Editing Bulk carrier (section)

== Definition ==
[[File:Bulk_carrier_midship_section-i18.svg|alt=|border|right|frameless]]
The term bulk carrier has been defined in varying ways. As of 1999, the [[International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea]] defines a bulk carrier as "a ship constructed with a single deck, top side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces and intended to primarily carry dry cargo in bulk; an ore carrier; or a combination carrier."<ref name="abs">{{cite web |url= http://www.eagle.org/regulatory/regupdate/msc70/bulk.html|title= Maritime Safety Committee's 70th Session, January 1999|access-date=2007-04-09 | work=American Bureau of Shipping |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070904190443/http://www.eagle.org/regulatory/regupdate/msc70/bulk.html |archive-date = 4 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most [[Classification society|classification societies]] use a broader definition, by which a bulk carrier is any ship that carries dry unpackaged goods.<ref name="SNAME"/> [[Cargo ship|Multipurpose cargo ships]] can carry bulk cargo, but can also carry other cargoes and are not specifically designed for bulk carriage. The term "dry bulk carrier" is used to distinguish bulk carriers from bulk liquid carriers such as [[oil tanker|oil]], [[chemical tanker|chemical]], or [[tanker (ship)|liquefied petroleum gas carriers]].  Very small bulk carriers are almost indistinguishable from general cargo ships, and they are often classified based more on the ship's use than its design.

A number of abbreviations are used to describe bulk carriers. "[[Ore-bulk-oil carrier|OBO]]" describes a bulk carrier that carries a combination of ore, bulk, and oil, and "O/O" is used for combination oil and ore carriers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trans-inst.org/seawords.htm#o |title=Maritime Glossary |access-date=2008-05-06 |work=The Transportation Institute |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080415134847/http://www.trans-inst.org/seawords.htm#o |archive-date = 15 April 2008}}</ref> The terms "VLOC", "VLBC", "ULOC", and "ULBC" for very large and ultra-large ore and bulk carriers were adapted from the [[supertanker]] designations very large crude carrier and ultra-large crude carrier.<ref name="vlcc">{{cite web|url=http://www.nautinst.org/info/acrnm_abbrev.htm |title=Acronyms and Abbreviations |access-date=2007-04-12 |work=The Nautical Institute |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070408154846/http://www.nautinst.org/info/acrnm_abbrev.htm |archive-date=8 April 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>