What is a ship?
Around 2500 BC, in the eastern Mediterranean, small boats began to develop into ships, but the difference is not easy to define. Fishing vessels are always boats, regardless of size or function, and in the Royal and United States navies of the present day, submarines are always referred to as boats because of their origins as quite small craft. With some exceptions, it is safe to say that a ship is generally larger than a boat. It is not enough to say, however, that a boat is a small craft for crossing rivers and narrow seas, while a ship is larger and designed to traverse oceans; in ancient times, great distances and areas of water were crossed by small Polynesian canoes and Irish curraghs, and now, in modern times, adventurers compete to cross oceans in the smallest craft possible. To define a ship or a boat, it is helpful to consider the kind of accommodation onboard.
Normally, a ship has decks under which crew and passengers can shelter and where cargo can be protected. Again, however, this is not completely inclusive: the famous Viking longships and the classical galley are indisputably ships, but the longship had no real sheltered decks, and galleys were not designed for long passages but were drawn up on beaches overnight. Modern ships may be larger and more populous than whole towns of early modern times, but tiny craft are still used for leisure and fishing - some of these we call ships, and others we call boats. Despite the development of the ship, the old continues to exist alongside the new. The Egyptians developed the sail around 3500 BC. They began to build a variety of river and seagoing sailing craft, becoming the world's major naval power for almost the next 2,000 years.
Progress in Egyptian shipbuilding was recorded effectively, but unsystematically on tomb reliefs and on pottery, and a complete and intact boat from around 2550 BC, found at Cheops in the 20th century AD, offers further insight into early ship design. Pharaoh Sahure's fleet of seagoing ships of around 2475 BC show their origin in river boats, with long, narrow spoon-like hulls and large overhangs at the bow and stern. They had bipod masts, made from two logs tethered together at the top, and rope trusses from bow to stern, all of which helped to strengthen the hull.
Normally, a ship has decks under which crew and passengers can shelter and where cargo can be protected. Again, however, this is not completely inclusive: the famous Viking longships and the classical galley are indisputably ships, but the longship had no real sheltered decks, and galleys were not designed for long passages but were drawn up on beaches overnight. Modern ships may be larger and more populous than whole towns of early modern times, but tiny craft are still used for leisure and fishing - some of these we call ships, and others we call boats. Despite the development of the ship, the old continues to exist alongside the new. The Egyptians developed the sail around 3500 BC. They began to build a variety of river and seagoing sailing craft, becoming the world's major naval power for almost the next 2,000 years.
Progress in Egyptian shipbuilding was recorded effectively, but unsystematically on tomb reliefs and on pottery, and a complete and intact boat from around 2550 BC, found at Cheops in the 20th century AD, offers further insight into early ship design. Pharaoh Sahure's fleet of seagoing ships of around 2475 BC show their origin in river boats, with long, narrow spoon-like hulls and large overhangs at the bow and stern. They had bipod masts, made from two logs tethered together at the top, and rope trusses from bow to stern, all of which helped to strengthen the hull.
BalenerDifferent types of whaling vessels aren't hard to come by. A Balener is a prime example of a whaling vessel that's really common. There were also other names for the Balener, however, and they include: Baleinier, Ballenero, and Balleniera. The Balener was extremely similar to a brig, another type of ship. Being similar to another type of ship isn't unique at all. Simply put, ships can only come in so many flavors. The Balener and the brig were both equipped with two masts and square rigged sails. Not every ship is created equally (even those of the same class), and that means that the weight would differ. In fact, the Balener class, on average, weighed typically in the 150 to 200 range. A 50 ton difference is major, especially when you had to take into account how large your crew was, supplies, and how much wind it took to get you moving. After whaling became less popular, governments started to buy these to deter enemies. It might be difficult to see in the picture above, but there are actually fake cannon holes painted on the hull to give the appearance that it was an armed vessel.
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ClipperEurope was in shambles after the Napoleonic War. It took many years to return to at least something approaching normality. Just as things started to get better, sailing ship owners found out that they had serious competition for their steam ships. These new ships were cheaper, faster, and easier to operate. Usually, the more sails a ship had, the faster it would go. That's exactly what happened when engineers were designing and build the Clipper. It would later be known as one of the fastest sailing ships. For obvious reasons, it can't be compared to the speed of today's ship. During its time, it was one of the fastest ships out there. They were best for long runs, such as the race back to England from China with loads of tea onboard. Steam ships would suffer in long runs because they were constantly stopping for fuel. This fostered many exciting races, and people sometimes placed bets on which they thought would win the race.
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"A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are made for"
Introduction |
When they were first introduced into our vast oceans, ships were some of the most advanced forms of transportation for their time. There was nothing that could rival them. Still today, ships are used all over the world, from cargo to cruise and civilian to military. Even submarines changed the world forever when they were introduced during the First World War. This release of a new invention shaped the war, and thus shaped the world forever.