How it works
Bow is the front, stern the back, port the left and starboard the right when you face the bow. This parts of a boat diagram numbers 16 parts of a motorboat and 8 parts of a cargo ship.
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Basic parts of a boat
Boating courses teach bow, stern, port, starboard and hull first. The gunwale, said gunnel, is the top edge of the side, the keel runs along the bottom, and the transom is the flat back.
Three measurements
Freeboard runs from the water up to where water could first come aboard, draft from the water down to the lowest point. Beam is the width at the widest point.
Main parts of a ship
Cargo goes through hatches into the holds. The bridge, where the ship is steered, sits on top of the superstructure, and the funnel carries the exhaust away.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a ship called?
The front is the bow and the back the stern; the body is the hull, with the keel along its bottom. On deck a cargo ship has hatch covers over its holds, a superstructure with the bridge on top, and a funnel.
How do you remember port and starboard?
Port and left both have four letters. Facing the bow, port is on your left and starboard on your right, whichever way you are standing on deck. At night the port light is red and the starboard light green.
What are the parts of a ship deck?
On this cargo ship, the forecastle is the raised deck at the bow, hatch covers close the openings down to the holds, and the superstructure stands on the deck near the stern, with the bridge and the funnel.
Why do ships have a bulbous bow?
The bulb sits at the bow just below the waterline and changes the way water flows around the hull. That reduces drag, which adds speed, range, stability and fuel efficiency.