Ships & sizes
Beam
Meaning
Beam is the ship's width at its widest point, which matters for canal locks and some berths.
Beam explained
Beam is the limiting dimension for the Panama Canal's locks, and together with LOA and draft it decides which berths a ship can use.
Related terms
LOA
LOA (length overall) is the ship's maximum length from bow to stern, checked against berth and lock limits.
Draft
Draft (or draught) is the depth of the ship below the waterline. It limits which ports, berths and canals a laden tanker can use.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal links the Atlantic and Pacific; its Neopanamax locks take ships up to about 15 metres draft, which rules out laden VLCCs.