Vessel Class form

Configuration Carriers Vessel Classes Vessel Classes view Vessel Class form

Big Picture: This form is used in the process of creating vessel visits.

The Vessel Class form enables you to add and edit a vessel class. You must add at least one vessel class before you can add a vessel. Use this form to manually add vessel classes or use the Actions Copy Reference Set option to copy vessel classes defined in an existing entity set.

Every vessel class must be defined in a ship file. Ship files are created and maintained in Navis ShipEditor.

When you use the Vessel Class form to add a vessel class, you must make sure that the name of the class points to the relevant ship file so that XPS can identify the file when you open a vessel in the XPS client. If you assign an invalid class name, XPS cannot identify the proper ship file.

All ship files are located in the xps/data/ship files folder on the XPS server. They use the following naming convention: <LineOperator>.<ShipClass>.<ShipName>.nsd

The class name must always be preceded and followed by a period. For example, a ship file called PNL.CLAS.MY VESSEL.nsd defines a vessel class called CLAS. When you create the vessel class in N4, CLAS would be the reference to enter in the Name field of the Vessel Class form.

For more information on ship files, see the manual Using Navis ShipEditor.

To add or edit a vessel class:

In the Identity field, enter an ID that uniquely identifies the vessel class.

In the Name field, enter the name of the vessel class as it appears in the name of the ship file.
From the Type drop-down list, select one of the following vessel class type:

Containership: Vessels for carrying containerized cargo.
Barge: Non-powered flat-bottom vessels for carrying cargo within a country by river, canal, or ocean bay (such as between adjacent islands).
Break bulk: Vessels for carrying cargo that is in its own packaging.
Bulk: Vessels for carrying cargo that is not packaged. For example, an entire ship load of coal is bulk cargo.
RO-RO: Vessels that do not have defined cell positions on the ship and the cargo is rolled on and off the vessel using trucks and trailers instead of cranes.
Passenger: Vessels equipped with facilities to carry passengers rather than cargo.
Tanker: Vessels for carrying liquids or gasses in bulk.
Unknown: Vessels for which the type is not known.

Each vessel class type is associated with a graphic. N4 displays this graphic in the top left pane in the Vessel Inspector. For the Unknown vessel class type, N4 displays the Containership graphic.

Optionally, select the Is Self Sustaining check box if the vessel is equipped with its own crane to move containers on and off the vessel.

The feature can be used for billing purposes.

Enter any optional information for the vessel class.
Click Save.

N4 does not allow you to save the vessel class details if the value specified in the identity field matches any of the Windows reserved file names, CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4, COM5, COM6, COM7, COM8, COM9, LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, LPT6, LPT7, LPT8, and LPT9.

The following table lists the various optional fields in the Vessel Class form:

Field Label	Description
LOA	Enter the total length of the vessel. To enter measurement using a specific unit, type the standard unit symbol, such as cm (Centimeter), m (Meter), in (Inches), ft (Feet), or yd (Yard), immediately after the numeric value. For example, to specify the length in Meters, enter 50 m in the text field. The symbol for the default unit for a field is displayed as part of the field label.
Beam	Enter the beam (width) of the vessel.
Bays Forward	Enter the number of bays forward of the bridge.
Bays Aft	Enter the number of bays aft of the bridge.
Bow Overhang	Enter the distance from the bow of the vessel to the first bay.
Stern Overhang	Enter the distance from the last bay to the stern of the vessel.
Bridge to Bow Length	Enter the distance from the bridge to the bow of the vessel.
Gross Registered Tons	Enter the gross registered tonnage for the vessel class. The gross tonnage is the capacity of spaces, in cubic feet, within the hull and above deck available for cargo, stores, passengers, and crew, divided by 100. One gross ton is equivalent to 100 cubic feet. To enter weight using a specific unit, type the standard unit symbol, such as lb (pounds), mt (metric ton), lt (long ton), or st (short ton), immediately after the numeric value. For example, to specify weight in Pounds, enter 50000 lb in the text field. The symbol for the default unit for a field is displayed as part of the field label.
Net Registered Tons	Enter the net registered tonnage for the vessel class. This is a value derived from the gross tonnage by subtracting spaces used for crew, navigation machinery, and fuel.
Note	Enter any notes for the vessel class.