Method for ballasting a vessel

Abstract

A method for ballasting a vessel in which a sequence of subsets of ballast tanks, each subset comprising three tanks of the totality of ballast tanks of the vessel, is used to arrive at a final ballast configuration. For each subset in the sequence excepting the last subset, ballast adjustments are repetitively selected and assigned to members of the subset until a selected ballast adjustment will completely fill or completely empty the ballast tank to which the adjustment is assigned. Thereafter, a new subset is selected. In the final subset of the sequence ballast adjustments are repetitively selected and assigned to members of the subset until the total weight of the vessel and ballast, including the ballast assignments, is within a preselected tolerance of a preselected, desired total weight for the vessel and ballast. The ballast adjustments for at least a part of the method decrease with each repetition of the ballast adjustment selection and assignment so that the location of the vessel and ballast center of gravity sequentially approaches a preselected, desired location for the center of gravity of the vessel and ballast as the total weight of the vessel and ballast approaches the preselected, desired total weight for the vessel and ballast.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.