ship: Quick Facts

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Photos and Videos

Diagram illustrating ship design terminology, showing a side and front view of a ship hull with labeled measurements for length overall, length between perpendiculars, beam, draft, depth, freeboard, sheer, and waterline.

Diagram showing two cross-sectional views of a ship in water, illustrating static stability. The images label points such as the center of gravity, center of buoyancy, and metacenter, with lines and angles showing how the ship tilts and the forces involved in returning it to an upright position.

Le Palais harbour

A Washington state ferry with green and white colors crosses Puget Sound, with Seattle's industrial port and large cranes visible in the background.

Port of Seattle

Cargo ship loaded with stacked shipping containers docked beside large red cranes at a container port in Vancouver, British Columbia, with mountains in the background.

A day in the life of a cruise ship pilot

The breathtaking journey of a giant container ship

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Topics

warship cruise ship Today in History—November 7: The Mary Celeste Sets Sail warship Why Are Cruise Ships Prone to Outbreaks?dock landing ship auxiliary supply ship dreadnought great ship torpedo boat automobile airplane air-cushion machine helicopter bicycle truck motorcycle canoe gondola catamaran

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Key People

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel

Sir Marc Isambard Brunel

French-born engineer and inventor

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Sir John Graham Kerr

British biologist

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William Froude

British engineer

David Watson Taylor

David Watson Taylor

American naval architect

Sextant. Celestial navigation at sea. Sailor using sextant. Travel and navigation.

Travel and Navigation

Nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Carl vinson plows through the Indian ocean as aircraft on its flight deck are prepared for flight operations 3/15/05.

Ships and Underwater Exploration

Viking Ship

Sail Away: Vocabulary at Sea Quiz