Definition: A Ship can be defined as a large watercraft that travels the oceans and carry goods or passengers or serve as special missions such as defence, research and fishing. For a ship to move, the propeller should be rotating to produce thrust on the water. The thrust comes back to the ship and this thrust moves the ship in ahead direction. At normal speed, it takes about 20 minutes for a large ship to stop.
For a ship to float, its weight in the water makes it push down then the water pushes it back upward and floats the ship.
The lower part of a Ship – The curved section where the bottom meets the side is called the turn of the bilge. The main deck area over the stern is called the fantail or poop deck. The flat part of the bottom of the ship is called the bilge.
The common terms used in shipping are; topside, amidships, starboard quarter, starboard bow, port quarter, port bow, starboard, port, astern, ahead, underway, aft, forward, stern, bow.
• Amidships: the central part of a shipping vessel.
• Astern: this is when a ship is moving in a backward position
• Underway: when a ship is already moving
• Bow: it is the front end of a ship
• Port Quarter: it is the rear left side of a ship
• Ahead: when the ship is moving in a front direction
• Forward: when moving towards the front end of a ship
• Starboard Bow: it is the front right side of a ship
• Port Bow: it is the front end of a ship
• Topside: moving from the lower deck to the upper deck of a ship
• Starboard Quarter: it refers to the rear right of a ship
• Port: it is the entire left side of the ship
• Stern: it is the rear end of a ship
• Aft: when moving towards the rear end of a ship
• Starboard: it is the entire right side of the ship

Technical or Ship management is what the maritime service does to maintain and operate vessels. It includes technical maintenance – as well as management of crew, operations, registration of vessels, service. It can also include the business and commercial management of a vessel.
Ship Operation deals with ships at sea, from the owner point of view it deals with the naval architecture and maritime engineering. The operations of ships can include – decision support systems for navigational and operational guidance of ships, risk-based approaches in the prediction of statistical response values for operational and design evaluations, human factors that affect ship operations, human factor disciplines in the design process with regards to decision support systems.
Ship management third party are companies that have no vessels under their ownership and offer ship management.
The ship management system is implemented by the shipping companies to ensure the safety of the ship and marine environment. It should include requirements like; procedure and guidelines to act in an emergency, safety and environmental protection policy, procedure and guidelines for reporting accidents, clear communication among ship crew members, shore and shipboard personnel, procedures for internal audits and management reviews, vessel details, etc
Maritime services mean port to port transportation of cargo by vessels operated. Maritime experience sometimes troubled relationships between people, water and marine life. The maritime field as dramatic stories, strong technologies and dignify aesthetic.

Different Parts of Ship
The different parts of a ship are; hatch covers, accommodation, keel, mast, propeller, rudder, anchor, bow, bow thrusters and bridge all these make up the visible parts of a ship. While the structural part of the ship consists of; side shell, double bottom, frames, hopper tank, cofferdams, bulkheads, cargo holds, etc.
• Anchor: Anchor act as holding hand, it is used to prevent the ship from drifting due to wind or current. An anchor is made up of five major parts; crown, flute, tripping ring, shrank and stock.
• Bow: It enables the hull to pass efficiently through the water.
• Propeller: It is a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral. The rotational motion of the blades is converted into thrust by creating a pressure difference between the two surfaces. The two types of the propeller are the controllable pitch propeller(CPP) and the fixed-pitch propeller.
• Rudder: It is used for steering and manoeuvring a vessel. It can be located at the stern behind propeller to produce a transverse force and steering moment about the ship.
• Frames: It helps the hull and gives the ship its shape and strength
• Bulkheads: It helps to reduce the extent of flooding water and provide additional stiffness to the hull girder.
• Hopper Tank: It is used for ballast or stability when carrying certain cargoes in bulk carriers. It is referred to as topside wing ballast tanks or bottom hopper tank.

Different Types of Ship
There are six different types of a ship which are; cargo ship, RoRo, tankers, passengers ship, fishing vessel and high-speed craft.
• Cargo Ship: They are essential to International trade. They are used in transporting goods across the globe. It can be used to transport machinery, clothes, furniture, metals, food, petroleum, etc.
• RoRo (Roll on Roll off): It is a popular ship mainly used to transport vehicles.
• Tankers: It is primarily used to carry a wide range of liquid. There are different sizes of a tanker which can carry several hundred thousand tons.
• Passenger Ship: Passenger ship can be used to cruise and spend holidays. These are ships that carry passengers to the sea.
• Fishing Vessel: They are used for leisure purposes. They are designed to catch fish and marine wildlife.
• High-Speed Craft: High-speed craft are civilian use, also called fast craft or fast ferry.

How to maintain a Ship
• Always replace the spark plugs as needed
• Always check for water in the fuel
• Always check the level on the engine’s oil
• Ensure to check the fuel lines for cracks and wear
• Ensure to check the propeller and engine belts
• Ensure to replace fuel hoses if damaged