Optimoor Help Topics

INSTALLATION
This is the master source code for all the Help Topics. To avoid confusion, the individual Help topics
should not be edited but should be saved from this document. Last edit 29 Aug 19
Please note this document is continually under revision parts may be out of date. Let us know if you
require further explanation of any topic.
INSTALLATION
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Layout of the Program
Moving Around the Program
Editing Conventions
Units
Validation
GENERAL ENVIRONMENT WINDOW

Initial & Final Time, Draft Trim and Water Level
Vessel Orientation
Vessel Offset
Number of Fenders within Range
Minimum Bottom Clearance
Wind
Current
Blockage Effects
Waves and Swell
Wave Drift Force
BERTH WINDOW
Fender Data
Catenary Anchor Leg Mooring (CALM)
Loadout Option
VESSEL WINDOW
Pre-Tension Aim
LINE PROPERTIES WINDOW
MOORING RESULTS WINDOW
SITE PLAN ARRANGEMENT WINDOW

Displaying the Plan View
Fender Display
DYNAMIC SIMULATION
WAVE RESPONSE MODULE (WRM)
SIDE BY SIDE SHIP MOORING (S2S MODULE)
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INSTALLATION
BATCH MODE WINDOW
PRINTING AND REPORTING
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INSTALLATION
We have found that the most reliable way to set up Optimoor is simply to copy the executable
Optimoor.exe and all its support files into a folder (directory) of your choice, without formal
installation or registration of its components. However, to install formally, run SETUP.EXE on the
USB key. If the installation generates an error due to a conflict with an existing support file, the
program may still run anyway
If you are licensed for the Wave Response Module, you have to copy the Seakeeping Data folder
(and its contents) on the USB key into the folder where you have installed OPTIMOOR, if
necessary creating a new sub-folder called Seakeeping Data.
You can install the program on other PC’s, but you will need to move the key to make it work
fully. The program still runs (as OPTIDATA) without any key, and allows all data to be entered,
edited and saved in exactly the same way as with OPTIMOOR. However, no mooring forces can
be calculated, nor any analysis performed.
Note that if you need to compare different cases simultaneously, you can run more than one copy of
OPTIMOOR simultaneously on the same PC.
If at any stage now or later you find that OPTIMOOR gives a fatal error message on loading, it is
almost certainly due to automatically loading of a damaged data file. To stop this happening, delete
the file LOGFILE which keeps a record of the filename of the last case file. This will load a
completely new case with no data, and you can then choose a previous case you think should be
OK. This contains only a list of the names of the most recently loaded case files, and you will not
lose any mooring data.
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PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Layout of the Program
A mooring analysis requires the user to specify three separate sets of data, corresponding to the vessel,
the berth, and the particular case being examined such as the environment and the actual connections
made. Data can be read from and saved to data files with the recommended extensions .VSL .BTH
and .OPT respectively for the vessel, the berth, and a specific mooring case.
When you start up the program, the last .OPT case to have been run is automatically loaded and
displayed in the General environment window. The .OPT file records the combination of vessel and
berth used, and the appropriate .VSL and .BTH files are automatically opened at the same time.
If the program crashes on starting up, it is probably because the case file initially opened is corrupted
or contains invalid data. You can temporarily stop the program from automatically loading this case
by deleting the file LOGFILE. This contains only a list of the names of the most recently loaded case
files, and you will not lose any mooring data.
There are essentially two types of mooring arrangements, denoted as pierside if there are shore fenders
and bollards present, or spread if mooring lines alone used. There are additional variations such as
single point moorings where the ship is free to weather-vane, which usually requires a dynamic
simulation to analyse. The normal mooring analysis mode is quasi-static. This works by calculating
the dis-equilibrium force (the difference between the external forces and the reactions from the
mooring lines) for an initially assumed ship position, automatically adjusting this position iteratively
until satisfactory equilibrium is achieved.
In the dynamic mode of OPTIMOOR, the excursions of the vessel are simulated in the time domain,
taking into account variations in wind, current, and any other varying forces such as passing ships.
Moving Around the Program
Experienced users generally access menus and other windows by using the short-cut keys and these are
indicated throughout this text in blue. For example, to go to the Berth window press Ctrl-G, or to
access the File drop down menu press Alt-F (the underscored F indicated Alt- as opposed to Ctrl-).
There are 5 main windows each of which can be accessed by clicking the Window drop down menu,
or more quickly by pressing the Ctrl- key together with the letter key capitalised as follows: General
environment, vesseL specific data, Berth specific data, Mooring analysis results, and a scale plan of
the mooring Arrangement. There are further secondary windows for tidal data, dynamic settings,
authorisation, side-by-side moorings, batch operations etc. depending on the version which is licensed.
Note that the Dynamic version has all the Plus version features, which in turn has all the Standard
features.
Editing Conventions
Whenever a letter is underlined on a menu option or a control, it means that it can be accessed by
pressing the Alt- key together with the underlined letter key. For example, pressing Alt-W will access
the drop down Window menu. Although the mouse is a simple way to run the program at first, it is
quicker to use the short-cut keyboard commands, especially when entering data. If you use the right
hand for keyboard entry, we recommend using the left hand for the mouse.
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PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Use the arrow keys to move between fields. Generally, only text and data displayed in blue is
editable; data in black is presented as calculated results (or may be data that has been entered and
locked). Dates may be entered in various formats, but are converted to a standard uniform format.
Numerical data and dates can be incremented or decremented by pressing the Ctrl- key together with
the plus + or minus – keys. The size of the step can be increased by also pressing the Shift key at the
same time. Alternatively, you may also increase or reduce the value under the cursor by pressing the
square bracket keys ] or [ respectively (the Shift key will also accelerate the process). On non-English
language keyboards you may have to experiment with different keys, for example with Norwegian
keys use Å and \.
The normal MS Windows conventions on copying, pasting and cutting apply within the program. For
example, you can highlight a block in a table with the mouse, copy it to the clipboard with Ctrl-C or
Ctrl-Ins and paste it elsewhere with Ctrl-V or Shift-Ins. Several columns of certain tabulated
parameters can be set simultaneously to the same value by pressing the = key. For example, to set a
winch brake limit of say 50 tonnes to lines 4 and higher, set the winch brake cell in column 4 to 50 and
press the Enter key followed by the = key. Note that this does not affect any columns for lines before
4.
It is possible to undo a single data entry by pressing the Escape key provided this is done before
coming out of edit mode. There is no systematic undo process possible, but you can always go back to
the last saved file by re-opening it without saving any changes (see drop-down menu File…Undo all
since last save).
Units
Use the Options menu to toggle between USA and metric units. All calculations are executed in
metric units, and changing the units only affects the display. Beware of rounding errors which may
arise as a result of conversion, for example an entry of 2.0m would display as 6.6ft after conversion,
but still calculate as 2.00m. However an entry of 6.6ft would calculate as 2.01m.
Forces are displayed in either metric tonnes (2204 lbs) or USA kips (1000 lbs).
Locking Data to prevent Changes
Data in the Berth and vesseL windows may be locked to prevent further editing (in which case it is
displayed in black typeface instead of the editable blue. Use the Option menu to lock or unlock the
data. The password for this is optional (maximum 12 characters) and will be set by pressing Enter (if
not required, set to blank). Press Escape to close the password box. If you do not have the password
and need to edit the locked data you can save the file under a new name and it will be unlocked.
Some Common Terms Used
Datum chart datum (usually about lowest spring tide water level)
Draft vertical distance from ship keel to waterline measured at amidships
FL fairlead or chock
GM metacentric height (measure of stability and determinant of roll period)
Heave vertical movement (or dynamic change of draft)
LBP length between perpendiculars = length on loaded waterline
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PROGRAM STRUCTURE
LOA length overall

Pitch angular movement about transverse axis (or dynamic change of trim)
Roll angular movement about longitudinal axis (or dynamic change of heel)
Surge forward movement
Sway transverse movement
Trim draft aft minus draft forward
WL water level above chart datum
Yaw angular movement about vertical axis
Validation
Validation exercises have been carried out by several different organisations, and without exception
have confirmed the accuracy of the program. John Flory, formerly in charge of mooring R & D at
Exxon in the USA, has made extensive comparisons with other data, in particular the examples
published by OCIMF, and found excellent agreement. Some of this has been published in Mooring
Arrangement Management by Computer, Paper No 4 of the SNAME Symposium on Ship Operations,
Management and Economics, New York, May 1994. BP in London have checked OPTIMOOR
against their own calculations for some of their terminal moorings, and confirmed agreement, while
Shell in London have also made wide-ranging checks using other software. A validation study by an
independent consultant in 2007 showed good agreement between Optimoor and TermSim.
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This is always the first window to appear when you start Optimoor, which by default displays details
of the last case examined. A typical case looks like:
Initial & Final Time, Draft Trim and Water Level
The initial and final times represent the period over which the ship may be loaded, and the initial and
final drafts and trims must be set in order to calculate the inclinations of the lines. The draft and trim
at any time during this period is automatically calculated by linear interpolation (for example, at half
time the draft and trim is exactly halfway between the initial and final values).
If the no tide option has been chosen (see Berth window), the initial and final water levels can also be
set. The water level is always measured above datum and must not be confused with water depth. The
trend of the water level is indicated by the word "rising" or "falling".
You can set the calculation time to whatever you wish, or alternatively you can perform a time sweep
on the Mooring window. The draft and trim (and water level if no tide) remains constant at all times
before the initial time, and at all times after the final time.
It may not be always necessary or desirable to have a loading period, and in this case you simply set
the final time equal to the initial time. This allows you complete control over the vertical movement of
the vessel after initialisation.
GM is the metacentric height of the vessel, and depends on the loading condition of the ship. It is only
relevant if you are interested in wave motions.
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Vessel Orientation
The vessel may either be placed Port or Stbd (Starboard) side to the berth. This field is toggled by
pressing P or S. In the case of spread mooring systems (CBM’s) where there is no pier, this
determines whether the vessel is shown pointing left or right on the arrangement plan. Note that if the
vessel orientation is reversed, the mooring line connections will need to be amended in the
Arrangement plan or Mooring window.
In the dynamic mode of analysis, if you need a specific starting orientation, you can set the starting
position on the dynamic setup window, or by changing the orientation of the whole berth.
Vessel Offset
The longitudinal position of the vessel is set by the position of its own target (for example a discharge
manifold) relative to the berth (or site) target. The positions of these targets are specified in the vesseL
and Berth windows respectively. The longitudinal offset beyond target specifies the initial required
distance between the vessel target and the pier target. Usually this would be set zero in order to align
the vessel and pier targets. Note that the vessel position will shift further in response to environmental
or line forces. This additional excursion from the target position is not reflected here, but is calculated
by the mooring force analysis.
Note that vessel offset is not used for loadout berths, as it is assumed the vessel position is constrained
by end fenders.
Number of Fenders within Range
This is calculated from the positions and sizes of the fenders specified in the Berth window, the
position of the vessel and its draft and trim, and the contour of the flat side specified in the vesseL
window. Fenders which straddle the flat side boundary are treated according to how much information
has been provided regarding their dimensions.
If both the face area and the width of fender is specified, its contact area within the flat side boundary
is calculated on the basis that the fender is rectangular, but reduced where the boundary line cuts off
one or more corners. Fenders with reduced contact areas are always assumed to be in range even if not
fully effective, resulting in higher local pressures on the hull for a given fender thrust. Before they are
considered to be out of range, fenders must have zero contact area on the side of the ship, and
Optimoor take into account thr generic curvature at the edge of the flatside boundary contour which
allows the fenders to extend their scope beyond this contour . This transition point may depend on the
environmental forces because the contact area for fenders near the flatside boundary depends on the
vessel’s longitudinal excursion.
Minimum Bottom Clearance

This indicates the smallest clearance likely to arise at any time, estimated on the basis of the worst
combination of draft, trim, and WL specified. It allows for any wave induced ship motion and/or
seiche.
Wind Speed
The wind speed must be specified in units of knots (1 m/sec = 1.94 knots). This should preferably be
the wind at a height of 10 meters. If the wind speed is known only for some other height, then the
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1/7th power conversion rule is automatically used. (This height can be specified on the Berth
window).
Windspeed depends on the interval over which it is averaged, and short gusts generate windspeeds
higher than the hourly mean speed. Optimoor calculates the wind drag on the basis of the windspeed
entered, and the choice of the appropriate gust period to specify the windspeed is entirely the user’s
decision. The appropriate wind gust period will correspond to the response period of the moored
vessel. The natural periods of surge and sway for the moored ship are displayed at the bottom of the
General Environment window, and as a general guide the wind speed should correspond to a gust
duration of about a quarter of any natural period of motion. OCIMF recommends using the mean
velocity for a 30 sec gust. Smaller ships and stiffer moorings have shorter periods of surge and sway,
which means that they are more sensitive to shorter and stronger wind gusts.
The wind direction is always measured from where it is coming, and may be entered either as the
angle from true north or relative to the berth or the screen. For example 90° true means it is blowing
from east to west, while 45° to berth/screen means it is blowing from the lower right corner of the
screen when viewed in the Arrangement plan. The wind direction to ship is measured clockwise off
the bow, so in this example if the ship is moored starboard to berth, the wind to ship direction would
be 225° or -135°, in other words towards the port stern. This would generate a negative component of
drag force longitudinally and a negative component transversely. Note that if there is significant
yawing of the vessel, there will be a discrepancy between the wind direction relative to the ship and
relative to the fixed berth. These sign conventions are maintained the same for all forces acting on the
ship.
In the Dynamic mode of operation, you can define a specific wind speed and direction varying with
time, or you can use a standard wind spectrum which generates random variations to simulate gusting.
The choice of spectrum is left to the user. The Davenport the classic spectrum used by civil engineers,
while the Harris is a modified Davenport spectrum with slightly greater emphasis on longer period
components. The Harris spectrum is probably more appropriate for harbour areas and the value of the
topographical roughness coefficient k, would be typically 0.01 for such a near-shore environment. The
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (NPD) spectrum is intended for offshore sites and the roughness
coefficient is built-in, not specified by the user.
Variations in wind direction are modelled by using the same spectrum for transverse as for
longitudinal gusting, randomly phased. Up to 50 sinusoidal gust components are used in the wind
spectrum, with periods ranging from 1 hour to 5 seconds, the period (and frequency) each component
having the same ratio to its neighbouring component.
Conversion of the wind speed to a drag force is done according to the drag coefficients and windage
area chosen on the vesseL window. The air density is taken as 1.28 kg/m³ for 1000 millibar pressure
at 0ºC, the value used in the 1994 OCIMF report on wind loads. When using a spectrum to simulate
the wind gusting in the dynamic mode, an allowance is made for the spatial variation of the local wind
speed over the length of the ship. Each component of the spectrum is assumed to have a characteristic
diameter (in plan) equal to its period times the mean windspeed and the gust amplitude is distributed
sinusoidally over this characteristic diameter, thereby reducing its average value, particularly for the
shorter period gust components.
Current Speed
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The generic drag coefficient data has been compiled by TTI on the basis of a number of sources.
Although this is in quite good agreement with the OCIMF current data, longitudinal drag of the
generic data tends to be higher than the OCIMF data, because most of this work was done with less
streamlined models. We regard it generally more accurate for all types of full-form hulls, especially at
higher cross-currents, and where channel blockage is significant. The 1994 OCIMF current data is
also offered, and should be used whenever compliance with the OCIMF tanker (and LNG carrier)
guidelines is required. This data was produced by MARIN on the basis of model tests at 2 and 4 knots.
For loaded tankers with little clearance, the OCIMF transverse drag curves rise very steeply at quite
small angles of attack. The generic data does not exhibit the same sensitivity at small angles.
Curiously, this anomaly is nothing like as big for tankers in ballast having the same clearance ratio.
The main difference between the two sets of data is the way blockage effects are accounted for. The
OCIMF data allows for underkeel clearance, but is only valid for currents up to about 5 knots (because
as the Froude No increases, a surface wave grows). Also the OCIMF data does not make any
allowance for channel width blockage. From these points of view the generic drag is generally higher
than OCIMF in high currents and where the channel width is significantly blocked. (Note that the
channel width is not the width navigation channel, but the effective estuarial width). However, where
this width is more than about 5 times the width blocked by the ship (which depends on the angle of the
ship to the current) the width blockage is negligible.
If you find OCIMF predicting much higher drag it would clearly be prudent to use the OCIMF data.
The fact is that, unlike wind drag, there is very little published data for current drag.
The user may modify the CURRCOEF.DAT file to provide additional current coefficient data sets
more suitable for a particular vessel. This is a text (ASCII) files with its own instructions included in
the body of the text. Note that the current drag is sensitive to the under keel clearance (UKC). This is
determined by the ratio of the water depth /draft in the tables of drag coefficients. When Optimoor
reads the table for the relevant drag coefficient it linearly interpolates on the basis of the ratio of
draft/water depth (not water depth/draft).
In the absence of tide, only a constant current is relevant. This should preferably be the current at a
depth approximately half the draft of the tanker. However, for most situations the surface current is
accurate enough. The current direction is entered relative to the side of the berth. Current approaching
bow head on is at 0°. A clockwise direction convention is used, the same as for relative wind
direction. Thus current which is coming from 10° to starboard of the bow is entered as 10° (causing
positive drag forces both longitudinally and transversely), while current flowing 10° on to the port bow
is entered as either -10° or 350°.
Note that if there is significant yawing of the vessel, there will be a difference between the current
direction relative to the ship and the displayed direction which is always relative to the direction of
initial berthing.
At berths in restricted channels and water ways, there may be blockage effects. Also, the direction and
magnitude of current are usually functions of the state of tide, and the appropriate values for these tide-
current relationships can be entered in the Berth window. The constant component may be a
temporary adjustment to account for such things as wind driven current affected by a passing storm or
exceptionally high river run off after heavy rains. The combined current is the result of vector addition
of the constant and the tidal components. Note that the specification of a varying tidal current in the
Berth window requires care, and it may be simpler to include the greatest tidal current in a single
constant current entry.
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Blockage Effects
The blockage factor of a large vessel in a narrow channel can have a pronounced effect on the forces
exerted by current. The estuarial channel width is defined in the Berth window, and is not the width of
the navigation channel. The banks of this estuarial channel are assumed to be parallel to the direction
of current flow. It is important to remember that if the current flow is transverse to the ship, the
effective width of the channel may be much greater than actual width. Warning: if the channel width
is relatively narrow and the current is at a large angle to the vessel, the vessel might occupy almost the
entire channel width, and produce unexpectedly high drag. It may be necessary to change the effective
channel width depending on the direction of flow. In some but not all circumstances, when the vessel
dimension projected to the current direction approaches or exceeds the channel width, the message
"Insufficient Clearance" will be displayed.
If the channel width exceeds five to ten times the width of the vessel projected against the current, then
the effect is negligible and any large number may be entered.
Wave and Swell Height
Significant wave and swell heights may be optionally specified. From a computational point of view
waves and swell are treated in the same manner, taking into account the period and type of spectrum
specified. However, waves are generated by local winds and are usually have periods spread over a
range of 4 to 10 seconds, while swell is generated by distant storms and has a period concentrated over
a narrow band anywhere between about 10 and 20 seconds.
Waves generate both first-order wave motions at the wave period which are proportional to wave
height, and also a second order wave drift force which is proportional to wave height squared, taken as
effectively steady in the static mode. If you are licensed for the Wave Response Module (WRM), then
the first order motion response can be calculated for specific ship types. Without the WRM, only
rough approximations are possible for the first order wave response which is set up in the vesseL
window.
Wave Drift
If you are licensed for the Wave Response Module and have chosen a relevant HCF data file for ship
motions, the wave drift forces are calculated from the data in that file. If an appropriate data file is
unavailable or inaccessible, the maximum drift force for short waves is calculated on the basis of total
reflection of the mean energy wave on the length projected to this direction. This force is 0.0625H²
tonnes per m of waterline where H is the significant wave height. The longitudinal and transverse drift
forces are estimated respectively by multiplying this force per m by the breadth and length of the ship,
times cos(α), the heading angle between the waves and the ship. The yaw drift moment is ignored and
set to zero. Longer waves are only partially reflected, so the maximum drift force is reduced by
dividing it by the empirical factor [1 + 0.1(T² / B)4] where T is the wave period in secs and B the vessel
breadth in m. If the wave shielding option is checked and the wind is from the land side, the transverse
wave drift force component is set to zero. If you have access to more accurate drift force data, this
should be entered as an Other Force.
The wave drift forces are simulated in the time domain, varying about a mean value over periods of
typically 20 to 120 secs. The effect is due to the "beating" of the different wave period components in
the sea-state spectrum. This gives rise to an apparent "grouping" together of waves, so that for
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example a group of perhaps about six waves of above average height are followed by a group of below
average height, causing variations in the drift force. Optimoor handles this in the time domain by
simulating the varying wave elevations and calculating the drift force in proportion to the energy of the
waves striking the ship at any time. This is done using Newman’s approximation to the temporal
variations of energy in the waves, described around page 158 of O M Faltinsen’s book "Sea Loads on
Ships and Offshore Structures" (published Cambridge University Press 1990).
Harbour Seiche (or Long Period Surge Waves)
The maximum period used to calculate the wave motions in the WRM is about 25 secs, depending on
the size of the ship. This exceeds the period of any normal ocean swell. However, very long period
waves are sometimes experienced in coastal harbour areas and are variously referred to as seiches, or
gravity waves, or harbour surge, generated by the interaction of ocean wave groupings and storm
surges with the bathymetry of the coast and harbour.
The behaviour of these seiches depends on the water depth and the horizontal water motion can
become many times the vertical seiche height. Since the wavelengths are somewhat greater than the
vessel dimensions, it is possible to use the Morison formula to estimate the varying force components
due to drag and inertia The main component of the total seiche force is inertial, while the drag
component is relatively insignificant. Because drag is non-linear, the seiche wave drag force
component is calculated in conjunction with any current. Optimoor calculates seiche forces on the
basis of Airy wave theory in shallow water. Because they vary relatively slowly, they can be treated as
an additional quasi-static horizontal forces. The heave due to a seiche is simply added like a varying
water level.
If the ship is alongside a solid quay or breakwater, this will reflect any seiche wave forcing the
movement of the water to remain parallel to the quay. In this case you should specify wave shielding
in the berth window, and the component of the orbital water movement perpendicular to the quay is
then suppressed, resulting in a longitudinal seiche force only. The seiche height you specify is the
actual observed height (crest to trough) including any reflection at the berth.
Other Static Force and Moment Data
If there are any other forces not appropriately handled by the environmental forces calculated in
Optimoor, for example a bow thruster or tug force, then these can be entered separately. The sign
conventions used (as for all forces) are positive longitudinal force toward stern, positive lateral force
toward port, and positive yaw moment anti-clockwise looking down. If you have 2 ships side-by-side,
Other Static Forces can be applied separately to both vessels.
The other force will be applied at a point of application on the ship specified in the bottom row of the
Other Force box by the number of a suitable fairlead (FL) position, as defined in the vesseL window.
It is unlikely you would use this particular fairlead number for a mooring line connection, so it is only
necessary to define its X and Y position, leaving the other cells blank. The yaw moment is then
automatically calculated by Optimoor from the lever arm measured perpendicularly from the line of
action of the Other Force to the centre of the ship at amidships. If you set the point of application to
FL = 0 or a fairlead number whose position has not been defined in the vessel window, the point of
application of the force is taken as the AP which is normally the position of the rudder stock.
If you need to specify the yaw moment of the Other Force, rather than its point of application, you can
do this by using a FL with a longitudinal position midship to FL given by Yaw Moment / Transverse
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Component (the centreline to fairlead distance must be zero if you adopt this procedure). For example,
say you have specified a longitudinal force of 30t and a transverse force of 40t and wanted to specify
an actual yaw moment of 200t.m, you would choose an undefined fairlead, say 25, and enter its
longitudinal position as 200/40 = 5m forward from amidship, leaving its transverse position on the
centreline as zero. You then enter FL = 25 in the bottom line of the Other Force box on the General
Environment window. You can see if this gives the desired result by temporarily setting
wind/current/waves to zero and checking the Total Force box. Note that if you change the thrust in
any way, this automatically adjusts the yaw moment, so if want to keep the yaw moment the same, you
will have to modify the position of the FL representing the point of application of the Other Force.
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BERTH WINDOW
BERTH WINDOW
This contains all the fixed data relating to the berth. After editing, the berth data is saved in a file
which has the extension .BTH so it can be retrieved for use by other vessels.
Type of Berth
Different types of mooring berths may be selected via the Option drop down menu on the Berth
window. The most basic berth is the fixed pier option which allows the vessel to press against fenders
along one side of its parallel body. A variation on this is the floating berth option where the pier and
its bollards moves up and down with any change of water level. If you are using the Wave Response
Module be aware that Optimoor assumes the floating pier is unaffected by the waves. If you need
to model the response of a floating pier, it can be treated as a moored barge itself, with a ship alongside
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BERTH WINDOW
it if you have the Ship2Ship module. In the Standard version, chains are not permitted and all lines are
assumed to remain straight.
The Plus version will account for the catenary dip in lines which contain any combinations of steel
wires, chains, or lump weights (catenary effects are not allowed for in steel wires at pierside
moorings). The effect is negligible if the dip is less than 10% of the span, or if the tension is greater
than 10 times the total suspended weight. You have the option to suppress the catenary effect and
thereby speed up the calculation. Fibre lines are always assumed to be straight. Only gravitational
forces are considered, while drag forces, friction, and dynamic forces are ignored. Optimoor will tell
you the holding tension required and the length of chain on the bottom, but does not say how that is
shared between anchor and chain as this depends on the nature of the seabed and type of anchor.
All catenaries are modelled on the assumption that the ground has a constant gradient from the
bollard/anchor to the dredged depth below the fairlead i.e it does not rest on the quay or wharf (this can
cause problems if the bollard is higher than the fairlead). Normally catenary effects should not matter
because pierside lines would be relatively short so there would be little catenary effect (it is totally
insignificant if the catenary sag is less than 10% of the suspended length, or if the tension is more than
10 times the suspended weight). If you just want to use chain without the hassle of catenary effects,
click the option to suppress catenaries, which will simplify and accelerate the analysis. The Plus
version also allows the use of buoys at pierside moorings.
A further variation on the pierside type of berth is the loadout berth, such as might be used when
sliding a heavy module on to a barge moored at an angle to a quay. It is intended to be used in
conjunction with a pontoon type of vessel because it allows you to apply fenders on one end of the
vessel in addition to one side. In the General environment window you can place the vessel at any
angle to the berth, (and allow it to be recessed into the quayside in the Berth window), thus partially
shielding one end from the effect of current. This option requires the Plus version.
The Plus version allows conventional buoy moorings (CBM’s) and spread mooring berths. These do
not have any fenders but may use buoys (which are assumed to always stay on the water surface)
anchored by means of riser chains. Because longer lines are generally deployed, catenary effects are
accounted for in all chains and steel wires (but not fibre ropes which are assumed to remain straight)
Single point moorings (SPM’s) and catenary anchor leg moorings (CALM’S) require the Dynamic
version, although it is possible to obtain the static force-excursion characteristics of a CALM buoy on
its own by treating the buoy as a moored vessel. The Position mode can also be used to investigate the
forces generated by any imposed excursion.
Site Orientation
This is the compass direction pointing from left to right on the arrangement plan window. For
example, if the vessel is on the south side of a berth running west to east, then the berth orientation is
90° and the top of the arrangement plan faces North, or 0°.
Water Level (WL)
The water level is always measured above datum and must not be confused with water depth (water
level plus dredged depth). The datum may be at any level, but should be taken as chart datum unless
there is a good reason for using a different level. Water level can only be set if the tide is ignored.
Otherwise it is derived by sinusoidal interpolation between berth tide elevations at the previous and
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BERTH WINDOW
next tide times. That value is then used in the mooring calculation which is performed for the
calculation time.
The initial water level is the water level at the specified initial time. If there is no tide the initial water
level is set on the General environment window, otherwise it is automatically determined from the
tide. In either case, when you press Ctrl-I to initialise the mooring pre-tensions, the water level is
automatically set to the initial water level. If the water level subsequently changes (by the tide if
specified, or otherwise by editing) the mooring forces will also change, on the basis that the lines were
pre-tensioned at the initial water level.
Pier Height above Datum
For pierside moorings, the heights of all bollard/hook mooring points are referenced to the pier
elevation. If you specify zero or negative berth height above datum, then the program assumes that it
is dealing with a CBM or spread mooring (Plus version only), for which there is no pier. In this case,
the reference height for the anchors is the dredged depth below datum, and anchor heights are
measured above this dredged depth. In the special case where buoys are used in conjunction with a
pierside mooring, the reference height is the same for both bollards and anchors, i.e. the pier
level.
The datum may be at any level, but should be taken as chart datum unless there is a good reason for
using a different level.
Dredged Depth below Datum
The dredged depth is used to calculate the bottom clearance under the keel, and also has a blockage
effects on current forces. It must be greater than the vessel draft. If the dredged depth is greater than
about three times the vessel draft, and you have a pierside mooring as opposed to a CBM or spread
mooring, then any larger number may be entered for the dredged depth. However, this criterion should
be applied to the deepest draft for which calculations will be performed instead of just the present
draft.
The datum may be at any level, but should be taken as chart datum unless there is a good reason for
using a different level.
With spread moorings (CBM’s) the dredged depth also determines the behaviour of lines anchored to
the sea-bed. It is assumed that the bottom slopes uniformly up or down from the anchor elevation to
the dredged depth at the vessel end of the line.
Permissible Surge and Sway Excursions
Excessive movement between the vessel and shore manifolds can cause damage to the loading arm or
cargo hose, with consequent risks. The "loading arm envelope" or similar constraint is usually a major
concern in managing the mooring situation.
The permissible surge and sway excursions are optional. If limit values are specified, then the
program will flag any overshoot by changing the display colour of the vessel excursions in the
Mooring analysis window.
Origin
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BERTH WINDOW
You can choose any point as the berth origin, but all horizontal berth measurements must be taken
from this one point. It may be any convenient reference point such as a shore manifold position, the
centre of the pier face etc. The berth x-axis is along the pier face as defined by the fenders (or across
the screen if no pier). The sign convention is positive to the right of the berth origin, as displayed in
the arrangement plan window, and positive inwards (or up the screen if no pier).
Bollard Data
Each mooring point is designated by one of the 26 upper case letters A to Z, or a further 26 denoted by
*A to *Z. A mooring point may represent a single mooring fitting, or several bollards, hooks or other
devices at essentially the same location. A mooring point is not used in the mooring analysis unless a
line is paired with it. Thus many different bollards/hooks can be initially defined, but used only as
needed. A whole column of data for a bollard or buoy can be deleted by pressing Delete or .
The distance to the berthside is measured perpendicularly to a line through the fender faces. Points
inshore from the berth face (i.e. upwards on the arrangement plan) are positive.
The bollard height above berth is relative to the pier height. Enter negative values for points below the
specified pier elevation.
If several mooring fittings or hooks occupy the same general position, for example they are on the
same dolphin, it may be preferable to designate all of them as one bollard. Then the graphic displays
will show only one letter instead of overstrikes. The program allows placing several lines on the same
bollard.
In the Plus version of OPTIMOOR it is possible to include buoys in addition to bollards. To convert a
bollard to a buoy, simply enter non-zero data for the anchor line, which may have up to four different
segments. The position of the buoy anchor is defined, not the buoy itself. If you use buoys at a
pierside, the anchor level is measured from the pier level (-ve down) in order to be consistent with the
bollard ht datum used in the same row on the grid.
OPTIMOOR automatically calculates the weight per length of the chain in water according to the
formula 0.019D² kg/m where D is the diameter in mm. To allow for a lump weight W kg say, choose
an appropriate segment length L and calculate the effective diameter D = 7.25(W/L)½ mm, or
0.35(W/L)½ inches if W/L is in lb/ft.
Note that if more than one vessel line is attached to a buoy, all the lines to that buoy must come
from fairleads within a small angle of each other, as they are assumed to be parallel in the
mooring analysis. For the purpose of the calculation, the buoy remains on the water surface; it is
never lifted out of the water nor ever submerged.
Caution when pasting blocks bollard data from another spreadsheet
If you are setting up a spread mooring berth, none of the rows are hidden and is no problem copying
and pasting either way between Optimoor and Excel. However, if you are setting up a fixed pierside
berth and copy a block of cells from the Optimoor berth data into Excel, the hidden rows 5 and 6 will
be unhidden in Excel, and shown as values corresponding to the spread mooring berth. If you paste a
block of Excel data back into an Optimoor pierside berth set of data, you must allow for rows 5 and
which are hidden in Optimoor but still present. These rows must have values consistent with rows 2
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BERTH WINDOW
and 3. If you set rows 5 and 6 to say 0, rows 2 and 3 will also be set to 0. You can avoid this problem
by setting rows 5 and 6 to blank spaces in Excel, before pasting into Optimoor
Fender Data (Pierside Mooring only)
Individual fenders are designated by double lower case letters. Each fender x-distance to origin is
defined in the same manner as the bollard distance to origin distance, ie positive to the right as viewed
in the arrangement plan window. All fenders are normally assumed to lie in a straight line along the
berth face (but you can offset individual fenders from this line by adjusting the load-compression
curve as described later). The fender height is its elevation above the datum level, and is measured at
the centroid of its contact area.
Fenders within range of the ship’s flat side are not necessarily active, as the ship may be pulled away
from the pier-side, If the vessel drifts or rotates away from a fender, losing contact with it, the thrust
field in the Mooring analysis window displays the message "free". A whole column of data for a
fender can be deleted by pressing Delete or Space.
Note that although you may enter fenders lying well outside the flat side contour of the ship’s parallel
middle body, they are automatically excluded from the calculation. Such redundant fenders are
displayed as hollow blocks on the site Arrangement (as opposed to the normal solid green).
If no fender width is specified, the centre of the fender (as defined by its horizontal and vertical
position) is used to determine whether it lies within the flatside contour boundary. If more than 50%
of the fender plate is calculated to lie within the flatside contour, the contact area is that percentage.
This will involve no reduction of thrust and a worst fender pressure of twice the 100% contact
pressure. If more than 50% of the fender plate is calculated to lie outside the flatside boundary
contour, the fender plate is assumed to wrap around the curve at the edge of the flatside and maintain
50% contact area. This is a reasonable albeit arbitrary assumption, and avoids misleading anomalies
arising with small contact areas that were previously assumed, and instead you get a gradual drop off
of both thrust and pressure as the fender moves further away from the flatside contour, with the
maximum pressure occurring when the contact area first reaches 50%.
Clearly the hull pressure can only calculated if the fender area is specified. If the fender width is
specified without an area, then active contact of the fender is assumed possible so long as at least one
side of the fender lies within the flat side boundary. The hull pressure is calculated taking into account
both the increasing gap away from the flatside and also the inclination in the angle of the fender plate
when pressed against a hull side sloping away.
For a loadout case (Plus version only) you may use fenders on the end of the ship as well as along the
side. These are defined in the third row of the fender table and are only visible after setting the berth
to the loadout option. The fender positions for a loadout berth are measured from the corner of the
pontoon which lies at the berth origin.
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BERTH WINDOW
Note that you can position fenders graphically by right clicking and dragging them on the site
Arrangement window. End fenders for a loadout berth always lie against the inshore end when the
barge is at an angle to the quay. If a loadout barge is parallel to the quay, the fendering end is
determined by the sign of the mean coordinates of the side fender. To change ends, move all the side
fenders to left or right.
The effective height of the fender reaction is measured as the height above datum. It only plays a part
in the calculation if the wave induced motions are based on wave motion calculations within the Wave
Response Module, because the horizontal motion at the side of the ship generally varies with height.
Without the Wave Response Module, the wave motion is specified by the user and assumed to be the
same at all points on the ship, making the fender height irrelevant.
Fender friction on the vessel side is ignored in static mode (because small vertical movements will
tend to remove any static friction), but in dynamic mode (Dynamic version only) an allowance is made
for the longitudinal friction forces as the vessel surges. The coefficient of friction should be set to an
appropriate value normally in the range 0.3 to 0.5 but if the fenders are Teflon coated a value of 0.1
would be more typical. The friction force opposes the actual movement, and is taken directly
proportional to the reaction normal to the berth, dropping to zero when sliding stops. Static friction is
not differentiated from sliding or dynamic friction). If you reduce the fenders, you proportionally
increase both the reaction per fender and the friction per fender, so the total force on the ship remains
the same, and the actual contact area is irrelevant. No sliding occurs until the net surge force exceeds
the sliding friction force (which obviously depends on the total reaction). Sliding then continues until
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BERTH WINDOW
it reaches zero velocity. It then will not restart sliding until the net surge force exceeds the sliding
friction force again.
The area of the fender plate and its width may be specified but is not required. If both are specified the
fender is regarded as presenting a rectangular face. This information is used to calculate the area of
contact with the flat side, as a percentage of the total fender area, on the following basis. If more than
50% of the fender plate is calculated to lie within the flatside contour, the contact area is that
percentage. This will involve no reduction of thrust and a worst pressure of twice the full contact
pressure. If more than 50% of the fender plate is calculated to lie outside the flatside boundary
contour, the fender plate is assumed to wrap around the curve at the edge of the flatside and maintain
50% contact area. This is a reasonable albeit arbitrary assumption, and avoids misleading anomalies
arising with small contact areas that were previously assumed, and instead you get a gradual drop off
of both thrust and pressure as the fender moves further away from the flatside contour, with the
maximum pressure occurring when the contact area first reaches 50%.. Note that the fender pressure
displayed on the Mooring window, plays no part in the mooring analysis itself, however.
Non-linear load-compression characteristics of each fender can be modelled by up to a maximum of 10

linear steps. The increments of load may be positive or negative, and the increments of compression
may be unequal, thus allowing an accurate representation of the behaviour of the buckling type of
fender, including its supporting structure and any deflection of the side of the hull (both structural
deformation, and also lateral movement due to the heel induced by the vertical lever arm between
fender elevation and fairlead height). Press = to set all fenders to the same compliance as under the
cursor.
Generally, the fender stiffness properties need not be precisely defined as they do not have a large
effect on mooring loads, and for the purpose of mooring analysis may often be assumed to be linear,
represented by a single step from zero in the value of load and compression. A simple way to obtain
the values for a linear fender is to take the maximum permissible force and the corresponding
compression required for this. For asymmetric mooring arrangements with steel wire lines or with
mixed line types, the fender properties may have some influence on the mooring load distribution
among the mooring lines. It will also have an influence on vessel excursion inward. However, if the
ship is subjected to wave motion, the fender stiffness and its non-linearity becomes very
significant. This is because wave motions are not an applied force but more akin to a displacement
loading.
The program always assumes the fender force is zero at zero compression, so you need not specify a
zero force as the first point, unless you intend that the fender be offset back from the side of the ship
(or the ship side curves away from this fender). With an intial gap between fender and ship side, you
should set Load-1 to zero and Compression-1 to the gap, and the compressions in the all following
points defining the fender curve are increased by the size of the gap. Press Ctrl-F to graph the result.
Note that the maximum permissible compression of the fender is taken as the value of the greatest
compression value in the final data step used to define the load-compression curve (the final step is
identified by the presence below it of blank cells in the spreadsheet table). If the compression exceeds
this final value, OPTIMOOR assumes the load increases by a linear extrapolation of the slope of the
final step.
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BERTH WINDOW
In the example above, it can be observed that the last increment of fender load drops off as its
maximum compression of 1.25m is reached. This is theoretically quite permissible, but such negative
stiffness can lead to obscure problems with equilibrium if the fender is compressed beyond the end
of the curve, because the extrapolation of the curve sheds the load in an unstable manner. In
practice, as soon as the fender started to fail like this, the supporting structure would resist the ship
movement directly and keep the effective stiffness of the fender positive. It would be better in this
particular case either to delete the last segment of the load-compression data, or to make sure the final
segment always has a positive slope.
OPTIMOOR assumes that the ship does not heel. Heeling will only make a difference to fender forces
when the ship is in contact with the fenders, and in principle it is possible to correct the fender
compliance for the ship’s heeling stiffness. To allow for this would require data for ship displacement
and GM, effective heights of wind and current forces, and effective heights of fenders. However, the
effect will not usually be significant, especially for large ships.
Sheave on Buoy
If there is no winch or power on the moored vessel, it may be necessary to pull mooring lines from
shore winches. If a line is required to pull the vessel away from the shore, it will have to run through a
sheave on a buoy anchored on the far side of the vessel. The way to achieve this is shown in the
Optimoor file Buoy Sheave Example with the layout shown below.
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BERTH WINDOW
The bollards E H G and C are onshore, while the anchors D A and B are offshore anchors, each
connected to a buoy with 60 m of 50 mm chain. Line 1 is connected to anchor buoy A in the
conventional way (as there is no winch capacity on board the pre-tension on this line is set to 0).
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BERTH WINDOW
To force the connection of line 3 to a shore winch C and pass around a frictionless sheave on anchor
buoy B, we have to associate the anchor buoy B with the shore bollard C. This is done by typing B in
the cell normally reserved for the length of a buoy chain (which is redundant here as C must be a fixed
bollard). Similarly, bollard E can be associated with buoy D.
An additional option is for the buoy sheave to double back the mooring line round a sheave on the
vessel as a bight. This is specified on the Mooring window by typing the @ key in the Anchor/Buoy
cell, as shown below, and results in 3 lines effectively acting at fairlead 5.
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BERTH WINDOW
Note that when sheaves are specified, it may be necessary to initialise the arrangement more than once.
Shielding from Wind and Waves
At a solid pier, the vessel may be partially shielded from wind and waves from the pier side. In such a
case, click the appropriate button at the top right corner of the Berth window. Shielding is then
automatically applied to the transverse force when the wind or waves come from the pier side. Wave
shielding is 100% if chosen, but wind shielding is calculated on the assumption that the wind pressure
only acts on that part of the hull above the level of the berth. However, note that it is questionable
whether the air pressure in the gap between hull and pierside is actually much lower than on the
directly exposed hull, because when the vessel is parallel and close to a quayside, the pressure
generated on the exposed side will automatically extend down in the gap to the water level, especially
if the ship has a long flat side. If in doubt, do not apply wind shielding.
Wind & Current Vertical Profile
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BERTH WINDOW
Wind is assumed to vary with height above the waterline according to a 1/7th power. The standard
height for wind speed specification is 10 m, but if you specify a different height in the berth window,
the wind drag will be corrected to allow for this. The wind speed is always displayed for the specified
height, and only modified in drag calculations.
Current speeds are also assumed to follow a 1/7th power variation, and are entered and displayed for a
specified depth below the surface (maximum at the surface where specified depth = 0). The current
drag is then calculated on the basis of the calculated average of the current squared over the vessel
draft. If you enter a space, letter, or negative value for the depth of current specification, then no
correction is made to the current speed, and current drag is calculated assuming that the current speed
is the effective value acting at the mean draft of the vessel.
Local Tide Adjustment
At many berth locations, published tide data for a nearby tide reference station must be adjusted to
apply to the actual berth site, and can be automatically performed by the program. The adjustments
involve time lags and height corrections.
If a tide table is used, the time lag is the number of minutes by which the high or low tide at the berth
occurs after that tide at the reference site. If the high or low tide at the berth occurs before the
corresponding tide at the reference site, enter a negative number.
Local adjustment might be given for a particular berth site in either or both of two forms. A height
factor may be given by which the reference height is multiplied, or an elevation correction is given
which is added to or subtracted from the reference tidal height. Once the applicable tide adjustments
have been made in the Berth window, the data from the tide table will automatically be adjusted for the
berth site.
Normally the height factor will be about 1.0. However, by setting it to zero, you can completely
override the tide table. For example, you might then enter elevation corrections of say 1.0 and 2.0 to
give a tide constantly varying between these two limits. any imposed excursion.
Tidal Current Data
There are 2 components of current possible, constant and tidal, either separately or both together. At
many sites, the direction and magnitude of current is principally a function of the state of tide level.
There are two ways you can handle the effects of tidal variations in water level and current on a
mooring arrangement. The first method is to manually adjust the water level and current at, say, 30
minute intervals, either on the Mooring window or the General environment window (without
initialising). This allows you to handle any variations on an individual basis step by step. This is also
the method used if tide and current gauges are interfaced with OPTIMOOR, except that the gauge data
would be automatically updated, not entered manually.
The second method uses the tidal current option, which is set up in the Berth window. This method
assumes that the tidal current varies in a sinusoidal cycle, like the water level. You need to know the
peak current in knots for a given tide, but instead of specifying it as such, you enter a coefficient on the
Berth window (in the lower box, not the tide lag in the upper box which is used to relate the tide phase
to the starting time). This coefficient of current per m (or ft) tide automatically increases or decreases
the peak tidal current depending whether you have a big or small tidal range. With these relationships,
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BERTH WINDOW
the current is automatically calculated as it varies with time and tide. For example, if you have a tide
falling from a high of 7m to a low of 2m and a maximum tidal current of 4 knots in this ebb period,
you would enter a coefficient of 4/(7-2) = 0.8 knots per m. If the maximum tidal current in the same
range of a rising tide were 3 knots, the coefficient for this flood period would be 3/(7-2) = 0.6 knots
per m. This means that if you subsequently increase the tidal range by 50% say from 5 in this example
to 7.5 m, the tidal currents are also automatically increased to 0.8 x 7.5 = 6 knots ebb and 0.6 x 7.5 =
4.5 knots flood. If you have only a small tide level range, say 0.1 m, and you want to maintain a 4
knot tidal current peak, then you would have to specify a much higher knots per metre coefficient, in
this case 40.0 for example.
The tidal current lag determines the time the current is a maximum between high and low water. If the
lag is zero, the tidal current peaks exactly half way between high and low water, and is zero at high
and low water, varying sinusoidally between these times. If you set the ebb & flood tidal current time
lags respectively to 60 & -30 mins for example, the current will be zero 60 mins after high water and
30 mins before low water. A positive (or negative) lag of 60 minutes for example will delay (or bring
forward) the peak current by an hour (note that this is slightly different from versions 3.7 and earlier).
The tidal current directions must be referenced to true north (like the wind, it is the direction from
which it flows, for example a 90° current runs towards the west). If directions are only known with
relation to the berth face, then they must be converted. For example, if the top of screen site plan faces
43°, then the berth face is along a line from 133° (= 43 + 90) to 313° (= 43 + 270). Then if the ebb
current is known to be at an angle of 6° off the berth face, the ebb current direction is at 49° (= 6 + 43)
from North. If the flood current is known to be at 8° off the berth face, then the flood current is at
305° (= 313 - 8). If instead the flood current was from a direction behind the berth face, then the
direction would be 321° (= 313 + 8).
Note that you can specify different directions for ebb and flood tidal currents, but you cannot model
cases of rotary current (where the current continuously changes direction with time) in the static mode.
If you have a more complex variation of tidal current, it may be easier to vary the current speed and
direction manually at discrete time intervals. In the dynamic mode, it is possible to setup and model
the effect of any arbitrary changes of current and direction.
In the early versions of the tide option, the maximum tidal current was specified, but it became clear
that this was unsatisfactory because tidal currents vary with spring/neap tides. The specification of
knots per m is therefore generally more useful (if you press the help drop-down menu, you can get the
MS Windows calculator, assuming it to be installed).
Tide Option
There are three possible options for tide offered on the drop-down Option menu in the General
environment, and Berth windows.
Ignore Tide
Any change of water level will have to be altered manually.
Regular Tide
This option is a quick and simple way to allow for a repeating tide cycle. To set up the tide data,
specify high and low water levels (HWL and LWL) in the Berth window. The water level is assumed
to vary sinusoidally between these values over a fixed time of 744 minutes per full cycle.
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BERTH WINDOW
By adjusting the value of the time lag you can set any state of the tide to the initialisation time. The
time lag is the number of minutes after (negative if before) the initial time that the tide level reaches
the MWL = (HWL+LWL)/2. If the time lag is zero, the initial water level will be MWL and rising.
To start at the MWL on the falling tide, either set the lag to 372 mins or interchange the values of
HWL and LWL. Note that you can model a varying tidal current in conjunction with either the regular
tide option or a tide table.
Tide Table
This option calls on data in the Tide Table window, which is used to automatically calculate the water
level at any time. Approximately six months of tide data can be entered at one time in the Tide Table
window. The drop down Display menu allows you to extend the table by one month at a time. This
deletes the first month’s data.
If the cursor is anywhere on the date column, the incrementing key strokes ] or Ctrl+ do not act on the
individual date, but shift the whole column up or down by a month or a year. Unlike the extend option
on the Display menu, the tide data itself remains unchanged, so its date is effectively shifted too and
may require editing.
The tide table is divided into day segments, each with space for four time entries. If only three tide
elevations occur on a date, the fourth time should be skipped. However, if the following day has 5 tide
elevations (a rare occurrence) the last space of the preceding day can be used to enter the first tide of
the following day. That value will then be preceded by a plus sign.
If a tide level is greater than the preceding elevation, then it is displayed on a blue background,
indicating a high tide. If it is less than the preceding elevation, then the number is displayed on a pink
background, indicating a low tide. Two successive blues numbers or two successive pinks probably
indicate a mistake in data entry.
Any time or elevation entry can be deleted with the Delete key. This creates a blank, and the
corresponding level or tide, if not already blank, is then displayed in grey. When OPTIMOOR
calculates tides from the tide-table, it only recognises entries which have no blanks.
Tide data might be taken from published tide tables for a reference site which is near the berth site. It
may then be necessary to adjust the published tide time and elevation data to represent the tides at the
berth site. Provision is made in the Berth window to enter appropriate local adjustments.
Anchor Point Data
Each anchor point is designated by an upper case letter. An anchor point is not used in the mooring
analysis unless a line is paired with it. Thus many different anchors can be initially defined, but used
only as needed. If the length of the anchor line is zero, then the ship's mooring or anchor line is
connected directly to the anchor point. Otherwise, connections from the ship are made to the buoy
attached to the anchor point. Remember that the coordinates relate to the anchor, not the buoy.
The berth origin is the point from which the horizontal position of all berth-based data is measured,
and may be placed anywhere convenient. For a pierside berth, the x-axis runs along the face of the
fenders, while in open water without any pier fenders, the berth x-axis normally runs along the
centreline of the ship. The x-distance is positive to the right of the berth origin, as displayed on the
arrangement plan. The y-distance is measured positive towards the top of the arrangement plan.
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BERTH WINDOW
Alternatively, you can enter anchor positions using polar coordinates measured as a radius from the
site origin, and an angle measured clockwise from a line running from left to right on the screen.
Anchor height is always measured above the seabed for spread moorings. However, the height of any
vessel anchor or buoy anchor at a pierside is always measured from the pier level (+ve up). Be careful
with any anchors used with the floating pier option, as they too will move up and down with the
water level, like the bollards.
If the anchor line belongs to the ship, then its properties are entered in the vesseL window as a
mooring line. If the anchor line belongs to the berth, its properties are entered in the Berth window as
a buoy anchoring line (or riser). A buoy anchor line may have up to four different sections.
an appropriate segment length L and use an effective diameter D = 7.25(W/L)½ mm, or 0.35(W/L)½
inches if W/L is in lb/ft.
OPTIMOOR models a single line to the anchor. You can account for a double anchor in a Y-
formation by replacing the length L of each arm of the Y by an equivalent single length Lcos½θ where
θ is the total angle between the arms of the Y. The actual chain diameter D in each arm should be
replaced by a single equivalent value of 1.4D. The tension in each arm of the Y will be the tension in
the single modelled line factored by 0.5sec½θ.
Note that if more than one vessel line is attached to a buoy, all the lines to that buoy must lie
within a few degrees of each other, as they are assumed to be parallel in the mooring analysis.
For the purpose of the calculation, the buoy remains on the water surface; it is never lifted out of the
water and never sinks. Swamp legs are supported by very small buoys which only serve to support the
chain when not in use. These buoys pull under the water and have very little effect on the mooring
characteristics. Instead of representing the anchor chains in swamp legs on the Berth Screen, they
should preferably be represented on the Vessel Screen as chain tails on the respective mooring legs.
CATENARY ANCHOR LEG MOORING (CALM)
There are two ways of modelling a ship attached to a CALM buoy. One is to treat the hawser together
with the whole CALM as a single mooring line whose load extension properties are pre-calculated and
entered as a special type of line by editing the file ROPE.DAT using any ASCII text editor. Note that
the calculation of the stiffness properties of the CALM alone can be done by treating the buoy as a
very small pontoon type of vessel and entering the buoy riser chains as vessel lines. Then use the
Position mode to obtain the forces generated by any imposed excursion.
The alternative approach eliminates the need to pre-calculate the buoy’s own stiffness properties. In
this, the CALM buoy is treated as a special type of berth, selected in the drop-down menu in Berth
window Ctrl-B. All vessel connections (such as a mooring hawser from the bow of the ship) are
subsequently made to the buoy, not to the anchor points, each designated by an upper case letter. No
connections are made directly from the ship to any lettered anchor points; they are only used by the
CALM buoy.
28
BERTH WINDOW
Setting up the CALM buoy in the Berth window would normally centre it at the berth origin. Each
letter defines the anchor position a riser chain to the buoy The x-distance is positive to the right of the
berth origin, as displayed on the arrangement plan. The y-distance is measured positive towards the
top of the arrangement plan. Alternatively, you can enter anchor positions using polar coordinates
measured as a radius from the site origin, and an angle measured clockwise from a line running from
left to right on the screen. Anchor height is always measured above the seabed.
The properties of each leg of the CALM are entered in the Berth window as a buoy anchoring (or riser)
chain which may have up to four different sections. The pre-tension in each riser cannot be directly
specified, but can be adjusted by changing the line length or the anchor position.
an appropriate segment length L and use an effective diameter D = 7.25(W/L)½ mm or 0.35(W/L)½
inches if W/L is in lb/ft.
OPTIMOOR models a single line to each anchor. You can account for a double anchor in a Y-
formation by replacing the length L of each arm of the Y by an equivalent single length Lcos½θ where
θ is the total angle between the arms of the Y. The actual chain diameter D should be replaced by an
equivalent value of 1.4D. The tension in each arm of the Y will be the tension in the single modelled
line factored by 0.5sec½θ.
In a CALM setup, the normal concept of line pull-in does not apply and the hawsers will terminate
with a chain stopper on the ship long enough to run through the bow fairlead. The chain length and
properties are defined in the cells used to define the top line segment, while the hawser rope itself is
defined as a tail segment. You cannot connect any lines to anchors, only to the CALM buoy. Note
that if more than one line is attached to the CALM buoy from the vessel, the lines must all lie
within a few degrees of each other, as they are assumed to be parallel in the mooring analysis.
For the purpose of the calculation, the buoy remains on the water surface; it is never lifted out of the
water and never sinks.
Target Position (see below for loadout option)
The berth target represents the normal position where you would want to match up with the ship’s own
target.
For pier-side moorings, the initial transverse position of the vessel is such that its parallel side just
touches the fenders, which in turn mark the transverse origin of the berth. For spread moorings
(CBM’s), the initial transverse position is with the vessel’s centreline on the longitudinal co-ordinate
axis for the site.
For the case of a loadout berth (Plus version only) the forward offset of the ship is replaced by the
angle of the vessel to the quayside (-90° to +90° with 0° meaning parallel to the side). When such an
angle is specified, any end fenders are automatically positioned to act on the end of the barge nearest
the shore. With a zero angle to the berth, you set which end the end fenders act by moving the side
fenders in the opposite direction to the end you want the end fenders. The vessel orientation can be
used in conjunction with a positive or negative angle of vessel to berth to achieve any combination of
side and end fenders.
29
BERTH WINDOW
The shoreside corner of the barge (marked by a cross) defines the origin of the coordinates used to
define the distances of fenders and bollards on the quay.
Also, the longitudinal offset between berth and vessel target is replaced by the depth of recess of the
loadout vessel into the quayside (this part is thereby shielded from current drag). The depth of recess
is defined as the perpendicular distance of the shore-side corner of the barge to the offshore face of the
quay. Optimoor first calculates the current drag assuming open water, as usual. If one end of the
vessel lies within a recess, Optimoor calculates the length of the vessel at its centreline which is
shielded inside the line of the quayside, and then reduces the transverse drag in proportion to the
shielding (and also corrects the yaw moment). If the recess is deeper than the vessel, the transverse
current drag is zero.
This feature works best when the barge is end-on to the quay rather than parallel to it. Clearly, the
flow of water is more complicated, but we have no data to make a better estimate. The recess has no
other effect on the calculation and is used mainly for appearance. If you need accurate appearance
with no reduction in transverse current force you should import a detailed scale plan of the site and set
the recess to zero.No correction is made for the recess regarding wind and waves, which are handled in
the same way for all berth types.
30
VESSEL WINDOW
This contains all the fixed data on the moored vessel (the trim etc of the vessel is shown in the General
environment window). After editing, the vessel data is saved in a file which has the extension .VSL so
it can be retrieved for use at other mooring berths.
Vessel Dimensions
LBP is length between perpendiculars (normally the length of the ship’s waterline when loaded), and is
somewhat less than the overall ship length. Depth is measured from keel to main deck. Note that the
draft and trim at a particular time are defined in the General environment window as these can vary
from case to case.
Changing the vessel dimensions offers the option to automatically scale the fairlead positions in the
same relative positions. The drop-down choice boxes allow the user to choose the basis of calculation
of wind drag, current drag, and wave motions.
Two vessel targets may be defined one on each side of the vessel. These may be at any position of
interest (typically a manifold on a tanker). In the case of a loadout arrangement, the target cannot be
set by the user but is always positioned on the corner of the vessel nearest the berth origin.
Windage and Drag Coefficients
Drag coefficient data are stored for various vessel types, chosen from the drop-down list. The OCIMF
Tanker (Vee-shaped Bow) is suitable for many conventional tanker and bulk cargo hull shapes with
bridge aft. The OCIMF Gas Carrier (Prismatic) may be suitable for most gas carriers on which the
tanks do not project above the deck. The OCIMF Gas Carrier (Spherical) may be suitable for those
gas carriers on which the tanks substantially project above the deck.
31
VESSEL WINDOW
The user may modify the WINDCOEF.DAT file to provide additional wind coefficient data sets more
suitable for a particular vessel. This is a text (ASCII) file with its own instructions included in the
body of the text.
The user may enter above-deck end-on and side projected windage areas above the main deck of the
vessel. Hull areas below the main deck are automatically calculated from the ship dimensions. Entry
of the longitudinal centre of area (LCA) is disabled for the drag coefficients of most of the ship types
in the drop-down menu. This is because this wind drag data assumes a standard longitudinal
distribution of windage area. If you wish to allow for variations in the LCA of the above deck area
(which only affects the yaw moment drag) you must choose a data set with the LCA enabled, and if
necessary, edit the file WINDCOEF.DAT. Ships with superstructures asymmetrical about the
longitudinal centreline require the entry of drag coefficients over 360° instead of only 180°.
The program calculates the end-on hull area as the product of the beam and the freeboard amidships
(depth minus draft) plus 0.4 of the positive value of the trim. The side hull area is based on the defined
LBP (length between perpendiculars) and the vessel freeboard amidships, allowing for any optional
shielding effects. These hull area values change with vessel draft, and the longitudinal centroid is
corrected for trim. The program adds the calculated hull areas to the specified above-deck areas to
obtain the total windage areas used in subsequent calculations of wind force.
The program will estimate approximate above-deck windage areas on pressing the ? key with the
cursor on the respective space. These default values are based on data for typical vessels of the
particular class (associated with the selected wind coefficient data set) and an assumed ratio of hull
area to superstructure areas which varies with vessel size. In many cases, little error will result from
using the default approximate above-deck windage areas calculated by the program. However, if a
ship has an unusually large or small superstructure, or there are any non-typical features, then actual
windage values should be used.
The user should enter the actual above-deck windage areas for gas carriers if possible. For this class of
vessel, the above-deck windage areas vary from ship to ship and can have a significant effect on the
wind forces. The default calculated areas should only be used for gas carriers if no other data can be
obtained.
Choice of Ship Type for Wave Response
With the wave response module (WRM) you can access hydrodynamic coefficient (HCF) data files
allowing you to calculate the wave motions in any specified sea-state. The drop down list shows
which files you are licensed for (if any). When choosing an appropriate HCF file it is important to
understand it is not the size of the ship which matters, but the geometric shape of the hull below the
waterline, although clearly the shape will generally be affected by the size and type (for example
single or twin screws. The most important parameter is the block coefficient which we recommend is
within ±0.02. The LBP/Breadth and Load Draft/Breadth should both be within 5% of the values given
for the HCF files.
Ship motion programs are not very good at predicting roll motions. This is because the roll damping is
dominated by non-linear viscous effects which cannot be calculated by such programs, and a suitable
value has to be supplied the user. A common value used for design purposes is 5% of critical, but in
practice this is often found to be much too low and results in exaggerated roll angles near natural
periods of roll. It is recommended you enter 10% or 15% on the vessel data window.
32
VESSEL WINDOW
Mooring stiffness can have an effect on surge, sway and yaw if the stiffness is high enough to bring the
natural periods of these motions down to actual wave periods. You certainly can sometimes increase
the motions by including the mooring stiffness. This is most likely to be the case where there are
fenders, whose contribution to mooring stiffness is the greatest. If these lose contact during a sway
motion cycle then the stiffness becomes extremely non-linear, which invalidates the basic assumption
made in motion analysis in the frequency domain which is essentially linear. There is no simple
solution for this, except to use softer fenders.
Fender Range Limits
The fender limit range defines the maximum length of the flat side hull over which a fender can make
contact, and is specified as a fraction of the length fore and aft of amidships (irrespective of the origin
used for measuring the longitudinal position of fairleads).
When you edit these limits, a window automatically opens which allows you to define (and display)
the contour of the flatside boundary using up to 12 points. The little graphic window is scaled to the
length and depth of the hull with the AP always to the left, that is viewed from thr port side
irrespective whether the vessel is actually berthed port or stbd, while the white block within the
window shows the contour of the flat side. The numbers in the top row of the little pop-up table
represent the distance/LBP from the datum used for all longitudinal distances specified on this
window. Note that left to right is always aft to fwd irrespective of which way the vessel is actually
facing. Be aware that if the ship is stbd to berth, the fender positions will be displayed in reverse, from
right to left in this window.
If the datum is amidships, the end cells of the top row would typically show ±30% of the LBP but
cannot be more than ±50% of the LBP. The values in between must increase from left to right. The
lower row represents the dist measured down from the deck. This cannot be less than 0 nor greater
than the depth of the ship, and typically in the middle is 0.8. You can use the [ and ] keys (with the
shift key to speed up) to increment the values which is generally the easiest way to get the flat side
contour you require. Any or all of the intermediate cells may be left blank, but the cells at each end
MUST have values.
Optionally, you can also enter the maximum permissible pressure on the hull side in the field at the
bottom right of the hull side window. Fender pressures exceeding this limit are flagged in red as a
warning.
This contour of the flat side is used to check the number of fenders within range as necessary, allowing
for the draft, trim, and excursion of the ship. (Note that the shape of the vessel can also be adjusted
independently on the site Arrangement plan window, but that is purely cosmetic, playing no part in any
calculations).
Line Data
Data for up to 99 mooring lines can be setup in the table, each with a winch brake limit and pre-
tension. Each line may have up to 17 fixed length segments or “tails” plus the top segment whose
length is determined by OPTIMOOR from the geometry of the arrangement. Four pieces of
information are required for each segment, its size and strength, and type. Chains are not allowed in
the Standard version, while in the Plus version catenary effects are calculated for non-fibre lines; lump
weights or submerged buoys are also permitted in the Plus version. It is also possible to replace a
33
VESSEL WINDOW
fairlead by a sliding collar, specified as a special line type at the bottom of the list. This offers no
resistance to vertical movement, but has a linear horizontal stiffness (the same in all directions) given
by the value of the line diameter divided by the value specified for its strength as tonnes/mm or
kips/inch. At present, Optimoor makes no allowance for any clearance in the collar. However, if the
clearance is small compared with the maximum permitted horizontal deflection of the collar, then it
would only cause a small error in the calculations if you simply included the clearance in the total
maximum deflection. This error would be greatest at low loads (underestimating the collar deflection),
but increasingly accurate as the collar deflection approached its maximum. [Note that it would be
possible to update Optimoor to account for the collar gap if this were necessary].
There is an alternative work-around to model a collar using say 4 lines from the centre of the collar to
4 notional bollards surrounding the collar at 90° intervals. You would choose the line properties to
match the collar stiffness, and you could also allow for a ±X clearance by setting the pre-tension cell in
the Vessel window to blank/space, and setting the pull-in on the Mooring window to -X (i.e. negative).
Fairlead Positions
Each mooring line is identified by a number and defined in the corresponding table column. If more
than one line goes through the same fairlead, you must define additional fairleads in the same position.
A mooring line is not included in the mooring analysis unless and until it is paired with and connected
to a bollard/hook/anchor. Thus extra or reserve lines can be defined for future use without affecting
the analysis . For example, a winch line might pass through any one of several fairleads. However,
care must be taken not to use such alternative line arrangements at the same time. A whole column of
data can be deleted by pressing Delete or Space on one of the top two rows.
The longitudinal position of the fairlead may either be referenced to the vessel midship, or the aft
perpendicular. To change between these position references, access the Options drop down menu.
Any data already entered will automatically be converted to the new reference system. Negative
values indicate points which are aft of the reference point.
The transverse distance of the fairlead from the vessel longitudinal centreline uses the sign convention
that positive values are toward the pier and negative values are outboard of the centreline. This sense
is preserved even if the vessel is turned around at the pier, by exercising the Port/Starboard option in
the General environment window. If you have a slightly different mooring arrangement for port and
starboard berthing, it is better to save two different vessel files rather than make repeated alterations to
a single file.
If you try to place a fairlead outboard beyond the breadth of the hull, it will normally jump back to the
side of the ship. If you need to define outboard fairleads, for example on an aircraft carrier, you can
use the Options drop down menu. Alternatively, temporarily increase the ship breadth to match the
breadth of the mooring deck. This allows you to enter larger Y-values, retained even after reducing
the hull breadth.
The horizontal layout of fairleads on the ship can also be arranged graphically using the mouse in the
site plan Arrangement plan window.
The distance between the fairlead and a bitt or winch on the vessel should be entered, if it is an
appreciable fraction of the total line length. This length is then allowed for in determining mooring
line elasticity; any friction at the fairlead is neglected.
34
VESSEL WINDOW
If the vessel mooring arrangement is not symmetric about the longitudinal centreline, it may be
preferable to define a separate file for each side of the vessel. The data entered for one side of the
vessel can nevertheless serve as a starting point for entering data for the other side of the vessel.
The program accounts for the elevation difference between a fairlead and the berth point to which a
line is run when performing line length and force calculations. The main deck elevation at a fairlead is
determined from the vessel depth and the current draft and trim. If a fairlead is measurably above or
below the main deck plane, for example on the forecastle, then that elevation difference can effect
mooring loads.
Winch Brake Limits and Constant Tension Winch (optional)
If this cell is left blank, the line is taken to be fixed at both ends. A negative value means that a
constant tension winch acts on the line at the specified tension (note that this makes the line properties
redundant) A positive value represents the line tension at which the winch will begin to slip or render.
The extent of winch slippage will be displayed in the line tension table in the Mooring analysis
window. The OCIMF guidelines recommend the brakes to hold at least 60% of the minimum breaking
load (MBL), and Classification Societies usually require an 80% capability.
Press = to set all brake limits to the same value as under the cursor.
The program assumes by default that the brakes retain their specified holding power in all
circumstances. In practice, they will fade by an unknown factor as soon as they start slipping. This is
a common defect in winch design, which the OCIMF mooring guidelines warn against. The effect is
not serious so long as the brakes serve their primary purpose of levelling out inequalities in tensions of
lines within a particular service. However, if brakes slip more than, say, about a metre, their capability
is likely to be significantly degraded. Loss of equilibrium and breakout could then result less severe
conditions than OPTIMOOR predicts in a static analysis. In a dynamic simulation you have the option
to specify if the winch brakes fade (fail) after a slippage of 33% of vessel breadth, or whether the
brakes retain their holding effectiveness in spite of the heat generated by slipping.
Pre-Tension Aim
This represents the ideal pre-tension to be put on a line when it is pulled-in with the ship initially held
on its target position and all other lines are in position and pre-tensioned, although it is normally
difficult or impossible to pre-tension lines held on bitts as opposed to winch drums. The pre-tension
aim can be specified differently for each line, but in practice, the aim will never be achieved exactly,
because in general the specified pre-tensions will not result in equilibrium. The program can
automatically adjust the initial pull-in of each line so as to get as close as possible to the pre-tension
aim on each line while maintaining equilibrium.
If the pre-tension is set to zero, you would expect the pull-in to be zero for a line without any catenary.
If the pre-tension is blank (press the space bar), this means that the pre-tension is unspecified, and the
pull-in for that line remains unaltered when you initialise the mooring. It is left at whatever value it
happens to have inherited. This can cause problems when slippage occurs on that line. It’s quite
acceptable to leave the pre-tension blank (for example it’s useful to see the effect of anchor drag) but
then you must be sure to understand what you are doing when initialising, and watch the pull-in.
35
VESSEL WINDOW
Press = to aim all pre-tensions the same as under the cursor.
Note that if a constant tension winch is employed on the line (by giving the winch brake a negative
value), this does not affect the pre-tension which will be set up as if the constant tension winch were
not acting (of course, you may set the pre-tension to the same value as the winch tension).
Fairlead to Bitt or Winch
The distance between the fairlead and a bitt or winch on the vessel should be entered, if it is an
appreciable fraction of the total line length. This length is then allowed for in determining mooring
line elasticity; any friction at the fairlead is neglected.
If the vessel mooring arrangement is not symmetric about the longitudinal centreline, it may be
preferable to define a separate file for each side of the vessel. The data entered for one side of the
vessel can nevertheless serve as a starting point for entering data for the other side of the vessel.
Line Size and Strength
If metric units are used, the rope size is specified as a nominal diameter in mm. If USA units are used,
the rope size is specified as a nominal circumference in inches. Chain size is always specified as the
nominal diameter (or circumference) of one side of a link. Note that if the line type is specified as a
lump weight (spread mooring only) then this field represents the total net weight in tonnes or kips, not
the diameter.
Press = to set all lines to the right of the cursor equal to the same size or strength as that under the
cursor.
Whenever the line size is altered, the program provides an estimated strength for that type of line. The
user can over-ride this and specify his own breaking strength, which will then be used in subsequent
calculations. The strength displayed is always assumed to be the full minimum breaking load (MBL),
undamaged. These strengths represent typical ropes with splices whereas strengths published in some
other standards may appear to be higher, but generally they are for unspliced rope.
Note that the breaking strain of a fibre rope is not changed if you alter the breaking strength, because
the stiffness of a rope is roughly proportional to its undamaged breaking load. For example, consider a
rope of a given type, which breaks at an MBL of 60 tonnes and a strain of 16%. If the MBL is
increased to 80 tonnes, say, the breaking strain is still 16% and the strain at 60 tonnes is reduced
proportionately to 12%.
It is not necessary to make any termination allowance in the rope MBL as this is included in the
50/55% factor of safety recommended. In Optimoor it is incorrect to reduce the MBL as this also
affects the axial stiffness properties of the rope.
The actual strength may be considerably less than the MBL, owing to damage resulting from fatigue
and wear, which can be quite rapid. This loss of strength is equivalent to a thinning of the rope over its
whole length, and the breaking strain is assumed to remain unaltered. If the loss of strength is due to
local damage (for example a cut) then the strain at failure will be less than the breaking strain for that
type of rope assumed in the program. It is best to deal with such localised damage by an appropriate
reduction in the settings for the colour flagging of percentage line limits by clicking the Options drop-
down menu on the Mooring window.
36
VESSEL WINDOW
Lump Weights
A line segment can be designated as a lump weight instead of a rope type. In this case, you enter its
net weight in tonnes or kips (negative for buoyancy) in the field normally designated for the segment
diameter. The length must also be entered (it will generally be a short segment) and it is used in the
catenary calculation. Strength is optional, but if specified, it will be included when checking the
weakest segment for the overall line strength.
The catenary calculation in Optimoor allows negative lump weights to represent submerged buoys, but
the following limitations should be understood:
1 The buoy is always assumed to exert its full reserve buoyancy. This requires it to remain below the
surface, and there is at present no way of stopping it rising above the surface.
2 Moreover, the modelling assumes that there is only one point of lift-off from the sea-bed, and at all
points beyond this the catenary hangs freely without touching the sea-bed again. Often that is not a
problem, but you should check whether at low tensions the catenary shape drops below the seabed, by
pressing Ctrl-L (twice if you are not already in the vesseL data window).
Pennants or Tails (optional)
The presence of a tail or pennant on the end of a mooring line can be represented by entering the
pennant diameter and code, as for the main line. Its length must also be specified, unlike the main line
whose length is automatically determined from the mooring geometry. The effective load extension
properties of the compound line are automatically calculated.
Only one tail per line is allowed at a pierside mooring. Spread moorings allow you to add up to 17
tails or segments to each line.
Note that if the strength of any tail is different from that of the main line, the percentage loading is
calculated on the basis of the strength of the weakest segment.
Press = to set all tails to the same length as under the cursor.
Types of Line
Changing the load-extension characteristics of any one line can effect the distribution of mooring loads
in all lines. Thus proper representation of the rope load-extension characteristics are important in the
problems solved by OPTIMOOR. Generic stress-strain characteristics of a variety of mooring lines
are built into the program and conform to the curves published in the OCIMF guidelines.
Moderate variations in load-extension characteristics, such as those which might be expected among
different ropes of the same general type, e.g. polypropylene, will normally not have significant effects.
Large variations, such as those between polypropylene and steel, will have significant effects.
The built-in options are:
SW Steel Wire (XIPS with steel core)

SF Steel wire (IPS with Fibre core)
37
VESSEL WINDOW
SS Spiral Strand wire

ar ARamid (eg Kevlar) also HMPE generic
dm DynaMax HMPE 12-strand (used condition)
vs VETS 276 4-strand HMPE (used condition)
ps Parallel Strand polyester (offshore quality)
nd Nylon (polyamide) Double braid (used condition)
ns Nylon 3 or 8-Strand (used condition)
pe PolyEster (used condition)
pp PolyPropylene (used condition)
eu EUroflex (used condition)
C1..5 Chain grades 1 to 5 (stud-link) (Plus version only)
Wt Lump Weight (Plus version only)
Collar Collar horizontal restraint equal in all directions
As a rope “works” it quickly becomes stiffer and the user must caution against using manufacturer’s
data which is normally for new “unworked” ropes. In practice, you would normally specify the used
condition as it would be very unusual to have completely new unused lines, especially at a pierside
mooring. Some of the codes have a third character w indicating a wet condition which may be
relevant for calculations of fatigue life.
You can also define your own load-extension curves. This is done by editing the file ROPE.DAT
using any ASCII editor (e.g. Microsoft Notepad). Instructions for the layout of this data are included
in ROPE.DAT. In versions prior to 6.3 new rope data was included in this file, but this has been
removed in later versions because it is inappropriate for inshore moorings. When reading old vessel
files which used ropes in the unused condition identified by using upper case letters for the rope code,
the upper case is now automatically converted to lower case and the used condition specified.
If you choose a lump weight (spread mooring only) its net weight in tonnes (or kips) should be entered
in the row normally used to specify the rope diameter.
Load-extension and stress-strain curves for each line can be displayed by pressing Ctrl-L (twice if you
are not already in the vesseL data window).
Display of Line Properties
If you press Ctrl-L in the vesseL window you will open the graphic display of the basic behaviour
each of the lines. The tension-strain menu allows the display of the elastic property of each rope type.
The force-extension menu plots the horizontal force required to extend an actual line by any given
horizontal excursion. The excursion is measured from a point defined by the unstretched but straight
length of the line from the anchor/bollard to its top end at the initial height of the fairlead. If the line is
connected to a buoy, this is assumed to have its chain falling vertically to the seabed and then run in a
straight line to its anchor. Note that if you connect more than one line to a buoy the combined
load extension curve assumes that all the conjoined lines lie within a few degrees of each other.
The plus version also offers a further menu showing the actual inclination and shape of any of the
catenary lines or buoy chains. Six-strand wire rope of the general type known as 6x37 is commonly
used as winch mounted mooring lines on tankers and other merchant vessels. Two forms of 6x37
construction are common; wire core and fibre core. The core is the inner part of the wire, which is
sometimes considered to be a seventh strand.
38
LINE PROPERTIES
Wire core construction, also called independent wire rope core (IWRC), is stronger and less elastic
than fibre core construction. Fibre core construction is sometimes preferred because it is more elastic
and more flexible, and the core serves as a reservoir for the wire lubricant.
Wire rope is made from a variety of steel materials. The most common grades of steel used in the wire
ropes used on merchant vessels are improved plow steel (IPS) and extra improved plow steel (XIPS).
The elasticity of steel wires and chains is assumed to be linear. The effective Youngs moduli are taken
as follows: 3.5 t/mm² for fibre core steel wire, 5.6 t/mm² for steel core steel wire, 14.5 t/mm² for spiral
strand steel wire, and 5.6t/mm² for all types of chain. Note that the cross-sectional area is calculated
from the nominal diameter, and for a chain is doubled to allow for each side of the link.
The high modulus fibre rope category includes aramid and high modulus polyethylene (HMPE).
Examples of aramid fibers used in rope making are Kevlar, a product of duPont Fibers, and Twaron, a
product of Akzo. Examples of HMPE fibers used in rope making are Spectra, a product of Allied
Chemicals, and Dyneema, a product of DSM (Dutch State Mines). Ropes made of these materials are
much stiffer than those made of conventional synthetic fibres and are also much stronger. They are
almost as strong and stiff as steel wire rope of the same diameters.
Nylon ropes used on board vessels come in a wide variety of constructions and material grades. Four
common constructions are double braid, plaited (8 strand), 6 strand (with core), and 3 strand.
The nylon double braid rope has a more compact structure and thus contains more material within a
rope for any given size. Thus double braid rope is generally significantly stronger than rope of the
other constructions of the same nominal size. Also, it generally though not always has greater
extension at a given load. OPTIMOOR offers different load-extension characteristics for these two
categories of rope. However, this is not a universal rule, as some double braid ropes are actually closer
to the stranded rope load-extension properties and visa versa. The broken-in stranded nylon rope
characteristics represented in OPTIMOOR are typical of the less extensible nylon ropes. Some nylon
double-braid ropes will be less extensible, approaching the NS properties.
Most types of polyester ropes used on merchant vessels have similar strengths and load-extension
characteristics. Also, most types of polypropylene ropes have similar properties. Thus only one
choice of properties is offered for each of these categories. Also, tests indicate that there is not a
significant difference in the load extension characteristics of polypropylene and polyester ropes.
Caution should exercised in judging that a particular rope actually has a load-extension characteristics
significantly different than those provided in OPTIMOOR. The experiences of the TTI consultants
show that considerable confusion can result from comparison of rope-extension characteristics taken
from various sources.
The synthetic fibre rope test data used in developing the OPTIMOOR load-extension characteristics
were determined from tests conducted using OCIMF Hawser Test Procedures. For example, the
broken-in characteristics are measured on the tenth cycle to 50% strength. Most ropes will approach
these characteristics within a few cycles and will not change significantly even after many more
cycles.
If the same ropes had been tested by some other procedure, the resulting load-extension characteristics
might appear to be considerably different. Some of the variables which effect rope load-extension
characteristics are number of cycles, cyclic load range, relaxation time, and whether the rope is wet or
dry. In other words, in many cases apparent differences in load-extension characteristics are not due to
actual differences in rope properties but instead due to variations in test procedures.
39
LINE PROPERTIES
Catenary Effects (Plus version only)
The weight of the line causes it to sag below the straight-line inclination, and this affects the way the
tension varies with its extension, the so-called catenary effect. In the Standard version of
OPTIMOOR, catenary effects are ignored for all types of line.
In the Plus version, catenary effects are calculated for chain and steel lines in spread moorings (fibre
lines are assumed to pull straight). In pierside moorings, catenary effects are taken into account for
seabed anchor chains only (including anchor chains down from any buoys), but ignored in steel and all
other types of lines. Catenaries are always ignored in chains used to connect the ship to any buoys.
When the tension is greater than about 10 times the total net weight of the line, catenary effects are
negligible and this is the justification for ignoring the effect at pierside moorings (unless any anchor
chains or buoys are utilised). If you just want to use chain without the hassle of catenary effects, click
the option to suppress catenaries, which will simplify and accelerate the analysis.
OPTIMOOR automatically calculates the weight per length of chain in water according to the formula
0.019D² kg/m where D is the diameter in mm. For steel wires, the weight per length is taken as
0.0038D² kg/m where D is the diameter in mm, (or zero at pierside moorings where catenary effects in
steel wires are assumed to be negligible).
The calculation of catenaries noticeably slows down the speed of mooring analysis. OPTIMOOR uses
a lumped mass model which divides the line into discrete elements whose length is approximately 5%
of the sag of the catenary. The elasticity of the line or chain is included in the model. Drag forces due
to current acting directly on the line itself are ignored. Slope of the seabed is allowed for, the slope
being defined by the height of the anchor above (or below) the dredged depth. The seabed is assumed
to have a uniform slope between the anchor point and the fairlead coordinates, where the depth is the
dredged depth. The shape of catenary lines can be displayed and checked in the Line properties
window.
All catenaries are modelled on the assumption that the ground has a constant gradient from the
bollard/anchor to the dredged depth below the fairlead i.e it does not rest on the quay or wharf (this can
cause problems if the bollard is higher than the fairlead). Normally catenary effects should not matter
because pierside lines would be relatively short so there would be little catenary effect (it is totally
insignificant if the catenary sag is less than 10% of the suspended length, or if the tension is more than
10 times the suspended weight).
Pre-tensioning Catenary Lines
The user should take care when pre-tensioning lines with catenary weight in them. An apparent
anomaly can arise because the way the Pull-in is set, depends on the Pretension Aim. If (say) the
Pretension Aim is zero or very low, that’s fine for fibre ropes which are assumed to have no weight
and go in a straight line from the fairlead to the Bollard/Anchor, while the Pull-in will always be very
low. With any steel or chain in the line, low pretension means these heavy components must either be
nearly vertical, or resting on the seabed. This requires a larger negative Pull-in (line slack) than
without any catenary. However as soon as line tensions become greater than about 10 times the total
line weight, which may be quite low if you have short chain tails, the catenary effects are negligible,
but you now have much longer lines effectively, and therefore greater excursions, This can give the
false impression that Optimoor is not behaving correctly, when the anomal arises because your initial
40
LINE PROPERTIES
Pull-in is too negative. You must therefore make sure you have adequate PreTension Aims for any
lines with chain in them, otherwise they will not pull properly taut to start with. The main reason for
using the “Suppress Catenaries” option is not to solve this problem (although it will), but to speed up
the whole time-consuming calculation, especially at higher tensions when catenaries normally have
very little effect anyway.
Cyclic Effects in Dynamic Loading
We know from full-scale mooring monitors that under first order wave loading the loads are
significantly greater than what would be expected by simply adding the wave motion up the upper
limit curve. When mooring lines and fenders go through cycles of increasing and decreasing loads, the
tension-strain relationship deviates from the basic static curve. For fibre ropes the effect is more
significant than steel wire ropes, because fibre ropes have a much lower stiffness. Dynamic properties
of ropes have no relevance in static analysis without any wave motion, but can be very important in
dynamic simulation, and also when allowing for wave motions in static mooring analyses. For the
purpose of the Optimoor model, it is internal friction that governs rope behaviour, and all other effects
are ignored, such as creep, temperature changes, and the initial shakeout stretch of a newly constructed
rope.
It is generally accepted that the rates of rope straining experienced in moorings lie outside the range
having any significant effect on rope behaviour, so hysteresis-like response is determined purely by the
effect of friction between rope fibres (or wires in steel ropes), and is not hysteresis in the strict sense
when applied to materials. This is a topic which has been researched for many years by Tension
Technology and has enabled Optimoor to model the effect more realistically than conventional
approaches. The loss of energy associated with such effects can be important in a dynamic simulation,
especially where other mechanisms (such as fluid drag forces) may be too small to dissipate energy
and prevent large oscillations from building up unrealistically.
41
DYNAMIC MODE
In the dynamic mode of analysis the short-term behaviour is governed by forces which change over
seconds and minutes. Forces which change more slowly than the natural periods of mooring
oscillations will not have much dynamic effect and can be sufficiently accurately (and more easily)
handled using the static model. Typical situations involving rapid changes calling for the dynamic
model are:
Movement after a sudden line failure.

Sudden gust of wind or meteorological squall.
Rapid change of current at turn of tide, or local current eddies.
Effect of passing ship.
Thrust from propeller or tug.
Berthing impact
The dynamic model is also required to analyse the response of all types of single point moorings and
turret moorings, since these have freedom of movement and relatively long (and non-linear) natural
periods of motion. The free drifting of a ship without any moorings can also be simulated, under the
influence of wind, waves, and current, with or without tugs in attendance.
The dynamic model works as follows: The dis-equilibrium force is calculated in the same way as for
the static model, except that a hysteresis correction is made to the mooring line and fender forces.
Now, instead of immediately seeking the final equilibrium position of the ship, the Newtonian laws of
motion are used to get the acceleration, identical to the ship manoeuvring equations with axes rotating
with the vessel. This eliminates all problems of directional hydrodynamic properties and allows
unlimited yawing. The velocity and position of the ship is found by integrating over time intervals of
one tenth of a second (irrespective of the interval used to display the results), and all forces are
assumed to remain constant over this short time step, but are then re-calculated. Unlike the static
response where there is just one result for any condition of the environment, the dynamic simulation
generates a large amount of output data, which is displayed graphically and can be edited in the Plot
window.
After the dynamic model has been setup, go to the Mooring window or site Arrangement and press F5
to start or restart the case. This is equivalent to initialisation in the static mode, but positions the
vessel, gives it a velocity corresponding to the start condition specified in the setup window, and sets
the simulation time to zero.
In many cases where the behaviour is non-linear you can jump between one or more patterns of
behaviour. This is a well-known phenomenon, which can lead to quite different results after making
quite small changes, for example, altering the current direction slightly. In such cases, it may be more
sensible to start from a defined position (say zero excursion) instead of the equilibrium position. This
kick-starts ship motions and eliminates the relatively quiet initial few minutes you get starting from
equilibrium.
F7 will step the simulation forward by the interval chosen in the setup window, while F6 will step the
simulation backwards. F8 will run the simulation continuously until the final time (as defined on the
General environment window) is reached, or it can be paused/continued by pressing F8 again. The
vessel position will be shown at each display step and the line tensions etc updated on the Mooring
window.
Certain mooring data may be altered during the course of a simulation. For example you can
disconnect lines at any time to model the effect of line breakage. If wind or current data is not taken
42
DYNAMIC MODE
from the dynamic setup window, you can force arbitrary changes manually. Note that sudden changes
of current, whether setup or manual, have the following apparently anomalous effect which is
nevertheless correct. Any change of current is caused by pressure gradients accelerating the water.
These pressure gradients apply equally to any floating body present (the Froude-Krylov principle) and
therefore the vessel will accelerate at exactly the same rate as the supporting water. In other words its
speed through the water will not immediately change. Thus a sudden change of current will cause the
same sudden change of vessel speed and momentum over the ground as the surrounding water. Slow
changes of current have the same effect in principle, but are not noticeable because there is more time
for the change of speed to be suppressed by the mooring lines.
The output of the simulation can be viewed on the Window... Plot results window. This can be
tailored to include a selection of lines or parameters of interest.
Dynamic Setup
Before starting a dynamic simulation, it is necessary to set up the parameters governing the model.
Press the F4 key to open the dynamic setup window (it automatically appears when you select the
dynamic mode on the Model drop-down menu).
In the tables at the top of this window you can set wind speeds and directions, current speeds and
directions, wave and swell heights periods and directions, and any other applied force at various times
(in seconds) after the initial time. The time intervals need not be equal, and the speed and direction is
linearly interpolated between the specified times. Note that the first time specified in the first column
of the table may be any positive value or zero. For times outside the specified time range, the data is
maintained constant at the last (or first) value specified.
As throughout the program you can paste blocks of data from other windows programs into these
tables using the Ctrl-V key-stroke via the Windows clipboard. However, there arises a potential
problem because increasing the data in Optimoor generally increases the number of columns, whereas
in a spreadsheet normally the number of rows in increased. To avoid the problem, when pasting a
column of data copied from a spreadsheet, Optimoor automatically converts the column into a
row, starting at the cell with the focus. This means that only one column should be copied at a time.
If a top cell (for time) is blank, then all subsequent data in the table is ignored and the wind (or
current or force) data remains constant after that time. If the top cell in the first column is blank,
then the data is determined from the General environment or Mooring window in the same way as for
a static model, except that you have the additional option of choosing a wind spectrum which will
automatically simulate variations in wind speed and direction.
You can set up a repeating cycle of wind, current or wave/swell by clicking the check box at the
bottom of the table. With this on, when the simulation time reaches the end of the table, the
environmental data is immediately re-read from the beginning. The simulation time itself is not
altered, but for the purpose of reading the data the last time in the table is subtracted from the
simulation time. To get a smooth jump back, the data in the last column should be the same as the
first.
On similar principles, you can specify an applied force varying with time, which for example might
represent a tug, or thruster, or wave drift force etc. The same rules regarding blank time cells apply as
for wind and current above. Up to 3 separate independent force histories may be defined
simultaneously, thereby avoiding the need to pre-calculate the resultant of more than one applied force.
These dynamic forces do not supersede the Other Static Force, but are additional. If you have 2 ships
43
DYNAMIC MODE
side-by-side, the number of dynamic force histories is limited to a maximum of three, but each force
may be applied to either ship. However, separate Other Static Forces can be applied to both Host and
Guest.
You can specify the force’s point of application on the ship by entering the number of a suitable
fairlead position in the same way as for the Other Static Force on the General arrangement window. It
is unlikely you would use such a fairlead for a mooring line connection, but you can still define the
position of any fairlead on the vessel window for the purpose of specifying the point of application in
this context. The bottom row of the table then automatically calculates the yaw moment at each time
step, and you cannot edit it. If you enter a zero in this field, the point of application of the force is
taken as the AP (which is normally the position of the rudder stock).
Alternatively, if the Force Point of Application is blanked out or deleted, or if you try to enter an
undefined fairlead number, the term “NA” is displayed (Not Applicable), and the bottom row of the
table now allows you to edit the yaw moment.
The outline of a tug is displayed on the site Arrangement plan only if you define a point of application
for the force, otherwise no such image is drawn if the yaw moment is explicitly specified rather than
calculated, although the additional dynamic force is of course included in the total force acting on the
vessel.
Added Mass
There are certain hydrodynamic properties of the vessel required for the dynamic analysis resulting
from water entrained around the hull which adds to the effective inertia of the ship (this is quite
separate from any drag). The total effective mass of the ship is increased from its dry mass by an
effective mass factor which depends on the hull shape and the direction of motion. The term
hydrodynamic added mass is used generically and includes the rotational inertia in yaw. If you have
the wave response module (WRM) and have specified an HCF data file selected from the drop-down
box on the vessel screen, (even if there are no waves) the added mass terms are taken from this source
using the longest period in the database (typically around 30 secs) and the appropriate default values
for the effective hydrodynamic masses are automatically displayed.
In the absence of WRM data, OPTIMOOR employs empirical formulae for the default values of
effective masses, which depend on the hull proportions and the water depth. The default empirical
longitudinal and transverse added mass ratios are respectively:
T  2.2 0.5 
AX  (Cb  0.2) B / L and AY  c   
Cb  B d  0.9Tc 
where
d is water depth
Cb is the block coefficient
B is ship breadth
L is ship length BP
Tc is midship draft
The effective masses in the longitudinal and transverse directions are

Cb LBTc (1 + AX) and Cb LBTc (1 + AY) respectively
44
DYNAMIC MODE
The default radius of gyration for yaw is taken as r = 0.35L and the effective yaw moment of inertia
taken as Cb LBTc r2 (1 + AY)
Any of the default values can be replaced by your own values if preferred. If you enter a value in the
User Defined column, this automatically supersedes the Default Value (calculated by Optimoor).
Conversely, if you delete or blank a value in the User Defined column, Optimoor uses the Default
Value instead.
Initialising the Simulation
The dynamic simulation may start from the stationary position of static equilibrium corresponding to
the environment at the start time, or alternatively from any position and/or speed specified in the table
which appears when the Define Start option is clicked (note in this table that the units of yaw velocity
are degrees per minute). A display interval (not the calculation step) may be selected in the range 0.1
to 20 mins, and the purpose of this is to help clarify the results and speed up the simulation of long
runs. The time step used in the underlying calculation is much shorter than the display interval; it is
normally 0.1 sec, but is automatically reduced to 0.02 sec for display intervals less than 5 secs, and
increased to 1/600th of display intervals greater than 1 min.
There is a check-box at the bottom which normally should be off. However, when switched on it
allows the application of artificial numerical damping in cases where you may wish to investigate the
possibility of equilibrium in a dynamic case. For example, you can see what the natural equilibrium of
an SPM would be if all dynamic effects were suppressed. This option can also be used as an
alternative method of static equilibrium for any type of mooring. By using a different method of
analysis, it can provide a validation of the results from the static mode (especially if there is a problem
getting convergence).
A ship passing within a distance of about a ship length can generate very large forces due to the
surface effect and the flow effect. Both scale according to a Froude type of relationship but the length
parameters are different for the two separate effects. OPTIMOOR offers two independent methods of
estimating the resulting progression of forces, the Seelig-Wang and the Flory-Remery. They are fully
documented in the two pdf reports by Bill Seelig and John Flory respectively supplied with
OPTIMOOR. TTI does not endorse either method of calculation, and strictly Remery's experimental
results should not be given undue credence outside the range of the geometric ratios used in his limited
model tests. Note that there will be some differences between OPTIMOOR and Seelig's spreadsheet
because OPTIMOOR interpolates the look-up tables whereas Seelig just finds the nearest cell in the
table. Remember that Seelig's ship spacing is between centrelines, whereas OPTIMOOR uses the clear
gap between ship sides.
The side of the moored on which the other ship passes would normally be on the side opposite the pier,
but could be on the pier side, such as at a sea island. Same direction indicates that both ship’s bows
point in the same direction, and that the passing ship approaches the moored ship’s stern, while
opposite indicates that the passing ship approaches the moored ship’s bow.
The Passing Ship Speed is through the water, not over the ground. If you change the current and
leave the speed through the water unaltered, the forces remain the same, but the time scale of the
pattern of variation shortens or lengthens.
Passing Ship Displacement is preferably in metric tonne (1000 kg, 2204 lb), but it can be made in long
tons (2240 lb) with no effect on accuracy. Passing Ship Length is preferably entered as length between
perpendiculars. If this entry is made as overall length, it will result in a small (conservative) error in
45
DYNAMIC MODE
forces and moments and a small (retardation) error in relative ship position and thus in speed of
simulation.
The force calculation begins when the passing ship is at a distance equal to the sum of the lengths of
the two ships from the midship alignment position. The time when closest depends on the passing ship
speed. OPTIMOOR prevents you from using a shorter start time than would allow the full time span
of the passing ship force.
46
MOORING WINDOW
Mode of Analysis
The normal mode of analysis is quasi static It works by calculating the dis-equilibrium force (the
difference between the external forces and the reactions from the mooring lines) for an assumed ship
position, adjusting this position iteratively until satisfactory equilibrium is achieved. If dis-equilibrium
is zero, then you know you have equilibrium and the calculation automatically stops. After 2000
iterations it stops anyway. When this happens all the results displayed are unreliable. It is unadvisable
to save such a case, because it is possible then to cause data corruption in the saved file which can
cause further problems when you re-start the program. This automatically loads the last case which if
corrupted may cause the program to crash. If this happens, you must delete the file LOGFILE which
stores the names of the most recent case files. This contains only a list of the names of the most
recently loaded case files, and you will not lose any mooring data. When you re-start Optimoor a new
case with no data is loaded, but you can then open a previous case if you wish.
47
MOORING WINDOW
The Plus version of the program additionally has a position mode of operation. In this mode, no
attempt is made to achieve equilibrium, but the user can forcibly position the ship by specifying any
excursion and yaw. The resultant forces are displayed as a longitudinal force, and two transverse
forces acting at each end of the ship, representing the balancing force required to hold the ship in the
specified position, allowing for all the external or environmental forces.
The position mode can be used to check the static thrust requirements for a dynamically positioned
(DP) vessel in any given environment, with or without mooring lines. A turret mooring system is a
special case where thrusters may be used to maintain the ship’s heading. A single point mooring can
also be examined statically using the position mode, but the full investigation of such cases where the
behaviour is essentially dynamic requires the dynamic mode in the Dynamic version of the program.
The dynamic mode can be used to simulate the effect of line failure, or any event that cannot be
properly modelled in the static mode, for example rapid changes of wind or current, or wherever large
excursions are possible, for example single point moorings (SPM’s or SBM’s). Towed and freely
drifting ships can also be modelled where environmental forces are dominant.
Auto-Calculation
In the static mode, a check-box on the mooring results screen indicates whether the mooring is
continually re-analysed after each change. Setting up a system is quicker if auto-calculation is
suppressed by clicking the check-box off. When you eventually Initialise the system, auto-calculation
is switched on, and the results automatically reflect subsequent changes. However, if the calculation
fails to converge for any reason, auto-calculation switches itself off.
Auto-calculation is not applicable to the Position or Dynamic modes of analysis.
Time Sweep
A “time sweep” can be performed by pressing Ctrl-T which fast forwards the time The calculation
starts with the calculation time currently displayed and increments by 10 minute intervals to the final
time as defined in the General environment window. The greatest line tensions, fender forces,
excursions etc do not generally occur at the same time. The highest loads in each line, both as tension
and as percent of breaking strength, are displayed together with the Worst Time. The $ symbol is
displayed next to the maximum tension data for any lines which went slack during the period
examined. Greatest fender loads are also displayed (with the $ sign used to indicate a fender becoming
free during the sweep period), as well as the greatest excursions at the target.
Wind, Current, and Wave Sweep
A sweep through all directions with the present wind velocity can be also made by pressing Ctrl-W.
The wind direction then automatically increments in 5° steps clockwise. The current can also be swept
in the same manner. If you have the Wave Response Module, a wave sweep can also be made
similarly. During this process, the loads in the various lines and fenders change as the direction
changes. After the sweep is complete, the message "All" is shown in the wind (or wave) direction
field, and the vessel excursion represents the extreme position reached during the sweep.
You can run a sweep for any time. If you choose the initial time, then the pull-in is reset for this initial
time. However, if you choose any other time then the Pull-in is kept the same as it is currently set.
There is no other intermediate adjustment made to any of the lines. Note that if there is no winch
48
MOORING WINDOW
slippage, a compass sweep gives the same results as a manual change of wind/current/weave direction.
However if there is winch slippage the two operations may give different results because in a sweep
any previous slippage is cancelled at the start of each new direction, while in a manual change of
direction without initialisation, all previous slippage is retained, and may build up after repeated
changes of directions.
If you find that the ship tends to move more aft than fwd, say, you can specify a correction to the
initial position of the ship where it says Vessel Offset Beyond Berth Target on the General
Environment window. This will help keep the ship within limits, but increasing the pre-tension is
better.
The highest loads in each line, both as tension and as percent of breaking strength, are shown after the
sweep. The $ symbol is displayed next to the maximum tension data for any lines which went slack
during the sweep.
"Worst Direction" is the direction which created the recorded highest load in each line. If winch brake
limits are entered in the vesseL window, any winch slippage which occurred in each line during the
sweep is displayed. Note that at the beginning of the calculation for each wind (or wave) direction the
slippage is restored to zero.
The worst thrust reported after a sweep does not necessarily correspond to the worst pressure for that
fender, because this also depends on the percentage contact area which depends on the excursion and
wind/current/wave direction. The figures shown are for the worst thrust.
The results for the worst bollard forces after any sweep must be treated circumspectly, because the
values shown may not have occurred simultaneously. For example, the maximum X-force may not
occur coincidentally with the maximum Y-force, and neither may be maximum when the resultant
force is at a maximum. Directions corresponding to these results are not displayed.
[Note different wordings for excursion after sweep]
Current, Wind and Wave Capability Rose
This is an extended sweep around the compass, but instead of keeping the current/ wind speed constant
it is increased for all directions. The wave capability rose is only available with the Wave Response
Module, and is similar to the wind rose except that the wave height is gradually increased while the
wave period and direction, current and windspeed are kept constant. The results are presented
graphically as a rose (or rosette) and the colour-coded lines plot the wind speed (or wave height) at
which the specified limit is exceeded (line loads which exceed 100% of their strength are not
disconnected but are assumed to carry the excessive tension). As there may be a considerable time
required to complete the calculation on slower computers, you have the option to Escape at any point.
The percentage line limits (set by clicking the Options drop-down menu and typically 55%, 50% and
40%) will generally relate to different lines in different wind directions. Whichever is the most highly
loaded in the circumstances is identified by a succession of small red numbers. If you are interested in
the limiting conditions corresponding only to a particular line, rather than all or any of them, you can
restrict the analysis to one specific line by clicking the drop-down menu Sweep …show limits for line
n only. The value of n is selected by moving the cursor to the corresponding line column on the
Mooring window. The same procedure can be used to restrict the limiting conditions to a single fender
or single bollard.
49
MOORING WINDOW
Limiting wind/current/waves for surge or sway are only shown if surge or sway limits are defined in
the Berth window Ctrl-B and similarly for winch brake slippage. The limit for equilibrium will not
be relevant in most cases. It represents the maximum for which OPTIMOOR converges to an
equilibrium position. If the winch brakes slip, it may be quite difficult to achieve equilibrium. Note
that the program makes no allowance for the reduction in braking capacity due to slippage. The fender
limit is defined as its maximum compression, not its maximum reaction load.
Mooring Connection Table
Each line number designates a vessel mooring line and its associated fairlead. To make a connection
in the Mooring window, place the cursor on one of these numbers and strike an alphabetic key to link
that numbered line/fairlead with the bollard/hook/anchor corresponding to that letter. This will
automatically disconnect the line from any previous bollard/hook/anchor. For connections beyond the
26 single letters A to Z, press * first to get connections *A to *Z.
A mooring line can be doubled back to the vessel, say through a shore pulley, in a return loop or
"bight". A connection must first be specified in the normal way, then place the cursor on this
definition and strike the @ key. Each line doubled back to the vessel displays the symbol ²@ next to
its designated number. To remove a bight, re-type the connection letter.
A mooring line can be disconnected without assigning it to another bollard/hook/anchor by positioning

the cursor on the line number and pressing the SPACE bar.
Connections can also be made graphically on the Arrangement plan.
The line length shown on the mooring results screen includes the on-deck distance between fairlead
and bitt or winch, plus the length of any pennants or tails. The length of a bight line includes the
return length.
The line length (and tension) can be changed by adjusting pull-in, which represents the amount of line
which is taken up on (or released from) a winch. Thus it realistically simulates the actual action of line
tending. Pull-in represents the shortening of line compared with the straight-line length from fairlead
to bollard or anchor when the ship is exactly on target at the initial draft, trim, and water level. This
definition also applies when there is a catenary in the line, but no buoy.
For example, if you set up an arrangement with all the line pre-tensions set to zero (in the Vessel
window), and also set all the environmental forces to zero, then initialise the mooring (Ctrl-I), the
Mooring window results will show all tensions as zero and all pull-in as zero. If you pull-in one of the
lines, you will see how it affects the tensions in the other lines.
If the pre-tension is set to a specific value, this line will be pulled-in automatically to try to achieve this
aim. In practice, this aim can never be achieved exactly, because in general the specified pre-tensions
would not result in equilibrium. In fact it is generally impossible to achieve the pre-tension aim
exactly, because if these tensions were all applied they would not generally be in equilibrium with
each other and the fender reactions.
@@@
If the pre-tension is made blank by pressing the SPACE bar, the pull-in for that line will not be
automatically adjusted, but can still be adjusted manually.
50
MOORING WINDOW
If there is no catenary, then with zero pull-in and no environmental or other external forces imposed on
the system, then there should be no load in any of the lines or fenders at the initial time. If you want to
apply pre-tensions this can be done manually by pulling each individual line separately, although
change of pull-in will affect the tension in neighbouring lines. If catenary effects act on the line, then a
zero pull-in will generate a tension and initialising to a low pre-tension will result in a negative pull-in,
which means letting out line.
If the vessel line is connected to a surface buoy, as opposed to a bollard or anchor, then the pull-in
represents the shortening of the line compared with the straight-line length from fairlead to buoy when
the buoy is free-floating with its anchor chain dropping vertically to the seabed before running in a
straight line to the anchor. Remember that there is never any catenary in the line from fairlead to buoy,
even if chain is use for this connection. Initialising to a zero pre-tension results in zero pull-in, but
quite a small pre-tension will require a significant pull-in.
Press = to give all lines the same pull-in as under the cursor.
If any pre-tensions have been specified in the vesseL window, these lines will automatically be pulled
in to achieve that tension as closely as possible by pressing Ctrl-I. If you want to specify a particular
pull-in for a line, remove the pre-tension setting (by pressing the space bar, not zero) for that line in the
vesseL window. This will ensure that no change to the pull-in will occur in that line when you
initialise with Ctrl-I.
Note that it is not necessary to remove the forces acting on the ship before setting the pre-tension,
because the program itself temporarily ignores all external forces while calculating the pull-in
required.
This paragraph explains the precise mechanism of achieving the pre-tension aims “as closely as
possible”. In fact it is generally impossible to achieve the pre-tension aim exactly, because if these
tensions were all applied they would not generally be in equilibrium with each other and any fender
reactions, although if you choose a strictly symmetrical arrangement of geometry and pre-tensions you
can contrive to get them exact. There is an infinite number of possible compromises, but Optimoor
modifies the pull-ins iteratively so that the sum of the squares of the differences of tensions from the
aim is minimised. If you manually adjust the pull-ins using any other system or no system (which is
quite acceptable, but very tedious) you will get a different set of pre-tensions and a different set of
tensions in the same environment. The balancing calculation that Optimoor continually executes does
not alter the pull-ins (unless there is brake slippage). Any method of pre-tensioning will correctly
achieve equilibrium, but there is no reason why they should give the same results, although in practice
they will be roughly similar. Another way of looking at it is to manually change the pull-in (with an
applied environment). This automatically re-distributes the line forces and changes the ship’s
excursion.
Lines which go slack as a result of changing forces can be pulled in to bring them back into tension.
The amount of pull-in to take up slack without generating tension is automatically set by pressing
Ctrl-Z.
After the vessel has moved from its initial position, the mooring line tensions can automatically be
pulled in to bring the vessel approximately back to that initial target position with the command Ctrl-
J. Note that this may not create an ideal, or even an acceptable distribution of mooring loads.
However, from this position, appropriate changes can be made by pulling in or paying out lines, until
an acceptable or good mooring line load distribution is obtained.
51
MOORING WINDOW
If you are licensed for the OPTIMOOR Wave Response Module, the wave motions are accurately
calculated in all 6 degrees of freedom from the relevant motion response data. In-line motion is the
amplitude of the first order wave induced motion at the fairlead resolved in the direction of the line.
This is calculated on the basis of the wave motion option selected on the vesseL window.
Positive inclination sense is defined as downward from the fairlead. A negative inclination then means
that the line goes upward from the fairlead, a less common occurrence. The line length and inclination
data serve as aids to mooring management and as checks against incorrect data.
Line tensions are displayed both as actual values and percentages of line strength. Colour coded
warnings are indicated when various percentage limits are reached. The default settings are red = over
55%, orange = over 50%, and yellow = over 40%. These limits can be set by clicking the Options
drop-down menu. Note that if you include significant wave movement in your analysis, it would be
reasonable to relax these threshold limits somewhat. If a dollar sign $ appears after the tension, it
means that the line has gone slack at some intermediate stage (for example during a sweep, or as a
result of wave motion).
Solution Convergence
The dis-equilibrium force is quoted in tonnes, and its significance should be related to the forces acting
on the system. The message “Inadequate Mooring” appears and the auto-calculation option is
suspended when the mooring calculation fails to converge after 2000 iterations (attempts). This may
be because there is a real physical problem (check you have sufficient lines and all the fenders are
within longitudinal range of the parallel middle body), or that the correct solution has simply not been
found.
If the mooring system is not statically determinate (meaning there are insufficient lines at different
angles to fix the ship’s position in all 3 degrees of freedom, surge sway and yaw, for example a single
point mooring), Optimoor may not be able to find any position of equilibrium. Sometimes
convergence is difficult because a critical fender or line has a discontinuous stiffness at the point of
going slack. The most common cause of failure to converge is normally winch slippage on too many
lines, and this is made worse by the addition of ship motion. Note the following tactics to improve
convergence:
·Repeat Ctrl-I
·Reduce wind or current and then increment it back up to required level
·Run windsweep with a different starting angle for wind
·Change fender stiffness
·Change the analysis mode to position mode (Plus version only) and see what forces are generated for
an assumed position
·If you have any catenary lines, check their behaviour in the line properties window.
·Make sure that all buoys are far enough away from the vessel when pulled inwards. (Failure to
ensure this causes negative line lengths or excessive inclination from fairlead to buoy, giving
unpredictable results).
There may be more than one position of equilibrium, and the problem is worse when severe wind,
current or wave motions are present, especially if brake slippage occurs. Often an alternative more
reliable approach is to initialise with a lower wind (or current or wave), then increment it in stages (by
52
MOORING WINDOW
pressing the right hand square bracket key strokes ] or Ctrl+). The explanation for this is that each
increment starts from the previous solution, rather than from the initialisation position.
Convergence is a compromise between speed and reliability (numerical stability). As CPU speeds
have increased over the years we have gradually reduced the individual step size taken by the
convergence algorithm. The algorithm itself also changes dynamically the more iteration steps are
involved, but there is no completely general system of multi-dimensional convergence for non-linear
systems, as discussed in the chapter on minimisation of functions in the classic text-book "Numerical
Recipes" by William Press et al (Cambridge University Press).
For Dynamic version users only, there is an alternative approach to equilibrium by using the dynamic
mode and setting artificial damping. Running the simulation will then bring the ship to static
equilibrium, if that is physically possible.
If you have a persistent convergence problem with a system you think should be adequate and stable,
please email the relevant .OPT .BTH and .VSL files to Tension Technology International
(ractliffe@tensiontech.com) and we will try to resolve it for you.
Initialisation
Initialisation using Ctrl-I means that Optimoor temporarily removes all external forces and pulls in the
lines to get as close as possible to the specified pre-tension. This is the equivalent of saying that the
tugs hold the ship exactly in position with ship and berth targets aligned while adjusting the line
lengths. Then the tugs back off, which effectively restores the current and/or wind, and at this point
some lines will carry higher loads while others may become slack. Optimoor assumes that no further
adjustment to the lines is made, but if the crew actually go round the ship at this stage and tighten
any slack lines, you can use Ctrl-J to do this.
When you press Ctrl-I to initialise the mooring, the following events occur:
The time, draft and trim are set to their initial values (specified in the General environment window)
The water level is set to the initial water level (specified in the General environment window if tide is
ignored, otherwise calculated from the tide at the initial time)
Any brake slippage on the winches is cancelled
The pre-tensions and pull-ins are adjusted (if specified in the vesseL window)
Auto-calculation is activated
Pull-in
Line tension can be changed by adjusting pull-in, which represents the amount of line which is taken
up on (or released from) a winch. Thus it realistically simulates the actual action of line tending. Pull-
in represents the shortening of line compared with the straight-line length from fairlead to bollard or
anchor when the ship is exactly on target at the initial draft, trim, and water level. This definition also
applies when there is a catenary in the line, but no buoy.
53
MOORING WINDOW
If there is no catenary, zero pull-in, and no environmental or other external forces imposed on the
system, then there should be no load in any of the lines or fenders at the initial time. If you want to
apply pre-tensions this can be done manually by pulling each individual line separately, although
change of pull-in will affect the tension in neighbouring lines. If catenary effects act on the line, then a
zero pull-in will generate a tension, and initialising to a low pre-tension will result in a negative pull-
in, which means letting out line.
If the vessel line is connected to a surface buoy, as opposed to a bollard or anchor, then the pull-in
represents the shortening of the line compared with the straight-line length from fairlead to buoy when
the buoy is free-floating with its anchor chain dropping vertically to the seabed before running in a
straight line to the anchor. Remember that there is never any catenary calculated in the line from
fairlead to buoy, even if chain is use for this connection. Initialising to a zero pre-tension results in
zero pull-in, but quite a small pre-tension will require a significant pull-in.
Press = to give all lines the same pull-in as under the cursor.
If any pre-tensions have been specified in the vesseL window, these lines will automatically be pulled
in to achieve that tension as closely as possible by pressing Ctrl-I. If you want to specify a particular
pull-in for a line, remove the pre-tension setting (by pressing the space bar, not zero) for that line in the
vesseL window. This will ensure that no change to the pull-in will occur in that line when you
initialise with Ctrl-I.
Note that it is not necessary to remove the forces acting on the ship before setting the pre-tension,
because the program itself temporarily ignores all external forces while calculating the pull-in
required.
Lines which go slack as a result of changing forces can be pulled in to bring them back into tension.
The amount of pull-in to take up slack without generating tension is automatically set by pressing
Ctrl-Z.
After the vessel has moved from its initial position, the mooring line tensions can be pulled in to bring
the vessel approximately back to that initial target position. Note that this may not create an ideal, or
even an acceptable distribution of mooring loads. However, from this position, appropriate changes
can be made by pulling in or paying out lines, until an acceptable or good mooring line load
distribution is obtained. If the crew actually go round the ship at this stage and tighten any slack lines,
you can use Ctrl-J to do this. The effect of this correction is to “lock” in a bias to the excursion of the
ship, because when the wind force changes direction the adjusted lines hold the ship back. To handle
the problem of slack lines, it is better practice to increase the pre-tension aim.
Bollard Forces
These are shown in the bottom table and columns are automatically only displayed when a force is
generated. If the column for a particular bollard is hidden, there is no force on it.
The X-direction is parallel to the pier face, positive to the right when looking from the vessel towards
the pier. The Y-direction is perpendicular to the pier face, positive towards the tanker. These are
horizontal load components; the vertical uplift is shown on the next line.
If a buoy is used then this uplift is the vertical lift at the anchor. The vertical load down on the buoy
is the uplift plus the weight of the suspended anchor chain. To stay on the surface the reserve
54
MOORING WINDOW
buoyancy must exceed this minus the vertical component of the tension in the attached mooring line.
It is assumed also that the buoy is too heavy to be lifted out of the water by the mooring line. In
practice it will not make much difference to the results whether or not the buoy stays on the surface.
Provision is also made to enter X- and Y-loads which are to be added to the mooring line induced
loads. These might represent loads imposed by mooring lines from another vessel connected to the
same bollard.
55
SITE PLAN WINDOW
SITE PLAN ARRANGEMENT WINDOW
Displaying the Plan View
To zoom in, push the mouse wheel away from you, or press F11 or Ctrl+ or ]. To zoom out, pull the
mouse wheel towards you, or press F9 or Ctrl- or [ to zoom out. To pan the view, click the mouse
left button and drag the image. By pressing Ctrl-arrow left/right you can also offset the position of
the ship along the berth.
The overall length, transom width, and the length of the parallel middle body can be adjusted by
dragging the yellow markers displayed when you click the dropdown Display menu option, (or press
Ctrl-A to toggle them on/off). By default, the face of the pierside berth is shown as a thick light-grey
horizontal bar near the centre of the screen, representing a pier. You can adjust its position and shape
in the same way as for the vessel deck shape. Note that both vessel and pier shapes are only notional
and play no part in any calculation.
You can remove the Optimoor generic pier on the Display menu. On the Background menu You can
also by choose a plain white background (which may be preferred anyway before reporting this
window as printing background colours uses large quantities of ink). Alternatively, you can display
your own any image for the background by loading a graphics file (note that you can save images in
pdf files as graphics files using Adobe Acrobat). See the section below on importing a graphics image.
OPTIMOOR allows you to move and scale this image after loading, but you cannot rotate its angle,
and if this is required you must first edit the image with suitable graphics software.
Bollards/hooks/anchors are indicated by blue circles which may not necessarily lie on the pier outline
and are identified in blue upper case letters. any imposed excursion. Fenders within range are shown
as solid green blocks on the pier face, and are identified in green lower case double letters. Fenders
out of range are shown in outline only. Fairleads are shown as small red circles. Whenever the mouse
pointer is moved onto a fairlead, the associated line can be dragged and dropped on to a
bollard/hook/anchor to make a connection or move it to a different bollard/hook/anchor. Hold the left
mouse button down and move the pointer to a bollard/hook/anchor. If you release the mouse button
before reaching a bollard/hook/anchor, that line will be disconnected. Note that if more than one line
56
SITE PLAN WINDOW
is attached to a buoy (CBM or CALM), all the lines to that buoy must lie within a few degrees of each
other, as they are assumed to be parallel in the mooring analysis.
If the berth data is not locked with the Display menu option, you can move a bollard/hook, anchor,
fender or fairlead by holding the right button on it and dragging it to a new position. If you set the
Snap drag-drop to nearest unit, the co-ordinates of any item will snap to the nearest metre (or foot). To
create a new bollard/hook/anchor or fairlead, double click the right mouse button where required.
This only defines its position in plan, and to specify all the other properties you must edit the Berth or
vesseL window. To delete a bollard/hook/anchor or fairlead, move the mouse cursor over it and press
Delete or Space.
When you right click to move an item, the X and Y co-ordinates are shown as a pop up display.
However, because you cannot always click at the centre of the item, and also because the nearest
screen pixel may not correspond exactly with the position as defined in the vesseL or Berth window,
the co-ordinates may change slightly. If it is important to fix the item’s position accurately, this should
be done in the vesseL or Berth window, not the site Arrangement window.
Environment Force Vector
A resolution vector of environmental and any other applied forces is shown on the vessel plan as a red
arrow. The position of this vector shows its line of action and its length represents the magnitude of
the force.
Importing a Background Graphics Display
You can use any graphics image file as a scalable background. To do this go to the site Arrangement
plan window and click on Background... load Graphics image... and browse for a suitable image file.
Any of the following extension types of file format are recognised: bmp cur dib emf gif ico jpg
jpeg rle and wmf. Scanners and most graphics and drawing applications allow you to save or convert
image files to one or more of these formats, with the bmp bitmap format usually suiting the
OPTIMOOR digitiser best. Adobe Acrobat and AutoCAD will also allow you to save pictures in pdf
files as graphics files in at least one of the formats recognised by OPTIMOOR. If you have a
background drawing as a vector file (e.g. AutoCAD) you should save the picture in any of the standard
raster image formats (jpeg bmp etc). Note that you can also capture the image of any window
displayed on the screen by clicking on it and pressing Alt-PrintScreen. Then open any graphics
editor (e.g. Microsoft Paint) and press Ctrl-V to paste the copied image into it. Save the image as a
bitmap file for re-loading into Optimoor as a background image file.
Optimoor allows you to translate and scale the imported background image to match the Optimoor
display, but you cannot rotate the image (for example your image may show north pointing up, while
the berth orientation is completely different) and the axes of the image must be perpendicular to each
other. To rotate or shear the background image you must use other image processing software to edit
the image before loading it into Optimoor (for example MS Word has a picture formatting feature
which allows you to rotate an image to any angle). Once you have matched the relative scaling,
Optimoor will automatically synchronise the background when zooming and panning the site
Arrangement.
To mesh the background image accurately to the site Arrangement, press Background… move scale
bacKground image or Ctrl-V, and tooltips will automatically appear to guide you with the various
operations which can be performed on the background image.
57
SITE PLAN WINDOW
The image can be moved in any direction with the right hand mouse button pressed. Final positioning
is more accurate using the cursor arrow keys which (with the button pressed) will move the image one
pixel at a time.
To match the scale of the image relative to the site arrangement, you should use the wheel on the
mouse. Note that the position of the mouse crosshair allows you to lock any point on the image to the
site arrangement. For example to keep a bollard (say) on the image aligned to a bollard on the
arrangement, first drag them together, then with the cross-hair on this bollard, zoom in or out and the
background will not move at this point.
Scaling with the wheel, as described above, is the same in all directions. It does not alter the aspect
ratio, which is usually also necessary to match the site arrangement. To adjust the scale of the image
in one direction only, use the cursor arrow keys to expand/contract the image in the relevant direction.
As described above, the image does not move at the position of the cross-hair.
Adjusting the Arrangement Plan Aspect Ratio
The Y-scale of the plan as displayed on the monitor is usually slightly different from the X-scale. This
is a purely cosmetic effect and does not indicate or cause any error in the calculations. It means if you
scale Y distances directly off the screen using the horizontal scale displayed at the top of the window,
there will be a small error in the measurement. However, the scale can be squared up on the View
menu, using the mouse wheel. This adjustment is saved in the Case file, so does not need to be
repeated when re-loading that case.
From: To:
58
WAVE RESPONSE MODULE
Wave-Induced Motion and Seakeeping
If you are licensed for the Wave Response Module, you have to copy the Seakeeping Data folder (and
its contents) on the USB key into the folder where you have installed OPTIMOOR, if necessary
creating a new sub-folder called Seakeeping Data.
The primary function of the Wave Response Module (WRM) is to calculate the ship's first order
motions in any specified sea-state from any direction, allowing for shallow water effects. The drift
force is also calculated. The WRM can be used in the static or dynamic mode of OPTIMOOR. The
additional line tensions due to first order motions are calculated by superposing these motions on top
of the equilibrium position (also taking into account non-linear effects of bounce off the fenders).
If you do not have the Wave Response Module, you can enter your own specified decoupled first order
motion (defined in the vesseL window) to be superposed on the basic OPTIMOOR analysis, static or
dynamic.
Motions of the moored vessel in response (first order) to waves, for example in roll, sway, pitch, and
heave can increase peak loads on mooring lines. The program will assess their potential effects by
superposing the motion on the static line extension and on the fender compression. The waves may
also have a small effect on the mean excursion of the vessel on account of non-linearity in the mooring
stiffness. For example, excessive wave motion will “bounce” the ship off the fenders, increasing the
mean excursion away from the berth, an effect OPTIMOOR allows for.
The effect of any harbour seiche or surge is treated separately as a quasi-static force.
If the Wave Response Module is not installed, OPTIMOOR relies entirely on the estimates of the user
as to the wave induced motion, and all versions of the program allow the user to specify a radius of
motion ratio which defines a circle in a vertical plane transverse to the vessel. At the top right of the
vesseL window you can enter a factor for this radius as a proportion of the wave height. Note that the
wavelength (in deep water and/or for short wave periods this is approximately 1.56T2 m with the wave
period T in seconds) has to be at least as long as the vessel dimension in the wave direction before any
significant motion is experienced. When the wavelength is greater than twice the relevant vessel
dimension, then the motion will be of the same order as the orbital wave motion. For example a 312m
long vessel will experience very little surge motion in waves with a period less than 14 secs. If the
breadth is 40m, beam seas with periods less than 5 secs will cause little motion, but greater than 7 secs
will produce motion similar to the waves themselves. This is the rationale for our general advice to use
a ratio of 1 for the ratio of ship movement to wave orbit. (Note the specification of unit radius of ship
motion to significant wave height as opposed to wave amplitude allows for the fact that the maximum
height in 1000 waves is roughly twice the significant height). OPTIMOOR then applies this movement
vertically and transversely to all lines wherever they are attached to the ship. Surge is neglected.
If you subsequently specify a significant wave height on the Mooring window, OPTIMOOR calculates
the radius of motion by multiplying the significant wave height by this factor. The program then
calculates the peak load for each line as though its fairlead had moved to the most unfavourable
position on that radius of motion circle. In other words, each fairlead is moved away from the
bollard/hook/anchor by that radial distance (perpendicular to the vessel), and the resulting increase in
line load is computed from the line stiffness. Variations in fender compression are similarly accounted
for.
59
Personnel on the vessel or on the pier can readily estimate this motion by observing the extreme
motions of the fairleads in a given sea-state. The side-to-side deck motions due to roll and sway will
be observable near midship. Vertical motion due to pitch is a maximum near the bow and the stern.
Wave induced surge is normally insignificant. Remember that the motion radius is only half the total
observed movement. and will generally be less than the half of the wave height, but you should allow
for the fact that for any given sea-state the occasional maximum wave might be up to twice the
significant value.
If no local data is available for the significant wave heights and periods from each direction, an
estimate may be made on the basis of any of several published empirical formulae. OPTIMOOR will
make such an estimate in the General environment window when you press Help...Estimate sea-state
or Ctrl-E. The formula used is taken from Section 4.3.3 of Practical Ship Hydrodynamics by Volker
Bertram (Butterworth Heinemann, 2000) as follows:
 1 . 65
U 2  2 U c 
H  0 . 21 c  
s g  gT 
 p 
where Uc is the windspeed at a height of 10m in the wave direction
Tp is the modal period corresponding to the peak energy
If the water starts calm and the wind blows constantly for a duration t over a fetch of x the bracketed
quantity in the above equation is given by the greatest of:
2Uc
gTp
1 
or 18 gx / U c 
2 0 .3
or 110 gt / U c 
0.4286
This also allows Tp to be calculated. Note that the mean up-crossing period Tz as entered into
OPTIMOOR is typically only 75% of the peak or modal period Tp corresponding to the greatest wave
energy.
As an optional enhancement, OPTIMOOR users with the Wave Response Module are licensed to
access accurate sea-keeping motion response data for specific ship types. (If you are licensed for this
but cannot access the drop-down box at the top right of the vessel screen, you need to copy the
Seakeeping Data folder and all its contents on the USB key into the folder where you have installed
OPTIMOOR, if necessary creating a new sub-folder called Seakeeping Data).
60
The primary function of the Wave Response Module is to calculate the ship's first order motions in any
specified sea-state from any direction, allowing for shallow water effects. The drift force is also
calculated. The Wave Response Module can be used in the static or dynamic mode of OPTIMOOR.
The additional line tensions due to first order motions are calculated by superposing these motions on
top of the equilibrium position (also taking into account non-linear effects of bounce off the fenders).
For any specified sea-state, the Wave Response Module will then calculate and include the actual
wave-induced motions of a vessel at each fairlead and fender. The industry-standard AQWA™ ship
motion software from Century Dynamics (subsidiary of ANSYS) is used to perform a general motion
analysis of a ship at various drafts, taking into account shallow water effects (with or without a solid
quay alongside).
AQWA-LINE performs a 3-dimensional diffraction/radiation analysis of wave action around any

arbitrarily shaped floating body, using the classical `Green's function' approach. The body surface is
described by a finite element mesh, and a pulsating `source' is located on each plate element. The
combinations of source strengths required to diffract an incoming regular wave of given period, and to
allow body oscillation in each degree of freedom, are then calculated. From these are obtained the
diffraction force, added mass and radiation damping on the body, which are then stored in the AQWA
suite database for use by other AQWA programs. In addition, AQWA-LINE combines them with the
body's mechanical mass, viscous damping, and any linear mooring stiffness, and deduces the body's
motions in all six degrees of freedom and the associated wave drift forces. AQWA-LINE is also able
to take account of hydrodynamic interaction between a floating structure and an adjacent floating or
fixed structure. A typical facet model used for an LNG ship alongside a solid quayside is displayed
below:
All the results are stored in data files as sets of tables for OPTIMOOR to look-up and interpolate for a
range of drafts over the full range of wave periods and directions. All motions are assumed to be
linear, that is directly proportional to wave height. OPTIMOOR then carries out the calculations
necessary to convert this data into the magnitude and direction of the motions at all points of interest
on the ship, in any given sea-state specified by the user.
Before version 5, the so-called RAO data files calculated motions using an assumed GM (metacentric
height). This mainly affects roll, but also sway to a lesser extent. (RAO stands for Response
Amplitude Operator and represents the magnitude and phase of the ship motion in all its 6 degrees of
freedom, for a unit sinusoidal wave from any direction with any period).
61
From version 5 onwards, seakeeping data files with the extension HCF use the more fundamental
Hydrodynamic CoefFicients, allowing the user to specify the GM on the General environment
window. It is also possible to specify the viscous roll damping coefficient, typically 10 to 15% of
critical damping. The RAO data for this case is then calculated by solving the 6 DoF complex
equations of motion. Although this involves considerable additional computation, it does not
noticeably slow down the overall calculation. The GM value is readily available from the ship
operator, because stability is required be kept continually under review.
Without a figure from the vessel’s stability book, there is no quick way to get a general GM value, and
depending on the type of vessel, the statutory minimum value is usually much too low. Note that if the
peak wave period is well way from the natural roll period it has little effect on wave motions.
The HCF files mean that the effect of the mooring stiffness can also be accounted for in the wave
motions, although this is usually negligible except for small ships with short mooring lines and or
pierside fenders. To check its significance, it is possible to switch off the correction made for mooring
stiffness by clicking Options… .
It is difficult to say what the net effect of including mooring stiffness is going to be, except in very
general terms. Vertical mooring forces are small, so heave and pitch will be little affected. Surge,
sway and yaw will probably increase because the natural periods of these motions will be reduced, and
there will be couplings between these motions. Rolling is the most difficult motion to generalise
about, because it depends on GM which determines the natural period. Also the roll damping
increases with roll amplitude and roll frequency, probably more than is conventionally assumed. The
damping attributable to the mooring itself is also probably quite significant, so this is a very
complicated problem.
Only a linear system has the same frequency for all amplitudes. Even a fender with linear load-
compression characteristics will be highly non-linear if it loses contact as a result of wave motion. Its
stiffness suddenly drops to zero, which is the greatest non-linearity mathematically possible. The ship
no longer responds sinusoidally to a sinusoidal excitation, instead it’s rather like a ball bouncing on the
ground, where the frequency depends on the height of bounce. Any steady force, wind or current, will
change the mean load on the fender and the point at which contact is lost, therefore altering the
effective stiffness. No frequency domain program can handle this properly, because it negates the
fundamental assumption of linearity in the mathematical model.
62
Seakeeping motion data sets are available for a library of ship types, and a complete list can be
downloaded from www.tensiontech.com/software/optimoor/login.html. Note that the actual vessel
size is not important provided that the hull shape and overall dimensional ratios are similar, because
the program scales the motions parameters according to Froude’s law. Data sets normally address
open water (with no bank effect) which would be appropriate for a piled pier, but Quayside data sets
are also available in many cases (representing a solid quay wall spaced about 3 m from the vessel).
The data covers drafts with ratios to loaded draft over the ranges indicated and bottom clearances from
very deep to about 5% of the breadth.
The values of gyradius (in air) assumed in all motion calculations are as follows:
roll: kxx = 0.34 Breadth
pitch: kyy = 0.25 Lpp
yaw: kzz = 0.26 Lpp
If you prefer to use you own RAO data instead of the HCF data supplied by TTI, you can do so freely,
by pasting your own RAO data file into the Seakeeping Data folder, alongside the .HCF files Both
types of seakeeping data file (RAO and HCF) can sit together in the Seakeeping Data folder, where it
should be identified as an RAO data file in the drop-down list of wave motion data files on the vessel
data window. Your .RAO file must be in the correct format to be readable by Optimoor. There is a
sample file called SampleUserRAO’s.RAO to guide you. This is a flat text file with few formatting
restrictions, but the data must be in the correct sequence and follow line pattern indicated. Optimoor
will interpolate the data linearly for draft, water depth, wave direction and frequency. The RAO data
entered in blocks must all have same number and range of drafts , water depths, wave directions and
frequencies as those specified. Optimoor will automatically scale all RAO’s, wave periods, drafts, and
GM data, on the basis of SQRT(Breadth) if the actual breadth used in Optimoor is different from the
breadth used for the supplied RAO data.
The shape of the wave motion response curves can be viewed by clicking the Window… Wave
response drop down menu, or -W on the vesseL window. Note that the orbital movement of the
water in long waves in shallow water becomes more elliptical than circular, generating horizontal ship
motions significantly greater than the wave height.
Storms generate a range of wave periods which conform to the Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum when
fully developed after several hours. In fact this is a special case of the more complicated JONSWAP
spectrum which has not been implemented yet as it requires a user input for a coefficient depending on
the degree of development of the storm. Note also that the waves are assumed to be uni-directional
and long-crested. Short crested waves spread over a range of directions have not been implemented,
but would generally result in smaller motions.
Narrow band swell are waves more regular in period, although successive heights vary significantly in
accordance with the Rayleigh distribution. This option would be relevant for pure swell arising from
far distant storms after much of the shorter period waves have dissipated or been left behind by the
faster travelling longer wave components. Older versions of Optimoor took narrow band waves as
having no spread of periods, but after version 5.3.8 the swell spectrum proposed by Longuet-Higgins
was implemented and this results in a more realistic motion response with less sensitivity to small
changes in swell periods.
Although you specify the sea-state severity in terms of the significant wave height (this is the mean of
the highest third of all individual waves and corresponds approximately to visual observation), all the
63
wave induced motions in OPTIMOOR are normally the statistically most likely maximum values
in a 3 hour period, based on standard Rayleigh probability theory at the specified wave period. You
can switch the results to significant values by clicking the
The wave period used in OPTIMOOR (and normally employed by mariners and naval architects) is the
mean period such as would be observed or measured at a buoy. However, care should be taken when
making use of wave period information because meteorologists and oceanographers usually refer to
the period corresponding to the spectral peak, the period of waves which have the greatest energy. For
example, in a Pierson-Moskowitz spectrum the mean period is typically only about 70% of the peak
energy period, while in narrow-banded swell the mean and peak energy periods are the same.
For a CALM system only, the motion is assumed to allow for the amplitude of the wave induced
movement of the single buoy, taking its motion to be the same as the orbital movement of the waves.
The wave forces on small buoys used in other mooring systems are neglected by OPTIMOOR.
Wave Motions at Specific Positions on the Ship
If waves are present, a Table will appear at the bottom of the Mooring Response window showing the
wave motions at specific positions on the ship. Two of these are the port and stbd targets previously
defined on the vesseL window. Up to 4 other positions may be specified anywhere on the ship. Note
that the motions tabled are due purely to the first order wave component, whereas the movement of
the vessel at the target shown at the top left of this window is the total excursion including all forces
acting on the ship.
In the table above the port target has a sway amplitude of 0.08 m, which means that it has a 50%
probability of moving transversely ±0.08 m just once in 3 hours, in a significant wave height specified
at the top of this window. Optimoor does not specify or report the maximum wave height, but this is
usually around 1.8 times the significant height. If you click the Significant button instead of the 3hr
Maximum button above, all the values will represent significant wave motions for the significant wave
height, in other words frequently occurring and representing the average of the highest third.
Clearly, if these motions were purely sinusoidal and 1-dimensional, then the maximum velocities
would occur at the equilibrium position. However this is definitely not the case for wave motion in a
spectrum, so Optimoor gives you the statistically most likely maximum velocity in each of the ship’s
movement in 3 dimensions , and also the most likely maximum combined velocity for any direction.
Bear in mind that we are dealing with randomly phased motions, so there is a small chance that the
maximum velocity could occur at the maximum reach of the movement, although the radial velocity
must always be zero at this point.
64
Further Discussion of How Wave Motion is Calculated
The calculation of wave motion at a particular point on the ship is quite complex and depends among
other things on the phase difference between the various degress of freedom (DoF). Consider the
heave (vertical amplitude of movement) of the wing of the bridge in the above example. In the context
of the pure motions in all 6 DoF, the linear motions are taken at the centre of motion which is usually
assumed to be the CoG (although in reality is itself a moving point, an approximation which is
ignored). In the context of the table of motions, a particular point on the ship away from the centre of
motion, wherever that might be, must and does take into account the vertical motion resulting from roll
and pitch (yaw is irrelevant for vertical movement). However, you cannot simply add these vertical
motion amplitudes because they are not generally in phase with each other. Say pitch was 180° out of
phase with pure heave you would subtract the motions at points aft but add them at points forward.
The heave amplitude has to be calculated taking into account the actual phases for each DoF of the
motion for a given frequency. If you repeat a similar calculation for surge and sway you can also
calculate these motions for the same single frequency. In the very special case of surge sway and
heave coincidentally having the same phase, the motion would be in a straight line at some angle in
space defined by the relative amplitudes of the 3 components giving a combined amplitude of the root
of the sum of their squares. These 3 DoF movements generally have different phases, so the
calculation of the resultant combined motion requires you to separate the 3 motions into in-phase and
out-of-phase components. That is just for one wave frequency, so the calculation has to be repeated
for all 50 or so frequencies used in the spectrum. As there can be no correlation of phase between the
different spectral frequencies, we use probability theory from classic naval architecture i.e. the
Rayleigh distribution to get the most likely peak motion amplitudes either for a 3 hour period, or as an
average of the highest third values (the significant value). For further explanation you should refer to
any text book on ship motions e.g. SNAME’s Principles of Naval Architecture Vol 3, Seakeeping by
ARJM Lloyd, Sea Loads on Ships by OM Faltinsen etc.
There is a difference in the way the actual ship motions are calculated from a given wave spectrum
between version 6.2 and 6.3. This was necessary because the Ship2Ship module requires the RAO’s
for both ships to be given at the same frequencies for each ship, but the frequencies obtained from the
HCF files are scaled to match the size of each ship. To overcome this problem, in versions from 6.3
all wave motion calculations are made on the basis of a range of frequencies based on the wave
spectrum used. This means that the HCF wave motion data is now interpolated to correspond with the
spectral frequencies, as opposed to choosing spectral frequencies which correspond with the HCF data.
This will result in some differences in the actual wave motions and wave drift forces calculated by the
different procedures. These differences will lie within the range of accuracy that can be expected from
wave motion calculations, bearing in mind that real sea-state spectra rarely correspond well to those
defined by mathematical formulae.
Fatigue Life (Plus version with WRM)
An estimate of the fatigue life of a mooring line requires statistical information about its long term
pattern of loading, together with data on its load extension properties and so-called T-N curves which
define the number of cycles to failure at any repeated range of tension.
The approach is to first estimate the percentage of elapsed time a given mooring arrangement is
exposed to any given sea-state. Using a Rayleigh distribution of tensions for each sea-state,
OPTIMOOR calculates the annual number of cycles at any level of tension range for each mooring
65
line. Miner’s Rule is then be used in conjunction with the relevant T-N curve to predict the fatigue life
of each segment of each line.
Because of the uncertainty surrounding all of this, the predicted life must be treated with
circumspection. However it can be useful to indicate whether fatigue life is likely to be measured in
weeks or years, or for comparing the relative durabilities of different types of line, mooring
arrangements, or wave environments.
To estimate the fatigue life, click the Sweep… Fatigue life… menu on the Mooring window (static
mode)
The table allows you to enter the percentage of the time that the moored ship is exposed to any
particular sea-state. In order to provide flexibility, up to 36 tables of wave statistics may be entered,
each comprising 10 rows of wave heights combined with 13 columns of wave periods. The first row
of each table is a header for comment only, but if it is deleted or made blank, any data in the table will
be ignored. The left-most column specifies the wave direction(s) for the whole table (not just the
waves in that row). If more than one wave direction is specified it is assumed that all the sea-states are
divided equally in each direction.
In the example above, the third row of the first table indicates that for 0.654% of the time there is a
significant wave height in the range of 0.25-0.5 m with a mean period in the range 5-6 secs. Note that
this is the exposure time as a percentage of the elapsed time, so if the ship is only moored for say 20%
of the time, the figure of 0.654% implies that the berth is exposed to this sea-state for 3.27% of the
time. Note that this is the percentage of the whole time, and the header comment referring to June is
only for the purpose of reference, because in this case the source data was supplied month by month.
Each sea-state is allowed a quarter of the time for each of the four directions specified from 180° to
240°. Sea-state statistics from all the tables with active data are included in the fatigue life calculation.
It is normal for mariners to specify wave periods as the mean time between crests or between zero up-
crossing points. Oceanographers often use the so-called modal period which corresponds to the period
associated with the greatest wave energy. For swell conditions which are narrow-banded, both periods
are similar. However for a typical wind driven wave spectrum the modal period is significantly longer
than the mean period, and the effect of choosing the modal period option button at the top of the
window is to calculate the wave statistics on the basis of mean periods which are only 70% of the
modal periods displayed.
66
BATCH OPERATION
Batch Operation
The batch option is available in the Plus version and at present is restricted to static mode, but it is
intended to add dynamic mode eventually. It allows you to prepare any number of cases with
combinations of parameters, which can then be run unattended to analyse thousands of cases and post-
process the large quantity of output data. The results of the runs are reported with a summary of those
cases which give the worst tensions etc. To activate the batch mode, click File… Batch menu…
When you open the batch window after re-starting Optimoor, the batch data that is displayed always
corresponds to the data you hold currently in the main part of the program.
Since this only has one value for each parameter, if you run this example in Batch mode you will only
have one set of results, but you can enter additional values in columns 4 to 13, or restore a previous
batch condition by loading a saved batch (.env) file.
The batch files associated with a ParticularCase file are stored in a subfolder of the folder holding the
ParticularCase.opt file, named as ParticularCase Batch Files. If this subfolder does not exist, Optimoor
should create it automatically. You can load a batch file from anywhere on your PC, but it will be
saved by default into the Batch File folder associated with your current case.
An example of a non-trivial batch file is shown below. If you run this batch file all 24 combinations of
values will be analysed automatically and the results reported in the Report window. Non-compliant
values are shown in red, and there is the option to report only non-compliant results, thereby reducing
excessive output.
67
BATCH OPERATION
Linking Parameters
In the example above there are no linkages shown in the 2nd column headed Link, so all parameter
values are combined with each other. In the following example, the standard OCIMF environmental
conditions are entered (note that this special case is built-in and can be set up by automatically clicking
the menu tab):
Here, wind directions are swept around the compass, so no data is required in this row. In this case
each of the current directions are associated with just one specific current speed, so there are actually
only eight cases of current to be considered. To prevent the analysis of all 64 combinations of current,
the current directions (denoted c) are linked to the appropriate current speed (denoted by C) by
entering c in the Link column. For example, when the batch routine reaches the current speed of say
0.75 knots, it restricts the choice of direction to the value of -90 in the same column and does not
combine with any other value. Linkages can be made between any of the parameters, for example
draft (D) and trim (T) as shown, which would result in a total of 16 Optimoor runs being checked.
Note that links can only be made downwards in the table, so in the example above you can link D-T
68
BATCH OPERATION
but not T-D. There is no limit to the total number of links you can make, but beware that wherever a
link is made between any parameters, there must be data in all the cells linked vertically in the table. If
there is a blank in any of these liked cells, no error will arise, but that case will be omitted.
The data in the batch window is retained until you close it, even if you jump out of the batch window
and click the batch menu later. If you close it without saving as a batch file you will then lose any
changes you may have made to it. Multiple batch files can be saved in one folder and you can run all
batch files in this folder with a single command. The results are reported and the worst cases
identified automatically.
If you want to change other parameters not shown in the batch window, for example mooring line
types, or fender positions, you need to create separate case files, and save the batch (.env) files in their
associated Batch Files folder. This folder is a subfolder of the folder where the case file is saved, and
the subfolder name has the same name as the associated case file.
Options
Pressing the Options menu will open a dialog box shown.
You can set the batch program to automatically repeat the analysis of an intact mooring with each line
removed singly in turn. You also have the option to set the basis on which you want the Pull-In to be
initialised, which may be either done afresh for each batch case, or the Pull-In’s can be kept the same
for all cases, which you may require if winches are not tended as draft and water levels change.
Multiple Batch Runs
To run a single batch file (the one displayed), simply press Ctrl-R. However, the second option on the
Batch menu also allows you to automatically run all the batch files you have saved for the case
currently loaded. This has the advantage of identifying the worst environmental conditions arising in
all these batch files globally. With the third option you can extend the batch runs even further to
69
BATCH OPERATION
include all batch files for all the case files in the same folder alongside the case file currently loaded.
This will automatically identify the worst conditions in the batch files associated with each case file,
and also identify the worst conditions for all the batch files across all the case files.
70
SIDE BY SIDE MOORINGS
In the Ship2Ship Optimoor module any shielding does not affect the wind and current drag coefficient
values themselves, but the windage (or current) area for the downstream ship is reduced by an arbitrary
“shadow” area. For any given wind (or current) direction, Optimoor calculates the overlap of the
upstream hull centreline length (LBP) on the downstream hull centreline length. The shadow length
on the downstream vessel is taken as 85% of the overlap times the lower freeboard (or draft for
current) of either vessel. Superstructure shadows are ignored.
Ship Interaction and Phasing of Motions
The shielding for wind and waves is arbitrarily modelled by us, as there is little appropriate research or
data available in this area. Regarding wave motions, this is much more complicated. The WRM
neglects any wave interaction between two vessels side by side, and the motion data for each ship is
calculated separately. This is necessary because all the wave motion data is pre-calculated for all wave
periods, directions, vessel drafts and water depths. Because of the large combination of the matrix of
parameters, creation of this Hydrodynamic CoeFficient data involves considerable computation, but
provides a look-up table (HCF file) which can rapidly get the results relevant for any particular ship
condition and environment, at a fraction of the cost and time cost required to run a ship motion
program for each specific case. If there are two ships and interaction is included, it becomes an
impossibly large task to combine all the parameters for both ships. However, the interaction effects
are probably not very important.
Version 6.2.9 assumes that the phasing of motions of the two ships is completely random. For shorter
period waves (half wavelength less than say roughly the ship breadth, this is probably a reasonable
assumption. In longer waves, the relative motions are overestimated on the random phase assumption,
because the two ships tend to move more in harmony with each other as the wave length and period
increases. Version 6.3 takes into account the phasing between the ships, but this has presented some
problems because now the both ship responses must be calculated at the same frequencies, whereas
previously the response was calculated at the frequencies used in the original HCF data, scaled to
match the actual ship size to the ship size used for the HCF data. For S2S operations The two ships
will almost always have HCF data for different frequencies, so calculating the phase shift at any given
frequency requires both sets of HCF data to be harmonised for the same frequencies. In versions after
6.3, the wave motion calculations are carried out at the same frequencies for both ships.
71
REPORTING
By pressing Ctrl-R the text and graphics of most windows can also be added to a scrollable Report
window which can be edited or re-arranged before saving. You can “cut and paste” parts or the entire
contents of this window into any other Windows application for printing out or inclusion in a report.
Reporting graphics makes considerable demands on the system memory resources, and to avoid losing
data, it may prove necessary to copy graphical results into your word processor as soon as they are
reported.
The Report window is automatically saved in rich text format with the same name as the .OPT file, but
with the extension .RTF. This file can be loaded directly into any windows word processor. Note that
tabulated data will not line up unless you use a fixed spacing font such as Courier or Lucida
Console.
When you report graphics (for example the site arrangement and the simulation plot) you are
effectively copying the screen image. In addition to the OPTIMOOR menu, any window on your
screen can be saved by pressing Alt-PrtScr. This puts the active window into your Clipboard Viewer
(if this is not already installed, simply run your Windows setup utility). Then go to the Report window
(or any word processor) and press Ctrl-V to paste it in. Graphic images use up large amounts of
memory in rich text format (RTF). Your word processor may take some time to load these images, but
will then compress them to a small fraction of their RTF size.
Hard copy printing of the results is only possible on the report window, by using the print menu option
Ctrl-P.
72
Comments to be added
The setup window for dynamic simulation is always true direction
Also, remember that all directions are travelling "from", and clockwise so as to be internally
consistent, but various conventions are used elsewhere. For example in model wave tanks it is normal
to measure wave direction counter-clockwise with zero from stern to bow.
In the case of surge and sway at the target for a pierside mooring surge is +ve forward for ship while
sway is +ve into the fenders.
For a normal spread mooring or CBM, if you have sufficient lines connected to the ship at sufficient
distance apart, you can use the static mode.
For a turret mooring, this too uses the Spread Mooring option with anchor points surrounding the ship.
However, the ship fairlead positions for the mooring lines are now all placed in the same position on
the bottom of the ship, where the turret is. By placing them close together you automatically prevent
the mooring line forces from generating any yaw restraint, which effectively allows the ship freedom
to rotate about the turret, and the turret chain tensions are all individually calculated as if they were
mooring lines. Generally you will need to use dynamic mode.
For a SPM where the ship is moored directly to an anchor or a fixed tower, you would again use the
Spread Mooring option, but with only one line (or pair of similar lines). You may have a small buoy
in this line, but this can only have one anchor chain, so essentially the ship moves around the anchor,
not the buoy. You must use dynamic mode.
For a CALM, there is only one buoy and all the riser chains connect to this one buoy. The ship line(s)
then connect to the buoy, not the anchors.
The analysis can only be conducted in dynamic mode, since static equilibrium is generally impossible.
Movement of the buoy is calculated on a quasi-static basis (the mass of the buoy is neglected, and
wave forces on the buoy are also ignored). Tensions in the riser chains are not displayed, but you can
display the variation of chain tension with CALM buoy movement by opening the line properties
window from the vessel window (Ctrl-L, Ctrl-L and Show catenary menu).
If your primary interest is the CALM buoy design, rather than the ship to buoy mooring, then you
should treat the CALM buoy as a special case of a spread mooring, where the "vessel" is treated as a
pontoon with Breadth = LBP = diameter of buoy. The hawser line forces from the tanker would have
to be input explicitly as an Other Force or as a pre-calculated dynamic force variation with time.
Regarding reference height for the buoy anchor level in a pierside mooring, this is specified as +ve up
from pier height, so would be a -ve number. This ensures a consistent datum as indicated in the first
column is used for all attachment points in a mixed pierside mooring. If you choose a CBM or spread
anchor mooring berth type, the datum is +ve up from the dredged depth. If you change berth type, you
will see the display changes so as to maintain the same actual height.
When you define buoys in the berth file, Optimoor assumes they always stay on the surface. The
vertical angle of the line is measured from fairlead to buoy at waterline. The catenary of the riser
chain from anchor to buoy will have the same horizontal component, but may have an excessive or
incorrect vertical component if you forget the way the buoy is modelled.
Optimoor does not check the buoyancy of the buoys, so does not allow for the fact that if the vertical
force at the top is too high the buoy will submerge. If you have a situation where the buoys are simply
73
Comments to be added
markers and are routinely pulled below the surface when connected, you should treat them as part of
the ship's mooring line, not defined in the berth window because these buoys always stay on the
surface. The ship's line would have additional "tails", with the buoy itself being represented as a
negative lump wt (its residual buoyancy submerged) and the riser chain as extra tail(s) connected
directly to the anchor. It is then assumed the buoy always remains submerged, but you can check this
by looking at the shape of the catenary line on the line properties window. Incidentally, in this case
the vertical angle shown for the line would be the angle at the fairlead.
If you re-enter the final conditions as initial values you will get different values because Ctrl-I resets
the pre-tension.
Ctrl-F (or any other change not involving re-initialisation) does not tend the lines, so if you drop the
ship by 7.8m you slacken the lines and get more excursion than you would if pre-tension had been
reset.
There is no option in Optimoor to reset the pre-tension as conditions change, but it can be done by
adjusting the individual winches. The idea of pre-tension only works if you can hold the ship in
position against the environmental forces while adjusting the lines, but in practice the tugs would have
long gone away.
Optimoor assumes that a buoy defined in the berth window way has sufficient buoyancy (and weight)
to remain always on the surface, so the inclination of the buoy riser chain to the horizontal may be
limited by its length. Therefore, since horizontal equilibrium must be maintained, the chain tension
could be several times the mooring line tension resulting in excessive uplift required at the anchor. If
it is clear that such a buoy would be pulled below the surface, unless (as assumed in Optimoor) it were
very large. The way to handle this is to re-define the vessel mooring lines to include the riser chain as
a tail, with the buoy as a negative weight tail. To do this, first specify the effective length of the tail
element as the diameter of the buoy, say 1, then use the drop-down menu for type of tail to choose Wt
(at bottom of list). The Tail Diameter cell now represents the immersed net weight of the buoy (which
will be negative). If you have, say, three lines to one buoy, you can either divide the buoy and its
chain into 3 thirds, or combine the mooring line into one line with 3 times the area (all three lines must
be of similar length and lie within a few degrees of each other). You will find that the buoy usually
has very little effect on the results at high tension, and you can probably ignore it anyway, simply
adding the chain as a tail to the vessel line. This also simplifies the reverse problem of modelling the
buoy being lifted above the water line at low tensions, which is more cosmetic than real, because low
tension lines have no effect on the mooring results.
74

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INSTALLATION

GENERAL ENVIRONMENT WINDOW

LINE PROPERTIES WINDOW

MOORING RESULTS WINDOW

SITE PLAN ARRANGEMENT WINDOW

WAVE RESPONSE MODULE (WRM)

SIDE BY SIDE SHIP MOORING (S2S MODULE)

BATCH MODE WINDOW

PRINTING AND REPORTING

Layout of the Program

Moving Around the Program

Locking Data to prevent Changes

Some Common Terms Used

LOA length overall

GENERAL ENVIRONMENT WINDOW

Initial & Final Time, Draft Trim and Water Level

Number of Fenders within Range

Minimum Bottom Clearance

Wave and Swell Height

Harbour Seiche (or Long Period Surge Waves)

Other Static Force and Moment Data

Water Level (WL)

Pier Height above Datum

Dredged Depth below Datum

Caution when pasting blocks bollard data from another spreadsheet

Fender Data (Pierside Mooring only)

Non-linear load-compression characteristics of each fender can be modelled by up to a maximum of 10

Shielding from Wind and Waves

Wind & Current Vertical Profile

Local Tide Adjustment

Tidal Current Data

Anchor Point Data

CATENARY ANCHOR LEG MOORING (CALM)

Target Position (see below for loadout option)

Windage and Drag Coefficients

Choice of Ship Type for Wave Response

Fender Range Limits

Winch Brake Limits and Constant Tension Winch (optional)

Press = to aim all pre-tensions the same as under the cursor.

Fairlead to Bitt or Winch

Line Size and Strength

Pennants or Tails (optional)

The built-in options are:

SW Steel Wire (XIPS with steel core)

SS Spiral Strand wire

Catenary Effects (Plus version only)

Pre-tensioning Catenary Lines

Cyclic Effects in Dynamic Loading

Movement after a sudden line failure.

The effective masses in the longitudinal and transverse directions are

Initialising the Simulation

Auto-calculation is not applicable to the Position or Dynamic modes of analysis.

Wind, Current, and Wave Sweep

[Note different wordings for excursion after sweep]

Current, Wind and Wave Capability Rose

Mooring Connection Table

A mooring line can be disconnected without assigning it to another bollard/hook/anchor by positioning

Connections can also be made graphically on the Arrangement plan.

Any brake slippage on the winches is cancelled

SITE PLAN ARRANGEMENT WINDOW

Displaying the Plan View

Environment Force Vector

Importing a Background Graphics Display

Adjusting the Arrangement Plan Aspect Ratio