SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

FOR CONTAINER SHIPS

Two of the hazards associated with the carriage of
containers on deck are:

(i) Failure of the securing arrangements causing a shift

of cargo or a loss of containers and consequent
listing of the ship.
(ii) The possibility of a large angle of heel due to strong
beam winds.

If it is possible that the height of the windage area from

the load waterline to the top of the highest tier of
containers exceeds 30% of the ship's beam there
must be information in the stability book about:

(i) The lateral area exposed to wind.

(ii) The position of the centre of gravity of this area.
(iii) The leverage from this centre of gravity to the mid-
draft.
(iv) The steady heel produced by strong winds (pressure
48.5 kg/m2) when the ship is in the 'worst service
condition' (including ice accretion if trading in an
area in which ice may form).
 h

Load waterline
B

If h is greater than 30% of the beam (B).

Then Wind heeling information must be

supplied.
(v) The angle of heel at which the deck edge becomes
immersed.
(vi) The angle to which the ship might roll, if, having
rolled 15° to windward of its steady angle, in (iv)
above, it is then acted on by a gust 50% in excess of
the steady wind. This is termed the angle of dynamic
heel.
(vii) The angle of heel at which flooding could occur
through openings which cannot be closed watertight.
The angles of heel due to strong beam winds are
found by drawing a curve of righting moments for
the ship in the 'worst service condition' and super-
imposing on it the graph of the steady wind moment
set up by a pressure of 48.5 kg/m2 on the windage
area.
If the windage area is A m2 with centroid at P, the
force at P due to the steady wind is found by:
P = (A x 48.5)/1000 tonnes
This is resisted by an equal and opposite force at Q (the
half draught position) and consequently sets up a
heeling moment:
Heeling moment in (t-m) = (A x48.5)/1000 x PQ
 C P

48.5 Kgf/m2

Q
48.5 Kgf/m2

An equal and opposite reaction is considered

to act at half-draught depth.
This moment is drawn as a horizontal line superimposed
on the curve of righting moments.
The angle of steady heel due to this steady wind is Ө1
where the righting and heeling moments are equal. This
angle should not be more than about 0.65 of the angle of
deck edge immersion.
The value of the gusting wind moment is (1.5 x steady moment)
and a second horizontal line is drawn as shown.
This gust is assumed to act when the vessel is starting to
recover from the angle Ө2 (an angle which is 15° to windward
of Ө1 angle of steady heel). This gust will cause the vessel to
heel to Ө3 . This angle of dynamic heel is at the position where
the shaded area S1 equals shaded area S2. The value of Ө3
should not be greater than the angle at which flooding could
occur through openings which cannot be made watertight.
EXAMPLE :-
A container ship displacing 32000 tonnes at a draught of 9.90 m
has a lateral windage area of 1400 m2 with centroid 16.2 m above
the keel, KG 9.80 m and KM 10.15 m. The angle of deck edge
immersion is 15° and the angle at which progressive down-
flooding occurs is 26°. Determine whether or not the stability is
adequate in terms of the effect of strong beam winds if the
righting levers (GZ) are:
Ө 0° 10° 20° 30°
GZ(m) 0 0.06 0.14 0.24

Thrust at a pressure 48.5 kg/m2:

P = (A x 48.5) = (1400 x 48.5) = 67.9 tonnes
1000 1000
Heeling lever = 16.20 - 9.9 = 11.25 metre
2
Steady wind heeling moment = 67.9 x 11.25 = 764 tonnes-metres
Gusting wind heeling moment = 1.5 x 764 = 1146 tonnes-metres
Righting moments:
0° = 0 t-m
10° = 32000 x 0.06 = 1920 t-m
20° = 32000 x 0.14 = 4480 t-m
30° = 32000 x 0.24 = 7680 t-m

Plot the curve of righting moments as shown for both sides of the
upright condition.
Since Angle of Progressive flooding is 26°
and Ө3 is 21° so vessel complies.
Ө3 = Angle where Area S1 = Area S2
The method to be adopted is as follows:

1. Calculate area S1 using Simpson's rules.

2. From ship's hydrostatic data determine the angle of

progressive flooding (Өf) for the ship's loaded

condition.
3. Calculate the area bounded by the gusting wind
heeling moment arm and the righting moment
curve
between Өy and Өf using Simpson's rules.
4. Provided that : Area S1 < Area S2 (Өy to Өf), the
ship will comply with the regulations.

In many instances it will not be necessary to use

Simpson's rules to verify compliance, since it will
be
obvious that the ship complies when visually it is
apparent that Area S1 < than S2.

NOTES :

48.5 Kgf = 50 m.p.h. wind speed approx.

= Beaufort scale 9