Universal bulk carrier

A universal bulk carrier is a conventional single-deck dry-bulk ship designed to carry the full range of dry bulk cargoes without specialization for any one. The hull has a double bottom, hopper tanks at the bilge, and topside wing tanks that shape the cargo into a self-trimming flow and hold water ballast, with hatches sized for grab discharge. The arrangement suits coal, grain, ore, bauxite, and minor bulks interchangeably, which is the point of the design. Most Handysize through Capesize tonnage is built to this universal pattern, geared or gearless. It contrasts with single-purpose ships such as the VLOC, the self-discharger, and the open-hatch wood-chip and forest-products carriers.