Unit 10

SHIP TYPES
2.1. Types of ships
The great majority of ships that are neither military vessels nor yachts can be divided into several
broad categories: cargo carriers, passenger carriers, industrial ships, service vessels, and
noncommercial miscellaneous. Each category can be subdivided, with the first category containing by
far the greatest number of subdivisions.
Cargo ships can be divided in two basic types: dry cargo vessels and liquid cargo vessels. Some of
the vessels which carry dry cargo are:
multi-deck vessels (with holds divided horizontally by one or two tween decks)
bulk carriers (no tween decks)
container ships (carry containers of standard dimensions)
refrigerated ships (carry fruit, meat and dairy produce)
Liquid cargo is carried mainly in:
oil tankers (the most common type)
LNGs
chemical carriers
A type of ship which carry both dry bulk and liquid is the OBO ship.
Passenger ships are fewer in number and type. They can be divided into:
passenger liners
cruise ships
ferries (if they carry vehicles have doors in the bow or stern)
There are, of course, many other types of vessel both merchant and navy divided and classified upon
different criteria. We are going to give the characteristics, main parts and design of some of the most
important types, starting with a description of a general cargo ship.
A. Cargo carriers
Cargo ships can be distinguished by the type of cargo they carry, especially since the means of
handling the cargo is often highly visible. As noted below, the trend is toward specialization in this
regard. One consequence is a proliferation in types of cargo vessel. The present discussion is limited to
a few types that are represented by large numbers of ships and are distinctive in appearance.

a. General cargo ship (fig. 1)

The general cargo ship continues to be built, though in modest numbers. Those built in the last third
of the 20th century are usually fitted with deck cranes, which give them an appearance distinct from the
more specialized ship types.
A bow

10 lower hold

23 funnel, stack

B midship body

11 transverse bulkhead

24 signal mast

C quarter

12 tank top plating

25 arials

D forecastle

13 propeller

26 cargo derricks

E bridge castle

14 rudder

27 cargo cranes

1 stern, bow

15 stern frame

28 heavy lift rig

2 bulb

16 counter stern

29 hatch covers

3 hawse pipe

17 bulwark

30 ventilator

4 forcastle break,

18 mooring gear

31 mast top, mast

forcastle bulkhead

19 accomodation

5 main deck

ladder

6 second deck

20 bridge, flying

platform
32 samson post, king
post

7 third deck

bridge, monky

33 navigation light

8 upper `tween deck

island

34 hawse gear

9 lower `tween deck

21 lifeboat

35 deckhouse

22 ladder

b. Dry bulk ships

Designed for the carriage of ore, coal, grain, and the like, dry-bulk ships bear a superficial likeness to
container ships since they often have no cargo handling gear and, unlike the tanker, have large cargo
hatches. The absence of containers on deck is a decisive indicator that a vessel is a dry-bulk ship, but an
observer may be deceived by the occasional sight of a dry-bulk ship carrying containers and other
nonbulk cargo on deck. An incontrovertible indicator is the self-unloading gear, usually a large horizontal

boom of open trusswork, carried by some bulk ships. On the Great Lakes of North America this gear is a
near-universal feature of ships built since 1960.
c. Container ship (fig. 2)
Like tankers, container ships are characterized by the absence of cargo handling gear, in their case
reflecting the usual practice of locating the container-handling cranes at shore terminals rather than
aboard ship. Unlike the tanker, container ships require large hatches in the deck for stowing the cargo,
which consists of standardized containers usually either 20 or 40 feet in length. Belowdecks, the ship is
equipped with a cellular grid of compartments opening to the weather deck; these are designed to receive
the containers and hold them in place until unloading is achieved at the port of destination. The ship is
filled to the deck level with containers, the hatches are closed, and one or two layers of containers,
depending upon the size and stability of the ship, are loaded on the hatch covers on deck.
In a few hours the ship can be filled with containers destinated for another port and can be under
way. An additional economy is the low cost of the crew of the ship while it is in port awaiting loading
or unloading. Further, because each ship can make more trips than before, container fleets require fewer
vessels. There is also less pilferage and, hence, lower insurance rates and, finally, the assurance to the
shipper that the shipment will not require any further handling until it arrives at its destination.
Among the disadvantages is the fact that each ship does not carry quite as much total volume of
cargo with containers as with regular bulk stowage, because the containers themselves take space
because they are square in shape. Further, a rather substantial capital investment is needed in port
facilities, such as special berths, weight-handling equipment, storage areas, and links to land
transportation, all of which must be made by the ports that receive or ship via container ship if its full
potential savings are to be realized.
Container ships are moderate-size merchant vessels built for speeds of greater than about 20 knots.
Much use is made of small, compact, diesel power plants to provide more space for containers. Special
equipment includes mooring winches to ensure accurate positioning of the ship under cranes in port and
special tanks to list (tip) and trim (level) the ship to permit a symmetrical loading or unloading without
2
excessive list or trim.
.

1 bridge castle front

2 deck containers
3 foremast and mast top
4 forecastle

5 insulated containers in holds

6 container refrigeration ducts
7 double hull
8 passageway

d. Barge-carrying ships
An extension of the container ship concept is the barge-carrying ship. In this concept, the container is
itself a floating vessel, usually about 60 feet long by about 30 feet wide, which is loaded aboard the ship
in one of two ways: either it is lifted over the stern by a high-capacity shipboard gantry crane, or the
ship is partially submerged so that the barges can be floated aboard via a gate in the stern.
e. Oil tanker (fig. 3)
Ships that carry liquid cargo (most often petroleum and its products) in bulk are made distinctive by
the absence of cargo hatches and external handling gear. When fully loaded they are also readily
distinguishable by scant freeboard - a condition that is permissible because the upper deck is not
weakened by hatches. In essence, the tanker is a floating group of tanks contained in a ship-shaped hull,
propelled by an isolated machinery plant at the stern. Each tank is substantially identical to the next
throughout the length of the ship. The tanks are fitted with heating coils to facilitate pumping in cold
weather. Within the tanks are the main, or high-suction pipes, running several feet
3
from
the
bottom
to
avoid sludge.
Below them,
low-suction
piping,
or
stripping
lines, removes
the
lowest
level of liquid in the tank. Tanks are filled either through open trunks leading from the weather deck or
from the suction lines with the pumps reversed. Because tankers, except for military-supply types, usually
move a cargo from the source to a refinery or other terminal with few maneuvers, the machinery plant is
called on only to produce at a steady rate the cruise power for the ship; consequently, considerable use of
automatic controls is possible, thus reducing the size of the crew to a minimum. In view of the simplicity
of inner arrangement, the tanker lends itself to mass production perhaps more than any other ship type.
Because of the limited crew requirements and the low cost per ton for initial building and outfitting, the
tanker has led the way in the rapid expansion in the size of ships. The decline of crude oil prices after the
petroleum crisis of 1979 led in turn to a decline in preferred tanker size, but at that time a few ships had
reached 1,300 feet (400 metres) in length, 80 feet in loaded draft, and a deadweight of 500,000 tons.

1 bulbous bow
2 cargo wing tank
3 non-watertight traverse
bulkhead
4 cargo centre tank
5 transverse web
6 watertight bulkhead

8 side ballast tank

9 slop tank
10 warning light for
bulbous bow
11 navigation lights on
foremast
12 helicopter landing area

13 tank hatch
14 foam monitor on
platform
15 cargo manifold
16 mast for hose
derricks
17 fore-and-aft gangway

7 buttom centreline girder

18 pump room vents

f. Liquified natural gas (LNG) carrier (fig. 4)

Along with the great increase in numbers and size of tankers have come specialized uses of tankers for
products other than oil. A major user is the natural gas industry. For shipment, gas is cooled and
converted to liquid at -260 F (-162 C) and is then pumped aboard a tanker for transit in aluminum tanks
that are surrounded by heavy insulation to prevent absorption of heat and to keep the liquid from
evaporating during
the voyage. The cost of these ships is rather high, because steel cannot be used for the containers. The
cold liquid, in contact with steel, would make that material as brittle as glass.
Aluminium
therefore
used,
sometimes
backed
by
balsa wood,
backed
in
turn by steel.
A
special
nickel-steel
alloy known
as Invar also
has
been
is

used in this application.

1 outside escape ladder
2 fore and aft gangway
3 spherical LNG tank
with view of tank
plating and outside
insulation
4 liquid nitrogen tank
(inerting)
5 tubular tower (spiral
ladder to tank bottom,

submerged
pump
discharge lines, tank
filling pipes and
power cables for the
pumps)
6 cargo piping
7 tank dome
8 tank vent riser
9 cowl plate
10 lookout station
11 hold space ventilator

12 double hull forming

ballast spaces
13 hold space
14 cargo loading and
discharging station
and manifold
15 reinforced bottom
structure supporting
freestanding tank

B. Passenger carriers
Most passenger ships fall into two subclasses, cruise ships and ferries.
1. Cruise ships
Cruise ships are descended from the transatlantic ocean liners, which, since the mid-20th century, have
found their services preempted by jet aircraft. Indeed, even into the 1990s some cruise ships were liners
built in the 1950s and '60s that had been adapted to tropical cruising through largely superficial
alterations--e.g., the addition of swimming pools and other amenities to suit warm-latitude cruising areas.
However, most cruise ships now in service were built after 1970 specifically for the cruise trade. Since
most of them are designed for large numbers of passengers (perhaps several thousand), they are
characterized by high superstructures of many decks, and, since their principal routes lie in warm seas,
they are typically painted white all over. These two characteristics give them a "wedding cake"
appearance that is easily recognizable from great distances.

Closer examination usually reveals a large number of motor launches carried aboard for the ferrying
ashore of passengers. Many cruise ships have stern ramps, much like those found on cargo-carrying rollon/roll-off ships, in order to facilitate the transfer of passengers to the launches and to serve as docking
facilities for small sporting boats.
The above features present the principal challenge to the cruise-ship designer: providing the maximum
in safety, comfort, and entertainment for the passengers. Thus, isolation of machinery noise and vibration
is of high importance. Minimizing the rolling and pitching motions of the hull is even more important--no
extreme of luxury can offset a simple case of seasickness. Since cruising is a low-speed activity,
propulsive power is usually much lower than that found in the old ocean liners. On the other hand,
electrical power is usually of much greater magnitude, mainly because of demands by air-conditioning
plants in tropical waters. The typical large cruise ship built since 1990 is powered by a "central station"
electric plant--i.e., an array of four or more identical medium-speed diesel engines driving 60-hertz
alternating-current electrical generators. This electrical plant supplies all shipboard power needs,
including propulsion. Since all power flows from a single source, propulsion power can be readily
diverted to meet increased air-conditioning loads while the ship is in port.
2. Ferries
Ferries are vessels of any size that carry passengers and (in many cases) their vehicles on fixed routes
over short cross-water passages. The building of massive bridges and tunnels has eliminated many ferry
services, but they are still justified where waters are too formidable for fixed crossings. Vessels vary
greatly in size and in quality of accommodations. Some on longer runs offer overnight cabins and even
come close to equaling the accommodation standards of cruise ships. All vessels typically load vehicles
aboard one or more decks via low-level side doors or by stern or bow ramps much like those found on
roll-on/roll-off cargo ships.
A special type of ferry is the "double-ender," built for shuttling across harbour waters. The typical
vessel has propellers, rudders, control stations, and loading ramps at both ends. It is usually wide enough
to handle four vehicle lanes abreast and may accommodate up to 100 four-wheeled vehicles. Special
docks, fitted with adjustable ramps to cope with changes in water levels and shaped to fit the ends of the
ferry, are always part of a ferry system of this type.
Another special type of ferry is a high-speed vessel that in many cases is of catamaran (twin-hulled)
design. This type is typically found on short runs in protected waters where the carriage of vehicles is not
required. Catamaran hulls can be narrow and knifelike in shape, allowing them to operate at high speedto-length ratios without excessive propulsive power. The engines are usually high-speed diesels, although
turbine engines have been fitted in a few instances.
Hydrofoils have the advantage of higher cruising speeds, while very short distances may be operated
by a cable ferry, where the ferry is propelled along and steered by cables connected to each shore.
Reaction ferries are cable ferries that use the perpendicular force of a current as a source of power. Cable
Ferries are widely referred to in Australia as punts, Ferry boats often dock at specialized facilities
designed to position the boat for loading and unloading, called a ferry slip. If the ferry transports road
vehicles or railcars there will usually be an adjustable ramp called an apron that is part of the slip. In other
cases, the apron ramp will be a part of the ferry itself, acting as a wave guard when elevated and lowered
to meet a fixed ramp at the terminus a road segment that extends partially underwater.
3. Roll-on/roll-off ships (fig. 5)

4. Roll-on/roll-off ships, designed for the carriage of wheeled cargo, are always distinguished by large
doors in the hull and often by external ramps that fold down to allow rolling between pier and ship.
Because vehicles of all kinds have some empty space--and in addition require large clearance spaces
between adjacent vehicles--they constitute a low-density cargo (a high "stowage factor") that
demands large hull volume. The general outline of the ship, in view of its relatively low density of
cargo, is rather "boxy," with a high freeboard and a high deckhouse covering much of the ship's
superstructure, to afford more parking decks. To ensure stability, fixed ballast is usually

included in these
ships, along with
water ballast to
adjust load and
stability.
The
engineering
plants
are
commonly twin
engines
of
compact variety,
such as geared
diesel, and they
are arranged so
that the engine
spaces are at either side of the ship, allowing valuable free space between them for vehicle passage. (see
Ro-Ro equipment fig. 6)
5

1 quarter stern ramp

2 finger flaps
3 actuating cables
4 stern door

5 king post
6 trunk, trunked ramp
7 ventilator heads
8 on-deck containers

9 bow thruster
10 ramp
11 after thruster
12 fork lift truck

Fig. 6 a

cargo lifts
car deck
internal ramps
side door
side ramp

Fig. 6 b

Stern ramps
ramps
-axial ramp
bulkhead door
-quarter ramp
Hydraulic drives for
-slewing ramp
door
-semi-slewing ramp
visor
TASK 1. Reading comprehension
1. What are the types of cargo carriers?
2. Give examples of dry cargo carriers.
3. What liquid cargo carriers do you know?
4. How can you recognize a dry bulk ship?
5. What is the difference between a dry bulk carrier and a container ship?
6. What are the caracteristics of an oil tanker?
7. Which liquid carrier is more expensive, an oil tanker or a LNG, and why?
8. Why are cruise ships being built nowadays?
9. What is the difference between ferries and Ro-Ro ships?

2.2. Vocabulary
air-conditioning plant ~ instalaia de aer
condiionat
barge-carrying ship ~ transportor barje
belowdecks ~ sub punte
bulk carrier ~ vrachier
cargo hatch ~ capac de magazie
container ship ~ port container

alternating-current electrical generators ~

generatoare de curent alternativ

cargo handling gear ~ mecanisme de

manevrare marf

be under way ~ a fi n mar

berth ~ dan
cargo carrier ~ nav de marf
chemical carrier ~ nav produse chimice
container-handling crane ~ macara pentru
container
control station ~ pupitru de
control/comand

cruise ship ~ nav de crozier

deckhouse ~ structur de punte

deck crane ~ macara de punte

dry cargo ~ marf uscat

dry cargo vessel ~ nav pentru marf hatch cover ~ capac de magazie
uscat
heating coils ~ serpentine de nclzit
high-speed diesel ~ motor de mare vitez
liquid cargo vessel ~ nav transpot lichide

loading ramps ~ rampe de ncrcare

medium-speed diesel engine ~ motor

mooring winch ~ vinci de amarare

Bow
Bow

-bow
-bow

diesel de vitez medie

motor launch ~ alup de salvare
nickel-steel alloy ~ aliaj oel-nichel

multi-deck vessel ~ nav cu mai multe

puni
OBO ship ~ nav pt. petrol /minereu

passenger carrier ~ nav de pasageri

pilferage ~ sustragere de marf

pier ~ cheu, dig

pitching ~ tangaj

propeller ~ elice

refrigerated ship ~ nav frigorific

rolling ~ ruliu

rudder ~ crm

scant freeboard ~ bord liber mare

self-unloading gear ~ mecanisme pentru

autodescrcare
ship-shaped hull ~ corp n form de nav stern ramp ~ ramp pupa
stripping line ~ tubulatur de stripuire

to back ~ a dubla, a cptui

to list ~ a se nclina; a se canarisi

weather deck ~ punte deschis

to trim ~ a repartiza ncrctura

weight-handling equipment ~ echipament
de manevr mrfuri grele

wheeled cargo ~ autovehicule

TASK 2. Using the vocabulary, translate the fragment about container ships ( page 21) and the
fragment about ferries (page 25).
2.3. Terms relating to the ships hull
Cargo is stored in holds. Ships are divided into various levels by structures called decks. Within the
hull, these decks are given special names: upper between deck and lower between deck (called tween
decks). The tween decks are divided into compartments by vertical partitions called bulkheads. These
partitions can run either transversely (across the ship) or longitudinally (fore and aft). Sometimes
bulkheads are built so that they are completely watertight. This makes it possible either to carry liquid
cargo or to seal off parts of the ship if water should break in. All doors in the bulkheads must also be
watertight. These are called W.T. doors. The bulkhead nearest the stern must be very strong. If the ship is
damaged it must remain watertight. This bulkhead is called the collision bulkhead. There are also small
round openings in the ships side called portholes that let light and air into the cabins.
hold ~ magazie
deck ~ punte
upper between deck ~ punte intermediar superioar
lower between deck ~ punte intermediar inferioar
bulkhead ~ perete despritor
watertight ~ etan la ap
W.T. doors ~ ui etaneizate
collision bulkhead ~ perete de coliziune/forpic

porthole ~ hublou
cabin ~ cabin
TASK 3 Read the text carefully and learn the words in bold.

2.4. Suffixes
a. Adjective suffixes
Noun/verb + suffix
-

ous: dangerous; famous (fame); outrageous; furious (fury)

al: political; industrial (industry); economical; brutal; legal
y: dirty; oily; foggy
ive: creative (to create); productive (to produce); active (act)

-able/ible is used to form many adjectives from nouns and verbs: enjoyable; comfortable; knowledgeable;
suitable etc. It can have the meaning can be done: washable; drinkable; comprehensible; reliable;
countable; recognizable etc.
Words ending in able express the opposite meaning by adding the prefix un-: undrinkable; unreliable;
unbreakable; while words ending in ible form the opposite by adding the prefix in-: inflexible;
inedible etc.
-ful often means full of: careful; helpful; useful; thoughtful; forgetful
-less means without: careless; useless; thoughtless; harmless etc.
Not all the words that combine with -ful can combine with less too, to form opposites. For example
homeless does not have the opposite homeful.
b. Verb suffixes
Adjective + suffixes
-

ise: modernise; commercialise; industrialise; cristallise; vaporise (vapour)

ify: beautify; purify; terrify; solidify; liquefy (liquid)
en: shorten; widen; sharpen; weaken; lighten; lengthen (noun); harden; soften; roughen etc

TASK 4. Word formation exercises

Exercise 1. Add the correct suffix: -able or ible.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The food was ined .

The coffee was undrink .
My bed is very comfort .
Her shoes were very unsuit .
The film was very enjoy .

6.
7.
8.
9.

My working hours are very flex .

The buses are usually reli .
The doctors writing was incomprehens .
These cups are unbreak .

Exercise 2. Complete the following dialogues with adjectives ending in less.

1. A: Did you find the book useful?
B: No, it was completely
2. A: Did the injection hurt?
B: No, fortunately it was ..
3. A: Has he got somewhere to live?
B: No, the poor man is ..
4. A: That was a very silly mistake, wasnt it?
B: Yes, it was.of me I wasnt concentrating.
5. A: Dorothy never thinks about other people; she didnt even phone to say she wasnt coming
tonight.
B: Yes, I agree shes really quite

Exercise 3. Circle the correct word.

He can play ten musical/ music instruments.
It is an economic/ economical car to run: it can do 20 kilometers on a litre of petrol.
Im not sure if this sweater is washing/ washable or not.
My sister is very knowledgeable/ knowledge about gardening, but Im afraid I dont know the
first thing about it.
5. Hes the member of one of the extreme politic/ political parties, but I cant remember which.
6. People say that you have to be very created/ creative to be successful in advertising.
7. I didnt think it was a very attracted/ attractive place.

1.
2.
3.
4.

Exercise 4 Which four nouns below form adjectives with the suffix ful?
pain

help

home thought

fame

care

Exercise 5 The words listed in the table below are nouns. What are the verb forms of these nouns?

1. danger to endanger

13. maintenance ...

2. decision ..

14. compression ...

3. declaration ..

15. leakage ...

4. pollution ..............

16. condensation ..

5. reduction .

17. insulation ...

6. improvement

18. development ...

7. management

19. inspection ...

8. information .

20. displacement ..

9. acceleration .

21. injection .........

10. oil

22. drainage .

11. adjustment ...

23. ignition ...

12. connection ...

24. erosion ...

Exercise 6 Choose ten verbs from exercise 13 and write a sentence below for each one. Write the
correct form of each verb in the column on the right and leave gaps for the verbs in the sentences. Cover
up the right-hand column and give the sentences to another student as a test.

Example: The accident in the engine room indangered the whole ship.