Density 

of a substance is its mass per unit volume, normally expressed as tonnes per cubic metre in
ship calculations. (1T= 1000kg.)
If the the volume of a substance is 1m³ and weighs 1T then the density would be =T/M³

Relative Density
The relationship between weight and volume is called density.  It is defined as ‘mass per unit volume’. 
One metric tonne of fresh water has a volume of one cubic metre. Therefore it has a density of 1.000
tonnes/m3. Salt water on the other hand, is heavier. 
One cubic metre of salt water weighs 1.025 tonnes, and so salt water has a density of 1.025
tonnes/m3.
The relative density (or specific gravity) of a substance is defined as the ratio of the weight of the
substance to the weight of an equal volume of fresh water. In other words, it is simply a comparison
of the density of a substance with the density of fresh water.
                             
 RD = Density of Sunstance / Density of Fresh water
Since density of FW is 1t/m³ RD of a substance is numerically is equal
to its density.

Density RD
Fresh water 1.000 t/m³ 1.000
Salt water 1.025 t/m³ 1.025
Diesel oil 0.088 t/m³ 0.088
Dock water 1.015 t/m³ 1.015

 This is a pure number and has no units.  The R.D. of sea water is therefore 1.025.
Example:1
A tank has a volume of 400m³. Find how many tonnes of SW (δ=1.025 t/m³) it can hold.

Mass of SW = V x δ = 400 x 1.025 = 410 t --Ans.

400m³

Example:2
A tank can hold 320 tonnes of SW. Find how many tonnes of oil of RD 0.8 it can hold.
Example:3
A Cylindrical tank is 10m high and has a radius of 3m. If it1.5m
is filled to an ullage of 2m, with oil of
RD 0.7,
find the mass of oil. 2m
10m
example:4
A rectangular tank measuring 20m x 10m x 10m has an ullage pipe extending to 0.5m above the tank top.
If the tank is 98% full of FW, find the mass of FW and state the ULLAGE.

m
20
0.5m
10m

10m
Example:5
A rectangular tank is 20m x 20m x 12m. Find how many tonnes of oil of RD 0.8 it can hold, if 2% of the volume of
the tank is to be left for expansion. State also the ullage on completion of loading.

2% V

m
20
20m
98% V

12m
Example:6
In worked example 5, if it was required to leave 2% of the volume of oil loaded for expansion, find the
mass of oil & the ullage on loading.

2% V (oil)

m
20
20m
98% V (oil)

12m
Displacement of the ship is the weight of the ship and its contents or the weight of water
displaced by the ship in that condition.
Displacement = Underwater volume of the ship x the density of the water in which she is
floating.
It should be noted that the volume of displacement is the underwater volume of the ship.
When a ship proceeds from water of one density to water of another density, the volume of
displacement changes, whereas the displacement remains unchanged.
Hydrostatic Draft Or True Mean Draft is the draft at the centre of floatation. When the ship is on an even
keel, the drafts forward and aft, the mean draft and the hydrostatic draft are all the same.
TPC (Tonnes per centimetre Immersion) at any draft is the weight in tonnes which should be loaded or
discharged to change the vessel’s mean draft by one centimetre, in saltwater.
TPC= (1.025 x area of ship’s water plane) / 100
MCTC or MCT 1 cm (Moment To Change Trim By One Centimetre) is the moment required to change the
total trim of the vessel by one centimetre.
MCTC = [W x GM(l)] / [100 x L]
COB (Centre of Buoyancy) is the geometric centre of the underwater volume of the ship. The entire
buoyancy provided by the displaced water may be considered to act vertically upwards through this point.
COG (Centre of Gravity) of a ship is the point through which the force of gravity may be considered to
act vertically downwards with a force equal to the weight of the ship. The position of COG of a ship is
indicated by its distance in meters from its height above keel (KG), its distance from after
perpendicular (AG) and its distance from center line of the ship (GG1).
LCB (Longitudinal Centre of Buoyancy) is the longitudinal separation between the After
Perpendicular and the centre of buoyancy.
VCB (Vertical Centre of Buoyancy) is the vertical separation between the keel and the centre of
buoyancy.
CF (Centre of Floatation) is the centroid of the ship’s water plane area.
LCF (Longitudinal Centre of Floatation) is the longitudinal separation between the After
Perpendicular and the Centre of Floatation.
M (Transverse Metacentre) is the point of intersection of the vertical lines through the Centres of Buoyancy
in the upright condition and the vertical line through the centre of Buoyancy in slightly inclined condition.
KM is the vertical separation between the keel and the transverse metacentre.
M(l) (Longitudinal Metacentre) is the point of intersection of the vertical line through the Centre of Buoyancy
in the even keel condition and the vertical line through the Centre of Buoyancy in a slightly trimmed
condition.
KM(l) is the vertical separation between the keel and the longitudinal metacentre.
GM (Metacentric Height) is the vertical separation between the centre of gravity and the transverse
metacentre.