bazza123:
. . . What about being ejected through the doors at the bow or stern?Obviously the ship would need to be at a standstill for this.
.
.
No Master of a ferry would open the bow or stern doors and lower the
vehicle ramp at sea. The risk of taking a wave on board is just too great.
Even a few inches of water in a large compartment can destroy the whole
stability of a vessel. This “free surface effect” of water is exactly what
caused the sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise in 1987, killing many.
In theory, capstans can be used to move vehicles around a ferry but there
would be no need to do this in practise. Again, the loading ramp would
never be lowered at sea.
If a trailer caught fire below deck then that compartment would be evacuated
and Carbon Dioxide gas would be released to smother it.
Any fire on deck would be fought by the crew, usually by using portable CO2 gas.
.
.