Ships & sizes
LOA
Length Overall
Meaning
LOA (length overall) is the ship's maximum length from bow to stern, checked against berth and lock limits.
LOA explained
Terminals publish maximum LOA alongside draft, beam and displacement limits for each berth. LOA is part of the ship particulars a charterer checks before fixing.
Related terms
Beam
Beam is the ship's width at its widest point, which matters for canal locks and some berths.
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.
Q88
The Q88 is the standard tanker questionnaire listing a ship's particulars (dimensions, tanks, pumps, certificates and more) that charterers check before fixing.