This postgraduate-level course provides a complete foundation in naval architecture, from the geometry of a hull to the economics of a ship design. It begins with the context of maritime transport, the different ways marine vehicles are supported and the language of lines plans and hull-form coefficients. It then builds the mechanics needed for naval architecture: forces and couples, centres of gravity, areas and centroids, and numerical integration. Hydrostatics follows, covering pressure, Archimedes’ principle, centres of buoyancy, second moments and the metacentre, with Simpson’s rules and draught and trim problems. Initial and large-angle stability, flooding, the inclining experiment and end launching come next, before the course closes with preliminary ship design methods, statutory and class frameworks, and ship economics, tied together in a design case study.
Course at a glance: Duration 20 hours · Self-paced online · 10 sections, 51 lessons, a 217-page downloadable course book
What you will learn
- Describe hull geometry using lines-plan terminology, hull-form coefficients and speed parameters.
- Calculate centres of gravity, areas, centroids and volumes using integration and Simpson’s rules.
- Apply Archimedes’ principle and hydrostatic relationships to find buoyancy, metacentric height, sinkage and trim.
- Assess initial and large-angle stability, including free-surface losses, the wall-sided formula and angles of loll.
- Explain flooding calculation methods, the inclining experiment and the mechanics of end launching.
- Outline a preliminary ship design process using deadweight, capacity, stability and power estimates.
- Compare design options using operating and construction costs and economic evaluation measures.
Inside the course: a high-level summary, section by section.
Ship geometry and design context
The course begins by placing naval architecture in the context of maritime transport, where ships carry most of the world’s trade. It then explains the modes of support for marine vehicles: buoyancy for displacement ships, hydrodynamic lift for planing craft and hydrofoils, air pressure for hovercraft and other cushion craft, and submerged operation for submarines and submersibles. The support mode matters because it determines which physical principles govern design.
Design requirements and the design cycle introduce the idea that a ship is developed iteratively from owner requirements. Lines plans and hull terminology, including stations, waterlines, buttocks, perpendiculars, sheer and flare, provide the language for describing hull shape, while comparative design parameters such as block, prismatic, midship and waterplane coefficients, and speed parameters such as Froude number, allow different ships to be compared on a consistent basis.
Mechanics for naval architects
The second section builds the mechanical toolkit. Mass and weight, equivalent forces and couples, and the rule that a force can be moved to a new line of action by adding a compensating couple are explained, because these ideas underpin every stability and trim calculation. Centres of gravity are calculated by taking moments of individual weights, with a worked vessel example. Integration and summation, areas and centroids, and standard shape families show how geometric properties of waterplanes and sections are obtained, either analytically or numerically.
Hydrostatics
Hydrostatics starts with pressure and hydrostatic force on submerged surfaces, then Archimedes’ principle, which states that buoyancy equals the weight of fluid displaced and acts vertically through the centre of buoyancy. Equilibrium requires that weight and buoyancy are equal and act along the same vertical line. Stability concepts are introduced through the relationship between the centre of gravity, the centre of buoyancy and the metacentre.
The course then explains how to calculate volumes and centres of buoyancy, longitudinal and vertical, and how the second moment of area of the waterplane determines the metacentric radius. Simpson’s rules provide the numerical integration method used throughout naval architecture, and the course emphasises disciplined layout: choosing the right rule for the spacing and number of intervals, forming moments about a clear datum and checking results against the floating condition. Draught and trim problems show how adding, removing or moving weight changes mean draught and trim, distinguishing parallel sinkage from changes in trim caused by moving weight longitudinally. Worked examples and an assignment consolidate these methods.
Initial and large-angle stability
Initial stability is described through the metacentric height, the distance between the centre of gravity and the metacentre for small angles of heel. Empirical approximations such as the Morrish and Munro-Smith formulae give quick estimates of the vertical centre of buoyancy and related quantities. Virtual losses in metacentric height, caused by free surfaces in partially filled tanks and by suspended weights, are explained as an effective rise in the centre of gravity.
For larger angles, the wall-sided formula extends stability calculations beyond the small-angle range for ships with vertical sides near the waterline. Angles of loll, where a ship with negative initial metacentric height finds equilibrium at an angle of heel, are explained along with why they must be corrected by lowering the centre of gravity rather than by shifting weight to one side. Large-angle stability and the righting lever curve complete the section, with a worked example.
Flooding, inclining and launching
The fourth section covers damage and special conditions. Flooding methods, including the added-weight and lost-buoyancy approaches, are explained and compared, with worked problems. The inclining experiment is presented as the practical method for determining the vertical centre of gravity of a completed ship by moving known weights and measuring the resulting heel. End launching is analysed through its phases, including the moment the stern lifts and the ship begins to pivot about the fore poppet, and the checks needed to avoid tipping and excessive pressures.
Preliminary ship design
Preliminary design brings the earlier methods together. The design process overview, deadweight and capacity methods, dimension and capacity checks, and estimates of stability, power and lightship weight show how a concept is developed and checked. The statutory and class framework explains how international conventions and classification rules constrain design, and a section assignment applies the approach.
Ship economics and case study
The final section links design to commercial performance. Operating and construction costs are reviewed, followed by economic evaluation measures such as net present value and required freight rate. Ship design and economic comparison show how alternative designs are ranked, and a worked design case study and final design evaluation pull the whole course together.
Key takeaways
You leave with a solid, connected foundation in naval architecture: hull geometry, the mechanics of weights and centres, hydrostatics and trim, stability at small and large angles, flooding and launching, and the technical and economic basis of preliminary ship design.
How you study
The course is delivered fully online and is self-paced, so you can fit roughly 20 hours of study around professional commitments. Lessons combine clear explanation with examples, diagrams and short interactive checks, and the main sections end with graded quizzes (5 in total) so you can confirm you can apply each method before moving on. A 217-page course book can be downloaded and printed for offline reading and later reference.
Course contents
- Ship Geometry and Design Context: Maritime Transport Context; Modes of Support; Design Requirements and Cycle; Lines Plans and Hull Terms; Comparative Design Parameters
- Mass, Moments and Integration: Mass and Weight Basics; Equivalent Forces and Couples; Centres of Gravity; Worked Vessel CG Example; Integration and Summation; Areas and Centroids; Standard Shape Families
- Buoyancy and Hydrostatics: Pressure and Hydrostatic Force; Archimedes and Equilibrium; Stability Concepts; Volumes and Centres of Buoyancy; Hydrostatic Properties
- Displacement, Trim and Numerical Methods: LCB, VCB and Sinkage; Second Moments and Metacentre; Simpson’s Rules; Worked Hydrostatics Example; Draught and Trim Problems; Section 3 Assignment
- Initial and Large-Angle Stability: Initial Stability Basics; Morrish and Munro-Smith; Virtual GG Losses; Wallsided Formula; Angles of Loll; Large-Angle Stability
- Flooding, Inclining and Launching: Flooding Methods; Flooding Worked Problems; Inclining Experiment; End Launching
- Preliminary Ship Design: Design Process Overview; Deadweight and Capacity Methods; Dimensions and Capacity Checks; Stability, Power and Lightship; Statutory and Class Framework; Section 6 Assignment
- Ship Economics and Case Study: Operating and Construction Costs; Economic Evaluation Measures; Ship Design and Economic Comparison; Worked Design Case Study; Final Design Evaluation
- Summary: Key Takeaways
Who this course is for
This postgraduate-level course is for engineering graduates from mechanical, civil, structural and related disciplines who are moving into naval architecture or marine engineering, and for practising engineers who want a thorough refresher on core naval architecture. It also suits surveyors, marine superintendents and offshore engineers who regularly deal with hydrostatics, stability and ship design calculations.
Frequently asked questions
How long does Naval Architecture Fundamentals take?
The course is designed for about 20 hours of study. It is self-paced and fully online, so you can spread it over a few weeks or complete it more quickly.
What is covered?
The course is organised into 10 sections with 51 lessons, moving from foundations to applied methods, as summarised above.
Is there material to keep after the course?
Yes. A downloadable 217-page course book accompanies the lessons for offline reading and later reference.
How is progress checked?
Each main section closes with a graded quiz (5 in total). The quizzes test understanding of the concepts and methods explained in the lessons rather than memorisation, and you can review the relevant lessons before attempting them.
Can I record this study for my own professional development?
Yes. The course notebook includes a self-assessment of the course objectives before and after study, a reflection page and a learning log, which you can use to keep your own record of professional development.
Duration: 20 hours
Related courses: A01 – Principles of Naval Architecture: Support, Form, and Stability; A02 – Ship Hydrostatics and Stability Foundations; A07 – Feasibility to Preliminary Naval Ship Design; A10 – Naval Architecture and Ship Production Technology (Part 1 of 4)
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