By
Alex Smith |
Finnish naval architecture and marine engineering business Foreship has produced a guide for shipowners on the impact of weight gain on the stability of ageing ships, as well as highlighting solutions to reduce its impact.
According to the infographic, ships increase in weight over the years due to factors such as repeated painting and the accumulation of dirt, dust and moisture. The addition of new attractions and additional passenger capacity can also increase weight.
This accumulation has the potential to cause stability issues for the vessel, and the Safety of Life at Sea Convention requires passenger ships to be weighed every five years to ensure they remain safe. If weight increases by more than 2 per cent over the previous test, a new test is required, and stability calculations need to be updated.
Foreship’s infographic also highlights solutions that can counteract increases in vessel weight and improve stability. These include modifications to tanks and watertight integrity, the addition of a large steel structure called a sponson-ducktail at the stern, and more accurate weight and stability testing.