3.2.

3 Quantitative Changes in the Ship’s Center of Gravity Due to Transverse Weight

Additions, Removals, or Shifts

Recall the transverse direction is the “side to side” direction (or the port to starboard direction).
The centerline of the ship separates the port from the starboard. Recall that distances to the port
are defined to be negative, and distances to the starboard are positive. In general, we use the
symbol “y” as the general variable to represent a transverse distance from the centerline of the
ship. Other names you might here in referencing this direction are “half breadth” and
“athwartships”.

Qualitatively, we know that should a weight be added or removed off center (not on the
centerline) or a weight is shifted transversely across the ship, the ship will assume some angle of
inclination. This angle is called an angle of “List”. A List is the condition where the ship is in
static equilibrium and down by the port or starboard side. In other words, the ship is not level in
the water from side to side. The list angle is created because the weight change has resulted in
the Center of Gravity (G) of the ship to move from the centerline. There are no external forces
acting on the ship to keep it down by the port or starboard. The angle is maintained because the
resultant weight and buoyant force are vertically aligned as shown in Figure 3.2 and Figure 3.10.

O
T

O
Bo
B1

FB
Figure 3.10 The Locations of G and B for a Listing Ship

The off center G causes a moment to be created within the ship that causes it to rotate. As the
ship rotates, the underwater volume changes shape which causes the Center of Buoyancy (B) of
the ship to move. At small angles of list, B moves in an arc, centered at the transverse metacenter
(M). It continues to move until the shape of the underwater volume causes B to move directly
vertically underneath G, causing the ship to be back in static equilibrium.

The concept of the metacenter and B movement will be discussed in greater detail later in
! this chapter.

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