Answered By: Reference Librarian Last Updated: Jul 22, 2014 Views: 10
I have not found a resource that explains how pre-WWII ships were rebuilt to
include increased beam and tonnage. I have found sources, including experts
you might contact directly, to assist you in determining the answer to your
The following article addresses the subject of beam vs. ballast
http://www.kastenmarine.com/beam_vs_ballast.htm and includes links addressing
marine/nautical design followed by a summary that may prove helpful.
http://www.nsnet.com/ will link you to NSnet-Maritime News and Information.
There is a research and education component on this website that might be
http://www.boatdesign.net/ offers an extensive array of data on boats,
including a design support service and an active forum. The Boat Design
Forum would be an excellent medium for posing your question. You are likely
to receive a wealth of opinions and maybe even a definitive answer.
The American Society of Naval Engineers website:
https://www.navalengineers.org/aboutasne/Pages/Staff.aspx offers a staff
directory from which you might mine a contact that can answer your question or
An interesting site that has an extensive archive of documentation on the
construction records of ships and ship/boat builders is:
http://shipbuildinghistory.com/. Tim Colton is the creator and manager of the
site. He is also the controversial President of Maritime Business
Strategies, LLC, a maritime consulting firm. His email address is available
on the site as well, so if you can't find the information on the site, you
might consider emailing Mr. Colton directly.
The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) is a resource of DoD and
government-funded engineering and technical information. Their URL is:
and explore the online version of "Handbook of Ship Calculations,
Construction and Operation."
The website for Society of Naval Architects & Marine Engineers:
http://www.sname.org/Home/ has egroups and active blogs that might put you
in direct contact with naval architects and enigeers who are able to answer
Books that you might investigate include:
Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships
Jane's Naval Construction and Retrofit Markets Jane's Fighting Ships (if your
interest is specificially modern naval vessels)
Elements of Ship Design by R. Munro-Smith
Modern Ships: Elements of their Design, Construction, and Operation by John H.
The Design of Merchant Ships and Cost Estimating: a Treatise on Ship Design
and Cost Estimating, Giving Up-to-Date Methods of Arriving at Correct
Proportions, Form and Power to Attain Minimum Capital Cost with Maximum
Service Efficiency by Alexander Kari.
Search terms you might employ when searching Google and other databases:
I apologize if I have overloaded you with resources when all you really want
is a simple explanation. Unfortunately, after extensive researching, I did
not find the answer but I hope this helps. If I can be of further assistance,
please contact us again.