Sizing Up What's in a Name

摘要

There is some arcane language used in the shipping industry. Aframax, Suezmax, Capesize, Panamax, VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier), Handy and so on. But what do these names mean? As definitions of ship types they often arose out of the common everyday commercial or operational activities of the ships. An Aframax tanker was the largest vessel in a size range of the Average Freight Rate Assessment, originally a limit of 79,999dwt. Suezmax and Panamax relate to vessels capable of transiting the Suez and Panama Canals and a Capesize to a bulk carrier too big to transit the Panama Canal.