In order to ensure your vessel is strong and durable, not only should your ship have bulkheads in the first place, they must also be up to par – otherwise you’re going to have some major issues later on.
What Are Structural Bulkheads?
Bulkheads actually serve two specific functions: to act as transverse frames and to prevent torsional stress and keep the hull from twisting. You see Bulkheads, along with a stringer system, creates structurally sound “web” to increase the strength of a ship. There are three types, full, partial, and nonstructural partitions. However, take any of them away, and you’re left with a weak ship that is prone to Bulkheads failure.
How They Should Be Properly Secured
In order to work properly, bulkheads should ideally be secured firmly to the bottom of your ships hull, sides, and deck underside. However, many boat builders still choose to ignore this basic “rule” for one reason or another, the main one being to prevent deck damage. Of course, as much as this does often protect the deck, it’s typically at the cost of everything else attached to the bulkhead, which is why it is definitely not the best solution.
Common Problems Caused By The Lack Of Proper Structural Support
Of course, not having any bulkheads at all, or not having them properly secured, can cause big problems. The most common problems often seen are ship’s interiors being completely torn apart by tort ional hull twisting, or having windows and port holes pop out because there isn’t any framing or support to keep everything together. And don’t even start thinking about what would happen if there were to be a collision. Without any bulkheads reinforcing your ship, it would all but fall apart from significant stress cracking.
Need Some Help?
As always, if you’re buying a boat, having a reputable marine surveyor, like CAS Marine Surveyor, come out and inspect your potential purchase is the best way to ensure that you’re making a smart, responsible investment. A marine surveyor will be able to get a good look and determine precisely how structurally sound your bulkheads are, as well as how likely it is for you to experience any significant problems later on. Just remember, many marine surveyors aren’t boat builders, and may sometimes confuse bulkheads with partitions, which is why choosing a diversely qualified marine surveyor is so important. Thankfully, I’ve been repairing and restoring old boats since high school, which means you can always trust CAS Marine Surveyor to know exactly what’s going on under your deck! If you are considering the purchase of a new or used boat and are looking for a marine surveyor, call Christian today at 1.810.531.0992 or fill out the form in the sidebar to schedule your free consultation.
