Container ships are, as the name suggests, ships specially designed to carry standardised containers. The category of this type of ship is determined by the size of the ship, its twenty- foot equivalent unit (TEU) capacity, the ship's cargo handling equipment and its range or area of navigation. In this thesis, the focus will be mainly on the navigation of large ships through the canals. The thesis will be divided into several chapters. The first part will give a general definition of container ships, describe the characteristics that characterise this type of ship, give a brief insight into the history of containerisation and its impact on the development of shipping. The second chapter will present the propulsion systems used on container ships and give an overview of trends. Bow and stern thrusters will also be dealt with in this part. The third part will describe in detail the manoeuvrability characteristics of container ships. An overview of the different manoeuvres will be given, ranging from the normal manoeuvres in and out of port as well as the execution of emergency manoeuvres. Emphasis will be placed on navigation through channels in different weather conditions. The scenario analysis will be based on the 2021 Ever Given accident. Part 4 will address the importance of ship stability for the execution of complex manoeuvres. Container ships carry a vast number of containers, which poses a challenge to optimally arrange the containers according to the needs of the trade operations, focusing on the stability of the ship and the effect of wind on the overwater part of the ship. Fifth part will provide an overview of the implementation of navigation management in the canals, focusing on the importance of pilotage and towage.
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