DEEP SEA CARGO VESSELS
Cargo Vessel Types
Six commercial vessel types, with photographs, deadweight or cargo capacity, dimensions and handling ratings.
01 RoRo vessel
Deep-sea pure car and truck carrier
25,563 t DWT
Length × beam 199.90 × 37.60 m
375 t ramp SWL. The shore ramp is 12 m wide and the door opening is 6.5 m high.
Vehicles, trucks and project cargo on roll trailers. Published vehicle capacity is 9,100 car-equivalent units.
02 Multipurpose vessel
Geared project cargo ship with adjustable tween decks
13,000 t DWT
Length × beam 149.95 × 23.20 m
2 × 250 t shipboard cranes with a combined lift of up to 500 t.
Carries steel, machinery and long project cargo. Summer draft is 8.50 m.
DWT means deadweight tonnage. SWL means safe working load. The figures apply to the vessel examples shown. Ramp ratings and deck loads describe different limits.
DECK CARGO AND PROJECT TRANSPORT
Towed and Self Propelled Barges
A tug moves the unpowered deck barge. The self-propelled barge moves under its own power.
03 Tug and deck barge
Ocean towage with an unpowered heavy-deck cargo barge
17,442 t barge DWT
Length × beam 121.92 × 32.00 m barge
20.51 t/m² nominal deck rating. Cargo is handled by external cranes or roll-on methods.
A separate ocean-class tug example measures 44.50 × 14.02 m and has 147 t continuous bollard pull. Bollard pull measures towing force.
04 Self-propelled deck barge
Powered flat-deck carrier for coastal project cargo
5,150 t DWT
Length × beam 103.82 × 20.78 m with ramp
Deck load rating 5 t/m². Fitted with a loading ramp whose SWL is unverified.
Length without the ramp is 96.56 m. Design draft is 4.20 m. Twin engines provide independent propulsion.
COASTAL AND REGIONAL CARGO
Landing Craft and Wooden Cargo Dhow
Landing craft use a bow ramp for vehicle access. Wooden dhows serve regional trades, including routes through Dubai.
05 Landing craft
Shallow-water cargo craft with bow ramp
1,373 t DWT
Length × beam 64.00 × 15.00 m
50 t maximum bow ramp load. Ramp measures 6 × 8 m and deck rating is 10 t/m².
Carries vehicles and construction equipment to sites with limited berth facilities.
06 Wooden cargo dhow
Large commercial dhow built in Dubai
Up to 6,000 t estimated cargo capacity
Length × beam 91.47 × 20.41 m
Vehicles are handled by cranes. Vessel DWT and crane SWL remain unverified.
This unusually large example has a reported capacity of up to 700 vehicles across five decks.
