🔍 Key Concepts

• SOLAS international shore connection requirements for firefighting on tankers • Difference between fire main connections and cargo/oil transfer connections • Visual features of a flat flange plate with slotted bolt holes vs a hose blank or reducer

💭 Think About

• Look at the plate in the illustration: Is it designed to seal (blank) an opening, or to allow different bolt patterns to be attached together? • On a tanker, which system is required by international regulations to have a standardized connection that will fit many different shore arrangements? • Would a universal oil transfer connection normally be part of the cargo manifold itself, or a separate slotted plate like this?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which system SOLAS specifies an ‘international shore connection’ for – fire main or cargo system. • Check whether a blanking plate would need multiple slotted bolt patterns like this, or just a solid, gasketed face with simple holes. • Confirm whether standard cargo manifold flanges are normally already ANSI/ISO sizes, reducing the need for this kind of multi‑slot adapter.