Sms 7 - Shallow Water Effects

SHALLOW WATER
EFFECTS
 PPT REFERENCE : SMS 7
 PREPARED BY : CAPT RAJIV K VIG

 APPROVED BY : CAPT L C DHARMANI
 REVIEW DATED : 17 FEBRUARY 2019
COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 1

Shallow water:
When the depth of water is less comparing
to the draft of the ship. The hydrodynamic
forces affect the ship handlings in different
ways. The effects become evident when the
depth of water is less than 1.5 times of the
draft of the ship.

In shallow waters, following effects
may be evident:
- Sluggish movement
- Vibration
- Erratic steering , slow response
- Smelling the ground
- Squat
- Bow cushion and bank suction effect
- Canal effect
Sluggish movement:
- As the hull moves along the water, the
water which is displaced is not instantly
replaced by surrounding water
- A partial vacuum is created
- The vessel takes longer to answer helm
- Response to engine movement becomes
sluggish
- Speed reduces
Vibration:
- In shallow water vibrations set up
- It becomes very difficult to correct a yaw or
sheer with any degree of rapidity
Steering:
- Steering becomes erratic
- Rate of turning is reduced
- Turning circle becomes larger
- Loss of speed due to turning is less in shallow
water
Smelling the ground:
- Occurs when a ship is nearing an extremely
shallow depth of water, such as a shoal
- The ship likely to take a sudden sheer
- The sheer is first towards the shallow, then
violently away from it
- The movements of a sluggish ship may
suddenly become astonishingly lively
- These effects are called smelling the ground

Squat:
- Water displaced by the hull is not easily
replaced
- Bow wave and stern wave increase in
height
- Trough becomes deeper and after part is
drawn downwards
- Under keel clearance decreases
- This effect is called squat
Factors governing squat:
Squat varies on the following factors:
- Ship's speed: Squat is directly proportional to the
square of speed
- Squat ≈ V2 (V=speed in knots)
- Block co-efficient: Squat directly varies with CB
- Squat ≈ CB
- Blockage factor (S): It is the ratio between cross
section of the vessel and cross section of the canal or
river
- In confined water, squat is more than in open water
- Squat may be calculated by the following simplified
formulae:
Squat = (CB X V2 ) / 100 (In open waters)
Squat = 2 X (CB X V2 ) / 100 (In confined waters)

Precaution
- Squat may cause grounding in spite of
enough UKC
- Squat must be calculated beforehand
- Speed to be reduced to reduce squat
- While determining UKC, squat for the
speed to be taken into consideration

Bow cushion and bank suction effect:
- Occurs in narrow channels near proximities of banks
- There is a tendency for the bow of a ship to be pushed
away from the bank, called bow cushion
- The ship moves bodily towards the bank, which
appears at the stern, called bank suction
- Caused by the restricted flow of water on the bank's
side
- Velocity of water to the bank increases and pressure
reduces
- Results in drop of water level towards the bank
- As a result, a thrust is set up towards bank
- A vessel approaching to the bank will have to apply
helm to the bank and reduce speed to prevent the
sheer from developing
Canal effect:
- Water level drops towards a
bank
- Vessel heels towards bank to
displace constant volume
- Varies as the square of speed
- Corrective helm to be applied
Signs that a ship has entered shallow water
conditions can be one or more of the following:
1. Maximum Ship Squat increases
2. Mean bodily sinkage increases
3. Ship will generally develop extra trim by the bow or the stern
4. Wave-making increases, especially at the forward end of the
ship
5. Ship becomes more sluggish
6. Draught indicators on the Bridge or echo-sounders will
indicate changes in the end draughts
7. Propeller rpm indicator will show a decrease. If the ship is in
'open water' conditions i.e. without breadth restrictions, this
decrease may be up to 15% of the Service rpm in deep water. If
the ship is in a confined channel, this decrease in rpm can be up
to 20% of the Service rpm.
8. There will be a drop in speed. If the ship is in open water
conditions this decrease may be up to 35%. If the ship is in a
confined channel such as a river or a canal then this decrease
can be up to 75%
9. The ship may start to vibrate suddenly. This is because of the
entrained water effects causing the natural hull frequency to
become resonant with another frequency associated with the
vessel
10. Any Rolling, Pitching and Heaving motions will all be reduced
as ship moves from deep water to shallow water conditions.
This is because of the cushioning effects produced by the
narrow layer of water under the bottom shell of the vessel
11. The appearance of mud could suddenly show in the water
around the ship’s hull say in the event of passing over a raised
shelf or a submerged wreck

12. Turning Circle Diameter (TCD) increases. TCD
in shallow water could increase 100%
13. Stopping distances and stopping times
increase, compared to when a vessel is in
deep waters
14. Effectiveness of the rudder helm decreases
15. Width of the wake increases consumption


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What are some of the effects experienced by ships in shallow waters?

What is 'smelling the ground' and when does it occur?

SHALLOW WATER

 PREPARED BY : CAPT RAJIV K VIG

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 1

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 2

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 6

Squat = 2 X (CB X V2 ) / 100 (In confined waters)

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 9

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 14

COMPILED BY : CAPT RAJIV VIG 15

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