Abbreviations are used in ship

          LENGTH OVERALL (LOA):- The distance from the extreme FORE part of the ship to a similar point AFT and is the greatest length of the ship. This is important when docking.

 

      LENGTH BETWEEN PERPENDICULAR (LBP):- The FORE perpendicular is the point at which the summer load water line crosses the stem. The AFT perpendicular is the after side of the rudder post or the center of the rudder stock. The distance between these two points is known as the Length between Perpendiculars.

             BREADTH MOULDED (B.MLD):- The greatest breadth of the ship, measured to the inside of the inside strake of the shell plating.

     BREADTH EXTREME (B.EXT):- The greatest breadth of the ship measured to the outside of the shell plating

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             DEPTH MOULDED (D.MLD):- The depth measured from top of the keel.

 

     DEPTH EXTREME (D.EXT):- The depth measured from the underside of the keel to the top of the deck beam at the side of the upper most continuous deck, AMIDSHIP (center of the ship).

    DRAUGHT EXTREME (D.EXT):- The distance from the bottom of the keel to the water line. The load Draught is maximum draught to which a vessel may be loaded.

 

     FREE BOARD: - The distance from the water line to the top of the deck plating at the side of the deck, AMIDSHIP.

 

    CAMBER OR ROUND OF BEAM: - The transverse curvature of the deck from the center line down to the sides. This curvature is used on exposed deck to drain water to the sides of the ship. Decks are often cambered. Most Modern ships have decks which are flat transversely over the width of the hatch or center tanks and slope down towards the side of the ship.

 

      SHEER: - The curvature of the deck in a FORE or AFT direction, rising from the midship to the maximum at the ends. The sheer FORWARD is twice that of AFT. Sheer on exposed decks make a ship more sea worthy by raising the deck at the FORE and AFT ends further from the water and by reducing the volume of water from entering on the deck.

 

     TUMBLE HOME: - In some ships the midships shells in the region of the upper deck is curved slightly towards the centre line, then reducing the width of the upper deck and deck above. Such tumble home improves the appearance  of the ship