Introduction

Merchant ships are broadly classified based on their size and area of operation. The classification of a ship is determined at the design stage and includes the anticipated routes of operation and the purpose of the ship. The ship’s dimensions play an important role in determining the areas of operation of any type of merchant vessel. Baltimax is a naval architecture term for the largest ship measurements capable of entering and leaving the Baltic Sea in a laden condition. Capesize ships are the largest dry cargo ships. Handymax and Supramax are naval architecture terms for the larger bulk carriers in the Handysize class. Malaccamax is a naval architecture term for the largest tonnage of ship capable of fitting through the 25m deep Strait of Malacca. Post-Panamax or Post-neo-panamax denotes ships that are larger than the Panamax designation and will not fit in the original canal locks.