet ventilation extending to the bilges, the inlet ventilation leading to the forward end of the space and the outlet ventilation leading to the after end of the space; in all cases the arrangement shall be to the satisfaction of a steamship inspector.

• (3) Where gasoline is used as fuel, the outlet ventilation duct from the machinery space shall be fitted with an exhaust fan; the electric motor for the exhaust fan shall be situated outside the machinery space and outside the ventilation duct but, where this is not practicable, an explosion proof motor may be fitted within the machinery space but not within the ventilation duct; in any case, the switch for operating the exhaust fan shall be located outside the machinery space; a suitable notice shall be displayed at the main engine controls indicating that the main engine shall not be started until the exhaust fan has operated for a sufficient period to ensure that the machinery space has been cleared of any accumulation of flammable or explosive vapour; generally the fan shall be operated for at least five minutes before starting the main engine.

94 [Repealed, SOR/2017-14, s. 405]

95 [Repealed, SOR/2017-14, s. 405]

96 [Repealed, SOR/2017-14, s. 405]

97 [Repealed, SOR/2017-14, s. 405]

Wheelhouse Windows

• 98 (1) Plate glass having a minimum thickness of 6 mm shall be fitted in the wheelhouse windows of all new ships certified for making

  • (a) home-trade voyage, Class IV;

  • (b) inland voyage, Class II;

  • (c) minor waters voyage, Class I; and

  • (d) minor waters voyage, Class II.

• (2) In the case of a ship already certified for making the voyages specified in subsection (1), plate glass having the minimum thickness of 6 mm shall be fitted in all wheelhouse windows when replacement becomes necessary.

• (3) Every new ship certified for making a voyage other than a voyage specified in subsection (1) shall have all wheelhouse windows fitted with toughened glass having a minimum thickness of 6 mm.

• (4) In the case of a ship already certified for making a voyage other than a voyage specified in subsection (1), toughened glass having a minimum thickness of 6 mm shall be fitted in all wheelhouse windows when replacement becomes necessary.

99 [Repealed, SOR/95-254, s. 11]

PART VIIIShips Built or Converted for Towing

Interpretation

100 In this Part,

approved

approved means approved by the Board or, in the case of a ship under 30.5 m in length, approved by the steamship inspector in charge of steamship inspection for the region in which the ship is inspected; (approuvé)

bow section

bow section means the foremost

• (a) one-third length of a ship, in the case of a ship 15.25 m in length or under,

• (b) 5.2 m of a ship, in the case of a ship over 15.25 m but under 21.35 m in length, and

• (c) one-quarter length of a ship, in the case of a ship 21.35 m in length or over; (partie avant)

breadth

breadth means the maximum breadth of a ship, measured amidships,

• (a) in the case of a ship with a metal shell, to the moulded line of the frame, and

• (b) in the case of a ship with a shell of a material other than metal, to the outer surface of the hull; (largeur)

certificate

certificate means a Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate, or an inspection certificate issued by a steamship inspector pursuant to section 319 of the Canada Shipping Act; (certificat)

clear opening

clear opening means an opening of any shape through which the largest sphere that may be passed is one of a diameter equal to the dimension specified for the opening; (ouverture libre)

engine room

engine room means all the main propelling machinery space of the ship; (chambre de machines)

existing ship

existing ship means a ship that is not a new ship; (navire existant)

exterior

exterior means in direct contact with the weather; (extérieur)

forecastle

forecastle means a continuous superstructure extending aft from the bow; (gaillard)

interior

interior means not in direct contact with the weather; (intérieur)

length

length has the same meaning as in Part VII; (longueur)

main deck

main deck means the uppermost weathertight deck extending from side to side of the ship and includes any stepped portions thereof, but does not include any part of a superstructure deck where the deck next beneath the superstructure deck extends from side to side of the ship, is weathertight and is not stepped down inside the superstructure; (pont principal)

new ship

new ship means

• (a) a ship the keel of which was laid on or after April 1, 1972,

• (b) a ship, other than a Canadian ship, the keel of which was laid before April 1, 1972, and that is registered or licensed in Canada on or after that date, and

• (c) a ship declared by the Board to be a new ship pursuant to section 102; (navire neuf)

superstructure

superstructure means a decked weathertight structure

• (a) extending from side to side of a ship, or

• (b) with the side plating not being inboard of the shell plating by more than four per cent of the breadth of the ship,

the tops of the deck beams of which are not less than 1.83 m vertically above the tops of the deck beams of the deck on which the structure is set; (superstructure)

tow

tow means to pull or push any floating object; (remorquer)

watertight compartment

watertight compartment means, in respect of a ship, a space below the main deck that is enclosed by the shell, watertight bulkheads and decks, or by watertight bulkheads and decks and into which direct access from the main deck is gained by means of a hatch or entrance through which downflooding could occur; (compartiment étanche)

weathertight

weathertight means capable of preventing the passage of water from exterior space to interior space in any weather condition. (étanche aux intempéries)