MAR2000

Explain why it is desirable to have a small stern trim on entering drydock.

When a ships is drydocked her support has to be transferred from the water to the keel blocks and shores.
During this operation she may become unstable (during the critical period) and capsize.
When the vessel touches the keel blocks the P force begins to act and results in loss of GM.
If the GM goes negative before the shores were properly set up, the ship might capsize in the dock.
It is thus of utmost importance to keep full control of the ship during the critical period and to get the
shore
set up as soon as possible.
To assist in this it is desirable to have the ship trimmed a little by the stern when she enters the dock so
that
the heel of the stern post is the first part to touch the blocks.
The advantage with this operation is that the decrease in GM caused by the P force is more gradual
than it would be if the ship sat suddenly flat on the blocks fore and aft, so that we have more control over
the ships stability.
In this way the risk of the ship falling over in the docks is reduced.

9.81 x GM
- Reducing the GM would result in increasing the rolling period

9.81 x GM
- Reducing the GM would result in increasing the rolling period