SHIPS

Since the dawn of history boats have been used in rivers, and ships have been used to
cross seas and oceans, to carry goods and people from one place to another.
The volume of cargo carried by ships continues to increase, and ships become larger and
larger. The variety of cargo is also widening. For this reason many ships are built for particular
cargoes. Tankers carry liquid cargo such as petroleum, and refrigerated cargo is carried in
reefers. Other ships, called bulk-carriers, carry certain cargoes such as iron ore, grains or timber
in bulk. Many vessels are built for certain duties: tugs for towing ships, dredgers for deepening
channels, and specialist craft such as gas carriers, ice-breakers and floating cranes.
New types of ships include container vessels and Ro-Ro ships. Container vessels carry
large cases, or containers, of a wide variety of goods. They have a high service speed and can be
loaded and discharged very rapidly. “Ro-Ro” ships have doors in their bows and sterns. These
doors allow lorries, with cargo on them, to be driven on and off. Another new type of ship is the
Lash-ship. The word “Lash” stands for “lighter aboard ship”. Lash-ships carry lighters or
floating containers. Tankers known as VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) are designed to carry
over 200,000 tons. ULCCs (Ultra Large Crude Carriers) can carry over 400,000 tons of cargo.
Although there is a wide variety of ships at the present time, more new designs are expected.

Exercises

A. State if the following sentences are true or false

1. Ships have been used only to cross seas.
2. Because the volume of cargo has increased ships continue to become larger and
faster.
3. At present ships are built for special purposes.
4. Bulk-carriers carry iron ore, grains or timber.
5. Ships are towed by dredgers.
6. Dredgers are used to deepen channels.
7. Container vessels can be loaded quickly and discharged slowly.
8. Ro-Ro ships allow loaded trucks to be driven on and off.
9. Lash stands for ‘Lighter alongside ship’.

B. Give brief answers to the following questions.

1. What do tankers carry?
2. What do reefers carry?
3. What do bulk-carriers carry?
4. What do tugs do?
5. What do dredgers do?
6. What does the word Lash stand for?

C. Rewrite the following sentences in the interrogative form.

1. The cargo carried by ships continue to increase.
2. We build ships for particular cargoes.
3. Tankers carry liquid cargo.
4. Container vessels carry containers.
5. Ro-Ro ships have doors in their bows.
6. “Lash” stands for “lighter aboard ship”.
D. Observe the underlined parts in the following sentences:
A tanker carries oil fuel.
Tankers carry liquid cargo.
An icebreaker breaks frozen water.
Some ships have doors in their bows.
There are not any ships in the harbour.
The ship is in the dock.
Now complete the following sentences using the underlined words where
necessary.
1. Man has used ships since ….. dawn of history.
2. ….. ice-breaker is a special purpose ship.
3. ….. ships are built for special purposes.
4. ….. bulk-carrier carries iron ore.
5. This Lash ship doesn’t have ….. lighters on board.
6. ….. ships are becoming larger and faster.
7. We do not have ….. floating cranes available.
8. ….. icebreakers sail in the arctic seas.
9. ….. ULCC carries over 400,000 tons of cargo.
10. ….. ships have doors in their sterns.

E. Home assignment:
Navele care transporta hrana au spatii mari izolate pentru transportul carnii, fructelor si
produselor lactate si sunt prevazute cu instalatii de frig pentru a mentine spatiile la temperatura
specificata pentru marfa ce este transportata.

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 THE MAIN PARTS OF A SHIP

The main structure of a ship is the hull. Within the hull are the ‘tween decks or platforms
on which the cargo rests. The uppermost platform or the upper deck covers the holds in which
cargo is stowed. It is loaded and discharged either by cranes on the quay or by the ship's derricks.
Derricks are operated by winches. The derricks are fitted to masts which stand on the upper
deck. The cargo passes into or out of the holds through cargo hatches.
At sea, the ship is controlled from the bridge by the captain and navigating officers.
The front part of a ship is called the bow and the rear part the stem. Near the bridge is the
funnel.
Smoke and gases pass through the funnel from the engine. The engine is fitted near the bottom of
the ship in the engine room. The engine drives the propeller at the stem of the ship. The anchors
and cables and the windlass are located in the bow of the ship.
The right side of a ship facing the bow is called the starboard side and the other side is
the port side. The beam is the greatest width of the ship. The draught is the depth of the ship's
bottom or keel below the water surface.
The captain and officers are accommodated in cabins. These are located in the middle
part of the ship near the bridge. The other members of the crew live in cabins. They are usually
in the rear part of the ship.

Exercises
A. Are the following statements true or false?
1. The upper deck covers the holds in which cargo is stowed.
2. Cargo is loaded and discharged by the ship's derricks.
3. Cargo passes through cargo holds.
4. The smoke from the engine passes through the funnel.
5. The right side of a ship facing the bow is called port and the other side is starboard.
6. The greatest width of the ship is the draught.
7. The captain's cabin is in the middle part of the ship.
8. At the bow of the ships are the anchors and cables.

B. Give brief answers to the following questions:

1. What is a hull?
2. Where is the cargo stowed?
3. How is the cargo loaded and discharged?
4. What is the front part of a ship called?
5. What is the rear part of a ship called?
6. What drives the propeller?
7. Where are the anchors and cables located?
8. What is the greatest width of a ship?
9. Where are the captain and officers accommodated?
C. Ask questions to which the underlined words are the answers.
Example: The funnel is near the bridge.
Where is the funnel?
1. The engine is fitted near the bottom of the ship.

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 2. The anchors and cables and windlass are located in the bow of the ship.
3. The captain and officers are accommodated in cabins in the middle part of the ship.
4. Cargo is stowed in holds.

D. Study the following pairs of sentences carefully.

1. (i) The captain and the navigating officers control the ship from the bridge.
(ii) The ship is controlled from the bridge by the captain and the navigating officers.

2.(i) The shipbuilders fit the engine near the bottom of the ship.
(ii) The engine is fitted near the bottom of the ship (by the shipbuilders).
Sometimes expressions such as 'by the shipbuilders' can be left out because the main interest is
the place of the engine.

Now complete the following sentences using the verbs in brackets in the form of (ii) above.
1. Cargo ............... and ............... either by cranes or by the ship's derricks, (load, discharge).
2. Derricks ............... by winches. (operate)
3. The captain and officers ............... in cabins near the bridge. (accommodate)
4. The front part of a ship ............... the bow and the rear part of a ship the stern. (call)
5. The anchor and cables and windlass ............... in the bow of the ship. (locate)
6. Derricks ............... to masts which stand on the upper deck. (fit)

HOW MERCHANT SHIPS OPERATE

Mechant ships operate in the following three basic ways:

They can operate as liners. These are employed on regular routes on a fixed timetable. A
list of their arrival and departure dates is published in advance and they sail whether full or not.
Liners can be classed as either deep-sea liners or short-sea liners. The former carry mainly
containerized cargo across the oceans of the world; the latter carry containerized or conventional
cargo on shorter routes. Ferries are also classed as liners. These offer a daily or weekly service
for passengers and vehicles across channels and narrow seas. A few ships are still employed as
passenger liners. Nowadays the passenger trade is very small and passenger liners usually
operate as cruise ships for part of the year.
Merchant ships also operate as tramps. These vessels do not sail on regular routes or keep
to a fixed timetable, but are employed where there is cargo for them to carry. Tramps can be
classed as deep-sea tramps or short-sea tramps. A number are classed as coasters. These ply on

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coastal routes and up rivers to inland ports. The traditional tramp cargoes are dry bulk cargoes,
but some are designed to carry general cargoes.
A large number of merchant ships operate as specialized vessels. They are designed to
carry a particular type of cargo. The most common of them are oil tankers, LNG carriers, etc.

Exercises

1. Are the following statements true or false?

a. Liners operate only minor injuries.
b. Passenger liners are very small.
c. Liners operate only in good weather.
d. Ferries carry passengers, vehicles and nautical students.
e. Short-sea liners sail on regular routes.
f. Some tramps carry general cargoes.
g. Deep-sea liners call at large ports.
h. Liners leave the port whether fool or not.
i. Ferries do not carry derricks.

2. Answer the questions:

a. How can merchant ships operate?
b. Which ships keep to a fixed timetable?
c. What do liners and tramps have in common?
d. How do passenger liners usually operate?
d. Why do passenger liners operate for part of the year?
e. Do the people concerned know the dates of departure and arrival of tramp ships?
f. What other types of specialized vessels do you know?

3. Fill in the missing words:

a. This company owns two ships, Ullyses and Hercules. The … is a dry bulk carrier, the … is a
tanker. … of them are large.
b. There are three helmsmen on board this ship. The … is tall and fat, the … is tall and slim, and
the … is short and mean. (Conclusion: …)
c. I have been shown a lot of pictures of ships. …. is a passenger ship.
d. Bulk carriers do not carry derricks … loading and unloading is done by special cranes.

4. Study the following abbreviations:

A. e.g. = cf. = compare no. =
i.e. = that is to say etc. = NB =
B. N = MV = IMO =
C. approx. = auto = automatic poss. = possible/possibly gen. =
D. mk = mark ft = govt = dept = imprvd =
E. &, + = and, in addition to, also, moreover, not only … but also
or,/ = or, alternatively, either … or, on the other hand
but = but, whereas, yet, nevertheless

Now try to write down these words and phrases in abbreviated form:
a. for example g. compare
b. south h. in addition to
c. either … or i. note well
d. that is to say j. not only … but also
e. the United Nations k. colour
f. number one l. north-east

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