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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 January 2010
The question of the reverse stopping ability of a ship is well known but is yet a fresh problem. Until about twenty years ago the distance required to stop a.ship from a service sea speed ahead by using her engines full astern with helm midships was comparable to her advance while stopping with helm hard-over. However, at present this head reach of a 100,000- d.w. supertanker may range from 10 L to 15 L while her advance with maximum helm angle might only be from 5 L to 7 L. At first sight this appears to be a surprising phenomenon, but it is little wonder since the mass of the ship and hence the inertia increases with the cube of her length, while the total resistance of her underwater hull only with the square of her length.
The question of stopping very large supertankers is one of some significance both from the viewpoint of preparing to pick up a pilot, anchoring, berthing, or similar everyday operations and of avoiding collision or grounding in an emergency.