During the last decade significant progress has been made in the field of ship stability. Yet in spite of the progress made, numerous scientific and practical challenges still exist with regard to the accurate prediction of extreme motion and capsize dynamics for intact and damaged vessels, the probabilistic nature of extreme events, criteria that properly reflect the physics and operational safety of an intact or damaged vessel, and ways to provide relevant information on safe ship handling to ship operators.

This book provides a comprehensive review of the above issues through the selection of representative papers presented at the unique series of international workshops and conferences on ship stability held between 2000 and 2009. The editorial committee has selected papers for this book from the following events: STAB 2000 Conference (Launceston, Tasmania), 5th Stability Workshop (Trieste, 2001), 6th Stability Workshop (Long Island, 2002), STAB 2003 Conference (Madrid), 7th Stability Workshop (Shanghai, 2004), 8th Stability Workshop (Istanbul, 2005), STAB 2006 Conference (Rio de Janeiro), 9th Stability Workshop (Hamburg, 2007), 10th Stability Workshop (Daejeon, 2008), and STAB 2009 Conference (St. Petersburg).

The papers have been clustered around the following themes: Stability Criteria, Stability of the Intact Ship, Parametric Rolling, Broaching, Nonlinear Dynamics, Roll Damping, Probabilistic Assessment of Ship Capsize, Environmental Modelling, Damaged Ship Stability, CFD Applications, Design for Safety, Naval Vessels, and Accident Investigations.