Some sea-worthy vessels have this “hatch” at the vessel’s prow that allows loading/unloading vehicles and heavy cargo. How do they keep this watertight, and how do they keep the draft low enough to get near a coastline/pier while maintaining seaworthiness?

Question

Some sea-worthy vessels have this “hatch” at the vessel’s prow that allows loading/unloading vehicles and heavy cargo. How do they keep this watertight, and how do they keep the draft low enough to get near a coastline/pier while maintaining seaworthiness?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

It’s an issue. IIRC that thing being torn off in heavy seas was what caused the Estonia disaster.