{{Short description|Form of ship length measurement}} thumb|right|300px|Graphical representation of the dimensions used to describe a ship. '''Length between perpendiculars''' (often abbreviated as '''p/p''', '''p.p.''', '''pp''', '''LPP''', '''LBP''' or '''Length BPP''') is the length of a ship along the summer load line from the forward surface of the stem, or main bow perpendicular member, to the after surface of the sternpost, or main stern perpendicular member. When there is no sternpost, the centerline axis of the rudder stock is used as the aft end of the length between perpendiculars.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.globmaritime.com/martech/naval-architecture/general/6766-perpendiculars-and-length-between-perpendiculars |title=Perpendiculars and Length Between Perpendiculars |access-date=2012-12-07 |archive-date=2016-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404135216/http://www.globmaritime.com/martech/naval-architecture/general/6766-perpendiculars-and-length-between-perpendiculars |url-status=dead }}</ref>
Measuring to the stern post or rudder stock was believed to give a reasonable idea of the ship’s carrying capacity, as it excluded the small, often unusable volume contained in its overhanging ends. On some types of vessels this is, for all practical purposes, a waterline measurement. In a ship with raked stems, naturally that length changes as the draught of the ship changes, therefore it is measured from a defined loaded condition.
==See also== * Length overall
==Citations== {{reflist}}
==References== * {{cite book |last=Hayler |first=William B. |author2=Keever, John M. |title=American Merchant Seaman's Manual |year=2003 |publisher= Cornell Maritime Pr |isbn= 0-87033-549-9 }} * {{cite book | last=Turpin | first=Edward A.|author2=McEwen, William A. | title=Merchant Marine Officers' Handbook| edition=4th | year=1980 | publisher=Cornell Maritime Press | location=Centreville, MD | isbn=0-87033-056-X }}
==External links== * [http://www.globmaritime.com/martech/naval-architecture/general/6766-perpendiculars-and-length-between-perpendiculars Perpendiculars and Length Between Perpendiculars] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404135216/http://www.globmaritime.com/martech/naval-architecture/general/6766-perpendiculars-and-length-between-perpendiculars |date=2016-04-04 }}
{{Ship measurements}}
Category:Shipbuilding Category:Ship measurements