Gross and Net Tonnage

Q.
What do you understand by Gross Tonnage (GT) and Net Tonnage (NT) and how
are they calculated?
Background
The term derives from the taxation paid on tuns or casks of wine, and was later used in
reference to the weight of a ship's cargo; however, in modern maritime usage, "tonnage"
specifically refers to a calculation of the volume or cargo volume of a ship. Tonnage should
not be confused with Displacement which refers to the loaded or empty weight of the vessel
itself.
The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969 was adopted by IMO
in 1969. It came into force on July 18, 1982 and therefore applies to all ships constructed
after this date. The Convention mandated a transition from the former measurements of gross
register tonnage (GRT) and net register tonnage (NRT) to gross tonnage (GT) and net
tonnage (NT). It was the first successful attempt to introduce a universal tonnage
measurement system1.
Gross tonnage (often abbreviated as GT, G.T. or gt) is a dimensionless index related to
a ship's overall internal volume. Gross tonnage is different from gross register tonnage.
Neither gross tonnage nor gross register tonnage is a measure of the ship's displacement
(mass) and should not be confused with terms such as deadweight tonnage or displacement.
Gross tonnage REPLACED gross register tonnage in 1994 under the Tonnage Measurement
convention of 1969, and is no longer used term in the industry.
Calculation of Gross Tonnage
The gross tonnage calculation is defined in Regulation 3 of Annex 1 of The International

Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969. It is based on two variables:
 V, the ship's total volume in cubic meters (m3), and

 K, a multiplier based on the ship volume.
The value of the multiplier K varies in accordance with a ship's total volume (in cubic metres)
and is applied as a kind of reduction factor in determining the gross tonnage value - which
does not have a unit such as cubic metres or tons. For smaller ships, K is smaller, for larger
ships, K is larger. K ranges from 0.22 to 0.32 and is calculated with a formula which uses the
common or base -10 logarithm:
Once V and K are known, gross tonnage is calculated using the formula, whereby GT is a
function of V:
1
Ship built before that date was given 12 years to migrate from their existing gross register tonnage (GRT) to
use of GT and NT. The phase-in period was provided to allow ships time to adjust economically, since tonnage
is the basis for satisfying manning regulations and safety rules. Tonnage is also the basis for calculating
registration fees and port dues. One of the Convention's goals was to ensure that the new calculated tonnages
"did not differ too greatly" from the traditional gross and net register tonnages.
Page 1
Net tonnage (often abbreviated as NT, N.T. or nt) is a dimensionless index calculated
from the total moulded volume of the ship's cargo spaces by using a mathematical formula.
Defined in The International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships that was adopted
by the International Maritime Organization in 1969, the net tonnage replaced the earlier net
register tonnage (NRT) which denoted the volume of the ship's revenue-earning spaces in
"register tons", units of volume equal to 100 cubic feet (2.83 m3). Net tonnage is used to
calculate the port duties and should not be taken as less than 30 per cent of the ship's gross
tonnage.
Net tonnage REPLACED net registered tonnage in 1994, under the Tonnage Measurement
convention of 1969.
Calculation of Net Tonnage
Choice of draft value
The net tonnage calculation is based on a number of factors, one of which is the moulded
draft d. The choice of the value to use for d can be complicated. For ships subject to the
International Convention on Load Lines, the Summer Load Line draft is used, with the
exception of cases where that is a timber load line. For passenger ships, the draft used is the
deepest subdivision load line assigned in accordance with the International Convention for
the Safety of Life at Sea. Otherwise, if a ship has been assigned a load line by its national
government, the draft for that summer load line is used.
12 or fewer passengers
The Net tonnage calculation is defined in Regulation 4 of Annex 1 of The International

Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969. It is based on two main variables:
 Vc, the total volume of the ship's cargo spaces in cubic meters (m³),
 d, the ship's moulded draft amidships in meters, and
 D, the ship's moulded depth amidships in metres.
The first step in calculating NT is to find the value known as K2, a multiplier based on Vc. It is
obtained by using the following formula:
And then these three values are used to calculate NT using this formula:
Where the factor 4d2/3D will not exceed 1, the term Vc × K2 × 4d2/3D will not be less than
0.25 GT, and the final value of NT shall not be taken as less than 0.30 GT.
13 or more passengers
Page 2
When calculating NT for ships certified to carry 13 or more passengers, an additional term is
used in the NT formula. It is based on three additional variables:
 GT, the ship's gross tonnage,

 N1, number of passengers in cabins with not more than 8 berths, and
 N2, number of other passengers.
First, a multiplier K3, based on the ship's gross tonnage is found,
Then the net tonnage is calculated:
Where the factor 4d2 will not exceed 1, the term will not be less than 0.25
GT, and the final value of NT shall not be taken as less than 0.30 GT.
The difference between the cases of 12 of fewer passengers and 13 or more passengers is due
to a restriction given in the net tonnage definition that states "...when N 1 + N2 is less than 13,
N1 and N2 shall be taken as zero."
Page 3

Gross and Net Tonnage

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Gross and Net Tonnage

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Gross and Net Tonnage

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Q.

Calculation of Gross Tonnage

The gross tonnage calculation is defined in Regulation 3 of Annex 1 of The International

 V, the ship's total volume in cubic meters (m3), and

Calculation of Net Tonnage

Choice of draft value

The Net tonnage calculation is defined in Regulation 4 of Annex 1 of The International

 GT, the ship's gross tonnage,

First, a multiplier K3, based on the ship's gross tonnage is found,

Then the net tonnage is calculated:

You might also like