NAV ARCH:

Naval Architecture

3/E Heidi Rose G. Mendoza

Instructor, College of Maritime Education

Declaration:
This learning module is an exclusive property of Dr. Yanga’s Colleges, Inc., as an essential part of the
REIMAGINED Learning Program for the Academic Year 2020-2021, and shall only be used by and for
DYCIans. No part of this learning module shall be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, and/or sold, without
the consent of DYCI.
 Week No. 7
SHIP MEASUREMENT AND DIMENSION

This module is intended to have you learners of marine engineering students to

demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and underlying principles in the ship’s
measurements and dimensions.

At the end of this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain the ship’s dimension and measurements.

Definitions and Ship’s Dimensions

Hull: The structural body of a ship including shell plating, framing, decks and bulkheads.
Afterbody: That portion of a ship’s hull abaft midships.
Forebody: That portion of a ship’s hull forward midships.
Bow: The forward of the ship
Stern: The after end of the ship

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 Port: The left side of the ship when looking forward
Starboard: The right side of the ship when looking forward

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After Perpendicular (A.P.) : A perpendicular drawn to the waterline at the point where
the aft side of the rudder post meets the summer load line. Where no rudder post is fitted
it is taken as the centre line of the rudder stock.

Forward Perpendicular (F.P.) : A perpendicular drawn to the waterline at the point

where the foreside of the stem meets the summer load line.

Length Between Perpendicular (L.P.P. / L.B.P.) : The length between the forward and
the aft perpendiculars measured along the summer load line.

Amidships: A point midway between the after and forward perpendiculars.

Length Overall (L.O.A.) : Length of the vessel taken over all extremities.

Base line : A horizontal line drawn at the top of the keel plate. All vertical moulded
dimensions are measured relative to this line

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 Moulded beam: Measured at the midship section is the maximum moulded breadth of
the ship

Moulded Draft/ Draught: The distance from the bottom of the keel to the waterline. The
load draft is the maximum draft to which a vessel may be loaded.

Moulded Depth: Measured from the base line to the heel of the upper deck beam at the
ship’s side amidships.

Sheer: Curvature of decks in the longitudinal direction. Measured as the height of deck
at side at any point above the height of deck at side amidships.

Camber / Round of Beam: Curvature of decks in the transverse direction. Measured as

the height of deck above the height of deck at side.

Rise of floor / Deadrise: The rise of the bottom shell plating line above the base line.
This rise is measured at the line of moulded beam

Half sliding of keel: The horizontal flat portion of the bottom shell measured to port or
starboard of the ship’s longitudinal centre line. This is useful dimension to know when
dry-docking.

Tumble home: The inward curvature of the side shell above the summer load line.

Freeboard: the vertical distance measured from the waterline to the top of the deck
plating at the side of the deck amidships. Normally exposed to weather and sea.

Flare: The outward curvature of the side shell above the waterline. It promotes dryness
and is therefore associated with the fore end of ship.

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 center line, often
only the half beam or half breadth at any section is given.

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SCANTLING: The dimensions of the structural items of a ship, e.g. frames, girders,
plating, etc.

INTERCOSTAL: Composed of separate parts, non- continuous

CENTER OF FLOATATION: It is the center of the waterplane area and is the axis
about which a ship changes trim.

CENTER OF BUOYANCY: It is the center of the underwater volume of the ship where
the force of buoyancy acts.

CENTER OF GRAVITY: It is the point at which the whole weight of the object may
be regarded as acting. If the object is suspended from this point, it will remain balanced
and not tilt.

Tonnage measurement

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, 100 cubic feet representing one ton. Its normally divided into categories as
follow:

Displacement Tonnage
A ship’s displacement is the sum of the ship’s actual weight (lightweight) and it’s
contents (deadweight).
The metric unit of measurement is 1 tonne (= 1000 Kg).
The displacement represents the amount of water displaced by the ship expressed in
tonnes.
The weight of water displaced therefore equals the weight of the ship.

TONNE PER CENTIMETRE (TPC): It is the mass required to increase the mean
draught by 1 centimetre.
LOAD DISPLACEMENT: The weight of the ship and its content, measured in tonne.
The value will vary according to the ship’s draught.
DEADWEIGHT SCALE: It is a scale diagram indicating the deadweight of the ship at
various draughts.
FORM COEFFICIENT: It is devised to show the relationship between the form of the
ship and the dimension of the ship.

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 Lightweight Tonnage (lwt)
The lightweight is the weight of the ship as built (hull, machinery) including boiler
water, lubricating oil and the cooling water system.
Lightweight like displacement is expressed in units of tonnes.
It assumes importance in a commercial sense only when considering the value of
the vessel which is to be broken up for scrape.

Deadweight tonnage (dwt)

Deadweight is the weight of the cargo which a ship carries plus weights of fuel,
stores, water ballast, fresh water, crew and passengers and baggage.
It is the difference between the loaded ship displacement and the lightweight.

Gross Tonnage (gt)

Measurement of total internal volume of a vessel and includes all under deck
tonnage and all enclosed spaces above tonnage deck.
100 cubic feet of space being considered as 1 ton.

Nett Tonnage (nt)

Ship measurement derived from gross tonnage by deducting spaces allowed for
crew and propelling power.
100 cubic feet of space being reckoned as 1 ton.

SHIP SIDE MARKINGS

LOAD LINE: The marking on the ship side that relate to the loading condition of the
ship termed as the load line mark.

Load line mark: consists of a ring 300 mm in outside diameter and 25 mm thick which
is intersected by a horizontal line 450 mm in length and 25 mm thick, the upper edge of
which passes through the center of the ring. The center of the ring is placed amidships
and at a distance equal to the assigned summer freeboard measured vertically below the
upper edge of the deck line.

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 Name: _____________________________________________ Rating: ________________
Year and Section: _____________ Professor / Instructor: __________________________
Due of Submission: _____________________________

Week No. 7
SHIP MEASUREMENT AND DIMENSION

Identification: Write your answer on the space provided preceding each item.

___________________1. The horizontal flat portion of the bottom shell measured to port
or starboard of the ship’s longitudinal centre line.

_____________________2. Measured as the height of deck at side at any point above the
height of deck at side amidships.

_____________________3. Measured at the midship section is the maximum moulded

breadth of the ship.

_____________________4. A perpendicular drawn to the waterline at the point where the

aft side of the rudder post meets the summer load line.

_____________________5. A point midway between the after and forward perpendiculars.

_____________________6. A horizontal line drawn at the top of the keel plate. All vertical
moulded dimensions are measured relative to this line.

_____________________7. The vertical distance measured from the waterline to the top of
the deck plating at the side of the deck amidships.

_____________________8. The outward curvature of the side shell above the waterline. It
promotes dryness and is therefore associated with the fore end of ship.

_____________________9. The inward curvature of the side shell above the summer load
line.

_____________________10. Measured as the height of deck above the height of deck at

side.

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Ship construction- Ship dimensions. (2014, August 23). Share and Discover Knowledge on
SlideShare. [Link]
dimensions

Olanrewaju. (2011, November 21). Ship´s dimension & types of ships. Share and
Discover Knowledge on LinkedIn SlideShare.
[Link]
ships?next_slideshow=1