Module 3

Ship Dimension and form

Week 5-6 (4Hrs)

Competence: A-III/2 F1.C2: Plan and schedule operations

A-III/2 F1.C3: Operation, surveillance, performance assessment and maintaining safety of
propulsion plant and auxiliary machinery
Knowledge, Understanding, and Proficiency: A-III/2 F1.C2 and C3.KUP1.8: Theoretical Knowledge on
naval architecture and ship construction, including damage control

Course Outcome 3: Describe ship’s measurements and dimensions

I. Learning Objectives:

At the end of the topic, student must be able to:

LO 3.1 Illustrate/sketch the principal dimensions of the different ship types as to its plan
according to functions and purpose.
LO 3.2 : Illustrate a general knowledge of the primary structural members and indicate
the proper names for the various parts to include holds, engine-room, peak tanks,
double-bottom tanks, hatchway, tween deck and position of bulkheads, cofferdams,
pump-room, cargo tanks, slop tank and permanent ballast tank

II. Topic

1. Ship dimensions and form

III. Materials/References:
1. Ship size comparison 2D https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdgP_ZFnwkI
2. The ultimate guide to ship sizes https://www.marineinsight.com/types-of-ships/the-
ultimate-guide-to-ship-sizes/
3. Ship construction by D.J. Eyres / G.J. Bruce
4. Ship’s Cargo Hold https://www.primasonics.com/industries/ship-cargo-holds
5. Wartsila Term - https://www.wartsila.com/encyclopedia/term

IV. Procedure:
A. Introduction

Merchant ships are broadly classified on the basis of their sizes and areas of
operation. The classification of the ship is decided right at the design stage on the
 basis of route of operation and purpose of the ship. The ship’s dimensions play an
important part in determining the areas of operation of any type of merchant
vessel.
A variety of parameters such as draft, beam, length overall, gross tonnage, dead
weight tonnage etc. are taken into consideration while designing and constructing a
merchant ship. For e.g. for designing a ship that would be able to pass through the
Suez Canal, the dimensions of the ship would be decided in such a way that the ship
is able to smoothly transit through the narrowest and shallowest areas of the canal,
in both fully loading and unloading conditions.

B. Learning Activities:
1. Distinguish the principal dimensions
2. Summarize the information found in the general arrangement plan of different
types of ships.

C. Processing/Discussion:

Lesson 3.1: Illustrate/sketch the principal dimensions of the different ship types as to its plan according
to functions and purpose.

Principal Dimensions

The hull form of a ship may be defined by a number of dimensions and terms that are often referred to
during and after building the vessel. An explanation of the principal terms is given below:

After Perpendicular (AP): A perpendicular drawn to the waterline at the point where the after side of
the rudder post meets the summer load line. Where no rudder post is fitted it is taken as the center line
of the rudder stock.
Forward Perpendicular (FP): A perpendicular drawn to the waterline at the point where the fore-side of
the stem meets the summer load line
Length Between Perpendiculars (LBP): The length between the forward and aft perpendiculars
measured along the summer load line.
Amidships: A point midway between the after and forward perpendiculars.
Length Overall (LOA): Length of vessel taken over all extremities.
Lloyd’s Length: Used for obtaining scantlings if the vessel is classed with Lloyd’s Register. It is the same
as length between perpendiculars except that it must not be less than 96% and need not be more than
97% of the extreme length on the summer load line. If the ship has an unusual stem or stern
arrangement the length is given special consideration.
Register Length: The length of ship measured from the fore-side of the head of the stem to the aft side
of the head of the stern post or, in the case of a ship not having a stern post, to the fore-side of the
rudder stock. If the ship does not have a stern post or a rudder stock, the after terminal is taken to the
aftermost part of the transom or stern of the ship. This length is the official length in the register of ships
maintained by the flag state and appears on official documents relating to ownership and other matters
concerning the business of the ship. Another important length measurement is what might be referred
to as the IMO Length. This length is found in various international conventions such as the Load Line,
Tonnage, SOLAS and MARPOL conventions, and determines the application of requirements of those
conventions to a ship. It is defined as 96% of the total length on a waterline at 85% of the least molded
depth measured from the top of keel, or the length from the fore-side of stem to the axis of rudder
stock on that waterline, if that is greater. In ships designed with a rake of keel the waterline on which
this length is measured is taken parallel to the design waterline.

Molded dimensions are often referred to; these are taken to the inside of plating on a metal ship
 Base Line: A horizontal line drawn at the top of the keel plate. All vertical molded dimensions
are measured relative to this line
 Molded Beam: Measured at the midship section, this is the maximum molded breadth of the
ship.
 Molded Draft: Measured from the base line to the summer load line at the midship section.
 Molded Depth: Measured from the base line to the heel of the upper deck beam at the ship’s
side amidships.
 Extreme Beam: The maximum beam taken over all extremities.
 Extreme Draft: Taken from the lowest point of keel to the summer load line. Draft marks
represent extreme drafts.
 Extreme Depth: Depth of vessel at ship’s side from upper deck to lowest point of keel.
 Half Breadth: Since a ship’s hull is symmetrical about the longitudinal centre line, often
only the half beam or half breadth at any section is given.
 Freeboard: The vertical distance measured at the ship’s side between the summer load line (or
service draft) and the freeboard deck. The freeboard deck is normally the uppermost complete
deck exposed to weather and sea that has permanent means of closing all openings, and below
which all openings in the ship’s side have watertight closings.
 Sheer: A rise in the height of the deck (curvature or in a straight line) in the longitudinal
direction. Measured as the height of deck at side at any point above the height of deck at side
amidships.
 Camber (or Round of Beam): Curvature of decks in the transverse direction. Measured as the
height of deck at center above the height of deck at side. Straight line camber is used on many
large ships to simplify construction.
 Rise of Floor (or Deadrise): The rise of the bottom shell plating line above the base line. This rise
is measured at the line of molded beam. Large cargo ships often have no rise of floor.
 Half Siding of Keel: The horizontal flat portion of the bottom shell measured to port or
starboard of the ship’s longitudinal center line. This is a useful dimension to know when
drydocking.
 Tumblehome: The inward curvature of the side shell above the summer load line. This is unusual
on modern ships.
 Flare: The outward curvature of the side shell above the waterline. It promotes dryness and is
therefore associated with the fore end of ship.
 Stem Rake: Inclination of the stem line from the vertical.
 Keel Rake: Inclination of the keel line from the horizontal. Trawlers and tugs often have keels
raked aft to give greater depth aft where the propeller diameter is proportionately larger in this
type of vessel. Small craft occasionally have forward rake of keel to bring propellers above the
line of keel.
 Tween Deck Height: Vertical distance between adjacent decks measured from the tops of deck
beams at ship’s side.
 Parallel Middle Body: The length over which the midship section remains constant in area and
shape.
 Entrance: The immersed body of the vessel forward of the parallel middle body.
 Run: The immersed body of the vessel aft of the parallel middle body.
 Tonnage: This is often referred to when the size of the vessel is discussed, and the gross tonnage
is quoted from Lloyd’s Register. Tonnage is a measure of the enclosed internal volume of the
vessel (originally computed as 100 cubic feet per ton). This is dealt with in detail in Chapter 30.
 Deadweight: This is defined in Chapter 1. It should be noted that for tankers deadweight is often
quoted in ‘long tons’ rather than ‘metric tons (tonnes)’; however, MARPOL regulations for oil
tankers are in metric tons.
Lesson 3.2: Illustrate a general knowledge of the primary structural members and indicate the proper
names for the various parts to include holds, engine-room, peak tanks, double-bottom tanks,
hatchway, tween deck and position of bulkheads, cofferdams, pump-room, cargo tanks, slop
tank and permanent ballast tank

Primary Structural members

Holds – a ship cargo hold is an enclosed space within a ship designed for storing cargo such as coal, grain
or salt. It usually lies under the deck of a ship and can hold anything from 20 tonnes to 200,000 tones.
The purpose of a ship cargo hold is to protect cargo while it is transported to its destination. Access is
usually gained by a large hatch at the top of the hold, and the cargo can be either loaded in crates or left
unpacked.

Several factors will determine how to best store, load and discharge the items in a ship cargo hold.
These vary from the type of vessel, its cubic capacity and the appliances installed on board the ship and
on shore. But ultimately, if you were to think of the cargo as income, the ship’s hold is one of the most
important areas of the vessel and should be maintained to the highest of standards.

Engine room – On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the compartment where the machinery for marine
propulsion is located. To increase a vessel's safety and chances of surviving damage, the machinery
necessary for the ship's operation may be segregated into various spaces. The engine room is generally
the largest physical compartment of the machinery space. It houses the vessel's prime mover, usually
some variations of a heat engine (diesel engine, gas or steam turbine). On some ships, there may be
more than one engine room, such as forward and aft, or port or starboard engine rooms, or may be
simply numbered.

The engine room is usually located near the bottom, at the rear or aft end of the vessel, and comprises
few compartments. This design maximizes the cargo carrying capacity of the vessel and situates the
prime mover close to the propeller, minimizing equipment cost and problems posed from long shaft
lines. On some ships, the engine room on some ships may be situated mid-ship, such as on vessels built
from 1900 to the 1960s, or forward and even high, such as on diesel-electric vessels.
Peak Tank – Distinction is made between the forepeak tank and aft peak tank.

The forepeak is the space between the stem and the collision bulkhead. The distance between the stem
and the collision bulkhead must be at least 5 per cent of the ships’s length and not more than 8 per cent.
The forepeak tank is the part of the forepeak up to the deck. The after peak tank occupies the space
between the stern and the afterpeak tank bulkhead. Both peak tanks may be used for fresh water or
ballast.

Double Bottom Tanks – An inner bottom (or Tank to) may be provided at a minimum height above the
bottom shell, and maintained watertight to the bilges. This provides a considerable margin of safety,
since in the event of bottom shell damage only the double-bottom space may be flooded. The space is
not wasted but utilized to carry oil fuel and fresh water required for the ship, as well as providing ballast
capacity.

The minimum depth of the double bottom in a ship will depend on the classification society’s
requirement for the depth of center girder. It may be deeper to give the required capacities of oil fuel,
fresh water and water ballast to be carried in the bottom.

Double bottom may be frame longitudinally or transversely (see) but where the ship’s length exceeds
120 m it is considered desirable to adopt longitudinal framing. The explanation for this is that on longer
ships tests and experience have shown that there is a tendency for the inner bottom and bottom shell to
buckle if welded transverse framing is adopted. This buckling occurs as a result of the longitudinal
bending of the hull, and may be avoided by having the plating longitudinally stiffened.
Hatchway – Oiltight hatchways provide access to the tank spaces at the exposed deck. The opening for
these are kept as small as possible, and the corners are well rounded, circular openings being not
common. Coamings provided for the openings should be steel and at least 600 m high, and suitable
fastened steel or other approved material covers are fitted. Patent oiltight hatches are available and
approved with both steel-and fiber-reinforced plastic covers.

Access to any cofferdams and water ballast tanks may be by similar hatches in the deck, or alternatively
a watertight manhole may be fitted with a cover of suitable thickness. Other openings are provided in
the deck for ullage plugs and tank cleaning, these being on the open deck, and not within enclosed deck
spaces.
Tween Deck - ’tween’ is a colloquial abridging of the word ‘between.’ In a ship, the tween deck actually
means an empty space separating or between (tween) two other decks in the hull of a vessel.

Bulk head – It is a vertical partition walls which subdivide the ship interior into watertight
compartments. Bulkheads reduce the extent of seawater flooding in case of damage and provide
additional stiffness to the hull girder. They can be flat or corrugated.

Cofferdam - A cofferdam means an empty space provided in a ship so that compartments on each side
have no common boundary; a cofferdam may be located vertically or horizontally. As a rule, a cofferdam
shall be kept gas-tight and must be properly ventilated and of sufficient size to allow proper inspection,

1. maintenance and safe evacuation.

It can be said that the cofferdam is a void or an empty compartment, which is

provided between the tanks to prevent two different liquids from mixing with each
other. This empty space avoids intermixing of two different fluid when there is a
leak from the boundary separating the two liquids.
Pump Room - A cofferdam means an empty space provided in a ship so that compartments on each side
have no common boundary; a cofferdam may be located vertically or horizontally. As a rule, a cofferdam
shall be kept gas-tight and must be properly ventilated and of sufficient size to allow proper inspection,
maintenance and safe evacuation.


Cargo Tank - The liquid-tight shell designed to contain the cargo.

 Deck tank – A cylindrical gravity cargo tank, secured to transverse cradles on the cargo tank
deck and used for specialised cargo.

 Gravity tank – A cargo tank with design pressure not exceeding 0.7 bar gauge. Independent
tank – A tank entirely separated from the hull structure and not contributing to the strength of
the ship. Tanks of this type are used for transport of liquefied gases, molten sulphur
and bitumen products.

 Integral tank – A tank that contributes directly to the strength of the hull structure and is
contigous with it.

 Pressure tank – An independent cargo tank type C designed to withstand an internal pressure in
excess of 0.7 bar gauge.

 Separate tank – A gravity cargo tank which is not fully integrated into the hull structure but has
a limited degree of attachment, for example, to transverse primary members only.
Slop Tank – it means a tank specially designated for the collection of tank draining, tank washings and
other oily mixture. The total capacity of slop tank on tanks shall not be less than 3% of the oil carrying
capacity of the ship except the administration may accept.

As per regulation no 29 of MARPOL annex I, every oil tanker of 150 GRT and above shall be provided
with slop tanks. The slop tanks capacity are to be 3% of the total oil carrying of the vessel. It may be
reduced to 2% of the tank washing arrangement are such that once the tanks are charged the water is
sufficient for washing and provided drive for eductor, 2% where CBT and SBT are provided. It may be
reduced to 1%.

Ballast Tank - The concept of ballast is not new and has been followed since ancient times. In the earlier
times, the sea-going vessels used solid ballast such as sandbags, rocks, iron blocks, etc. which were
loaded/unloaded once the cargo loading or discharge operation was finished. This method helped to a
certain extent to maintain the stability of the ship and its seaworthiness.

However, today’s vessels carry liquid ballast, which includes fresh water, salt water or brackish water in
various ballast tanks. As ships get bigger in size and the cargo carried by the vessels varies one port to
another (due to global economics, ship condition, local voyage requirements etc.), water ballast tanks
are used to compensate for maintaining the trim and stability of the vessel for a safe sea passage