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Hatch covers can also be operated with the help of a crane or a winch, though these systems are today obsolete. Most of the hatch covers found on board a ship are controlled hydraulically by a hydraulic power unit operated from a control box fixed near the hatch cover. When the cover is opened, the individual steel covers ride up and tip onto a stowage tank at the hatch end.
#HATCH COVER DESK SERIES#
The hatch cover is not one steel structure but a series of steel covers linked together by chains. In this type, the hatch cover moves on rollers attached to tracks fixed on the hatch coaming. One such type of hatch cover is a MacGregor, single pull hatch cover, shown in the figure. The design of a hatch cover changes according to the size and design of the ship, but most of the designs are made to make the opening and closing of the covers as quick as possible in order to facilitate faster cargo handing process. The most common type of hatch cover used today consists of a number of steel covers linked together. Nowadays, mostly steel hatch covers are used. But with the advent of steel, the wooden hatch covers started disappearing.
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Rain and sea water also used to produce detrimental effects on the wooden hatch covers. Mainly, they used to get spoilt due to continuous exposure to the moisture laden sea winds. In the days of wooden ships, the hatch covers were made of wooden planks, beams and boards and were covered with tarpaulins. Hatch covers close off the hatch opening and makes it water tight. Hatch covers are used to cover and protect the cargo in the cargo spaces. Hatch covers come to the rescue in this situation and can be compared to the lid on a box Cargo Hatch Covers Inability to do this not only results in spoilage of goods but also produces chances for spreading diseases.
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If the cargo that is carried contains perishable food items, then it becomes extremely important to protect it from moisture and adverse weather conditions, especially rain. A cargo space needs to be air and water tight for conserving the cargo goods for a longer time. Cargo storage spaces of any type of vessel, need to be well protected in order to preserve the cargo and prevent any kind of spoilage.
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