All about boats !
Features of boats
I have only recently found out (read: abt 2 mins ago) that I know nichts about what's actually on a boat, so this is coming when I've sorted out the Carrack section. I love doing live updates it's genuinely fun
I'm tired so I'm not gonna do this right now, but for next time I update this website, here's some parts of ships & boats to identify and define:
- foremast, mainmast, mizzenmast
- bow - the bow is the section of the ship at the front when it's moving, built to reduce the effects of incoming waves and reduce the resistence faced by a ship. There are many types of bow, including a bulbous bow, a parabolic bow, a cylindrical bow, a raked bow, an axe bow and an inverted bow.
- stern - the stern is the section of the ship associated with the rudder & propeller attachments, at the aft (back) when it's moving. there are 3 main types of stern - elliptical, cruiser and transom.
- aftcastle, forecastle, sterncastle
- bowsprit
- bonaventure
- caravel
- hull
Boats in use today
Here's the bit where there's some info about boats in use today - as of right now, I've covered ferries.
About ferries ~
So a ferry is typically defined as a vessel which primarily carries people (& also sometimes cargo and vehicles) across a body of water on fixed, regular routes between defined ports. They are most often used for short distances, but can also be used for long distances.
There are a variety of different types of ferry, including:
- Double-ended ferries - these ferries don't have to turn around. as they have two rudders (one at the front and one at the rear), they can switch direction (meaning the bow becomes the stern) and people/vehicles can get on and off on both sides. These ferries are mostly used on short crossings as it does not have to turn around so there is less time between departures.
- Catamaran ferries
- Train ferries
- Roll-off ferries
- Turntable ferries
- Cable ferries
- Hydrofoil ferries
- Air cushion ferries
Boats of the past
In this section there's information about the Carrack.
About the Carrack !
A carrack is a boat that was first developed in the 1300s and continued to be used until the 1600s. It was mainly used by the Portuguese (and to a lesser extent the Spanish) for trade with Africa and Asia, and as such was built to transport large amounts of cargo for long journeys, remain steady throughout the ship and support the many sailors who would be transporting the goods.
Carracks usually have three masts (but could have four), with a high sterncastle and forecastle. The main and foremasts are rigged with square sails, while the mizzenmast is rigged with a lateen sail. If the boat has a bonaventure, this also carries a lateen sail, but that's only on larger boats.
Specific boats
Here's the bit where there's some info about specific boats. I can't guarentee the Titanic will be on here, but I'll be surprised if I don't at least give it a mention. It's not here today, but it might be in the future.