Editing Roll-on/roll-off (section)

== Description ==
[[File:Blount Island aerial.jpg|thumb|[[Blount Island]] RoRo port in [[Jacksonville, Florida]].]]
Types of RORO vessels include [[ferry|ferries]], [[cruiseferry|cruiseferries]], [[cargo ship]]s, [[barge]]s, and RoRo service for air/ railway deliveries. New automobiles that are transported by ship are often moved on a large type of RORO called a pure car carrier (PCC) or pure car/truck carrier (PCTC).

Elsewhere in the shipping industry, cargo is normally measured by [[tonnage]] or by the [[tonne]], but RORO cargo is typically measured in ''[[Lane meter|lanes in metre]]s'' (LIMs). This is calculated by multiplying the cargo length in metres by the number of decks and by its width in lanes (lane width differs from vessel to vessel, and there are several industry standards). On PCCs, cargo capacity is often measured in RT or RT43 units (based on a [[Toyota Corona#T40, T50 series|1966 Toyota Corona]], the first mass-produced car to be shipped in specialised car-carriers and used as the basis of RORO vessel size. 1 RT is approximately 4m of lane space required to store a 1.5m wide Toyota Corona) or in car-equivalent units ([[Car Equivalent Unit|CEU]]).

The largest RORO passenger ferry is {{MS|Color Magic}}, a 75,100 [[gross ton|GT]] cruise ferry that entered service in September 2007 for [[Color Line (ferry operator)|Color Line]]. Built in [[Finland]] by [[Aker Finnyards]], it is {{convert|223.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|35|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide, and can carry 550 cars, or 1,270 lane meters of cargo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/color_magic_2007.htm |title=M/S Color Magic (2007) |access-date=2008-03-05 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |language=sv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004211007/http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/color_magic_2007.htm | archive-date=2012-10-04}}</ref>

The RORO passenger ferry with the greatest car-carrying capacity is [[MS Ulysses|''Ulysses'']] (named after [[Ulysses (book)|a novel by]] [[James Joyce]]), owned by [[Irish Ferries]]. ''Ulysses'' entered service on 25 March 2001 and operates between [[Dublin]] and [[Holyhead]]. The 50,938 GT ship is {{convert|209.02|m|ftin|abbr=on}} long and {{convert|31.84|m|ftin|abbr=on}} wide, and can carry 1,342 cars/4,101 lane meters of cargo.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/ulysses_2001.htm |title=M/S Ulysses (2001) |access-date=2008-03-05 |last=Asklander |first=Micke |work=Fakta om Fartyg |language=sv |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015181355/http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/ulysses_2001.htm |archive-date=2012-10-15 }}</ref>

<gallery mode="packed" heights="150">
File:Roro faehre.jpg|Loading a ro-ro passenger car ferry
File:FSRR FBQ 01.jpg|The [[MV Bali Sea|MV ''Bali Sea'']], a roll-on/roll-off [[train ferry]] operated between [[Coatzacoalcos]] and [[Mobile, Alabama|Mobile]]
File:Ulysses Arriving In Dublin.jpg|ROPAX ferry, MS ''Ulysses'', approaching Dublin Port, Ireland
File:SuperSpeed 2.jpg|Fast ROPAX cruiseferry, MS ''SuperSpeed 2'', between [[Larvik]], [[Norway]] and [[Hirtshals]], [[Denmark]]
File:Queenscliff ferry terminal.jpg|Ferry terminal for the [[Peninsula Searoad Transport]] service, with cars leaving a ferry
File:Magic_in_Oslo.JPG|The largest ro-ro passenger car ferry in the world, MS ''Color Magic'', in [[Oslo]], Norway
File:BastøElectric.jpg|[[Bastø Fosen]] is a Norwegian ferry company that operates smaller ro-ro passenger car ferries on a short route between the towns [[Horten]] and [[Moss]] in Norway, connecting the two cities and metropolitan areas of [[Tønsberg]] and [[Fredrikstad]].
</gallery>

=== Car carriers ===
{{Redirect|Car carrier||Auto carrier (disambiguation){{!}}Auto carrier}}
The first cargo ships specially fitted for the transport of large quantities of cars came into service in the early 1960s. These ships still had their own loading gear and so-called hanging decks inside. They were, for example, chartered by the German [[Volkswagen|Volkswagen AG]] to transport vehicles to the U.S. and Canada. During the 1970s, the market for exporting and importing cars increased dramatically and correspondingly also did the number and type of ROROs .

In 1970 Japan's [[K Line]] built the ''Toyota Maru No. 10'', Japan's first pure car carrier, and in 1973 built the ''European Highway'', the largest pure car carrier (PCC) at that time, which carried 4,200 automobiles. Today's pure car carriers and their close cousins, the pure car/truck carrier (PCTC), are distinctive ships with a box-like superstructure running the entire length and breadth of the hull, fully enclosing the cargo. They typically have a stern ramp and a side ramp for dual loading of thousands of vehicles (such as cars, trucks, heavy machineries, tracked units, [[Mafi roll trailer]]s, and loose statics), and extensive automatic fire control systems.

The PCTC has liftable decks to increase vertical clearance, as well as heavier decks for "high-and-heavy" cargo. A 6,500-unit car ship, with 12 decks, can have three decks which can take cargo up to {{convert|150|ST|t LT|0|abbr=on|lk=on}} <!-- Which ton? --> with liftable panels to increase clearance from {{convert|1.7|to|6.7|m|abbr=on}} on some decks. Lifting decks to accommodate higher cargo reduces the total capacity.

These vessels can achieve a cruising speed of {{convert|16|kn|mph km/h}} at eco-speed, while at full speed can achieve more than {{convert|19|kn|mph km/h}}.

{{As of|2024|August|7}}, the largest LCTC was the ''[[Höegh Aurora]]'', the inaugural vessel of a planned class of twelve, each with a capacity of 9,100 CEU.<ref>{{cite web |title=World's Largest Car Carrier Höegh Aurora Delivered |url=https://www.marinelink.com/news/worlds-largest-car-carrier-hegh-aurora-515747 |website=MarineLink |access-date=29 August 2024 |language=en |date=7 August 2024}}</ref> Meanwhile, the [[Marine Design & Research Institute of China]] (MARIC) is developing a new vessel class with a capacity of 12,800 CEU. The design has received Approval in Principle (AiP) from [[Lloyd's Register]], which was granted in June 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=World's largest car carrier receives LR Approval in Principle |url=https://www.lr.org/en/knowledge/press-room/press-listing/press-release/worlds-largest-car-carrier-receives-lr-approval-in-principle2/ |website=Lloyd's Register |access-date=29 August 2024 |language=en |date=2024-06-07}}</ref>

The car carrier ''[[Auriga Leader]]'', belonging to [[Nippon Yusen]] Kaisha, built in 2008 with a capacity of 6,200 cars, is the world's first partially solar powered ship.<ref name="pressrelease">{{cite web |url=http://www.nyk.com/english/release/31/NE_090105.html | title=Using Solar Power for Ship Propulsion The World First Solar-Powered Ship Sails |publisher=NYK Line |work=NYK-Nippon Oil Joint Project | access-date=30 May 2013 |date=5 January 2009}}</ref>
<gallery mode="packed" heights="150px">
File:Roll-On Roll-Off (RO-RO) ship, starboard ramp.jpg|A pure car carrier ship's starboard side showing side [[Link span|ramp]]
File:MV Tønsberg R01.jpg|{{MV|Tønsberg||6}}, a large car/truck carrier
File:Cross Sound Ferry MV "John H" interior.jpg|Vehicle bay of the ''John H'', of [[Cross Sound Ferry]]
J32 394 Split, MFS Petar Hektorović.jpg|The front of the [[MT Petar Hektorović|MT ''Petar Hektorović'']] opens up, allowing cars to enter the vehicle bay.
</gallery>

=== Seaworthiness ===
{{Further|List of RORO vessel accidents}}
The seagoing RORO car ferry, with large external doors close to the waterline and open vehicle decks with few internal [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]], has a reputation for being a high-risk design, to the point where the acronym is sometimes derisively expanded to "roll on/roll over".<ref>{{cite book |last=Bryson |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Bryson |year=1995 |title=Notes from a Small Island |publisher=Doubleday |location=London |isbn=978-0-385-40534-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/notesfromsmallis00bill_0 }}</ref> An improperly secured loading door can cause a ship to take on water and sink, as happened in 1987 with {{MS|Herald of Free Enterprise}}. Water sloshing on the vehicle deck can set up a [[free surface effect]], making the ship unstable and causing it to [[Capsizing|capsize]]. Free surface water on the vehicle deck was determined by the court of inquiry to be the immediate cause of the 1968 capsize of the {{ship|TEV|Wahine}} in New Zealand.<ref>{{cite book |first=Emmanuel |last=Makarios |title=The Wahine Disaster: a tragedy remembered |page=50 |year=2003 |publisher=Grantham House |location=Wellington |isbn=1-86934-079-5}}</ref> It also contributed to the wreck of {{MS|Estonia}}.

Despite these inherent risks, the very high [[Freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] raises the seaworthiness of these vessels. For example, the car carrier {{MV|Cougar Ace}} listed 60 degrees to its port side in 2006, but did not sink, since its high enclosed sides prevented water from entering.

In late January 2016 {{MV|Modern Express}} was listing off [[France]] after cargo shifted on the ship. Salvage crews secured the vessel and it was hauled into the port of Bilbao, Spain.<ref>Wright, Paul (2016 February 4) [http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/abandoned-cargo-ship-modern-express-successfully-dragged-into-port-after-rescue-operation-1541939 "Abandoned cargo ship Modern Express successfully dragged into port after rescue operation"]. ''International Business Times''.</ref>

=== RORO variations ===
[[File:Opaline - IMO 9424869 - Callsign 9HA2478, Calandkanaal pic1.JPG|thumb|right|ConRO carrying trailers and containers]]
[[File:USNS Shughart gangplank.jpg|thumb|right|[[USNS Shughart (T-AKR-295)|USNS ''Shughart'']], a non-combat RORO vessel, unloading [[Stryker]] armored vehicles]]
[[File:Bulldogs vor Mannheim.jpg|thumb|RoRo [[barge]] carrying tractors]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
|+ RORO variations
|-
! Variation
! Remarks
|-
| ConRO
| The '''ConRo''' (or '''RoCon''') vessel is a hybrid of a RORO and a [[container ship]]. This type of vessel has a below-deck area used for vehicle storage while stacking  [[Intermodal container|containerized]] freight on the top decks. ConRo ships, such as the [[G4-class freighter|G4 class]] of the Atlantic Container Line, can carry a combination of containers, heavy equipment, oversized cargo, and automobiles. Separate internal ramp systems within the vessel segregate automobiles from other vehicles, [[Mafi roll trailer]]s, and [[break-bulk cargo]].
|-
| LMSR
| [[Large, Medium-Speed Roll-on/Roll-off]] (LMSR) refers to several classes of [[Military Sealift Command]] (MSC) roll-on/roll-off type cargo ships. Some are purpose-built to carry military cargo, while others are converted.
|-
| RoLo
| A '''RoLo''' (roll-on/lift-off) vessel is another hybrid vessel type, with ramps serving vehicle decks but with other cargo decks only accessible when the tides change or by the use of a crane.
|-
| ROPAX
| The acronym '''ROPAX''' (roll-on/roll-off passenger) describes a RORO vessel built for freight vehicle transport along with passenger accommodation. Technically this encompasses all ferries with both a roll-on/roll-off car deck and passenger-carrying capacities, many of those with facilities for more than 500 passengers may be described as [[cruiseferry|cruiseferries]].
|-
|}