Ship types

A working taxonomy of commercial vessels, organised by what they carry. Size ranges are typical and overlap; classification societies (IACS members), the IMO Type and Statcode (Lloyd's List Intelligence), and individual charterers all use slightly different cut-offs. Where common trade names exist (Handysize, Suezmax, ULCV) those are used in preference to abbreviations.

Two sizing conventions matter most for laden trades: Panamax (≤ 32.31 m beam, ≤ 294.13 m LOA, ≤ 12.04 m draft) for the original Panama locks, and the post-2016 Neo-Panamax (≤ 49 m beam, ≤ 366 m LOA, ≤ 15.2 m draft). Suez has no formal beam restriction but a maximum draft (~20.1 m) and air draft (~68 m at the Suez Canal Bridge).

Tankers — Liquid bulk

Crude oil tanker (VLCC / ULCC)VLCC 200 000–320 000 DWT · ULCC ≥ 320 000 DWT
Crude trades from Middle East / West Africa to Asia / Europe / US. Single propeller, slow-steam economical at 13–15 kt.
Suezmax120 000–200 000 DWT · max for laden Suez transit
West Africa / Mediterranean / Black Sea crude trades.
Aframax80 000–120 000 DWT
North Sea, Caribbean, intra-Asia crude. Named for the Average Freight Rate Assessment scale.
Panamax / LR155 000–80 000 DWT
Clean and dirty product trades. Beam ≤ 32.31 m (old Panama locks).
MR (Medium Range)40 000–55 000 DWT
Refined products: gasoline, gasoil, jet, naphtha. The workhorse of clean-product trade.
Handy / Handysize10 000–40 000 DWT
Short-haul products and chemicals; coated tanks.
Chemical tanker5 000–50 000 DWT · IMO Type I/II/III
Stainless or coated tanks; segregated parcels. Cargo book per Annex II.
LNG carrier150 000–266 000 m³ · −163 °C
Membrane (Mark III, NO96) or Moss spherical containment. Steam, dual-fuel diesel-electric, or X-DF / ME-GA propulsion.
LPG carrier1 000–90 000 m³
Pressurised, semi-refrigerated, or fully refrigerated (VLGC ≥ 80 000 m³). Carries propane, butane, ammonia, ethylene.

Bulk carriers — Dry bulk

Handysize10 000–40 000 DWT · ~5 holds
Geared (own cranes), often 4 × 30 t. Grain, fertiliser, sugar, steel, project cargo. Versatile, port-flexible.
Handymax / Supramax / UltramaxHandymax 40 000–50 000 · Supramax 50 000–60 000 · Ultramax 60 000–65 000 DWT
Geared. Coal, grain, ores, alumina, aggregates.
Panamax / KamsarmaxPanamax 65 000–85 000 · Kamsarmax up to 82 000 DWT, LOA 229 m for Port Kamsar
Gearless. Iron ore, coal, grains, bauxite.
Post-Panamax85 000–110 000 DWT
Post-1980s, beyond old Panama lock width.
Capesize100 000–200 000 DWT
Iron ore and coal long-haul, Brazil/Australia to China/Japan/Europe. Too large for Suez/Panama, hence "Cape" (Good Hope/Horn).
Newcastlemax / VLOCNewcastlemax ~210 000 DWT, beam ≤ 50 m for Newcastle (AU) · VLOC ≥ 200 000 DWT (some 400 000 DWT "Valemax")
Iron ore from Brazil / Australia.
Self-unloaderVarious, with onboard conveyor + boom
Aggregate, cement, coal, grain. Discharges without shore equipment.

Container ships

Feeder / Feedermax≤ 3 000 TEU
Regional services connecting hubs to smaller ports. Often geared.
Panamax / Sub-Panamax3 000–5 000 TEU · beam ≤ 32.31 m
Pre-2016 Panama-compliant boxships.
Post-Panamax5 000–10 000 TEU
Beyond old Panama beam; pre-2016 mainline tonnage.
New-Panamax / Neo-Panamax10 000–14 500 TEU · LOA 366 m, beam 49 m
Designed for the expanded Panama locks (2016).
ULCV (Ultra Large Container Vessel)≥ 14 500 TEU · current largest ~24 000 TEU
Asia–Europe and trans-Pacific mainline; not Panama-transitable.

Specialised cargo

Reefer (refrigerated cargo)200 000–800 000 cu ft
Bananas, fruit, fish, meat. Increasingly displaced by reefer containers on container ships.
RoRo / Pure Car Carrier (PCTC)1 500–8 000 CEU
Cars and rolling equipment. Multiple decks accessed via stern/quarter ramps. PCTCs add adjustable decks.
ConRoMixed lanes + boxes
Combination RoRo + container, common on transatlantic.
Heavy lift / Multi-purpose (MPP)Cranes 100–2 000 t
Project cargo, modules, transformers, yachts, breakbulk. Often geared with twin heavy-lift cranes.
Open-hatch / Forest products30 000–55 000 DWT
Pulp, paper, packaged lumber, project cargo. Box-shaped holds, gantry cranes.

Offshore

PSV (Platform Supply Vessel)60–100 m, large open aft deck
Pipe, mud, brine, bulk cement, deck cargo to rigs and platforms. DP-2 standard.
AHTS (Anchor Handling Tug Supply)60–95 m, 100–300 t bollard pull
Anchor handling for moored MODUs, towing, supply, occasional well stimulation. Heavy stern roller and tow winch.
MPSV / DSVVarious, ROV / saturation systems
Multi-purpose support, dive support, IMR (inspection / maintenance / repair). DP-2 or DP-3.
Jack-up rig / lift boat3 or 4 legs, jacking system
Drilling and well intervention in shallow waters; legs jacked down to seabed and hull lifted clear of waves.
Drillship / SemisubDP-3, derrick
Deep- and ultra-deep-water drilling. Drillships are ship-shaped; semis are column-stabilised.
FPSO / FSO100 000–350 000 DWT, turret moored
Floating Production / Storage / Offloading. Receives well stream, processes, stores, offloads to shuttle tanker.
WIV / SOVWind-farm Installation Vessel / Service Operations Vessel
Offshore wind turbine installation (jack-up cranes ≥ 1500 t) and operational support (walk-to-work gangway).

Passenger

Cruise ship100 000–230 000 GT, 1 000–6 000 PAX
Largest hotel afloat; SOLAS Ch II passenger ship rules and Safe Return to Port (SRtP).
Ferry / RoPax150–350 m, mixed lanes + cabins
Day or overnight passenger / vehicle service. Stern/bow ramps; some "cruise ferry" class.
Fast ferry / catamaran30–110 m, 25–50 kt
Wave-piercing catamaran or surface-effect monohull; HSC Code applies.

Other

Fishing — trawler / longliner / purse seiner / factory shipVarious
FAO classifies by gear; STCW-F applies.
Tug — harbour, escort, ocean-going20–80 m, 30–200 t bollard pull
ASD, Z-drive, tractor (Voith Schneider). Escort tugs operate in indirect mode at speed.
Ice-class / icebreakerPC1–PC7 polar class · Finnish-Swedish IA Super–IC
Strengthened bow, hull, propulsion; bubbler/wash systems; LIRS records ice transits.
Government — naval auxiliary, research, cable layer, dredgerVarious
Mostly outside SOLAS but often classed for insurance and crewing.