SHEE-42 Response Historic AI-assessed

Require standard envelope curves and trim data for all ferries

Recommendation

There should be a requirement in the PSC & S Regulations for standard envelope curves, at least for level keel and trims by the stern and by the head of, say, 0.4% and 0.8% of the length of the ship. In view of the importance of this point, the Court considers that requirements should be imposed upon all existing ferries for the provision of such initial trim curves. These should be implemented within a short time to prevent operation at unsuitable (and possibly dangerous) trims and vertical centres of gravity. The Court also considers that all existing Stability Books for Ro-Ro passenger ferries should be reviewed in detail by the department. Furthermore, during the review of existing books they should be examined to see whether they provide adequate information for the assessment of safe loading in respect of factors such as the tabulation of vertical centres of gravity for cargo on all vehicle decks. A standardised vertical centre of gravity should be used for each type of vehicle.

Published Evidence Summary
The following publicly available evidence relates to this recommendation:
According to gov.uk search (accessed March 2026), GOV.UK search results indicate the existence of content related to requiring standard envelope curves. However, specific details regarding the implementation of a requirement for standard envelope curves and trim data for all ferries, as recommended by the Sheen Inquiry, are not provided in the available evidence; no further specific published evidence has been identified.
How was this assessed?
Assessed by gemini-2.5-flash on 19 Mar 2026
Checked data held on this site (government responses, progress updates, independent evidence)
External sources searched: www.gov.uk, www.legislation.gov.uk, hansard.parliament.uk
Jurisdiction
UK-wide
Response
Historic

No government response recorded.

Source
Report Sheen Inquiry — Final Report 24 Jul 1987
Recommendation age 38.7 yrs
Last formal update No formal updates