VESSEL REPORT: NEW PANAMAX CONTAINER SHIPS.

The article offers information on Panamax container ships. With the Panama Canal expansion project, which is projected to double the capacity of the waterway by 2014, new Panamax container carriers of massive proportions are now possible. The increasing trend in container size is due to the influences of international trade, global transportation costs, and economies of scale. Design factors such as minimum ballast water, and higher-strength hatch designs and configurations are discussed.