REPÚBLICA BOLIVARIANA DE VENEZUELA

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL EXPERIMENTAL MARÍTIMA DEL CARIBE

VICERRECTORADO ACADÉMICO – DIRECCIÓN DE DOCENCIA
COORDINACIÓN DE IDIOMAS
ENGLISH V.

UNIT I. Ship design and construction.

Speaking and writing.

Look at the picture below. What do you know about merchant ships?

Read the following text about what ships are.

Ships are large, complex vehicles which must be selfsustaining in their environment
for long periods with a high degree of reliability. A ship is the product of three main areas
of skill, those of the naval architect, the navigating officer (deck officer) and the marine
engineer (engineering officer).
The naval architect is concerned with the hull, its construction, form, habitability and
ability to endure its environment. The navigating officer is responsible for safe navigation
of the ship, and its cargo operations. The marine engineer is responsible for the various
systems which propel and operate the ship. More specifically, this means the machinery
required for propulsion, steering, anchoring and ship securing, cargo handling, air
conditioning, power generation and its distribution.
Read again and complete this chart.
Ship’s main areas of
skill
Self-sustaining: maintaining
or able to maintain oneself or
itself by independent effort.
Reliability: the quality or
state of being reliable.

1 2 3

Pair work.
Ask and answer these questions.

1. What is the naval architect concerned with?

2. What is the deck officer responsible for?

3. What is the marine engineer responsible for?

Discussion.

Are you going to be a naval architect?

What area of skill are you going to be responsible for?

Grammar review. Future actions.

‘Going to’ is used to express planned events or intentions

Examples:
The vessel is going to depart at 14:00 hours.
The engineers are going to inspect the main engine.
I am going to board my ship in La Guaira.

Now, write the plans you have after graduating.

4. 1. ______________________________________________________________________
1.
5. 2. ______________________________________________________________________
2.
6. 3. ______________________________________________________________________
3.
Reading and writing. Ship basic terms.

There are two main parts of a ship: the hull and the machinery. The hull is the actual
shell of the ship including her superstructure. The machinery includes not only the main
engines required to drive her but also the auxiliary machinery (boilers, generators, etc.)
used for maneuvering purposes, steering, mooring, cargo handling and for various other
services, e.g. the electrical installations, winches and refrigerating plant.

Generally, seafarers
refer to the vessel as
‘SHE’.

The Hull.
In the design and construction of a vessel, vertical and horizontal divisions are included.
The vertical divisions within the hull, shown in picture A, are called bulkheads which form
watertight compartments or walls that can contain water in the case of a hull breach or other
leak. The horizontal divisions within the hull, shown in picture B, are called decks. A deck
is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. The main or upper deck is
the horizontal structure which forms the ‘roof’ for the hull and also serves as the primary
working surface for the deck officers. A ship's actual design and number of decks depend
on the trade in which the ship will ply. For example, a tramp carrying shipments of coal or
ore, will be a single deck vessel. A cargo liner carrying a variety of cargo in relatively
small consignments would have 'tween decks to facilitate stowage.

Athwartship
A bulkheads B

Fore and aft Decks

bulkheads
Are there any other parts of the
ship that you can identify in
this picture?

In addition to the technical terms studied previously, there are other parts of the ships
which will engross your existing knowledge in the maritime field. The rear (back) portion
of the ship is called the after end or stern. The front portion of the ship is called the fore
end, while the extreme forward end is called the bow. Fore and aft are generally used for
directional purposes. The area between the forward and aft portions of the vessel is called
amidships.

Other parts of the ship include the bulbous bow, the funnel, the superstructure and the
bridge, among others. The bulbous bow can improve passenger and crew comfort, as it can
reduce the movements of the vessel in heavy seas. The funnel is the smokestack on a ship
used to expel boiler steam and smoke or engine exhaust. The superstructure consists of all
permanent housing above the main deck. The bridge is the main control center of the ship.
When a ship is underway the bridge is manned by an OOW (officer of the watch). During
critical maneuvers the captain will be on the bridge.
Answer these questions.
1. What do the two main parts of the vessel include?
2. What are the bulkheads?
3. What are decks?
4. What are the two extreme ends of the vessel called?
 Ship directions and locations

When moving bow, it is said the vessel is moving ahead. When moving stern, it is said
the vessel is moving astern.

A B

In the figure above, letter A shows the vessel is moving ahead. Conversely, letter B
shows the vessel is moving astern.

On ships, the directions "right" and "left" are not

commonly used, and mariners use nautical terms
instead. Starboard is the right-hand side of the ship as
seen from someone aboard the ship, facing the bow, or
front. Port is the opposite side, or the left side of the
ship.

Aft or abaft, forward and abeam are

nautical terms used to refer locations
onboard a vessel.

Aft

Forward

Port side

Starboard
The deck officer is going forward to
check the windlass.
The funnel is aft.
Ship’s dimensions
The maximum breadth of the vessel, which is found in the amidships body, is known as
the beam. The maximum length of the vessel, from bow to stern, is known as length
overall. ______________________________

________

Look at the picture below and write the vertical and longitudinal dimensions of a vessel.

Vertical Longitudinal

WATERLINE

Now, match the terms with the definitions.

a. Freeboard ______ The total length of a ship's hull from the foremost to the
aftermost points.

b. Waterline ______ The depth of water which a vessel draws.

c. Beam ______ The distance between the water line and the freeboard
deck of a ship.

d. Draft ______ The line on the hull of a ship to which the surface of the
water rises.

e. Length overall ______ The breadth of a ship at the widest point.

Adjectives Nouns
long length
deep depth
beam breadth
wide width
Language focus high height

Language in context.
Oral practice.
The chart below shows the identification and description of a vessel. Ask and answer
questions to get information about the vessel.

M/V British Shield IMO number 7802134 Call Sign YYJO Ninety- eight
decimal three
Dimensions and capacities meters

Length OA ____________98,3________________ m
Breadth ____________13,7___________________ m
Depth _________________8,25________________ m
Draft ____________5,81______________________m

For example,
A: What’s the vessel length overall?
B: It’s 98,3 m.
Now, work in pairs.

Write as many questions as possible to get information about this vessel.

For example,
 1. What’s the vessel's name_____________________________?
2. _________________________________________________?
3. _________________________________________________?
4. _________________________________________________?
5. _________________________________________________?
EXTRA ACTIVITIES.
A. How much do you know about ships? Write the ship basic terms.

B. Complete the following text with the corresponding ship terms.

The forward end of the ship is called the ___________________, the after end is the
__________________, and halfway between the two is _________________. The
_______________ of the ship is the distance from the port side to the starboard side of the
ship.

C. Which ship terms are defined below?

1. __________________________ The body or shell of the ship.
2. __________________________ The measurement of the ship’s largest width.
3. __________________________ These terms are used to refer locations onboard a ship
4. __________________________ Fore and after end of the ship’s hull.
5. __________________________ The right hand of the vessel.
6. __________________________ Used to expel boiler steam and smoke or engine exhaust

D. Label the parts of the ship that are missing and write a brief definition.

Rudder

It enables the vessel to

maintain her course. It
controls the ship’s direction.
It is situated at the stern.