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Trim and stability booklet for cargo ships - how to use them

Commercial ships usually have a trim and stability booklet which may contain either curves of form or hydrostatic tables and stability and trim characteristics for various conditions of loading. A typical trim and stability booklet will contain the following data:


i) Vessel characteristics, including principal dimensions, tonnage, location of draft marks, builder, official and registry numbers, etc.

ii) Instructions for use of the nomograms, curves, and other data in the booklet to calculate stability and trim of the vessel for given loading conditions.

iii) General operating instructions and precautions.

iv) Tabulated tank and hold capacities.

v) Hydrostatic properties (KM, LCB, LCF, etc.) tabulated or plotted as a function of mean draft.

vi) Metacentric Height (GM) diagram, showing GM for tabulated conditions of loading and minimum required GM for vessel service.

vii) Trim diagram to calculate vessel trim when weights are added at locations other than the vessel center of gravity.

viii) Weight distribution and stability information for various conditions of loading.

ix) Liquid loading diagram, showing the location, capacity, and effect on list and trim of the ship’s tanks.



General cargo ship hydrostatic table

Figure shows a typical hydrostatic table.

Related info:

Docking Plans , Reports & other structural plans for cargo ships




Other useful articles :
  1. Assigning loadlines marks

  2. Loadlines are marks punched into and painted on the sides of general cargo ships.The assigning of the vessels loadline and the issue of the Certificate is the responsibility of the Marine Authority of the country. .
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  3. Cargo ships Loaded Condition

  4. closely monitor the ship's condition during cargo operations to ensure that if a significant deviation from the agreed loading/unloading plan is detected all cargo and ballast operations must STOP..
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  5. Packing a container recommended method

  6. Packing a container should always be done on level plane either on the ground,on a railcar, or on a trailer. In the case of a trailer, care should be taken to ensure the trailer cannot tip whilst being packed especially if a forklift truck is being used. If necessary the trailer should be propped. Brakes should be securely applied and wheels choked.
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  7. Packing principles relating to cargo in containers

  8. Where relevant, stowing should be carried out in a sequence which will permit rapid checking and storage operations during and after unloading. Should the consignment include cargo subject to customs pre-entry procedures, customs examination would be made easier and unloading avoided if the cargo were stowed at the end of the container by the door.
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  9. Container Securing guidance

  10. Containers have very little strength in any direction other than vertically through the corner posts thus it is necessary to provide substantial support to the containers when they are on the ship. Stowage of containers is with their longer dimension fore and aft since the ship motion transmitted to cargo is greater in rolling than pitching and it is therefore prudent to limit any possible cargo movement within the container to the shorter transverse dimension.
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  11. Trim and stability booklet for cargo ships

  12. Contain either curves of form or hydrostatic tables and stability and trim characteristics for various conditions of loading .
    More .....

  13. Broken stowage? Cargo ships guideline

  14. The access shall be separate from the hatchway opening, and shall be by a stairway if possible. A fixed ladder, or a line of fixed rungs, shall have no point where they fill a reverse slope .
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  15. Ship type, design and facilities for cargo

  16. Cargo gear is designed for speed and flexibility for handling breakbulk, palletized, or container cargo. Various combinations of derricks, winches, and deck cranes are used for the handling of cargo. Cranes are fitted on many vessels to reduce manpower requirements. Some ships have special heavy-lift derricks that may serve one or more holds. Booms are rigged for either yard and stay (burton) or swinging-boom operation.
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  17. Cargo ships structural plans- how to use them

  18. Structural plans, sometimes called scantlings plans, show dimensions of the ships framing and plating. The midships section drawing, generally available for all ships
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