• Journal of Navigation and Port Research
• /
• v.29 no.1 s.97
• /
• pp.9-15
• /
• 2005

To design ship channel is one of important factors for planning and developing a port. In most case, the core factors for designing ship channel are the layout and width of channel provided the net underkeel clearance is secured to be safe enough to pass. In this study, Variable Bumper Area(VBA) model is applied to design and assess ship channel. This model reflects ship's particular, ship domain theory, ship speed and mariner's ship handling skill and experience, especially external forces which cause leeway, set and drift and the change of ship maneuvering characteristics. A real time, full mission shiphandling simulator is used to analyze ship dynamic data according to mariner's ship control, external forces, ete. This model defines Domain degree and Domain-index for assessing the efficiency and safety of the channel. The proposed model is applied to Ulsan new port plan which has a channel width of 1.5 times the length of the largest vessel, a radius of 5 times the length of the largest vessel in a curve of 57 degree centerline angle and SBM facility adjacent to the lateral edge of channel. The result of this study shows that the width of the channel and radius of channel curve are suitable for the target ship but the difficulty of ship handling is caused by the large course change and SBM located in the vicinity of channel.