What is gearless vessel?

A gearless vessel is a type of cargo ship that does not have onboard cranes or gear systems for loading and unloading cargo. Instead, it relies on shore-based equipment, such as cranes at ports, to handle its cargo operations. These vessels are typically designed for transporting bulk goods or containers and are often more efficient in terms of weight and design since they do not carry the extra machinery. Gearless vessels tend to have a larger cargo capacity compared to geared vessels.