Tonnage

• Two Primary Types of Tonnage

– Volume
– Weight
 Tonnage
• Volumetric Tonnage
– Used to determine the earning
capacity of vessels
– Derived from the word “Tun” in the
13th century. A Tun was a wine cask
or barrel
– 100 cubic feet is equal to 1 ton
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• Volumetric Tonnage
– Used to determine port fees, dock fees,
dry docking charges, etc
– The original idea was to have fees based
on the vessel owners ability to pay (the
vessels ability to earn)
 Tonnage
• Gross Tonnage
– Internal volume of vessel less certain
exempted spaces
• Example:
– A barge is 100’ x 50’ x 10’
– Internal volume is 50,000 cu ft
– Gross tonnage is 500 tons
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• Net Tonnage
– Remaining tonnage after non-earning spaces
are removed from the Gross Tonnage
– Non-earning spaces (exemptions) are:
• Doublebottoms
• Forepeak and Aftpeak (if for water ballast only)
• Poop, Bridge and Forecastle (if fitted with tonnage
openings
 Tonnage
• Non-earning spaces (cont’d)
– Shelter deck (if fitted with tonnage openings)
– Passenger spaces on the deck above the
uppermost continuous deck
– Other miscellaneous spaces including
companionways, skylights, wheelhouses, vents
and some water closets
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• Deductions
– Crew and working spaces
– Machinery space (principle deduction)
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• Tonnage Openings
– Nominally non-water tight
• No gasket used
• Normally secured with bolt hooks
• May be secured with wooden battens (not seen
much any more
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• Ship Owners and designers work to
minimize Net Tonnage
• Some rules in the calculation of tonnage can
be made to work to the ship owners
advantage
– By designing the vessel with the machinery
space between 13% and 20% of the total Gross
Tonnage, 32% of the gross tonnage may be
deducted
 Tonnage
• In order for crew and working spaces to be
deducted, the builder must certify that the
space is ONLY for crew or working
– A plaque will be placed in or on the space
indicating this
• Law requires 120 cu ft and 16 sq ft of space for each
crew member
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• Other Volumetric Tonnages
– Suez and Panama Canal Tonnages
• Each has their own rules, but in general will be
greater than the Net Tonnage
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• Weight Tonnages (Long Tons or Metric
Tons)
– Displacement Tons
– Deadweight Tons
– Light Ship Tons
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• Displacement Tons
– The weight of water displaced by the hull, it is
exactly equal to the weight of the vessel and its
contents
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• Deadweight Tons
– The amount of water, cargo, fuel and stores a
vessel can carry when fully loaded.
 Tonnage
• Light Ship Tons
– The weight of the empty ship. The
displacement of of a vessel with no cargo, crew,
stores, fuel, water, and ballast.
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• Review
– Tonnage as a volumetric measurement is in
units of 100 cu ft = 1 Ton
– Tonnage as a weight measurement is in units of
Long Tons or Metric Tons.