COMPARISON OF STABILITY OF A SHIP IN THE LIGHT AND FULLY

LOADED CONDITIONS

Figure 1 shows the metacentric diagram for M.V. Almar. As the ship is
progressively loaded from the light condition (draught 2.33 m) to the summer
load condition (draught 10.20 m) KM decreases (with a slight increase
occurring for draughts 8.60 m upwards).

M.V. ALMAR METACENTRIC DIAGRAM

16

14

12

10

KM, KB
8
& BM (m)

0
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Draught (m)

KB BM KM

Fig.1

KM = KB + BM

COMPARISON OF STABILITY OF A SHIP IN THE LIGHT AND FULLY LOADED CONDITIONS 1

KB obviously increases with draught whereas BM reduces as explained
below.

M
b
b1

B B1
b
b1
B B1

Fig. 2

The movement of B for any angle of heel could be calculated using:

BB1 = v × bb1
V

where:
v is the volume of the transferred wedge;
bb1 is the distance through which the centroid of the wedge has
moved, and;
V is the volume of displacement of the ship.

At the load draught (displacement) the volume of the transferred wedge of

buoyancy (v) represents a smaller part of the total volume of displacement of
the ship (V) than it would at the light draught (displacement).

Thus: BM decreases as draught increases. For the normal range of

operational draughts of a ship KM will generally decrease as draught
increases with a slight increase again at the deepest draughts as evidenced
by the metacentric diagram for M.V. Almar (figure 1).

Figure 3 makes a comparison of the curves of statical stability for M.V Almar
in the light condition and fully loaded condition assuming a constant value of
KG. The dotted curve (…….) is for a lesser value of KG that would provide a
more suitable condition of loading (as recommended in a loading condition in
the stability book on which M.V. Almar was based).

COMPARISON OF STABILITY OF A SHIP IN THE LIGHT AND FULLY LOADED CONDITIONS 2

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

-0.5

-1.0

Light condition (KG 9.00 m) Load condition (KG 9.00 m) Load condition (KG 7.83 m)

Fig. 3

In terms of GZ values alone, for a given KG value the ship will become less
stable the more it is loaded, however:

RIGHTING MOMENT (t-m) = GZ (m) × DISPLACEMENT (t)

The righting moment curves show that the extra weight of the loaded ship will
require more ‘work’ by the external forces to heel the ship to a particular angle
of heel (figure 4).

COMPARISON OF STABILITY OF A SHIP IN THE LIGHT AND FULLY LOADED CONDITIONS 3

 40000

35000

30000

25000

20000
Righting
moment 15000
(t-m)
10000

5000

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
-5000

-10000
Heel (deg.)

Light condition (KG 9.00 m) Load condition (KG 9.00 m) Load (KG 7.83 m)

Fig. 4

In terms of righting moment, provided that the ship has a suitable value of KG
in the loaded condition then in reality the ship will have greater stability as
more ‘work’ will be required to heel the vessel to a particular angle of heel as
a consequence of the increased displacement.

COMPARISON OF STABILITY OF A SHIP IN THE LIGHT AND FULLY LOADED CONDITIONS 4