Types of ships: classification

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The sea has always attracted people. Industry developed, new devices and machines appeared, and soon a huge number of ships and vessels were launched into the water. Read about their types in the article.

What is a ship?

According to the dictionary, a ship is a large vessel that can be used for various purposes. Interestingly, not everyone associates this word with the sea. So, there are spaceships that are not launched, but hover outside our planet. With their help, scientists receive information about the universe, and also study the changes taking place with the Earth.

Before you tell what types of ships there are, you need to answer one question. Its essence lies in the fact that in any definition of the word "ship" there is another word "vessel". Why is this happening? The fact is that “vessel” is a broader concept that includes all types of floating vehicles, from boats to huge liners.

What are the ships?

There are different classifications of ships. Each of them combines completely dissimilar vessels on a certain basis. So, the type of ship depends on:

• Fromthe area along which the route runs.
• From the way and kind of movement.
• On what the main engine is.
• From the architecture of the vessel and the material from which it is made.

Those ways of classifying ships that are given in this article are considered auxiliary. They are officially accepted all over the world. At the same time, they are not considered essential. The most important classification is the division of ships into types according to their purpose.

Destination of ships

Types of ships are different. Most often they are divided into groups according to purpose. So, in almost all countries of the world, the following classification of ships has been adopted:

• Transport.
• Service and auxiliary.
• Fishing.
• Ships of the technical fleet.

Transport ships

The foundation of the fleet of any state are transport ships. They, in turn, are also divided into groups. Main types of ships in this category:

• Passenger. It is in them that separate cabins are allocated for people moving from one point on the map to another. They can accommodate more than twelve people at the same time. There are a large number of such boats. Even some types of sailing ships belong to this group.
• Cargo. They are divided into two more groups: general purpose ships and specialized ships.

Dry cargo ships

As mentioned earlier, cargo ships are divided into two large groups. In mythey are further subdivided into smaller ones. It all depends on what will be transported with their help. Thus, general cargo is transported on general purpose dry cargo ships. The design of such vessels accommodates several holds, one, two or three decks and an engine room.

Specialized ships are used for various purposes. They transport perishable goods. Ships loaded with them are called refrigerator ships. If the cargo was previously placed in a large container, then it will be loaded onto a container ship. For what is prepared for transportation in a trailer, another type of ship has been created - trailer.

Bulk cargo such as ores, coal, fertilizers, building materials and grains make up more than seventy percent of what is transported by sea. Therefore, ships that do not have an exact name are becoming more popular and quickly fill the water expanses. Timber carriers are ships for transporting timber, lumber and other things. They are designed so that their speed cannot exceed 15 knots. However, they are still often used for their intended purpose.

Tankers

If bulk carriers transport something that cannot spill, then tankers are designed specifically for transporting liquids. These are oil and products based on it, various gases, acids and chemicals. There are a large number of watercraft that are designed to carry liquid cargo. Next, we list the main types of ships (photos of different watercraft can be seen in the article) in this category. They make up the bulk of the cargo ships launched onwater.

• Tankers are the most popular in their group. They are designed in such a way that their design includes transitional bridges, a fire protection system. They can lift loads weighing thousands of tons. And this is the minimum. The heaviest loads that are transported on them can weigh even four hundred thousand. Of course, ships capable of moving such a weight are supertankers.
• Gas carriers are vessels designed to transport natural, oil and other gases. Substances are carefully packed, placed in a cool place. The cargo that is placed on these ships is explosive, so special fire-fighting systems have been developed for them.

Military vessels

Almost all states have armed forces. Since sea and river routes are of great importance, it is necessary to ensure the protection of the country from this side as well. Therefore, special ships are being built that are used for military purposes. They can also be used to transport technical cargo and equipment, such as helicopters.

Mistral-class ships are universal. They are designed to perform several functions at once. So, they can carry out the landing of a motorized military unit on land. They not only accept, but also serve combat helicopters. In addition, they may contain a command center and even a floating hospital.

Types of Russian ships

On the territory of our country, the same classification of ships is used,which is all over the world. That is, ships sailing in the rivers and seas of Russia are also divided into cargo and passenger, transport and military, and others. Of course, every person who is somehow connected with maritime and shipbuilding is also familiar with less common types of ship classification.