ShipSizes|MaritimeConnector.

com
55
Cargoshipsorvesselscomeindifferenttypesandsizestomeetthevariousdemandsofmarinecargo
transportation.Cargoshipsarecategorisedpartlybycapacityandpartlybydimensions(oftenrelatedtothe
differentcanalsandcanallockstheyaretravelingthrough).Sizesofcargovesselsrangefromamodest
handysizecarriers(10,00030,000DWT)tomammothVLCCandULCCsupertankerswithacapacitytocarry
cargoesofmorethan200,000DWT.AframaxandPanamaxaremidsizedcargovessels.

Aframax
AFRAstandsforAverageFreightRateAssessment.Asthenamesuggests,Aframaxaremediumsizedoil
tankerswithadeadweighttonnage(DWT)between80,000and119,999.Thoughrelativelysmallinsizein
comparisontoVLCCandULCC,Aframaxtankershaveacapacitytocarryupto120,000metrictonnesof
crudeoil.Theyarejustidealforshorttomediumhauloiltrades,andareprimarilyusedinregionsoflower
crudeproduction,ortheareasthatlacklargeportstoaccommodategiantoilcarriers.

Aframaxtanker

Capesize
Theyareverylargeandultralargecargovesselswithacapacityover150,000DWT.Theyarecategorised
underVLCC,ULCC,VLOCandULOCandcanbeaslargeas400,000DWTorevenmore.Theyserve
regionswithlargestdeepwaterterminalsintheworldandareprimarilyusedfortransportingcoalandironore.
Becauseoftheirgiantsize,theyaresuitabletoserveonlyasmallnumberofportswithdeepwaterterminals.

VeryLargeOreCarrier

Chinamax
Chinamaxshipsareverylargebulkcarrierwhichcan'tbelongerthan360m(1,180ft),widerthan65m(213ft)
andherdraftcan'tbemorethan24m(79ft).Thedeadweighttonnageofthesevesselsis380,000400,000
DWT.
Ship'smaximummeasurementsaredefinedbytheChinamaxstandars,allowingportstodeterminewhether
theycanaccommodateshipsinthisclass.Asthenamesuggests,theseshipsareoftenusedtomovecargoto
andfromChinaalongseveraltraderoutes,suchastheironoreroutefromBraziltoChina.

Chinamaxship

Handymax/Supramax
Handymaxaresmallsizedcargoshipswithasizelessthan60,000DWT.Supramaxvesselshavecapacity
between50,000to60,000DWT.Duetotheirsmallsize,theyarecapableofoperatinginregionswithsmall
portswithlengthanddraughtrestrictions.Theyformthemajorityofoceangoingcargovesselsintheworld.

Handymax

Handysize
Handysizearesmallsizedshipswithacapacityrangingbetween15,000and35,000DWT.Thesevesselsare
idealforsmallaswellaslargeports,andsomakeupthemajorityofoceancargovesselsintheworld.Theyare
mainlyusedintransportingfinishedpetroleumproductsandforbulkcargo.

Handysize

Malaccamax
Asthenamesuggests,MalaccamaxshipsarethelargestshipsthatcanpassthroughtheStraitoffMalacca
whichis25m(82ft)deep.Asperthecurrentpermissiblelimits,aMalaccamaxvesselcanhaveamaximum
lengthof400m(1,312ft),beamof59m(193.5ft),anddraughtof14.5m(47.5ft).

NewMaerskTrippleEclassMalaccamaxship

PanamaxandNewPanamax
Asthenamesuggests,PanamaxandNewPanamaxshipsaretravellingthroughthePanamaCanal.They
strictlyfollowthesizeregulationssetbythePanamaCanalAuthority,astheentryandexitpointsoftheCanal
arenarrow.APanamaxvesselcan'tbelongerthan294,13m(965ft),widerthan32,31m(106ft)andher

draughtcan'tbemorethan12,04m(39.5ft).Thesevesselshaveanaveragecapacityof65,000DWT,andare
primarilyusedintransportingcoal,crudeoilandpetroleumproducts.TheyoperateintheCaribbeanandLatin
Americanregions.
TheNewPanamaxhasbeencreatedasaresultoftheexpandingplansforPanamaCanallocks.Expanded
lockswillbearound427m(1400ft)long,55m(180ft)wideand18,30m(60ft)deepsoPanamaCanalwillbe
abletohandlelargervessels.

ShipsinPanamaCanal

QMax(Qatarmax)
QMax'sarelargestLNGcarriersthatcandockattheLNGterminalsinQatar.
QMaxshipis345metres(1,132ft)long,53.8metres(177ft)wideand34.7metres(114ft)high,witha
draughtofapproximately12metres(39ft).Ithasacapacityof266,000cubicmetres(9,400,000cuft),equalto
161,994,000cubicmetres(5.7208109cuft)ofnaturalgas.

QmaxMozah

Seawaymax
Asthenamesuggests,SeawaymaxshipsarethelargestshipsthatcanpassthroughthelocksofSt.
LawrenceSeaway.
Theseshipsare225,6m(740ft)long,23,8m(78ft)wideand35,5m(116ft)high,withadraughtof7,92
metres(26ft).

Seawaymaxship

Suezmax
SuezmaxarenamedafterthefamousSuezCanal.Theyaremidsizedcargovesselswithacapacityranging
between120,000to200,000DWT.Theyaredesignedtopassthroughthemajorityoftheportsintheworld.
Currentlythepermissiblelimitsforsuezmaxshipsare20.1m(66ft)ofdraughtwiththebeamnowiderthan50
m(164.0ft),or12.2m(40ft)ofdraughtwithmaximumallowedbeamof77.5m(254ft).

ShippassingthroughSuezCanal

VLCCandULCC
VLCCstandsforVeryLargeCrudeCarriers.Theyhaveasizerangingbetween180,000to320,000DWT.
Theyareveryflexibleinusingterminalsandcanalsooperateinportswithdepthlimitations.VLCCsareused
extensivelyaroundtheNorthSea,MediterraneanandWestAfrica.
ULCCorUltraLargeCrudeCarriersarethelargestshippingvesselsintheworldwithasizemorethan
320,000DWT.CalledSuperTankers,ULCCsareusedforlonghauloilcrudetransportationfromMiddleEast
toEurope,Asia,andNorthAmerica.

UltraLargeCrudeCarriers

ComparisonofTankersizes