Types of Ships

Burak Acar
• Our presentation intends to describe all
types of ships by explaining their
characteristic features and through the use
of illustrations. It dwells mainly on troop
ships because they constitute the world's
merchant fleet and contribute largely to
world trade and transportation. Below you
will find the classification of ships:
Classification of Ships
CIVIL SHIPS

freighters
TROOP
passenger
SHIPS
ships
special
ships
INDUSTRIAL SHIPS
SERVICE SHIPS
TECHNICAL SHIPS
 Civil Ships
• This major group is divided into types and
subtypes depending on what the ship is
going to be used for.
 1.Troop-ships
• their purpose is to carry freight and
passengers
a) freighters (also cargo ships)
• As the name suggests, this category
includes ships carrying both dry (general-
cargo and specialized ships) and liquid
cargo.
 General-cargo ships
• Once the most popular type, nowadays
general-cargo ships are still built but in small
quantities. Their carrying capacity is 4,000-
6,000 t on average and may reach 16,000 -
20,000 t. General cargo includes items which
are packed (boxes, barrels, bags, packages)
or not packed (pipes, bricks, machinery, rolls
of wire). They usually have spacious holds
which occupy the larger part of the hull.
Refrigerator chambers to keep perishable
foods, tanks for carrying vegetable oils and
air-conditioned systems for furs needing
special care are being provided on modern
vessels. However, the disadvantage is that
loading and unloading takes a long time
which causes delay. Ships for general cargo
may sail on a fixed route (that is, making
regular voyages between two ports) or may
supply cargo wherever merchants want them
to. The latter are also called trampers
because they do not have a specific route.
Trampers usually transport coal, timber, ores,
cotton, etc.
 Specialized ships
• the cargo is carefully distributed according
to its type and requirement of special
conditions:
 Reefer
• they transport perishable foods such
as fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and
dairy, having a carrying capacity of
8,000 - 12,000 t. They sail at a speed
of 18-22 knots which is higher than
that of the common general-cargo
ships because these perishable goods
require faster delivery. Foodstuffs are
kept in holds with good heat and
freezing insulation at a temperature
varying from -25 C to +13 C depending
on the type of cargo. Reefers are
equipped to carry not only frozen stuff
but also goods which first have to be
refrigerated to a specific temperature
for transportation.
 Timber carriers
• one-decked ships designed to carry logs and
beams; carrying capacity - 5,000 - 20,000 t,
speed - 13-15 knots.
 Containerships
• carrying capacity - 8,000-
15,000 t on average and
25,000-30,000 t for big
containerships;
These ships are classified as
unit-load ships because freight
is carried in huge boxes of
standard size (units), usually
from 10 to 40 t. Actually these
are the same we see on trains
and trucks proving one of the
advantages of containerships
and those boxes: the delivery
can be transported to the
recipient using the link wagon -
car - ship with least damage of
cargo.
 Containerships
• Containerships are said to have made a revolution in the
history of water transport. The higher speed (of 20-26
knots) and shorter port stay are a few of their
advantages over other types of ships. The boxes, also
called containers, may carry anything - fruit and meat (in
special refrigerator containers), chemicals and acids,
textile, instruments and metals, TV sets, radios and
computers, even cars and ships! Containerships tend to
have a large hatch on the deck just above the hold in
order to avoid moving boxes horizontally along the deck
to the hold to save time and effort. Due to this peculiar
ship design and method of units, loading and unloading
is done much faster.
 Containerships
• Records for the fastest
work have been set, the
recent one being an
unloading of 104
containers per hour
(Hong Kong, 1982).
Usually loading
procedures are
performed with cranes
ashore at special places
called "terminals" but
smaller containerships
have their own cargo-
handling gear.
 Barge-carrying ships (lighter ships)
• This type of ships pertains to the category of containerships but the
principle is slightly different. Cargo is carried in floating containers,
also referred to as barges or lighters, each with a carrying capacity
of 375 t - 1050 t. As these barges cannot sail on their own, they
need to be tugged or towed to the ship. There, they can be loaded
aboard in different ways depending on the type of lighter ship. For
example, LASH (Lighter Aboard Ship) type has a high-capacity
crane at the stern which lifts the barge, moves it horizontally over
the deck and arranges it. SEA BEE type has a platform at the stern
which is just like an elevator - it takes the lighter on and lifts it up to
the deck. From then on, another device carries the barge to its
place. The "integrator" lighter ship has its hull divided into sections
so that the tug can move the barge straight into its compartment.
Unloading is done in the same way on the following principle -
lighters are unloaded from the ship, let in the water and tugged to
the pier.
Barge-carrying ships (lighter ships)
• The advantage of this
type of ships being
that cargo can be
carried in separate
barges to and from
smaller ports through
a series of rivers and
canals that are
inaccessible for big
ships.
 Ro-ro ships
• used for transporting motor vehicles
and other wheeled equipment. Ro-ro is
short for roll-on roll-off ships and is
thus called because cargo is carried
on wheeled containers or trailers. Ro-
ro ships sail at an average speed of 22
knots. Roughly speaking, their shape
is "boxy". Ro-ro ships usually have 2-6
decks and look like huge parking lots
with stern openings and lifting
platforms to sort out trailers. Needless
to say, loading and unloading is quite
speedy. A common "representative" of
ro-ro type is the car carrier (car-
loading.jpg) which usually has cars
directly loaded on the ship without
putting them in containers. Modern car
carriers are capable of carrying about
6,500 automobiles.
 Bulk-carriers (bulkers)
• designed to carry loose goods which constitute about
70% of all the shipments carried by sea; speed - 14 - 16
knots, carrying capacity - varies (there are ships with
30,000 t and others with 150,000 t);
Bulkers are usually one-decked, with an engine room in
the stern and a deckhouse above it. The holds are
constructed with longitudinal and cross walls (called
"bulkheads") and the cargo is easily stowed according to
them. Bulk-carriers do not have cargo-handling gear
aboard and have their goods loaded/unloaded by means
of port devices. That's why all the space before the
deckhouse is vacant to make load operations easier.
There is an exception for some bulkers that work on a
self-unloading principle.
 Bulk-carriers (bulkers)
• Bulk cargo is a wide term. Heavy bulk-
carriers usually transport ore , coal
and coke, building materials, such as
cement and gravel. Light bulkers carry
grain, salt and sugar. Unfortunately,
goods such as ores and grain cannot
simply be dumped in the hold of the
ship without taking any precautions.
Any careless maintenance of this
cargo may result in damage of the
ship. Just to give you an example -
grain may ignite under particular
conditions. Bulkers can also be all-
purpose i.e. they may export bulk
cargo and import oil or vehicles. This
type tends to have many holds. An
example of this type is the oil-ore
carrier which may have a carrying
capacity of 280,000t.
Bulk-carriers (bulkers)
 Heavy-cargo ships
• designed to carry
cranes, oil drills,
machinery for
factories and power
stations, equipment
for heavy industry and
other cargo weighing
700-1000 t.
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 1. Troop Ships
• a) freighters (cargo ships)
– General cargo ships
– Specialized ships
– Reefers
– Timber carriers
– Containerships
– Barge carrying ships
– Ro-ro ships
– Bulk carriers
– Heavy cargo ships
Liquid Cargo Ships
 Tankers
• one of the most popular types of troop ships making up
65% of water transport. They transport crude oil and
petroleum products such as chute and diesel oil at a
speed of 12-20 knots. Tankers are one-decked ships
with the engine room and superstructure at the stern and
a pump compartment often at the bow. The middle part
of the tanker consists of a group of identical sections
(called tanks) separated by cross walls in the hull. Hence
the name of tankers. Each tank is equipped with a
heating coil. You may wonder what the heating coil is for.
In winter conditions liquid cargo, e.g. chute freezes and
cannot be pumped out (and thus, unloaded).
 Tankers
• The coil gives off heat in the tank and keeps the chute
fluid this way making pumping easier and faster. Ship
design includes also the so-called "catwalk with the
pipes" - this is a bridge which connects the
superstructure (in the rear) with the forecastle (in the
front). Thus, sailors do not have to walk along the deck
to reach the forecastle machinery but can use this
bridge. This is done as a safety measure rather than
because of a whim. Let us explain - because tankers
have quite a low freeboard, in a storm high waves may
flow over the deck and threaten the crew. That's why a
"catwalk" is built high above the deck. Gigantic tankers
do not have catwalks with the pipes but other "paths"
instead.
 Tankers
• With their fast rate of
growth, tankers leave all
other ships behind. In
1953, the first
supertanker was
launched under the name
of "Tina Onasis". She had
a deadweight capacity of
46,080 t. Only twenty
years later, the world has
tankers reaching 500,000
t and above. A
remarkable progress!
 Tankers
Type of Tanker Deadweight tonnage

Product carrier (for petroleum products) 10,000 - 60,000 t

CC (Crude Carrier) Up to 80,000 t

LCC (Large Crude Carrier) 80,000 t - 120,000 t

VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) 120,000 t - 250,000 t

ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) Over 250,000 t

 But why are such gigantic
ships built?
• Economists estimate that the profit from a supertanker will be bigger
than from a common small tanker. However, the trend is towards
building tankers with a deadweight of up to 250,000 t mainly
because smaller ships are able to access all sea ports. Also, there
are some rules and regulations which prohibit the release of dirty
water (which comes from washing the tanks) straight into the ocean.
According to these laws, wash-over of tanks should be done at
special purifying places in ports and should be paid for. Now think of
a titanic supertanker with her huge and numerous tanks. And now
imagine the ship owner's eyes when he receives the bill! Another
important reason is probably the danger of oil spillage which kills
marine flora and fauna. The best known case of a tanker wreck and
oil spill is the "Torrey Canyon" ship in 1967. The spill of nearly
107,000 t of oil caused irretrievable damage to the whole region.
Reports indicate that the total amount of oil discharged into the
oceans from tankers is about 1,000,000 t each year.
 LPG Carriers (Liquid Petroleum
Gas Carriers)
• built to carry liquid gases, either natural gases or products of oil
processing (methane, propane, butane), for chemical industry;
speed 12-20 knots;
The manufacture of LPG carriers starts in the 50-s, with the first
being produced by Sweden and having the scant deadweight of 455
t - at the beginning people were still at a loss about how to transport
this kind of cargo. Soon later, larger LPG carriers were built. Gases
(which are kept in three conditions - liquid, cooled or under
pressure) are held in special reservoirs with cylindrical, spherical or
square shape made of aluminum or nickel alloys. Steel cannot be
used as in tankers because cooled gases in the reservoirs have a
temperature of -162 C (-260 F) and make the steel walls as fragile
as glass. Actually, LPG carriers are quite expensive to produce.
 LPG Carriers (Liquid Petroleum
Gas Carriers)
• Safety measures are
vitally important.
Ventilation is provided in
all of the compartments
(containing gas
reservoirs) to prevent
dangerous chemical
reactions through air
between gases. Living
quarters are located in
the stern and are
equipped with oxygen-
supply devices. Anti-fire
systems are installed
everywhere.
 Chemical carrier
• they transport chemicals
such as sulfuric acid,
phosphoric acid and
ammonia. Some products
require special conditions
- for example, asphalt
and liquid sulfur need to
be warmed so as not to
cool down during
transportation.
 Other ships for liquid cargo
• carry water, wine, vegetable oils, olive oils,
etc.
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 1. Troop Ships
• Liquid Cargo Carriers
– Tankers
– LPG Carriers
– Chemical Carriers
– Other Types
 b) passenger ships
• They transport people. Passenger ships
are divided into several categories:
 Liners
• Liners sail on one and same route (be it through
rivers, seas or oceans) according to a timetable.
Ocean liners used to be the most popular from
this type. They usually had 1,500-2,000 seats for
passengers and reached 30-35 knots of speed.
A common element of architecture was the
steps-like superstructure. Ship design included
spacious saloons, sports halls, swimming pools
and many other facilities. Nowadays, liners are
no longer used and are replaced by ferries.
 Liners
• The history of transoceanic liners is marked by success and
failure. At the very beginning the competition of who would
build the largest ship, sailing at the highest possible speed
and providing greatest amenities was rather keen. The
attempts were not futile. To name a few of those gigantic
luxurious liners - Queen Elizabeth II (2,000 passenger seats,
906 crew members; own telephone exchange), France (2046
passenger seats, 1112 crew members), United States
(perhaps the fastest liner of all times; No accidents have
happened during her "life"!). Ship companies were satisfied
because their investment in super liners had been successful.
But the years after 1950 fell short of their expectations. Air
transport entered a phase of rapid development and began to
"steal" the passengers. Just look at the figures - in 1947, 70%
of the passengers chose to travel by sea whereas in 1972 this
percentage was only 0,8%. Liners were gone.
 Cruise ships
• Their purpose is to take tourists to journeys. As a matter
of fact, cruise ships are liners with size and load draft
allowing them to enter almost every port (When the
companies building giant ocean liners went bankrupt,
most of the ships did not go to the junk but were adapted
to tourist voyages. Such is the case with the liner
"France" which became the cruise ship "Norway",
organizing excursions in the Caribbean Sea). Cruise
ships are usually white-painted multi-decked vessels
sailing at an average speed of 20-22 knots. Ramps at
the stern make boarding of passengers easier. Also,
machinery noise is brought to minimum for the
convenience of passengers.
 Cruise ships
• Restaurants, bars,
casinos, discos,
swimming pools, fitness
centers and shops make
cruise ships look like a
real resort complex. The
most frequent places of
visits are Alaska, Mexico,
Hawaii Island, the
Mediterranean, West
Europe, Japan. Cruise
ships can also be tall
ships or icebreakers, the
latter organizing winter
trips through ice.
 Passenger coastwise vessels
• not large inland-going ships which sail close to
the coast between two or more ports; Their
seats for passengers vary from 40 to 600. Into
this category fall two other types of ships - the
hydrofoil (average speed 60-80 km/h) and the
hovercraft. The latter transfers passengers
between two points at a speed of 40-70 knots.
 Yachts
• crafts, propelled either by sail or
by power, used for recreation.
Power yachts are also referred to
as cabin cruisers. The introduction
of steam and later - internal
combustion in yachts, led to an
increase in their size and
amenities. Large yachts began to
stand up even to luxurious
passenger ships. Today, modern
yachts are built smaller and
cheaper. But as a whole, yachting
remains quite costly.
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 1. Troop Ships
• b) Passanger Ships
– Liners
– Cruise Ships
– Passenger Coastwise Vessels
– Yachts
c) special troop ships
 Ferries
• designed to carry wagons, vehicles and passengers by serving as a bridge
between two ports, located at the opposite ends of rivers, bays, canals, etc.
The average speed is about 20 knots. Ferries usually have two control
panels - one at the bow and one at the stern. There are also huge gates
called hatchways to provide fast loading and unloading. Ferries carrying
wagon assemblies are equipped with rails which fit into railroads on shore.
Saloons, bars, restaurants, passenger seats are all in the superstructure.
This type of ships is divided into train ferries, combined train and car ferries
and combined passenger and car ferries. The latter type of ferry is also
used as a foreign-going vessel for tourism, just like cruise ships. As a matter
of fact, both look much the same from the outside but ferries have car decks
in addition. Large car-and-passenger ferries are able to carry about 1,500
people and 350 automobiles.Ferries are an important factor for trade
development of some countries - for example, ferries of Denmark transport
40% of the country's shipments and those of Sweden - 30%. Besides,
ferries of today are used as suitable places for conducting conferences and
symposiums aboard.
 Ferries

car ferry

ferry
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 1. Troop Ships
• c) Special Troop Ships
– Ferries
 2. Industrial Ships
• designed to draw out raw materials and
food resources from sea. Industrial
procedures may include extracting oil and
mineral salts or catching and processing
fish, crustacean (such as lobsters, crabs
and shrimps), marine flora and fauna. We
are going to focus on commercial fishing
and types of ships employed in it.
 a) Extractive ships
• ships used solely for catching (fish, sea
mammals and plants)
-fishing ships - according to the method of
catching fish, several types are
distinguished among which are:
 Trawlers
• the most widespread type of
fishing vessel; The name
"trawler" comes from "trawl" - a
fishing net which is dragged
along the sea floor. Depending
on where the trawl is launched
- over the side of the ship or
over her stern, there are side
and stern trawlers respectively.
Some of the largest trawlers
(factory trawlers) are equipped
with machines for processing,
canning and storing the fish in
refrigerator compartments.
 Seiners
• Seiners use a peculiar kind of net (a purse
seine) which hangs vertically in the water and
has a rope at its bottom. Once the shoal of fish
enters the net, the rope tightens and closes it,
just like an upside-down purse.
-Whalers - ships designed for hunting whales;
Whalers usually have high forecastle which
contains the harpoon weapon.
-Algae-catching vessels
-Others - these include vessels specialized in
the catch of crabs, walruses, seals, sharks, etc.
 b) Processing ships
• Their main purpose is to receive the catch from
extractive ships, process it into usable products
and bring it to ports. Mother ships and
refrigerator fishing vessels (with conditions to
freeze fish) are common representatives of this
group. The former ones are very large fishing
ships with an average speed of 13-16 knots.
They also supply fishing vessels with everything
necessary for their prolonged stay at sea such
as fuel, food and medical assistance.
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 2. Industrial Ships
• a) Extractive Ships
– Trawlers
– Seiners
• b) Processing Ships
 3. Service ships
• vessels which serve the merchant fleets
and operate in harbors, inland waters and
water areas; Depending on the function
they perform, service ship can be grouped
in four categories:
a) Ships providing navigation
through different waters
 Hydrographic ships
• Their purpose is to explore seas and
oceans, gather data and report to
hydrographic bureaus which on their part,
compose maps and charts. Hydrographic
ships inform seamen on possible weather
changes as well. Besides which, they are
in charge of all signaling devices and
lightships at sea.
 Pilot boats
• small vessels that carry a pilot
to a ship and then bring him
back to the port. These pilots
steer the ship through rivers
and canals from one point to
another by showing the safest
way to go. It is true that ships
have their own pilots to
navigate them through different
waters but peculiarities and
changes of a particular water
area are not shown on any
guide. Therefore local pilots
are needed. And pilot boats
too.
 Lightships
• smaller vessels painted
red and equipped with
light- and radio-signal
devices and anchored at
places which are
dangerous for ships to
pass through (e.g.
shallows, rocks).
Lightships have begun to
decrease in number and
are being replaced by
navigation buoys.
b) Auxiliary ships
 Icebreakers
• These are ships maintaining
navigation in winter by leading
other vessels across ice tracks
(and breaking ice-floes).
Compared to common ships,
icebreakers have a strong bow
and different construction of
the hull whose purpose is to
make ice blocks lift up the
vessel. The principle of
operation is the following: the
ship climbs up the thick ice
and cracks it with its hull
weight, this way clearing
pathways for other ships to
cross.
 Salvage tugs (or tugboats)
• high-speed vessels with an
approximate length of 60
meters, used for towing
barges and damaged ships
and taking them across
narrow canals or fairways.
Tugs can do fast and easy
manoeuvers to front, back
and aside. This feature
makes tugboats good
assistants to big ships
which cannot manoeuver on
their own in narrow places
and need help.
 Push tugs
• vessels used for pushing an assembly of
barges; Push tugs have very high
superstructures which allow to keep a
watch on the vessels in front and way
ahead.
c) Ships providing safety
 Rescue ships
• powerful high-speed
crafts, able to operate in
any conditions and being
equipped to save ships
which have damage or
have suffered an accident
aboard and need urgent
help. Rescue ships can
give help in underwater
repairs and provide
medical assistance.
 Fireboats
• equipped to fight fire
aboard ships and
floating platforms
(e.g. oil drills) by
spraying foam and
water from a distance
of 60-100 meters.
d) Ships with special purposes
 Research vessels
• ships used for exploring waterways,
surveying the sea bottom and ocean
processes, locating natural resources
(petroleum, cobalt, copper, iron, etc.) and
observing marine life. These ships have
winches and other devices to assist
research underwater vehicles and nets.
They also have laboratories inside.
 Training ships
• for training cadets
 Floating "houses"
• hospitals, hotels,
exhibitions,
workshops,
laboratories
 Summary…
• Civil Ships:
– 2. Service Ships
• a) Ships Providing Navigation Through Different
Waters
• b) Auxiliary Ships
• c) Ships Providing Safety
• d) Ships with Special Purposes
 4.Technical ships
• ships which provide technical service and
create the necessary conditions for ship
navigation; Here are the various types of
technical ships:
• a) Dredgers - These are floating vessels used to make sea- or river-
floors deeper (for example, this is done when ports and canals are
built or simply maintained). Dredges take out sand from the bottom
and dump it on barges which bring it away.
b) Suction dredgers - an extension of dredges; These crafts have a
suction device which gathers sand from the sea floor and carries it
away with a system of pipes to land or to another deep place in
water which has to be made shallower. Suction-dredge.jpg
c) Floating docks - the largest representatives of technical ships;
Floating docks are floating vessels which cannot move on their own
and serve as places for construction and repair of ships.

• d) Others - floating cranes, power stations and workshops; cable

laying ships; oil collector ships (they surround the oil spills and clear
them); drill ships; offshore drilling rig supply vessels;
 Naval ships
• The development of water
transport led to the discovery of
new lands rich in resources that
are on demand by fast-growing
industries. Each powerful country
aspired to get hold of those lands
and this way gain solid economic
positions in the world. Everyone
wanted to be the superior power.
There were many candidates for
becoming leaders in world trade
and therefore - there were many
rivals and enemies. So, countries
started to produce warships with
which they conquered new
territories and defended them from
enemies. -
Warships are divided into two
main groups - surface and
underwater vessels.
1.Surface Ships
 a) Ships of the Line
• They appeared at the end of the 19th
century and the beginning of the 20th as a
model of armored ship. In the 1960-s the
best ships of the line were scrapped.
 b) Aircraft Carriers
• These are the most powerful
surface vessels of all. Their
function is to house airplanes
used for military purposes such
as destroying key coastal
objects (naval bases, airports,
administrative buildings),
carrying out battle
reconnaissance, attacking
submarines, correcting the aim
of fire, etc. Aircraft carriers look
like floating airports with their
sizeable flight decks. Due to
the perfect organization on
board the ships, landing of
planes can be done every 20-
25 seconds.
 c) Cruisers
• The term "cruiser" was first used in France as
"croiseur" with the meaning of "cruising,
patrolling". They are designed for conducting
reconnaissance, lifting blockades, capturing
enemy ships and defending own objects. During
World War II cruisers were employed as "tender"
ships which guarded convoys in their passage
through the ocean. Since the introduction of the
missile weapon, many of the old cruisers were
modernized and re-equipped.
 d) Destroyers
• one of the most numerous
battleships in today's navies
(about 300); These crafts are
multi-purpose - they take part
in various naval operations
such as fighting surface and
underwater vessels and
patrolling. The earliest
destroyer used to have a mine
attached on a pole at the bow
of the ship. During fire, the
mine would hit the submerged
part of the enemy vessel and
sink it. Later torpedoes were
discovered and put in use,
further replaced by missiles.
 e) Minelayers
• As the name implies, these ships carry and lay
mines to defend territories or destroy other
vessels (when the hull of the ship hits the mine,
it activates its blowing mechanism). The first
mines were used in the Crimean War (1853-
1856). Accordingly, as an anti-mine response to
minelayers, minesweepers were built. These are
ships which have special devices for locating
mines and clearing them.
 f) Escort Ships
• speedy, seaworthy and strongly-armored
vessels designed to defend ships from
submersibles; Later developed frigates -
escort ships intended to fight with air
crafts. The manufacture of this type of
ships reached its climax in the years of
World War II.
 g) Cutters
• guarding coastal areas, bays, rivers and
lakes
 h) Landing crafts
• Their function is to
carry land forces and
their war supplies and
equipment (weapons,
tanks) to the place of
landing.
 2.Underwater ships - submarines
• Submarines are ships which can
submerge and work under the
water surface. They are built of
special type of steel and alloys of
titanium, aluminum and cobalt.
The traditional weapon is the
torpedo which is located in tubes
in the bow. Submarines have a
very strong hull in order to resist
water pressure. They have ballast
tanks which control the
submerging of the ship - water
enters them and helps the ship
sink to a certain depth. The
reverse process is done with
compressed air which expels the
water from the tanks and the ship
goes up.
 Summary…
• Naval Ships:
– 1. Surface Ships
• a) Ships of the Line
• b) Aircraft Carriers
• c) Cruisers
• d) Destroyers
• e) Minelayers
• f) Escort Ships
• g) Cutters
• h) Landing Crafts
– 2. Underwater Ships (Submarines)
Different Categorization of
Ships
 Area of Sailing
• 1. Sea - To this category pertain foreign-
going vessels (sailing to distant areas) and
cabotage ships (sailing near the coast)
2. Inland waters - in lakes and rivers
3. Combined sailing - river-sea, sea-river
4. Arctic conditions (through ice)
 Means of Propulsion
• 1. Self-propelled vessels
2. Towed/tugged vessels (e.g. barges,
floating docks)
 Nature of Motion
• 1. Sailing on the water surface
2. Sailing under the water surface
3. Sailing above the water surface -
hydrofoils and hovercrafts.
 Hull Material
• 1. Steel
2. Light Alloys
3. Wood
4. Ferro-concrete
5. Plastic
6. Combined
 Type of Main Engine
The ship drive system is a
combination of machinery,
pipes and heat exchangers
that provide the motion of the
ship at a specified speed. The
main engine is in the center of
this system. It supplies energy
to the ship's propeller which in
turn drives the vessel forward.
1. Steam Engine
2. Steam Turbine
3. Gas Turbine
4. Diesel Engine (internal
combustion engine)
5. Electric Motor
6. Wind (tall ships)
7. Human force - rowboats
 Type of Propeller
• Propellers are ship's devices
which use the energy of the
engine and create a force in the
water capable of moving the
vessel in a particular direction.
1. Screw-propellers (the most
common ones used in modern
ships)
2. Driving wheels - These are the
oldest propellers that are no
longer in use. If you have watched
the movie "Tom Sawyer" after
Mark Twain, the steamers sailing
along the Mississippi River you
see are propelled by driving
wheels.
3. Others (such as water-jet ships,
sailing vessels and rowboats)
 Number of Propeller-Shafts
• Shafts play the role of
an intermediary - they
transmit the motion
from the main engine
to the propeller.
1. One-shaft vessels
2. Two-shaft vessels
3. Three-shaft vessels
4. Four-shafted
vessels
 Architecture and Design
• According to:
1. Number of hulls - mono-hull ships,
double-hull ships , three-hulled ships
2. Number of decks
3. Number of superstructures
4. Location of the engine room