In ship building, is there an optimum relationship between the length and breadth of the ship?

Answer: This depends on the wishes of the ship builder and the capacity of the yard. The relationship between breadth and length of a ship affects the speed: a narrower ship has more speed as less surface is pushing through the water, however it will have less cargo capacity and buoyancy. There are also limitations for what size ship a port can handle. The Panama and Suez Canals have a maximum width. If a ship goes around one of the capes it will have to travel more miles, but can carry more cargo.