Ballast Tank

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images The ore carrier Vale Beijing under tow in Brazil earlier this month after ballast-tank cracks caused a hold to flood "The government should carefully weigh whether it should allow such ships to anchor at Chinese ports...they could easily lead to safety and pollution risks," the China Shipowners' Association said in a statement late Tuesday. ❋ Chuin-Wei Yap (2011)

Vale is developing a fleet of 400,000-deadweight-ton "Valemax" ships that Chinese shipping companies have lobbied against, and one of the first of which had to turn back with ballast-tank cracks after setting off with a load from a Brazilian port. ❋ Chuin-Wei Yap (2011)

The creaking of the girders and floor-plates, the groaning overhead of the trestle-trees, and once an unexpected list that sent me careening, head first, against a ballast-tank, made my position distinctly disagreeable. ❋ Mary Roberts Rinehart (1917)

To the right of the foot of the conning-tower ladder stood the ballast-tank man; and when the captain from the foot of his periscope gave the word -- after first looking forward, aft, and to each side of him to see that all hands were at their proper stations -- it was the ballast-tank man who went violently at once into action. ❋ Unknown (1912)

Griselda carries spare set of Hofman racing vans and can be lied three foot clear in smooth water with ballast-tank swung aft. ❋ Rudyard Kipling (1900)

I was [taking a bath], and I mustve [dozed off], because when I looked down, I had [ballast tanks]. ❋ Bojojo (2011)

I'm [gonna] [go] empty my ballast tank. ❋ K. Isaacson (2007)