When a weight is suspended from a ship’s crane or

derrick, its centre of gravity will be at the point of

suspension of the weight, being at the derrick or crane
head. As soon as the weight is picked up, either from the
quay or somewhere on board, there will be an immediate
transfer of the weight to the derrick (or crane) head with
a resulting upward vertical movement of the ship’s
center of gravity, G. this causes a corresponding
reduction in metacentric height, GM.
Effect on KG of Lifting a Weight
Using Ship’s Gear
Consider the situation where a
weight already on board is to be
lifted from a position in the lower
hold using the ship’s own derrick.

As soon as the weight is lifted clear

of the tank top, the centre of gravity
of the weight moves vertically up to
its point of suspension at g1. this
results in a corresponding vertical
movement of G to Gv, causing an
increase in KG.
 where d is the distance through
GGv = 𝑤 × 𝑑 which the weight is effectively
shifted upwards from its initial
W stowage position to the derrick
head.
Example 1
A ship has a displacement of 10516 t, KG 8.20 m and KM
9.00 m. a weight of 86 t in the lower hold, Kg 3.40 m is
lifted by the ship’s heavy lift derrick, the head of which is
22 m above the keel.

Calculate the GM when the weight is suspended.

Calculate the final GM when the weight is restowed in at
the tween deck at KG 8.50 m
 When loading or discharging weights using a ship’s
lifting gears the following must be considered.

 1. the increase in KG/decrease in GM when the weight

is suspended in the derrick/crane head.

 2. the maximum angle of list that will occur when the

derrick is plumbed over the ship’s side.
Discahrging & Loading a Weight
Using Ship’s Lifting Gear

In this case we will discharge one lift of product from the

vessel via grab using a shipboard crane to the wharf and
follow the movement of G during this operation.
Step 1 The crane takes a
grab of cargo and lifts it
clear of the cargo within
the hold. G of the cargo
moves immediately to the
top of the crane block. KG
of the vessel moves
vertically upwards G₀ to G₁

Step 2 the crane swings to

starboard and G of the
vessel moves parallel to the
movement of the grab from
port to starboard. G₁ to G₂
Step 3 The crane jib is
lowered, lowering the KG
of the vessel, the grab
moves outboard to plumb
the wharf and the KG
of the vessel moves from
G₂ to G₃

Step 4 The grab is

lowered to the wharf and
opened, discharging the
cargo onto the wharf. The
parcel of cargo is no
longer on board the vessel
and the effect is to move
the vessel’s KG from G₃ to
G₄
Example 2
 A ship displaces 8850 t, KG 7.15 and KM 7.98 m. A
weight is to be loaded from the quay 15 m to starboard
of the ship’s centreline. If the head of the derrick is 27
m above the keel when topped to its maximum extent
for the lifting operation, calculate:

 A. the GM when the weight is suspended

 B. the maximum angle of list
To calculate the maximum
permissible KG required prior to
loading or discharging a weight.
Tan𝜃max list = GGh
GMmin
Load lines
 International load line (Plimsoll line) indicates
the draft of the ship and the legal limit to which a ship
may be loaded for specific water types and
temperatures in order to safely
maintain buoyancy, particularly with regard to the
hazard of waves that may arise. Varying water
temperatures will affect a ship's draft; because warm
water is less dense than cold water, providing less
buoyancy. In the same way, fresh water is less dense
than salinated or seawater with the same lessening
effect upon buoyancy.
How did the International load
line become mandatory?
 Samuel Plimsoll, a widely known personality and esteemed as the
founder of the Plimsoll line, was a famous merchant and also a
dedicated shipping reformer. He was an active member for the
British Parliament and had influenced the Parliament to formulate
The Merchant Shipping Act in the year 1875. He was highly
concerned with the safety of the people working in the maritime
world. He disliked the organizers of the ships which drowned due to
excessive goods that were dumped without any idea about the
capacity. He even took the time to conduct some serious research
and was grieved to discover the sorry state of affairs. He once found
out that nearly a thousand British sailors lose their lives due to the
uninformed overloading. Plimsoll was deeply affected by this and he
was determined to bring about a change, to protect the sailors. He
thus devised the Plimsoll line for types of merchant ships.
 TF – tropical fresh water
 F – fresh water
 T – tropical seawater
 S – summer temperate seawater
 W – winter temperate seawater
 WNA – winter North Atlantic
 The summer load line is the primary load line and it is
from this mark that all other marks are derived. The
position of the summer load line is calculated from the
load line rules and depends on many factors such as
length of ship, type of ship, type and number of
superstructures, amount of sheer, and bow height. The
horizontal line through the circle of the Plimsoll mark
is at the same level as the summer load line.

 The winter load line is one forty-eighth of the summer

load draft below the summer load line.

 The tropical load line is one forty-eighth of the

summer load draft above the summer load line.
 The fresh water load line is an amount equal
∆
to millimetres above the summer load line where ∆ is the
4𝑇
displacement in metric tonnes at the summer load draft
and T is the metric tonnes per centimetre immersion at
that draft. In any case where ∆ cannot be ascertained the
fresh water load line is at the same level as the tropical load
line. The position of the tropical fresh load line relative to
the tropical load line is found in the same way as the fresh
water load line is to the summer load line.

 The winter North Atlantic load line is used by vessels not

exceeding 100 metres in length when in certain areas of the
North Atlantic Ocean during the winter period. When
assigned it is 50 millimetres below the winter mark.[1]
Requirements for maintaining
watertight integrity
A vessel floats because of the water it displaces. That is it
only floats because it creates a hole in the ocean. If that
hole fills with water the vessel sinks. Watertight Integrity
is all about keeping the water out. This section details
some of the methods of how we keep the water out, or
maintain our Watertight Integrity.
Maintenance of watertight
integrity
Watertight integrity can be breached through any
activity or happening that allows the ingress of water in
unwanted areas or compartments of the vessel.

Typical examples include:

 Lack of maintenance to seals, screw threads and other

locking devices.
 Damage caused by collision, grounding or heavy
weather.
 Leaving hatches,
doors, vents etc
open.

 Blocked freeing
ports or scuppers.

 Cracks along welds

in metal vessels or
loss of caulking from
planked seams in
timber vessels.