Text B. Ramps

Ro-Ro ships fitted with ramps usually have a stern ramp, but some vessels fitted with bow doors may also have a bow ramp which doubles as the inner weathertight door (see above) and is lowered onto a linkspan when the bow visor or side hinged doors have been opened. Ramps may also be fitted internally to give access from deck to deck. These can be hydraulically or mechanically tilted to serve more than one deck and can be fixed in the horizontal position to serve as decks themselves. In some ships they can even be raised into the hatch space and serve as weathertight covers.

Stern ramps can be fixed axial ramps, fixed quarter ramps, slewing ramps or semi-slewing quarter ramps. The axial stern ramp may also serve as the stern door and can be lowered or raised hydraulically or by wire rope arrangements. The quarter ramp was designed for ro-ro ships using ports which are not provided with right angled quays or link span connections. The large articulated quarter ramp is raised and lowered by wire rope purchase arrangements to hydraulic winches. Slewing ramps serve a similar purpose to the quarter ramp, but are more flexible. The slewing ramp moves around the stern on a curved guide rail, the movement being affected by the lifting and lowering wire purchases which are led to hydraulic winches.