Polish Register of Shipping (PRS) has developed StabPRS, an application tailored for individual vessels to aid ships’ officers, enabling them to make fast and accurate assessments of their particular ship’s loading condition and its resulting stability and strength. In addition to performing the usual calculations relating to stability, sheer forces and bending moments, it enables the weight of cargo to be calculated from the vessel’s draft marks and in the case of general cargo and specialised heavy lift vessels, predicts the degree of list anticipated when lifting heavy loads.

StabPRS also predicts the motion of the vessel in irregular sea states and displays the ship’s motion simulation showing exactly what the ship is likely to experience. Should the vessel be involved in an incident, StabPRS is also capable of routinely calculating the stability and hull stresses when one or more compartments are flooded, showing in graphic form the state of the ship under such conditions in calm water.

Prior to rolling out StabPRS globally in 2008, PRS is currently working with a number of Polish shipowners who are providing valuable feedback on such details as the merit of certain features and overall user friendliness. Ships’ officers are also making suggestions as to additional features they would like incorporated into the programme. Five owners are participating in the project and seven vessels have either been provided with StabPRS software or are about to have it installed. Two further vessels are scheduled to be fitted with StabPRS very soon.