Weight and buoyancy is the foundation in design: get it right

Stability and cargo carrying capacity are fundamental in vessel design and are governed by the vertical centre of gravity (VCG), identified through performing the inclining experiment. It is well known that the current method for calculating the VCG following inclining experiments is limited by assuming an un-changed metacentre position when the vessel is heeled and may produce error prone results. This paper will present alternative calculation methods which have been tested together with the Classical method on a range of vessels to highlight their accuracy and flexibility. The worst-case result using the Classical method will be utilised to highlight the implications such errors may have on stability and cargo carrying capacity performance. The results demonstrate the importance of correct VCG calculation for a safe and optimal vessel de-sign, as even minor errors in the order of millimeters may translate into extensive weights and moments com-promising stability and cargo carrying capacity.