Shipbuilders Key Terms

You'll be shipshape after reading these shipbuilding terms

By Nikki Davis

Shipbuilding, once a popular career of old, is still alive and well and comes along with its own set of terminology and phrases specific to the industry. Those needing to be familiar with shipbuilders key terms include those doing the building, those purchasing from the shipbuilders, those selling items to the shipbuilders and many other people who satellite around this industry.

Many shipbuilding terms involve parts to the actual built ship and/or the types of ships previously and/or currently being built. Familiarity with these ship types and items help builders identify and adjust as needed to give quality items and top of the line service based on the needs of the customer.

Ballast

The ballast is made of heavy material and is placed at the bottom of the ship to hold it steady. Typically ballasts are made of materials such as iron, lead or stone.
Try: The SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden discusses the use of ballast versus going lightweight with your ship and replacing that weight with more profitable pay load.

SWATH vessel

The acronym SWATH stands for Small-Waterplane-Area Twin-Hull. These vessels can give you big-ship steadiness with small vessel ride quality along with normal cruise speeds on rough waters.
Try: Find out more about the SWATH vessel concept from Swath Technology. Swath Technology offers helpful reading material as well as informative diagrams to help you understand the concept of this hybrid vessel.

Ice Breakers

Ice breaker boats are small to medium size powerful crafts often used by marine or naval services to clear pathways through ice.
Try: Find more information on ice breakers at Wise Geek.

Tugboats

Tugboats are slow, maneuverable, long-endurance towing vessels. They are used to accompany larger ships or fleets and can be used in rivers, waterways, lakes, and oceans.
Try: Find out more about tugboats from Pacific Tugboat Service.

Barges

Barges are primarily used for hauling heavy payloads down rivers. They can accommodate both raw materials and finished manufactured goods.
Try: Find out about various kinds of barge construction from Diversified Marine. Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway discusses economic advantages.

Tankers, tank ship

Tankers, also known as tank ships, are designed to transport liquids in bulk. They are particularly crucial to the oil industry, and they are also popular as chemical tankers and as liquefied natural gas carriers.
Try: Find out more about tankers from NASSCO/General Dynamics.