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Bow (ship)

 
Bow (ship)

 
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Bow (ship)
 
 
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The bow (rhymes with how) is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull
Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in floating vessels as it provides the buoyancy that keeps the vessel from sinking....
 of a ship
Ship

A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
 or boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow. The other end of the boat is called the stern
Stern

The stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail....
.

bow is designed to reduce the resistance
Drag (physics)

The term drag is widely used in Physics and Engineering and is central to the field of fluid dynamics. "Drag" refers to forces that oppose the motion of a solid object through a fluid ....
 of the hull cutting through water and should be tall enough to prevent water from easily washing over the top of it.






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Bow
The bow (rhymes with how) is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull
Hull (watercraft)

A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in floating vessels as it provides the buoyancy that keeps the vessel from sinking....
 of a ship
Ship

A ship is a large watercraft that floats on water. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size. Ships may be found on lakes, seas, and rivers and they allow for a variety of activities, such as the ferry or cargo ships, fishing, cruise ship, Coast guard, and warship....
 or boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway. Both of the adjectives fore and forward mean towards the bow. The other end of the boat is called the stern
Stern

The stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail....
.

Function

The bow is designed to reduce the resistance
Drag (physics)

The term drag is widely used in Physics and Engineering and is central to the field of fluid dynamics. "Drag" refers to forces that oppose the motion of a solid object through a fluid ....
 of the hull cutting through water and should be tall enough to prevent water from easily washing over the top of it. On slower ships like tankers, a fuller bow shape is used to maximise the volume of the ship for a given length.

A "wet bow" results from seawater washing over the top of the hull. A raked stem can help to reduce the wetness of the bow. Aside from making the deck slippery, water can corrode the metal of the ship. If the temperature is low enough this water can also freeze on the deck, rails, turrets, and other exposed surfaces, increasing the topside weight.

Parts

The forward part of the bow, usually on the ship's centreline, is called the stem. Traditionally, the stem was an upright timber or metal bar into which side planks or plates were joined.

Types

Several types of bows exist. These include :
  • Tumblehome
  • Raised foredeck
  • Reverse sheer
  • Conventional clipper
  • Low-cain spoon bow
  • High-cain spoon bow


See also

  • Prow
    Prow

    The prow is the very most forward part of a ship's Bow that cuts through the water. The prow and stem and its surrounding parts of a ship is often used interchangeably....
  • Boat building
    Boat building

    Boat building, one of the oldest branches of engineering, is concerned with constructing the hull of boats and, for sailboats, the mast s, spars and rigging....
  • Deck
    Deck (ship)

    A deck is a permanent covering over a compartment or a hull of a ship. On a deck #Glossary or deck #Glossary, the primary deck is the horizontal structure which forms the 'roof' for the hull, which both strengthens the hull and serves as the primary working surface....
  • Figurehead
  • Naval architecture
    Naval architecture

    Naval architecture is an engineering discipline dealing with the design, construction and repair of marine vehicles.Naval architecture involves basic and applied research, design, development, design evaluation and calculations during all stages of the life of a marine vehicle....
  • Shipbuilding
    Shipbuilding

    Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, originally called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history....
  • Superstructure
    Superstructure

    A superstructure is an upward extension of an existing structure above a baseline. This term is applied both to physical structures like buildings, bridges or ships and to conceptual structures as well ....
  • Bulbous bow
    Bulbous bow

    The bulbous bow, a standard feature of most large, modern ships with displacement Hull , is a protruding bulb at the bow below the waterline....
  • Port
    Port (nautical)

    Port is the List of nautical terms that refers to the left and right side of a ship, as perceived by a person on board the ship and facing towards the Bow ....
  • Starboard
    Starboard

    Starboard is the List of nautical terms that refers to the left and right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the Bow ....


Further reading

  • Sleight, Steve; The New Complete Sailing Manual, Dorling Kindersley Co., (2005) ISBN 0-7566-0944-5
  • Steward, Robert; Boatbuilding Manual, 3rd ed. International Marine Publishing Company. Camden, Maine (1987), p2-3. ISBN 0-87742-236-2