Trans RINA, Vol 153, Part A4, Intl J Maritime Eng, Oct-Dec 2011
Length (m)
Existing Panamax New
Panamax
289.62 366
Beam (m)
32.313 49
Draft (m)
12.044 15.2
Air draft (m)
57.915 57.91
Table 5: Existing and New Panamax vessel dimensions[9]
The Panamax designation has come to mean more than a simple beam constraint, however, having evolved to designate classes of ship and, in particular, a class of dry bulk carrier. In the Sub-Panamax sector designers have also maximised the carrying capacity of Handysize ships, for which grain is an important cargo, by increasing beam to 32.2m. These ships are generally referred to as “Handymax” or “Supramax” ships. Typical dimensions for the main ship types are shown in table 6.
L
Dry bulk Handymax 190 32.2 10.0 5.9 Panamax
(m) 225
Tanker Handymax Panamax
Container
182 228
32.2 32.2 32.2
13.9
11.75 13.4
Panamax 260 32.2 12.3 Table 6: Existing typical Panamax ship dimensions6
These vessel types are not about to become extinct in the near future, not least because there are a significant number on order that, given the typical life expectancy of a ship, will be around for the next twenty five years or so. The relative sizes of existing fleets and orderbooks at mid-2010 is shown in Table 7.
Existing fleet (No. ships)
Dry bulk Handymax 1,999 Panamax
Tanker Handymax Panamax
Container Panamax 928
1,701 NA 393
Orderbook at
26.7.2010 (No. Ships) 802 914 NA 84
98 % of
existing fleet on order
45.1% 57.9% NA
22.0% 10.5%
Table 7: Panamax fleets and orderbook at mid-2010 [10] 2 Equivalent to 950 feet. 294.13m (965 feet) is permitted
for passenger and container ships. 3 This is 106 feet, giving two feet clearance either side in the 110 feet locks. In some circumstances a beam of 107
feet may be permitted. 4 Draft in Tropical Fresh Water (TFW), equivalent to 39
feet 6 inches. 5 190 feet clearance under the “Bridge of the Americas”. 6 All analysis of vessel numbers, dimensions and other
characteristics presented herein is based on LR data published by Sea-Web.
©2011: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects A-217 B (m) T (m)
7.0 5.7 7.1 8.1
L/B
The relative importance of Panamax dimensions to the dry bulk trades can be clearly seen in these statistics. Panamax dimensions are used for ship types much wider than this, however. Of 9,902 larger ships (over 20,000 GT) delivered since the start of 2000, 4,470 (45%) have had Panamax beam.
The range of ship types adopting
Panamax beam is illustrated in Table 8, based on ship deliveries between 2007 and 2009.
Ship type Bulk Carrier
Container Ship (Fully cellular)
Chemical/Products Tanker Products Tanker Vehicles Carrier
Crude/Oil Products Tanker Wood Chips Carrier
Open Hatch Cargo Ship LPG Tanker
Crude Oil Tanker
Bulk Carrier, Self- discharging Crane Ship FSO, Oil
Fruit Juice Tanker
No. ships 526 305
276 167 124 53 24 20 10
Passenger/Cruise 9 Replenishment Dry Cargo Vessel
7 3
1 1
1 1
Table 8: Ships with Panamax beam delivered 2007 to 20096
The Panama Canal Authority’s 2010 Annual Report reveals that 49.5% of oceangoing transits over the year were by Panamax vessels, that is to say by the largest size of vessels that can currently pass through the Canal. The number of Panamax transits has increased by almost 60% since the mid-1990s, as shown in Figure 1, providing further impetus for the expansion.
3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 5,500 6,000 6,500
Figure 1: Number of Panamax vessel transits through the Canal (by financial year) [11]
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