Shipbuilding

Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.

History

Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both commercial and military, are referred to as "naval engineering". The construction of boats is a similar activity called boat building.

The oldest known constructed boats are the Abydos boats from around 3000 BC. In the Middle Ages, shipbuilding was an important guild occupation in the maritime nations of Europe.

Modern shipbuilding

Modern shipbuilding makes considerable use of prefabricated sections. Entire multi-deck segments of the hull or superstructure will be built elsewhere in the yard, transported to the building dock or slipway, then lifted into place. This is known as "block construction".

Ship design

Ship design work, also known as naval architecture, may be conducted using a ship model basin. Previously, loftsmen at the mould lofts of shipyards were responsible for taking the dimensions, and details from drawings and plans and translating this information into templates, battens, ordinates, cutting sketches, profiles, margins and other data.

Ship repair

Ship repair can be categorized into three categories: emergency repair, normal repair, and conversion. Emergency repairs are the unplanned critical repairs that have to be performed as quickly as possible.

See also

• Naval architecture
• Marine engineering
• List of shipbuilders and shipyards

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