ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Compensated gross tonnage

Compensated gross tonnage is a way of measuring how big a boat is. Imagine that you have a toy boat and you want to know how big it is. You could measure it from one end to the other, but that wouldn't give you the whole picture. Compensated gross tonnage takes into account not just the length of the boat, but also how tall and wide it is.

Let's say that you have two toy boats that are exactly the same length, but one is taller and wider than the other. The taller and wider boat would actually be considered bigger in terms of compensated gross tonnage, even though it's not longer. This is because the extra height and width means that it can carry more stuff, like more toy passengers or cargo.

Now, let's say that these toy boats aren't toys anymore, but actual big boats that carry real people and cargo. Compensated gross tonnage becomes even more important. When a boat is registered with the government, they need to know how big it is so they can make sure that it's following safety regulations and not carrying too much weight. Compensated gross tonnage helps them determine how much weight the boat can safely carry.

So, compensated gross tonnage is a way of measuring how big a boat is by looking at its length, height, and width. It's important because it helps ensure that boats are safe and not carrying too much weight.