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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations

Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Welcome to Ship Stability at Master 4 level

This study guide is set up as follows:

Guide 1 (this guide)

• Terms and Abbreviations
• Density and Specific Gravity
• Laws of Flotation
• Centre of Gravity and Centre of Buoyancy by Lance Cunningham

Guide 2 ( the second guide in this series)

This topic will cover Stability Calculations

Guide 3 (the third and final guide in this series)

This topic will cover stability calculations using
MV Twosuch , an excerpt from a ship’s stability
booklet used for examination purposes only by daver6

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

TDMMA1207B

This unit involves the skills and knowledge required

to manage the stress and dynamic factors affecting
the stability of a small commercial vessel using basic
stability criteria.

By the end of the course you will be able to

• interpret basic stability criteria
• carry out required stability calculations
• correlate and interpret calculated stability data
• manage stability and stress conditions within
by cseeman
safety parameters
• communicate the stability information to others
as required

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms Stability Terms … A to B

Your chosen career requires you to converse with
many professionals in the area of Ship Stability and Aft Draft Marks
as such you will be expected to “speak the The set of draft marks, closest to the stern
language”.
AP
Terms and abbreviations are commonplace within After Perpendicular:The vertical line of
many industries including the Maritime industry. reference that coincides with the after end of
What follows is a glossary of common terms and the stern post or if no stern post the turning
abbreviations that you will become familiar with axis of the rudder.
during this course and will provide you with a
“common language “ used within the Maritime Baseline
industry, specifically in the field of Ship Stability. A horizontal line drawn the length of the ship at
the top of the keel

BG
Click the “forward button” to see more Longitudinal separation of the centres of
glossary entries buoyancy and gravity

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … B to D Stability Terms … D

BMo Depth Moulded

Height of the initial transverse metacentre A measurement taken from the baseline
above the centre of buoyancy B amidships to the heel of the upper deck beam
Breadth Moulded at the ship's side.
A transverse measurement taken amidships at
Displacement
the point of maximum internal width
The total weight of the vessel often abbreviated
Centre of Gravity to 'W'
The point of a body through which the total
weight of the body may be considered to act Draft
Sometimes written as "Draught"
Deadweight The measurement of "how deep the vessel sits
The weight of cargo plus fuel,stores,water in the water"
ballast, fresh water, crew, passengers and This is measured at specific points of the
baggage. The difference between the light and vessel...eg. the forward draft or after draft.
loaded displacements.
continued…

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … D to F Stability Terms … F

Continued…Draft can be the mean draft, the
forward draft and after drafts added together FP
and divided by 2. Forward Perpendicular: This is vertical line of
Draft can be the draft measured at the reference that intersects the Summer Load
longitudinal centre of floatation, known as the waterline at the forward edge of stem when the
LCF Draft vessel is on an even keel
By measuring the LCF draft, we can obtain the
Displacement of the vessel
Freeboard
DWA The vertical distance from the waterline to the
Dock Water Allowance freeboard deck taken at the ship's side

DWL Freeboard Deck

Designed Waterline The uppermost complete deck open to the
Forward Draft Marks weather and sea which has a permanent means
The set of draft marks closest to the stem of the of closing all openings
vessel

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … F Stability Terms … F to G

Free Surface Effect FSC

The movement of liquid within a ship's tanks Free Surface Correction. Calculated as the total
when the tanks are partially filled. free surface moment divided by the
Has the effect of reducing the vessel's righting displacement.
lever (GZ) causing a reduction in the stability of This value is added to the calculated height of
the vessel the transverse centre of gravity KG solid (KG),to
obtain the centre of gravity of the vessel
Fresh Water Allowance corrected for free surface effect, KG fluid (KGf)
The number of millimetres by which the mean
draft will change when a vessel moves from
fresh water to salt water. GfMo
Initial transverse metacentric height corrected
for free surface known as the metacentric
height

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … G to K Stability Terms … K to L

GfZ KN
The transverse righting lever being the shortest The righting lever with the ship heeled to any
distance from G (corrected for free surface angle when the centre of gravity of the vessel is
effect) to the line of action of B the centre of assumed to be at the baseline
buoyancy
LBP
Length between perpendiculars. The length
KG between the forward and aft perpendiculars
Height of the centre of gravity of the ship above measured horizontally
the baseline , sometimes referred to as KG solid.
No account taken for Free Surface Effect. LCB
Longitudinal centre of buoyancy, the point
where the force of Buoyancy will act upwards in
KGf the longitudinal plane of the vessel.
Height of center of gravity, corrected for free
surface above the base line. Sometimes referred
to as KG fluid

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … L Stability Terms … L to M

LCF
Longitudinal centre of flotation, the centre of Load Displacement
the waterplane area in the longitudinal plane, The weight of the ship's hull and its contents,
around which the vessel will trim . machinery, cargo, liquids, stores (everything on
board) when floating at its summer marks
LCG
Longitudinal centre of gravity, The point in the Load Line
longitudinal plane , where the centre of gravity A marking on the hull indicating the maximum
may be considered to act. depth a vessel can load to under seasonal
conditions. Allocated by a classification society
Lightship Displacement or authorised government body.
The weight of the vessel in it's constructed
form. Hull, fittings and components only. MCTC
Moment to change trim 1cm over the length
LOA between perpendiculars.
Length Overall. The extreme length of the vessel

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Stability Terms … L to U Stability Terms … V

Mean Draft VCB

The mean draft is the arithmetical mean of the The height of the vertical centre of buoyancy
fore and aft drafts. That is the fore and aft above the baseline
drafts added together and divided by 2.
VCG
Mo Vertical Centre of Gravity. Obtained by dividing
Initial transverse metacentre the sum of the vertical moments by the
displacement. Often referred to as the KG solid
TPC
Tonnes per centimetre immersion, the amount
of weight in tonnes required to change the draft
of the vessel by 1 cm

USK
Underside of the keel.

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Density Example
Density is defined as Mass per unit Volume and uses
units of ‘tonnes per cubic metre’ Calculate the density and relative density of a
block of timber. The timber measures:
1. Fresh Water can be considered to have a 3.0m x 0.5m x 0.8m and weighs 0.8 tonnes
density of 1 tonne per cubic metre
2. Salt Water can be considered to have a density 𝑀𝑎𝑠𝑠
𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
of 1.025 tonnes per cubic metre 𝑉𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑒
0.8 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠
𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
3𝑚 × 0.5 × 0.8𝑚
Relative Density
𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒚 = 0.67 𝑡𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑚3
Relative density is a pure number …no units
attached. This is the ratio of one substance 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
compared to Fresh Water 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑠ℎ 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟
0.67 𝑡/𝑚3
Specific Gravity 𝑅𝑒𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
1.0 𝑡/𝑚3
Specific Gravity is just another term for Relative 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝐷𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑦 = 0.67
Density. It is usually abbreviated to SG

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Flotation
Archimedes determined a principle that a vessel will
displace it’s own mass when immersed in a fluid.
Case 1

A solid block of steel weighing 6 tonnes and having 6t 2m³

a cubic capacity of 2m³ is put into fresh water,.
What would you expect to occur?

Case 1: We know that the block will displace 2 cubic Solid block sinks
meters of fresh water that will weigh 2,000kg. Think
of this acting upwards.
The weight of the steel block is 6,000kg acting
downwards.
The resultant of 6 tonnes acting downwards and 2 Case 2
tonnes acting upwards is 4 tonnes acting
downwards…the result is… the block will sink. 6t 12m³
Case 2: If the steel is hammered out so that it makes
a box of 12 cubic metres, it will still weigh 6 tonnes
Hammered out box floats
but now we have an upward force of 12,000kg and a
downward force of 6,000kg … the box will float.

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Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

Centres of Forces
We have come across two forces in our study of Flotation:

1. The force of Gravity

2. The force of Buoyancy

These forces act at defined points within the vessel KG

The force of gravity acts vertically downwards at the centre

of gravity of the vessel
The distance of the centre of gravity measured from the keel KB
is defined as KG

The force of buoyancy acts vertically upwards at the centre K = Keel

of the underwater volume
The distance of the centre of buoyancy measured from the
keel is defined as KB

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 Conclusion
Basic Stability – Guide 1…Terms and abbreviations
Welcome Stability Terms Density Flotation Centre of Gravity

You have covered the following topics in this guide

• Terms and Abbreviations
• Density and Specific Gravity
• Laws of Flotation
• Centre of Gravity and Centre of Buoyancy

Guide 2 ( the second guide in this series) will cover

by Lance Cunningham
• Loadline, Fresh Water Allowance
• Dock Water Allowance
• Draft, Mean Draft, Trim
• Displacement and Block Coefficient
• Hydrostatic Tables, TPC
• Movement of G in the transverse plane
• Movement of G in the longitudinal plane
• Free Surface and Loll by Daver6

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