Suezmax is a
naval architecture term for the largest ship measurements capable of transiting the
Suez Canal in a laden condition, and is almost exclusively used in reference to
tankers. Since the canal has no
locks, the only serious limiting factors are
draft (maximum depth below waterline), and height because of the
Suez Canal Bridge. The current channel depth of the canal allows for a maximum of of draft, meaning that a few fully laden
supertankers are too deep to fit through, and either have to unload part of their cargo to other ships ("transhipment") or to a pipeline terminal before passing through, or alternatively avoid the Suez Canal and travel around
Cape Agulhas instead. The canal was deepened in 2009 from .
