In cold season, the developed extratropical cyclones and associated cold fronts, and NW winter monsoon are encountered very frequently in the North Pacific, especially in the northwest part of it. The two sea areas, namely, the northwest part of North Pacific, especially the eastern area far off Japan east coast, and Burmuda Triangle in the North Atlantic are generally known as two of the most dangerous areas in the world because of high incidence of sea casualties. Even large ocean going vessels were sunk frequently due to strong winds and very high seas caused by NW monsoon or developed cyclones during the winter months. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the real state of heavy weather and high sea phenomena on the vesscls at sea, thus helping mariners operate in such conditions.

In cold season, ice accretion on ship, drift ice, NW winter monsoon, developed extratropical cyclones and associated cold fronts, in warm season, tropical cyclones and dense sea fogs, are encountered very frequently in the North Pacific, especially in the northwest part of it. The two areas, namely, the northwest part of the North Pacific and Burmuda Triangle in the North Atlantic are generally known as most dangerous areas in the world because its high incidence of sea cascualities. In recent years, the small fisherboats operating in the northern seas were frequently sunk in a group as they encountered ice accretion or drift ice. And ocean going vessels were also sunk frequently due to strong winds and very high seas in winter monsoon or developed cyclones and cold fronts. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the real state of heavy weather conditions such as ice accretion on ship drift, ice, typhoons and sea fogs, and also to analyse the effect of these heavy weather phenomena on the vessels at sea, thus helping mariners operate in such heavy weather conditions.

A lot of studies of ship's economy are on the traditional fields such asreducing propulsion resistance, raising cargo handling rates and lessening building consts, but there are few researches on the merchant ship's economy concerning their deadweights and speeds according to shipping companies managerial cercumstances. Contrary to the contemporary trend that "the bigger, the better, if the cargo handling rate could increased sufficiently to hold down port time to that rate of smmaler vessels", this paper demonstrates the existence of certain limits in ship's size and speed according to the coditions of the freight rates, voyage distances, cargo handing rates, prices of fuel oil, interst rates etc. Fom the curves of criteria contour for various ship's deadweights and speeds which are depicted from the gird search method, one can get the costs and the yearly profit rates under the conditiions of large volume with long term contracts for the transportation of bulk cargoes. In estimating ship's transportation economy, the auther takes the position that the profit rate method is properer than the cost method, and introduces the calculation table of the voyage profit rate index. The use of the criteria contours will be of help to ship owners in determining the size and speed of the ship which will be built or purchased and serve in a certain trade route.