Editing Ship (section)

==Lifecycle==
[[File:Lines plan en.svg|thumb|right|Lines plan for the hull of a basic [[cargo ship]]]]
[[File:Freedom of the seas construction.jpg|thumb|[[MS Freedom of the Seas|MS ''Freedom of the Seas'']] under construction in a shipyard in [[Turku]].]]
A ship will pass through several stages during its career. The first is usually an initial contract to build the ship, the details of which can vary widely based on relationships between the [[shipowner]]s, operators, [[naval architect|designers]] and the [[shipyard]]. Then, the design phase carried out by a naval architect. Then the ship is constructed in a shipyard. After construction, the vessel is launched and goes into service. Ships end their careers in a number of ways, ranging from [[shipwreck]]s to service as a [[museum ship]] to [[Ship breaking|the scrapyard]].

===Design===
{{See also|Naval architecture}}
A vessel's design starts with a specification, which a [[naval architect]] uses to create a project outline, assess required dimensions, and create a basic layout of spaces and a rough displacement. After this initial rough draft, the architect can create an initial hull design, a general profile and an initial overview of the ship's propulsion. At this stage, the designer can iterate on the ship's design, adding detail and refining the design at each stage.

The designer will typically produce an overall plan, a general specification describing the peculiarities of the vessel, and construction blueprints to be used at the building site. Designs for larger or more complex vessels may also include sail plans, electrical schematics, and plumbing and ventilation plans.

As environmental laws are becoming more strict, ship designers need to create their design in such a way that the ship, when it nears its end-of-term, can be [[Ship breaking|disassembled]] or [[Ship disposal|disposed]] easily and that waste is reduced to a minimum.

===Construction===
{{Main|Shipbuilding}}
[[File:Brosen northern side lauching2.jpg|thumb|right|A [[Ship naming and launching|ship launching]] at the Northern Shipyard in [[Gdańsk, Poland]]]]
Ship construction takes place in a [[shipyard]], and can last from a few months for a unit produced in series, to several years to reconstruct a wooden boat like the frigate ''Hermione'', to more than 10&nbsp;years for an aircraft carrier. During [[World War II]], the need for cargo ships was so urgent that construction time for [[Liberty ship|Liberty Ships]] went from initially eight months or longer, down to weeks or even days. Builders employed production line and prefabrication techniques such as those used in shipyards today.<ref name="Sawyer" /><ref name="Jaffee" /><ref name="Herman" />

Hull materials and vessel size play a large part in determining the method of construction. The hull of a mass-produced fiberglass sailboat is constructed from a mold, while the steel hull of a cargo ship is made from large sections welded together as they are built.

Generally, construction starts with the hull, and on vessels over about {{convert|30|m|ft|0|sp=us}}, by the laying of the keel. This is done in a [[drydock]] or on land. Once the hull is assembled and painted, it is launched. The last stages, such as raising the superstructure and adding equipment and accommodation, can be done after the vessel is afloat.

Once completed, the vessel is delivered to the customer. [[Ship naming and launching|Ship launching]] is often a ceremony of some significance, and is usually when the vessel is formally named. A typical small rowboat can cost under US$100, $1,000 for a small speedboat, tens of thousands of dollars for a cruising sailboat, and about $2,000,000 for a [[Vendée Globe]] class sailboat. A {{convert|25|m|ft|sp=us}} trawler may cost $2.5&nbsp;million, and a 1,000-person-capacity high-speed passenger ferry can cost in the neighborhood of $50&nbsp;million. A ship's cost partly depends on its complexity: a small, [[general cargo ship]] will cost $20&nbsp;million, a [[Panamax]]-sized [[bulk carrier]] around $35&nbsp;million, a [[supertanker]] around $105&nbsp;million and a large [[LNG carrier]] nearly $200&nbsp;million. The most expensive ships generally are so because of the cost of embedded electronics: a {{sclass|Seawolf|submarine}} costs around $2&nbsp;billion, and an aircraft carrier goes for about $3.5&nbsp;billion.

In 2023, the majority of the world's ships (95% of global output) were built in just three countries: [[China]], [[South Korea]] and [[Japan]].<ref name="UNCTAD2024"/>

===Repair and conversion===
[[File:Able-seaman-scaling-winch.JPG|thumb|[[Able seaman]] using a [[needlegun scaler]] on a mooring winch.]]
Ships undergo nearly constant maintenance during their career, whether they be underway, pierside, or in some cases, in periods of reduced operating status between charters or shipping seasons.

Most ships, however, require trips to special facilities such as a [[drydock]] at regular intervals. Tasks often done at drydock include removing biological growths on the hull, [[sandblasting]] and repainting the hull, and replacing [[sacrificial anode]]s used to protect submerged equipment from corrosion. Major repairs to the propulsion and steering systems as well as major electrical systems are also often performed at dry dock.

Some vessels that sustain major damage at sea may be repaired at a facility equipped for major repairs, such as a shipyard. Ships may also be converted for a new purpose: [[oil tanker]]s are often converted into [[floating production storage and offloading unit]]s.

===End of service===
{{Main|Ship disposal}}
[[File:Jafrabad Chittagong shipbreaking (8).JPG|thumb|Workers drag steel plate ashore from beached ships in [[Chittagong]], Bangladesh]]

Most ocean-going cargo ships have a life expectancy of between 20 and 30&nbsp;years. A sailboat made of plywood or fiberglass can last between 30 and 40&nbsp;years. Solid wooden ships can last much longer but require regular maintenance. Carefully maintained steel-hulled yachts can have a lifespan of over 100&nbsp;years.

As ships age, forces such as corrosion, osmosis, and rotting compromise hull strength, and a vessel becomes too dangerous to sail. At this point, it can be [[scuttling|scuttled]] at sea or [[Ship breaking|scrapped]] by [[ship breaking|shipbreakers]]. Ships can also be used as [[museum ships]], or expended to construct [[Breakwater (structure)|breakwaters]] or [[artificial reef]]s.

Many ships do not make it to the scrapyard, and are lost in fires, collisions, [[ship grounding|grounding]], or sinking at sea. The Allies lost some 5,150 ships during [[World War II]].<ref name="Albion" />