Editing Maritime transport (section)

== Description ==
{{further|Merchant navy|Sea lane|Sea transport systems|ship canal|canal}}
[[File:Merchant marine by country.PNG|thumb|upright=1.3|2005 registration of merchant ships ({{GT|1,000|disp=long}} and over) per country<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2108rank.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005224/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2108rank.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 13, 2007 |title=Rank Order - Merchant marine |access-date=2007-05-21 |work=CIA.gov }}</ref>]]
A nation's shipping fleet (variously called [[merchant navy]], merchant marine, or merchant fleet) consists of the ships operated by civilian crews to transport passengers or cargo from one place to another. Merchant shipping also includes water transport over the river and canal systems connecting inland destinations, large and small. For example, during the [[early modern era]], cities in the [[Hanseatic League]] began taming [[Northern Europe]]'s rivers and harbors. Similarly, the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] connects the port cities on the [[Great Lakes]] in Canada and the United States with the [[Atlantic Ocean]] shipping routes, while the [[Illinois and Michigan Canal|various Illinois canals]] connect the Great Lakes and [[Canada]] with [[New Orleans]]. Ores, coal, and grains can travel along the rivers of the [[American midwest|American Midwest]] to [[Pittsburgh]] or to [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]], Alabama.  Professional mariners are known as merchant seamen, merchant sailors, and merchant mariners, or simply seamen, sailors, or mariners. The terms "seaman" or "sailor" may also refer to a member of a country's martial [[navy]].

According to the 2005 [[The World Factbook|CIA World Factbook]], the total number of merchant ships of at least 1,000 [[gross register ton]]s in the world was 30,936. In 2010, it was 38,988, an increase of 26%, across [[List of merchant navy capacity by country|many countries]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2108rank.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070613005224/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2108rank.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 13, 2007|title=The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency|website=www.cia.gov}}</ref> {{as of|December 2018}}, a quarter of all merchant mariners were born in the [[Philippines]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Almendral |first=Aurora |date=December 2018 |title=Why 10 million Filipinos endure hardship abroad as overseas workers |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/12/filipino-workers-return-from-overseas-philippines-celebrates/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181211091254/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2018/12/filipino-workers-return-from-overseas-philippines-celebrates/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 11, 2018 |magazine=National Geographic |location=United States |access-date=2 March 2019 }}<br/>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Unsung Filipino seafarers power the global economy |url=https://www.economist.com/asia/2019/02/16/unsung-filipino-seafarers-power-the-global-economy |newspaper=The Economist |date=16 February 2019 |access-date=2 March 2019 }}<br/>{{cite book|author=Kale Bantigue Fajardo|title=Filipino Crosscurrents: Oceanographies of Seafaring, Masculinities, and Globalization|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AFfpH6rJYEIC|publisher=University of Minnesota Press|isbn=978-1-4529-3283-5}}</ref>

=== Liners and tramps ===
A ship may also be categorized as to how it is operated.
* A [[Ocean liner|'''liner''']] will have a regular run and operate to a schedule. The scheduled operation requires that such ships are better equipped to deal with causes of potential delay such as bad weather. They are generally higher powered than tramp ships with better seakeeping qualities, thus they are significantly more expensive to build. Liners are typically built for passenger and container operation though past common uses also included mail and general cargo.
* A [[Tramp trade|'''tramp (trader)''']] has no fixed run but will go wherever a suitable cargo takes it. Thus a ship and crew may be chartered from the ship owner to fetch a cargo of grain from Canada to Latvia, the ship may then be required to carry a cargo of coal from Britain to Melanesia. Bulk carriers and some cruise ships are examples of ships built to operate in this manner.

=== Ships and watercraft {{anchor|Ships and watercraft}} ===
{{Further|Ship|Watercraft}}
[[Ship]]s and other [[watercraft]] are used for maritime transport. Types can be distinguished by [[Marine propulsion|propulsion]], size or cargo type.  [[Recreation]]al or [[education]]al craft still use wind power, while some smaller craft use [[internal combustion engine]]s to drive one or more [[propeller]]s, or in the case of jet boats, an inboard water jet.  In shallow-draft areas, such as the [[Everglades]], some craft, such as the [[hovercraft]], are propelled by large pusher-prop fans.

Most modern merchant ships can be placed in one of a few categories, such as:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- 
!colspan="2"| Primary maritime transport types 
|-
! Image
! Description
|-
|[[File:Sabrina I.jpg|frameless]]
|'''[[Bulk carrier]]s''' ("bulkers") are [[cargo ship]]s used to transport [[bulk cargo]] items such as [[ore]] or food staples (rice, grain, etc.) and similar cargo.  They can be recognized by the large box-like hatches on their deck, designed to slide outboard for loading. A bulk carrier could be either dry or wet. Most lakes are too small to accommodate bulk ships, but a large fleet of [[lake freighter]]s has been plying the [[Great Lakes]] and [[St. Lawrence Seaway]] of [[North America]] for over a century.
|-
|[[File:Resim 057.jpg|frameless]]
|'''[[Container ship]]s''' are cargo ships that carry their entire load in truck-sized containers, in a technique called [[containerization]]. They form a common means of commercial [[intermodal freight transport]].  Informally known as "box boats," they carry the majority of the world's dry cargo. Most container ships are propelled by [[diesel engine]]s and have crews of between 10 and 30 people. They generally have a large accommodation block at the [[stern]], directly above the [[engine room]].
|-
|[[File:CelebrityCruises Century.jpg|frameless]]
|'''[[Cruise ship]]s''' are [[passenger ship]]s used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are considered an essential part of the experience. [[Cruising (maritime)|Cruising]] has become a major part of the [[tourism]] industry, with millions of passengers each year as of 2006. The industry's rapid growth has seen nine or more newly built ships catering to a [[North America]]n clientele added every year since 2001, as well as others servicing [[Europe]]an clientele. Smaller markets such as the [[Asia-Pacific]] region are generally serviced by older tonnage displaced by new ships introduced into the high growth areas. On the [[Baltic Sea]], ports are connected by '''[[Cruiseferry|cruiseferries]]'''.
|-
| [[File:Beluga Recognition Gottwald Cranes.jpg|frameless]]
| A '''[[Cargo ship|multi-purpose]]''' ship (sometimes called a [[general cargo ship]]) is used to transport a variety of goods, from bulk commodities to [[Breakbulk cargo|break bulk]] and heavy cargoes. To provide maximum trading flexibility they are usually geared (supplied with cranes), and modern examples are fitted for the carriage of [[Shipping container|containers]] and [[Cereal|grains]]. Generally they will have large open holds and [[Tweendecker|tweendecks]] to facilitate the carriage of different cargoes on the same voyage.  The crew will be highly competent in the securing of break bulk cargoes and the ship will be equipped with various lashings and other equipment for sea fastening.
|-
|[[File:Queen Mary 2 07 KMJ.jpg|frameless]]
|An '''[[ocean liner]]''' is a passenger ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Ocean liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes.
Ocean liners are usually strongly built with a high [[Freeboard (nautical)|freeboard]] to withstand rough seas and adverse conditions encountered in the open ocean, having large capacities for fuel, food and other consumables on long voyages. These were the main stay of most passenger transport companies, however, due to the growth of air travel, the passenger ships saw a steady decline. Cruise ships later filled the void and are primarily used by people who still have a love of the sea and offer more amenities than the older passenger ships.
|-
|[[File:Salica Frigo cropped.jpg|frameless]]
|'''[[Reefer ship|Refrigerated ships]]''' (usually called reefers) are cargo ships typically used to transport perishable commodities which require [[air conditioning|temperature-controlled]] transportation, mostly [[fruit]]s, [[meat]], [[fish]], [[vegetable]]s, [[dairy product]]s and other [[foodstuff]]s.
|-
|[[File:ChiCheemaun.jpeg|frameless]]
|'''[[Roll-on/roll-off|Roll-on/roll-off ships]]''' are ships designed to transport wheeled [[cargo]] such as [[automobiles]], [[Trailer (vehicle)|trailers]] or [[Railroad car|railway carriages]].  RORO (or ro/ro) vessels have built-in ramps which allow the cargo to be efficiently "rolled on" and "rolled off" the vessel when in port. While smaller ferries that operate across [[river]]s and other short distances still often have built-in ramps, the term RORO is generally reserved for larger ocean-going vessels, including [[Roll-on/roll-off|pure car/truck carrier (PCTC)]] ships.
|- 
|[[File:Supertanker AbQaiq.jpg|frameless]]
|'''[[Tanker (ship)|Tankers]]''' are cargo ships for the transport of fluids, such as [[crude oil]], [[petroleum]] products, [[liquefied petroleum gas|liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)]], [[liquefied natural gas|liquefied natural gas (LNG)]] and [[chemicals]], also [[vegetable oils]], [[wine]] and other food. The tanker sector comprises one third of the world tonnage.
|-
!colspan="2"| Secondary maritime transport types 
|-
|[[File:CrushedStoneBarge.jpg|frameless]]
| A '''[[barge]]''' is a flat-bottomed [[boat]], built mainly for [[river]] and [[canal]] transport of heavy goods. Most barges are not self-propelled and need to be moved by [[tugboat]]s or [[towboats]] pushing or towing them. Barges on canals (towed by [[animal power|draft animals]] on an adjacent [[towpath]]) established the conditions supporting the early [[Industrial Revolution]] in both Europe and the [[American Northeast]] but later after they made possible [[steam locomotive]] [[prime mover (locomotive)|prime movers]] riding [[iron]] [[track (rail transport)|rails]]&nbsp;– after both could grow (and mature) to become commonplace and capable&nbsp;– contended with the [[railway]]s and [[history of the British canal system|were outcompeted]] in the carriage of people, light freight, and high value items due to the higher speed, falling costs, and route flexibility of [[rail transport]]. Carriage of bulk goods also gradually lost ground to freight railways as train capacity and speeds continued to climb. Even underpowered early rail networks could usually reach places only an outrageously expensive canal might be built,<ref>See [[Philadelphia and Columbia Railroad]]; was built because a [[Philadelphia]] to [[Susquehanna River]] canal would've needed a large water source requiring very expensive works to supply; canals without water are just a muddy ditch.</ref> and once Iron T-rails and higher powered locomotives became possible, the far cheaper to build railways were unfettered and independent upon water sources, whilst mostly unplagued by the seasonal problems (restricted by icing) of temperate latitude canals which suffered ice and [[freshet]] [[flood]]ing damages with dreary regularity. When floods did affect railways, restoration of services was usually comparatively rapid.
|-
|[[File:Cable layer ship.jpg|frameless]]
| '''[[Cable layer]]''' is a deep-sea [[ship|vessel]] designed and used to lay underwater [[Submarine communications cable|cables]] for telecommunications, electricity, and such. A large [[superstructure]], and one or more spools that feed off the [[Transom (nautical)|transom]] distinguish it. Modern [[cable layer]]s are equipped with advanced [[Dynamic positioning|dynamic positioning systems]] (DPS) to maintain precise control during cable deployment, even in rough sea conditions. These vessels often feature specialized equipment such as [[Remotely operated underwater vehicle|remotely operated vehicles]] (ROVs) to assist with underwater cable positioning, inspections, and repairs.
|-
|[[File:Warnemünde Handelsschiff (01) 2006-09-21.JPG|Warnemünde Handelsschiff (01) 2006-09-21|frameless]]
| '''[[Coastal trading vessel]]s''', also known as '''coasters''', [[ship]]s used for [[trade]] between locations on the same island or continent.  They are often small and of shallow [[draft (hull)|draft]], and sometimes set up as [[self-discharger]]s.
|-
|[[File:Dredge No-4 (2).JPG|frameless]]
| A '''[[dredger]]''' (sometimes also called a dredge) is a ship used to excavate in shallow seas or [[fresh water]] areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom [[sediment]]s and disposing of them at a different location, such as for [[Gold mining|gold exploration]].
|-
|[[File:PrideofRotterdam.png|frameless]]
| '''[[Ferry|Ferries]]''' are a form of transport, usually a [[boat]] or [[ship]], but also other forms, carrying (or ''ferrying'') passengers and sometimes their vehicles. Ferries are also used to transport freight (in lorries and sometimes unpowered freight containers) and even [[railroad]] cars. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent return services. A foot-passenger ferry with many stops is sometimes called a waterbus or [[water taxi]].  Ferries form a part of the [[public transport]] systems of many waterside cities and islands, allowing direct transit between points at a capital cost much lower than [[bridge]]s or [[tunnel]]s. Many of the ferries operating in Northern European waters are [[roll-on/roll-off]] ships.
|-
|[[File:FS Le Four 1.jpg|frameless]]
| A '''[[tugboat]]''' is a [[boat]] used to manoeuvre, primarily by [[towing]] or pushing, other [[Ship|vessels]] (see [[shipping]]) in [[harbour]]s, over the open sea or through [[river]]s and [[canal]]s. They are also used to tow [[barge]]s, disabled ships, or other equipment like [[towboats]].
|-
|[[Image:SAGA cargo ship on the Dardanelles.JPG|frameless]]
| '''[[Open hatch general cargo|Open hatch general cargo ships]]''' are designed to transport [[forest product]]s, [[bulk cargo]]s, [[Unit load|unitized cargoes]], [[project cargo]]es and [[Shipping container|containers]]. 
|-
|[[File:MV Blue Marlin carrying USS Cole.jpg|frameless]]
| [[Semi-submersible heavy-lift ship|'''Semi-submersible heavy-lift ships''']] often move particularly large, heavy, or bulky goods that other ships cannot handle well. Such off-size goods include ship hulls, premade construction materials, other seagoing vessels, power plant components, cast steel objects, and a variety of very large or heavy goods.
|-
|}

=== Typical in-transit times ===
A cargo ship sailing from a [[List of busiest ports in Europe|European port]] to a US one will typically take 10–12 days depending on water currents and other factors.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Service Details|url = http://cms.molpower.com/Service/Network/Service-Details/svcName/AX1|website = cms.molpower.com|access-date = 2015-07-29}}</ref> In order to make [[container ship]] transport more economical, ship operators sometimes reduce cruising speed, thereby increasing transit time, to reduce fuel consumption, a strategy referred to as "[[slow steaming]]".<ref name=inti2013>{{Citation
|first=Inti |last=Landauro |date=January 8, 2013 |title=Meet the World's Largest Cargo Ships |newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |page=B1 }}</ref>