Oil tankers

«Oil tanker» is a vessel built or rearranged for bulk shipments of crude oil in its tanks. It includes combined cargo-vessels and any chemicals-tanker when trasporting oil in bulk. 

Oil tankers are often classified by their size as well as their occupation. The size classes depend on tanker' deadweight (DWT):

Small tonnage - up to 5 thousand tonnes;

Medium-size range -up to 30 thousand tonnes;

Large-capacity range - over 30 thousand tonnes;

In turn, large tankers are given the following names:

Supertanker 30-70 thousand tonnes;

Panamax 80 thousand tonnes;

Aframax 80-120 thousand tonnes;

Suezmax 120-200 thousand tonnes;

VLCC (very large crude carrier) 200-300 thousand tonnes;

ULCC (ultra large crude carrier) 300-800 thousand tonnes;

Megatanker 1 million tonnes.

Container ships

International classification:

1. Handysize Class - 260 - 1000 TEU (twenty foot equivalent units);
2. Handymax Class - 1000 - 1700 TEU;
3. Feeder Class - 1700 - 2500 TEU;
4. Sub-Panamax Class - 2500 - 4000 TEU;
5. Panamax Class - (4000 - 7000 TEU).
   
6. Post-Panamax Class - (7000 -13000 TEU). First implemented by APL.
   
7. Super-Post-Panamax Class/E-Class - (более 13000 TEU).
   
8. Explorer Class (более 16600 TEU). The invention of CMA-CGM.
   
9. Triple E-Class (более 18200 TEU).
   By November 2013 there were only three vessels of this size: "Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller", "Majestic Mærsk" и "Mary Mærsk" на линии Maersk-Line AE10.

RORO ships

Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using a platform vehicle, such as a self-propelled modular transporter. This is in contrast to Lift-on/Lift-off (LoLo) vessels, which use a crane to load and unload cargo.

RORO vessels have built-in ramps that allow the cargo to be efficiently rolled on and off the vessel when in port. While smaller ferries that operate across rivers and other short distances often have built-in ramps, the term RORO is generally reserved for large oceangoing vessels. The ramps and doors may be stern-only, or bow and stern for quick loading.

Bulk carriers

A bulk carrier, bulk freighter, or bulker is a merchant ship specially designed to transport unpackaged bulk cargo, such as grains, coal, ore, and cement in its cargo holds. Since the first specialized bulk carrier was built in 1852, economic forces have fuelled the development of these ships, causing them to grow in size and sophistication. Today's bulkers are specially designed to maximize capacity, safety, efficiency, and to be able to withstand the rigours of their work.

There are various ways to define the term bulk carrier. As of 1999, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea defines a bulk carrier as "a ship constructed with a single deck, top side tanks and hopper side tanks in cargo spaces and intended to primarily carry dry cargo in bulk; an ore carrier; or a combination carrier." However, most classification societies use a broader definition where a bulker is any ship that carries dry unpackaged goods. Multipurpose cargo ships can carry bulk cargo, but can also carry other cargoes and are not specifically designed for bulk carriage. The term "dry bulk carrier" is used to distinguish bulkers from bulk liquid carriers such as oil, chemical, or liquefied petroleum gas carriers. Very small bulkers are almost indistinguishable from general cargo ships, and they are often classified based more on the ship's use than its design.

A number of abbreviations are used to describe bulkers. "OBO" describes a bulker which carries a combination of ore, bulk, and oil, and "O/O" is used for combination oil and ore carriers. The terms "VLOC," "VLBC," "ULOC," and "ULBC" for very large and ultra large ore and bulk carriers were adapted from the supertanker designations very large crude carrier and ultra large crude carrier.

Bulkers are segregated into six major size categories: small, handysize, handymax, panamax, capesize, and very large. Very large bulk and ore carriers fall into the capesize category but are often considered separately. 

Categories as per Regions:

Categories occur in regional trade, such as Kamsarmax, Seawaymax, Setouchmax, Dunkirkmax, and Newcastlemax also appear in regional trade.

• "Kamsarmax" : Maximum length overall 229 meters refers to a new type of ships, larger than panamax, that are suitable for berthing at the Port of Kamsar (Republic of Guinea), where the major loading terminal of bauxite is restricted to vessels not more than 229 meters.
  

• "Newcastlemax" : Maximum beam 50 meters,and maximum length overall of 300 meters Refers to the largest vessel able to enter the port of Newcastle, Australia at about 185,000 DWT
  

• "Setouchmax" : About 203,000 DWT, being the largest vessels able to navigate the Setouch Sea, Japan

• "Seawaymax" : LOA 226 m max / 7.92 m draft. Refers to the largest vessel that can pass through the canal locks of the St Lawrence Seaway (Great lakes, Canada)
  

• "Malaccamax" : LOA 330 m / 20 m draft / 300,000 DWT, Refers to the largest vessel that can pass through the Straits of Malacca.

• "Dunkirkmax" : Maximum allowable beam = 45 m / LOA 289 m. max (175,000 DWT approx) for the eastern harbour lock in the Port of Dunkirk (France)

Mini-bulkers are prevalent in the category of small vessels with a capacity of under 10,000 DWT. Mini-bulkers carry from 500 to 2,500 tons, have a single hold, and are designed for river transport. They are often built to be able to pass under bridges and have small crews of three to eight people.

Handysize and Handymax ships are general purpose in nature. These two segments represent 71% of all bulk carriers over 10,000 DWT and also have the highest rate of growth. This is partly due to new regulations coming into effect which put greater constraints on the building of larger vessels.Handymax ships are typically 150–200 m in length and 52,000 – 58,000 DWT with five cargo holds and four cranes. These ships are also general purpose in nature.

The size of a Panamax vessel is limited by the Panama canal's lock chambers, which can accommodate ships with a beam of up to 32.31 m, a length overall of up to 294.13 m, and a draft of up to 12.04 m.

Capesize ships are too large to traverse the Panama canal and must round Cape Horn to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Earlier, capesize ships could not traverse the Suez and needed to go around the Cape of Good Hope. Recent deepening of the Suez canal to 66 ft (20 m) permits most capesize ships to pass through it.

Capesize bulkers are specialized: 93% of their cargo is iron ore and coal.Some ships on the Great Lakes Waterway exceed Panamax dimensions but they are limited to use on the Great Lakes as they cannot pass through the smaller St. Lawrence Seaway to the ocean. Very large ore carriers and very large bulk carriers are a subset of the capesize category reserved for vessels over 200,000 DWT. Carriers of this size are almost always designed to carry iron ore.

General types:

Geared bulk carriers are typically in the handysize to handymax size range although there are a small number of geared panamax vessels, like all bulkers they feature a series of holds covered by prominent hatch covers. They have cranes, derricks or conveyors that allow them to load or discharge cargo in ports without shore-based equipment. This gives geared bulkers flexibility in the cargoes they can carry and the routes they can travel.

Combined carriers are designed to transport both liquid and dry bulk cargoes. If both are carried simultaneously, they are segregated in separate holds and tanks. Combined carriers require special design and are expensive. They were prevalent in the 1970s, but their numbers have dwindled since 1990.

Gearless carriers are bulkers without cranes or conveyors. These ships depend on shore-based equipment at their ports of call for loading and discharging. They range across all sizes, the larger bulk carriers (VLOCs) can only dock at the largest ports, some of these are designed with a single port-to-port trade in mind. The use of gearless bulkers avoids the costs of installing, operating, and maintaining cranes.

Self-dischargers are bulkers with conveyor belts, or with the use of an excavator that is fitted on a traverse running over the vessel's entire hatch, and that is able to move sideways as well. This allows them to discharge their cargo quickly and efficiently.

Lakers are the bulkers prominent on the Great Lakes, often identifiable by having a forward house which helps in transiting locks. Operating in fresh water, these ships suffer much less corrosion damage and have a much longer lifespan than saltwater ships. As of 2005, there were 98 lakers of 10,000 DWT or over.

BIBO or "Bulk In, Bags Out" bulkers are equipped to bag cargo as it is unloaded.

Lighter aboard ship

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