Tonnage is a measure of the size or cargo carrying capacity of a ship.

The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and
was later used in reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in
modern maritime usage, "tonnage" specifically refers to a calculation of
the volume or cargo volume of a ship. The term is still sometimes
incorrectly used to refer to the weight of a loaded or empty vessel.
[citation
needed]

Measurement of tonnage can be less than straightforward, not least
because it is used to assess fees on commercial shipping.
Contents
[hide]
1 Tonnage measurements
2 Weight measurements
3 Origins
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
[edit] Tonnage measurements
Gross tonnage (GT) is a function of the volume of all ship's enclosed
spaces (from keel to funnel) measured to the outside of the hull framing.
The numerical value for a ship's GT is always smaller than the numerical
values for both her gross register tonnage and the GRT value expressed
equivalently in cubic meters rather than cubic feet, for example: 0.5919
GT = 1 GRT = 2.8316 m
3
; 200 GT = 274 GRT = 775,88 m
3
; 500 GT =
665 GRT = 1,883.07 m
3
; 3,000 GT = 3,776 GRT = 10,692.44 m
3
),
though by how much depends on the vessel design (volume). There is a
sliding scale factor. So GT is a kind of capacity-derived index that is
used to rank a ship for purposes of determining manning, safety and
other statutory requirements and is expressed simply as GT, which is a
unitless entity, even though its derivation is tied to the cubic meter unit
of volumetric capacity.
Tonnage measurements are now governed by an IMO Convention
(International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969
(London-Rules)), which applies to all ships built after July 1982. In
accordance with the Convention, the correct term to use now is GT,
which is a function of the moulded volume of all enclosed spaces of the
ship.
It is calculated by using the formula : , where V = total
volume in m
3
and K = a figure from 0.22 up to 0.32, depending on the
ships size (calculated by : ), so that, for a ship
of 10,000 m
3
total volume, the gross tonnage would be 0.28 10,000 =
2,800. GT is consequently a measure of the overall size of the ship. For a
ship of 80,000 m
3
total volume the gross tonnage would be
0.2980617 80,000 = 23,844.94 GT.
Net tonnage (NT) is based on a calculation of the volume of all cargo
spaces of the ship. It indicates a vessels earning space and is a function
of the moulded volume of all cargo spaces of the ship.
A commonly defined measurement system is important; since a ships
registration fee, harbour dues, safety and manning rules etc., are based
on its gross tonnage, GT, or net tonnage, NT.
Gross register tonnage (GRT) represents the total internal volume of a
vessel, where a register ton is equal to a volume of 100 cubic feet
(2.83168 m
3
), which volume, if filled with fresh water, would weigh
around 2,800 kg or 2.8 tonnes. The definition (and calculation) of the
internal volume is complex; a ship's hold can, for instance, be assessed
for bulk grain (accounting for all the air space in the hold) or for bales
(omitting the spaces into which bulk, but not baled cargo would spill). If
V stands for the total internal volume in m
3
, then the GRT equals
V / 2.83168, so for a ship of 10,000 m
3
total internal volume, the gross
register tonnage is 10,000 / 2.83168 = 3531.47 GRT. Gross register
tonnage was replaced by gross tonnage in 1994 under the Tonnage
Measurement convention of 1969, and is no longer widely used term in
the industry.
[1][2]

Net register tonnage (NRT) is the volume of cargo the vessel can
carry; i.e., the gross register tonnage less the volume of spaces that will
not hold cargo (e.g., engine compartment, helm station, crew spaces,
etc., again with differences depending on which port or country is doing
the calculations). It represents the volume of the ship available for
transporting freight or passengers. It was replaced by net tonnage in
1994, under the Tonnage Measurement convention of 1969.
The Panama Canal/Universal Measurement System (PC/UMS) is
based on net tonnage, modified for Panama Canal purposes. PC/UMS is
based on a mathematical formula to calculate a vessel's total volume; a
PC/UMS net ton is equivalent to 100 cubic feet of capacity.
[3]

The Suez Canal Net Tonnage (SCNT) is derived with a number of
modifications from the former net register tonnage of the Moorsom
System and was established by the International Commission of
Constantinople in its Protocol of 18 December 1873. It is still in use, as
amended by the Rules of Navigation of the Suez Canal Authority, and is
registered in the Suez Canal Tonnage Certificate.
Thames measurement tonnage is another volumetric system, generally
used for small vessels such as yachts; it uses a formula based on the
vessel's length and beam.
[edit] Weight measurements
While not "tonnage" in the proper sense, the following methods of ship
measurement are often incorrectly referred to as such:
Displacement is the actual total weight of the vessel (mostly without
pay load). It is often expressed in long tons or in metric tons, and is
calculated simply by multiplying the volume of the hull below the
waterline (i.e. the volume of water it is displacing) by the specific
gravity of the water. (Note that the specific gravity will depend on
whether the vessel is in fresh or salt water, or is in the tropics, where
water is warmer and hence less dense.) For example, in sea water, first
determine the volume of the submerged portion of the hull as follows:
Multiply its length by its breadth and the draft, all in feet. Then multiply
the product thereby obtained by the block coefficient of the hull to get
the hull volume in cubic feet. Then multiply this figure by 64 (the
weight of one cubic foot of seawater) to get the weight of the ship in
pounds; or divide by 35 to calculate the weight in long tons. Using the SI
or metric system : displacement (in tonnes) is volume (in m) multiplied
by the specific gravity of sea water (1.025 nominally).
The word "displacement" arises from the basic physical law, discovered
by Archimedes, that the weight of a floating object equates exactly to
that of the water which would otherwise occupy the "hole in the water"
displaced by the ship.
Lightship or Lightweight measures the actual weight of the ship with
no fuel, passengers, cargo, water, etc. on board.
Deadweight tonnage (often abbreviated as DWT for deadweight
tonnes) is the displacement at any loaded condition minus the lightship
weight. It includes the crew, passengers, cargo, fuel, water, and stores.
Like Displacement, it is often expressed in long tons or in metric tons.
Metric Tonnes per Centimetre Immersion (usually abbreviated to
TPC or TPCMI ) is the number of Metric Tonnes (1,000KG) that need
to be loaded on the ship for the salt water draft to increase by one
centimetre.
Imperial Tons per Inch immersion (usually abbreviated to TPI) is the
number of Imperial Long Tons (2,240 lbs) that need to be loaded on a
vessel for the draft to increase by one inch. Old imperial TPI
measurements are still occasionally used within the USA and the
Panama canal. As no ship has been measured by a Classification
Society since the 1950s using Imperial measures, modern TPI figures
are therefore a conversion from the original Metric measurements and
should not be relied upon to be accurate.

The TPCMI figure is used to calculate the draft of the vessel with a
given DWT of cargo loaded. On a typical Panamax Bulk carrier with a
TPCMI of 80, it would mean that the ship will sink (Draft increase) by
one centimetre for every 80 tonnes of cargo loaded.
Draft The distance, usually measured in meters, between the lowest
point of the keel and the waterline which varies dependant on the load
(DWT) the vessel has on board
[edit] Origins
Historically, tonnage was the tax on tuns (casks) of wine that held
approximately 252 gallons of wine and weighed approximately 2,240
pounds. This suggests that the unit of weight measurement, long tons
(also 2,240 lb) and tonnage both share the same etymology. The
confusion between weight based terms (deadweight and displacement)
stems from this common source and the eventual decision to assess dues
based on a ship's deadweight rather than counting the tuns of wine. In
1720 the Builder's Old Measurement Rule was adopted to estimate
deadweight from the length of keel and maximum breadth or beam of a
ship. This overly simplistic system was replaced by the Moorsom
System in 1854 and calculated internal volume, not weight. This system
evolved into the current set of internationally accepted rules and
regulations.
When steamships came into being, they could carry less cargo, size for
size, than sailing ships. As well as spaces taken up by boilers and steam
engines, steamships carried extra fresh water for the boilers as well as
coal for the engines. Thus, to move the same volume of cargo as a
sailing ship, a steamship would be considerably larger than a sailing
ship.
"Harbour Dues" are based on tonnage. In order to prevent steamships
operating at a disadvantage, various tonnage calculations were
established to minimise the disadvantage that the extra space
requirements of steamships presented. Rather than charging by length or
displacement etc., charges were calculated on the viable cargo space. As
commercial cargo sailing ships are now largely extinct, Gross Tonnage
is becoming the universal method of calculating ships dues, and is also a
more straightforward and transparent method of assessment.

Deadweight tonnage (also known as deadweight abbreviated to DWT,
D.W.T., d.w.t., or dwt) is a measure of how much weight a ship is
carrying or can safely carry.
[1][2][3]
It is the sum of the weights of cargo,
fuel, fresh water, ballast water, provisions, passengers, and crew.
[1]
The
term is often used to specify a ship's maximum permissible deadweight,
the DWT when the ship is fully loaded so that its Plimsoll line is at the
point of submersion, although it may also denote the actual DWT of a
ship not loaded to capacity.
Deadweight tonnage was historically expressed in long tons but is now
usually given internationally in tonnes.
[4]
Deadweight tonnage is not a
measure of the ship's displacement and should not be confused with
gross tonnage or net tonnage (or their more archaic forms gross register
tonnage or net register tonnage).