Nautical Term: Wing tank

Definition of Wing tank

A wing tank is a specialized cargo or ballast tank that is situated adjacent to the hull side of a ship. This design allows for increased volume and efficiency in the transportation of various cargos, such as fuel oil or water, or in the loading of ballast to maintain the stability of the ship during its voyage.

For example, during the loading of a tanker ship with crude oil, the wing tanks situated on the starboard (right) side of the ship would be filled first with crude oil. This would help to maintain the stability of the ship during the loading process, as the weight of the crude oil in the wing tanks would help to counterbalance the weight of the crude oil being loaded into the main cargo tanks situated in the center of the ship. Once the wing tanks on the starboard side have been filled, the wing tanks on the port (left) side of the ship would then be filled with crude oil in a similar manner, helping to maintain the stability of the ship during the loading process. Once all of the cargo tanks, including the wing tanks, have been filled with crude oil, the tanker ship would then be ready to set sail on its journey to transport the crude oil to its

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