ISO 13643-1:2017

Overview

ISO 13643-1:2017 - Ships and marine technology - Manoeuvring of ships - Part 1: General concepts, quantities and test conditions defines the fundamental concepts, symbols and standardized test conditions used when describing and determining ship manoeuvring characteristics. Applicable to full-scale surface ships, submarines and models, this part establishes the common terminology and measurement framework that supports the test-specific procedures in ISO 13643‑2 to ISO 13643‑6.

Key keywords: ISO 13643-1:2017, manoeuvring of ships, ship manoeuvring tests, ship handling, angle of attack, drift angle, ship-fixed axis, earth-fixed axis, dynamic stability, sea trials.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 13643-1:2017 sets out standardized definitions and test conditions that ensure consistent, repeatable measurement and reporting of manoeuvring behaviour:

• Axis systems: Clear definitions of earth-fixed and ship-fixed orthogonal, right‑handed coordinate systems used for position, motion and force descriptions.
• Position coordinates: Symbols and conventions for longitudinal, lateral and normal point coordinates on a ship or model.
• Angles of flow: Standard definitions for angle of attack (α) and drift angle (β), plus guidance for applying these angles to specific ship parts (e.g., rudder, stern plane).
• Eulerian angles & nodal axes: Conventions for describing relative rotations between axis systems.
• General quantities and symbols: Physical, geometrical and mass quantities; velocities, accelerations, forces, moments and corresponding coefficients; control and propulsion variables.
• Dynamic stability: Definitions and notation relevant to coupled motions (heave/pitch and drift/yaw/roll) and stability descriptions.
• Test conditions & documentation: Environmental, ship- and model-related test conditions and recommended test-reporting content - including requirements for model tests and sea trials.
• Normative references: Includes ISO 19019 (instructions for planning, carrying out and reporting sea trials) and references the rest of the ISO 13643 series.

Practical applications and users

ISO 13643-1:2017 is intended for professionals and organizations involved in ship manoeuvring analysis and testing:

• Naval architects and vessel designers using standardized quantities and axes in hydrodynamic design and simulation.
• Towing tanks and model test facilities conducting manoeuvring model tests.
• Sea-trial engineers and test planners preparing and reporting full-scale manoeuvring trials in line with ISO conventions.
• Shipyards, classification societies and regulators that evaluate ship handling performance and compliance.
• Research institutions and software developers validating manoeuvring simulation models and CFD against standardized definitions.

Related standards

• ISO 13643 series (Parts 2–6) - test-specific procedures for manoeuvring characteristics.
• ISO 19019 - planning, carrying out and reporting sea trials.

Using ISO 13643-1:2017 ensures consistent terminology, symbols and test conditions across model tests, simulations and full-scale trials-improving comparability and reliability of ship manoeuvring data.