STABILITY THEORY

QUESTIONS ASKED:
1. WITH THE HELP OF SUITABLE SKETCH THE PRINCIPLE OF INCLINING EXPERIMENT, WHAT
PRECAUTIONS MUST BE TAKEN WHILE CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENT. (JAN 08)
2. DESCRIBE THE INCLINING EXPERIMENT ON A NEWLY BUILT VESSEL UNDER THE FOLLOWING
HEADINGS: PRINCIPLE, PROCEDURE, PRECAUTIONS? (MAY 08, AUG 08, MAY 09, NOV 09, JAN 10)
3. DERIVE AN EXPRESSION FOR ANGLE OF HEEL OF A VESSEL DURING TURNING. A PASSENGER VESSEL
OF LENGTH 200M, DISPLACEMENT 21000MT, DRAFT 10M, KG 8.0M, KM 8.8M, HAS A SERVICE SPEED OF
20 KTS. DOES SHE SATISFY THE INTACT STABILITY CRITERIA REGARDING THE HEEL DUE TO TURNING
? (NOV 09)
4. WITH THE AID OF SUITABLE SKETCHES, DESCRIBE THE WIND AND ROLLING CRITERION (WEATHER
CRITERION) TO BE SATISFIED BY MERCHANT SHIPS. (NOV 08)
5. WITH THE HELP OF A SUITABLE CURVE EXPLAIN WIND AND WEATHER CRITERIA EXPLAINING; HOW
WILL YOU OBTAIN IW1 AND IW2. AND THE MAIN CRITERIA THAT MUST BE SATISFIED? (FEB 10)
6. EXPLAIN THE EFFECTS OF FOLLOWING FACTORS ON THE ROLLING CHARACTERICTICS OF A VESSEL
WHILE IN SEAWAY: GM, DRAFT, PERIOD OF WAVES. WHAT IS SYNCHRONOUS ROLLING? HOW IT CAN
BE AVOIDED? (MAY 09, JAN 10)
7. WHY DO CONTAINER SHIPS WITH WIDE STERN EXPERIENCE VIOLENT ROLLING WHILST
EXPERIENCING PITCHING? WHAT METHODS AND GUIDANCE ARE PROVIDED TO MASTERS TO AVOID
SUCH OCCURENCES? EXPLAIN FORCED ROLLING? (MAY 10)
8. EXPLAIN HOW A ROLLING PERIOD TEST IS TAKEN. WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GMT AND
ROLLING PERIOD? WHAT PRECAUTIONS MUST BE OBSERVED WHEN USING THE FORMULA? (NOV 08)
9. FIND THE STILL WATER PERIOD OF ROLL FOR A SHIP WHEN THE RADIUS OF GYRATION IS 8M AND THE
METACENTRIC HEIGHT IS 0.8M. (NOV 08)
10. WHAT DAMAGED STABILITY CRITERIA ARE TO BE SATISFIED BY TANKER IN THE FINAL CONDITION
AFTER DAMAGE AS PER MARPOL? WHAT ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS IN RESPECT OF DIMENSIONS OF
DAMAGE? (JAN 09)
11. DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING: BONJEAN CURVES, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DYNAMIC AND STATICAL
STABILITY. (MAY 08)
12. DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING: REDUCTION IN SHIP STABILITY WHEN ON THE CREST OF WAVE, ROLLING
MOTION OF A SHIP WHEN FLOATING IN STILL WATER? (FEB 10)

INCLINING EXPERIMENT
THIS IS AN EXPERIMENT CARRIED OUT ON A NEWLY BUILT VESSEL OR ON A VESSEL WHICH HAS
UNDERGONE MAJOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO ASCERTAIN THE LIGHT KG OF THE VESSEL, ONCE THE
LIGHT KG IS KNOWN, THE KG OF THE VESSEL CAN BE FOUND OUT IN ANY CONDITION.

SOLAS REQUIREMENTS:
1. EVERY PASSENGER SHIP OR EVERY CARGO SHIP OF LENGTH > 24M SHALL HAVE ITS LIGHT KG
ASCERTAINED BY AN INCLINING EXPERIMENT. SUCH AN EXPERIMENT SHALL BE CONDUCTED WHEN
THE SHIP IS FULLY CONSTRUCTED OR AS FAR AS FULLY CONSTRUCTED.
2. EVERY 5 YEARSA LIGHT SHIP SURVEY SHALL BE CARRIED OUT ON A PASSENGER SHIP. IF THE
DIFFERENCE IS MORE THAN 2 % OR IF THE LCG OF THE VESSEL HAS BEEN DEVIATED BY MORE THAN 1
%, THEN THE INCLINING EXPERIMENT TEST SHALL BE CONDUCTED AGAIN.

PRINCIPLE OF INCLINING EXPERIMENT TEST

WHEN A KNOWN WEIGHT IS SHIFTED FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER, PERPENDICULAR TO THE SHIPS
CENTRELINE, THE VESSEL HEELS AND THE RIGHTING MOMENT ADJUSTS ITSELF TO EQUAL THE HEELING
MOMENT. THE ANGLE OF HEEL IS MEASURED, THIS PROCESS IS REPEATED AT SEVERAL ANGLES IN BOTH
DIRECTIONS. AND THE VESSELS KG IS CALCULATED.

DERIVATION OF FORMULA

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 STABILITY THEORY

WE KNOW THAT: GGI = (w x d) / W

FROM THE DIAGRAM GGI = GM TAN θ

TAN θ = (w x d) / (W x GM)
TAN θ = CD / AC
GM = (w x d x AC) / (W x CD)
GM = (w x d) x LENGTH OF LUMB LINE WHEN UPRIGHT
W DEFLECTION OF PENDULUM BOB

PROCEDURE
1. A PLUMP BOB IS ATTACHED INSIDE THE CARGO HOLDS IN A WAY AS SHOWN IN THE DIAGRAM.
2. TO HAVE A BETTER ACCURACY THREE SUCH BOBS ARE ARRANGED, 1 IN THE FWD, 1 IN MIDSHIP AND 1
IN THE AFT OF THE SHIP.
3. FOUR EQUAL WEIGHTS ARE PLACED ON DECK AS SHOWN IN THE FIGURE.
4. W1 IS SHIFTED ALONG WITH W3 AND DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
5. W2 IS SHIFTED ALONG WITH W4 AND DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
6. W1 IS SHIFTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AND A DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
7. W2 IS SHIFTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AND A DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
8. W3 IS SHIFTED ALONG WITH W1 AND DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
9. W4 IS SHIFTED ALONG WITH W2 AND DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
10. W3 IS SHIFTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AND A DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
11. W4 IS SHIFTED BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL POSITION AND A DEVIATION IS OBTAINED.
12. A MEAN OF ALL THESE DEVIATIONS IS OBTAINED AND APPLIED IN THE FORMULA.
13. A VALUE OF GM IS OBTAINED FROM THE FORMULA,
14. A VALUE OF KM IS OBTAINED FROM THE HYDROSTATIC PARTICULARS,
15. A VALUE OF KG IS OBTAINED, THIS KG ALSO CONTAINS THE WEIGHT OF THE WEIGHTS USED i.e. THIS
KG IS FOR W + 4w.
16. USING THE MOMENTS METHOD A LIGHT SHIP KG IS CALCULATED.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN
1. THIS EXPERIMENT MUST BE CONDUCTED ONLY AFTER THE VESSEL IS IN COMPLETION STATE OF
CONSTRUCTION OR AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE TO HER FINAL STATE OF CONSTRUCTION.
2. VESSEL SHOULD BE IN A SHELTERED ENVIRONMENT FLOATING FREELY AND AWAY FROM THE
INFLUENCE OF WIND, CURRENT, TIDE, PROPELLER WASHES OF OTHER VESSELS ETC.
3. VESSEL MUST BE IN A UPRIGHT CONDITION, HOWEVER IF SHE IS LISTED, THE LIST SHOULD NOT BE
GREATER THAN HALF DEGREE.
4. THE VESSEL SHOULD HAVE AN UNDULY LARGE TRIM BECAUSE IF THE TRIM IS VERY LARGE, THE
HYDROSTATIC PARTICULARS OBTAINED FROM THE PARTICULARS WOULD HAVE SOME ERRORS
THEREFORE A DETAILED CALCULATION OF THESE SHOULD BE DONE BY THE NAVAL ARCHITECTS
BEFORE CONDUCTING THE EXPERIMENT.
5. ACCURATE SIX SIDED DRAFTS OF THE VESSEL MUST BE OBTAINED AND THE DENSITY OF WATER
DETERMINED CAREFULLY,
6. THE VESSEL SHOULD BE SO FAR AS POSSIBLE IN HER LIGHT CONDITION WITH MINIMUM EXTERNAL
WEIGHTS ONBOARD, WEIGHTS OF MORE THAN 4% OF THE LIGHTSHIP SHOULD NOT BE USED.
7. SHORE GANGWAY MUST BE REMOVED AND THE VESSEL BREATED OFF THE JETTY FOR FREE
INCLINATION,
8. THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH UKC TO PREVENT THE VESSEL FROM TOUCHING THE BOTTOM DURING
THE EXPERIMENT,
9. THE TOTAL SUM OF WEIGHTS USED FOR THE EXPERIMENT SHOULD BE ATLEAST 1/500TH OF THE
LIGHTSHIP WEIGHT,
10. EACH DEFLECTION OF THE PENDULUM SHOULD BE ATLEAST 15 CMS,

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 STABILITY THEORY
11. THE LIST PRODUCED DURING THE EXPERIMENT SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 1O AND SHOULD NOT BE
MORE THAN 4O. IF THE LIST IS EXCESSIVE IT WILL NOT BE PROPOTIONAL TO THE HEELING MOMENT
PROVIDED.
12. THE LENGTH OF THE PLUMBLINE SHOULD BE BETWEEN 4-6 CMS,
13. FOR V/Ls WITH VERY LARGE GM MORE LENGTH OF PLUMBLINE OR MORE INCLINATION WEIGHTS CAN
BE USED WHICH ARE COMPARITIVELY HEAVIER, IN ORDER TO PRODUCE EFFECTIVE LIST.
14. IN THE ABSENCE OF INCLINATION WEIGHTS, THE EXPERIMENT CAB BE CONDUCTED USING
CONTROLLED WATER BALLAST BUT ONLY AFTER THE APPROVAL FROM THE ADMINISTRATION,
15. THE PERSONS NOT REQUIRED FOR THE EXPERIMENT SHOULD LEAVE THE VESSEL AND THE PESONS
ONBOARD SHOULD POSITION THEMSELVES ALONG THE CENTRELINE,
16. VESSEL SHOULD BE IN HER SEAGOING CONDITION AND ITEMS LIABLE TO SHIFT MUST BE SECURED IN
THEIR POSITION. SOME SHIPYARDS USE AN INSTRUMENT KNOWN AS THE STABILOGRAPH WHICH
RECORDS THE LIST PRODUCED WITH REFERANCE TO THE TIME.

LIST CAUSED DURING A TURN

WHEN A VESSEL SETTLES IN A TURN, CENTRIFUGAL FORCE (Mv2 / R) CAN BE CONSIDERED TO ACT
OUTWARDS THROUGH THE VESSELS COG AND AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE CENTRIPITAL FORCE (Mv2 / R)
ACTS INWARD THROUGH THE VESSELS COB.
WHEN THE VESSEL IS IN A STATE OF CONSTANT TURNING, HER RESULTANT RIGHTING MOMENT WOULD
BE EQUAL AND OPPOSITE TO THE UPSETTING COUPLE.

FROM THE DIAGRAM:

W x GZ = C.F. x GX
Mg x GM SIN θ = Mv2 / R x GX
g x GM SIN θ = v2 / R x BG COS θ
ΤΑΝ θ = v2 x BG = (KG – KB) x v2
g x GM g x GM R
WHERE,
v = SPEED OF THE VESSEL IN m/s,
g = 9.81 m/s
R = RADIUS OF TURN IN m,
GM = GMF

FOR PASSENGER SHIPS:

W x GZ = UPSETING MOMEMT
UPSETTING MOMENT = 0.02 x v2 x DISP x (KG d/2)
L

WHERE,
L = LENGTH OF THE VESSEL AT WATERLINE,
d = DRAFT OF THE VESSEL

FACTORS AFFECTING ROLLING OF A SHIP

THERE ARE 3 ANGULAR MOTIONS AND 3 LINEAR MOTIONS.
ANGULAR MOTIONS: PITCHING, ROLLING AND YAWING.
LINEAR MOTIONS: SURGING, SWAYING AND HEAVING.

ANGULAR ACCELERATION = PERIOD OF ROLL + AMPLITUDE OF ROLL

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 STABILITY THEORY
ROLLING IN RESPONSIBLE FOR:
1. DISCOMFORT FOR PERSONNEL ONBOARD,
2. RACKING STRESSES,
3. SHIFTING / DAMAGE / LOSS OF CARGO,
4. DAMAGE TO SHIP STRUCTURE,
5. CAPSIZING OF THE VESSEL.

ROLLING DEPENDS ON:

1. GMT OF THE VESSEL,
2. DRAFT / DISPLACEMENT OF THE VESSEL,
3. DISTRIBUTION OF LOADS ONBOARD,
4. BEAM OF VESSEL.

1. GMT OF THE VESSEL:

1. STIFF VESSEL (LARGE GM): WILL HAVE SMALLER ROLLING AND SHORTER PERIOD OF ROLL.
ROLLING WILL BE JERKY AND UNEVEN.
A STIFF VESSEL WILL HAVE A PERIOD OF ROLL OF ABOUT 8-10 SEC AND MOST SEA WAVES IN
HEAVY WEATHER HAVE PERIOD 8-12 SEC. SYNCHRONOUS ROLLING CAN TAKE PLACE, HENCE IF
POSSIBLE THE NATURAL ROLLING PERIOD OF THE VESSEL SHOULD BE INCREASED BY REDUCING
THE GM AND MAKING THE VESSEL TENDER.
2. TENDER VESSEL (SMALL GM): WILL HAVE LARGER ROLLING AND LONGER PERIOD OF ROLL.
ROLLING WILL BE EVEN AND SMOOTH.
A TENDER VESSEL WILL HAVE A SMALLER GM, IT WILL TEND TO LAG BEHIND THE WAVES AND
THE WAVES WILL BREAK ON DECK, CAUSING DAMAGE TO DECK CARGO. IT CAN BE SAID THAT A
RATHER TENDER VESSEL IS A BETTER OPTION THAN A STIFF VESSEL. A TENDER VESSEL USUALLY
HAS A PERIOD OF ROLL OF 30-35 SEC AND A STIFF VESSEL HAS A PERIOD OF ROLL OF ABOUT 8-12
SEC. BOTH EXTREME CONDITIONS ARE HARMFUL, THEREFOR THE GM OF THE VESSEL SHOULD BE
SUCH SO AS TO GIVE A NATURAL ROLLING PERIOD OF ABOUT 20SEC.
2. DRAFT AND DISPLACEMENT OF THE VESSEL: WAVES ARE STEEPER AT THE SURFACES AND
GRADUALLY BECOME FLATTER AS THE DEPTH INCREASES. A DEEPLY LOADED VESSEL WILL HAVE
HER UNDERWATER HULL MORE EXPOSED TO FLATTER SECTION OF THE WAVES, CAUSING HER TO
HAVE A GENTLER ROLLING MOTION. ON THE OTHER HAND THE HULL OF A VESSEL IN LIGHT
CONDITION WILL BE MORE EXPOSED TO THE STEEPER WAVE FORMS CAUSING IT TO BE EASILY
AFFECTED IN HER ROLLING MOTION.
THE DRAFT OF THE VESSEL IS DIRECTLY RELATED TO DISPLACEMENT, BUT THE DISPLACEMENT OF
THE VESSEL AFFECTS THE ROLLING MOTION DIFFERENTLY.
MOMENT = W x GZ
LARGER THE DISPLACEMENT, LARGER UPSETTING MOMENT IS REQUIRED TO ROLL THE VESSEL,
HENCE A VESSEL WITH LARGER GM CAN AFFORD TO SAIL WITH A SMALLER GM.
3. DISTRIBUTION OF LOADS: THE ROLLING AXIS OF A VESSEL PASSES FWD AND AFT ROUGHLY
THROUGH THE VESSELS COG. A VESSEL CAN BE LOADED IN DIFFERENT WAYS, KEEPING HER DRAFT
AND GM SAME. WEIGHTS CAN BE DISTRIBUTED AWAY FROM THE ROLLING AXIS OR CAN BE LOADED
NEAR THE ROLLING AXIS. BOTH THE VESSELS HAVE THE SAME DRAFT AND GM BUT WILL BEHAVE
DIFFERENTLY AT SEA. THE VESSEL WITH WEIGHTS AWAY FROM THE ROLLING AXIS WILL HAVE
LONGER PERIOD OF ROLLS AND GENTLER ROLLING MOTIONS AS COMPARED TO THE VESSEL WITH
WEIGHTS NEAR THE ROLLING AXIS. THE DISTRIBUTION OF MASSES ONBOARD RELATING TO THE
ROLLING AXIS IS KNOWN AS THE MASS MOMENT OF INERTIA.
4. BEAM OF THE VESSEL: VESSEL WITH LARGER BEAM WILL HAVE LARGER ROLLING PERIOD AND
VICE VERSA.
ROLLING PERIOD: 0.79697 x B
GM

SYNCHRONOUS ROLLING

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 STABILITY THEORY
WHEN THE APPARENT ROLLING PERIOD OF THE SHIP IN A SEAWAY IS THE SAME AS THE PERIOD OF THE
WAVES ENCOUNTERED, VESSELS ROLLING CAN INCREASE DUE TO SYNCHRONISITY, WHICH IF ALLOWED
FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME CAN CAUSE THE VESSEL TO ROLL MORE AND MORE. IF AVOIDING ACTION
IS NOT TAKEN, ROLLING MAY INCREASE TO SUCH AN EXTENT, THAT VESSELS HEALS BEYOND HER
ANGLE OF VANISHING STABILITY AND CAN CAPSIZE.
SYNCHRONOUS ROLLING CAN BE AVOIDED BY:
1. ALTERATION OF COURSE,
2. IN SOME CASES ALTERATION OF SPEED,
3. COMBINATION OF BOTH,
4. BY CHANGING THE WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION ONBOARD, THE VESSELS GM WILL CHANGE, AS GM IS
DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE VESSELS ROLLING PERIOD, THIS ACTION WILL CAUSE THE SHIPS
NATURAL ROLLING PERIOD TO CHANGE THUS AFFECTING IT FROM THE WAVE ENCOUNTERED
PERIOD.

FORCED ROLLING
IF THE VESSELS ROLLING PERIOD REMAINS DIFFERENT FROM THE WAVE ENCOUNTERED PERIOD FOR
SOME TIME, THE VESSEL MAY SUFFER SUDDEN HARD THUMPING ROLL. THIS IS REFFERED TO AS FORCED
ROLLING AND DOES NOT LAST FOR LONGER DURATIONS.

PARAMETRIC ROLLING
1. IT IS CAUSED DUE TO THE PITCHING OF THE SHIP IN VESSELS WITH A VERY FINE BOW AND BLUFF
STERNS. Eg. LARGE CONTAINER SHIPS WITH A VERY FINE BOW AND A VERY WIDE STERN TO
ACCOMMODATE MORE CONTAINERS AND A NEARLY WALL-SIDED MID BODY LENGTH.
2. IT IS CALLED PARAMETRIC ROLLING DUE TO THE PARAMETERS LIKE DISPLACEMENT, RIGHTING
LEVER, RIGHTING MOMENTS AND HULL GEOMETRY OF THE VESSEL BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS
CAUSES.
3. FOR A PARAMETRIC ROLLING TO OCCUR, THE PITCHING PERIOD OF THE VESSEL SHOULD BE EQUAL
TO HER NATURAL ROLLING PERIOD OR HALF OF THE ROLLING PERIOD.
4. FOR A PARAMETRIC ROLLING TO OCCUR, THE FLARE OF THE BOW SINKS DEEPLY INTO THE WAVE
AND THE WAVELENGTH IS APPROXIMATELY EQUAL TO ONE OR TWO SHIPS LENGTH.
5. PARAMETRIC ROLLING USUALLY OCCURSWHEN THE SEAS ARE FROM AHEAD OR ASTERN.
6. PARAMETRIC ROLLING IS PRIMARILY CAUSED DUE TO CYCLIC VARIATION OF VESSELS STABILITY.
7. IT IS BEST AVOIDED BY ALTERING COURSE OR / AND HER SPEED. IT CAN ALSO BE AVOIDED OR
REDUCED BY CHANGING HER NATURAL ROLLING PERIOD BY ALTERING THE DISTRIBUTION OF
WEIGHTS.

BONJEAN CURVE
IT IS THE CURVE FORMED BY PLOTTING THE TRANSVERSE SECTIONAL AREAS OF THE SHIP MEASURED
UPTO EACH WATERLINE AGAINST A VERTICAL AXIS REPRESENTING THE WATERLINE. THUS THE
HORIZONTAL DISTANCE MEASURED FROM THE VERTICAL AXIS TO THE CURVE GIVES THE AREA OF THE
SECTION FROM THE BASELINE TO THAT PARTICULAR WATERLINE. USUALLY SETS ARE OBTAINED FOR
EACH SECTION. THESE CURVES FACILITATE IMMERSED VOLUME TO BE OBTAINED FOR THE WATERLINES
THAT ARE NOT PARALLEL TO THE BASELINE.

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Summary of Annotations