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Maritime & Shipping vocabulary · Ship Types & Ship Structure

Hull

Meaning in maritime & shipping, with examples

/hʌl/nounCore term

In maritime & shipping, hull means: The main watertight body of a ship, including its bottom and sides but not the masts, superstructure or equipment on deck.

In Turkish: tekne, gövde, karina

How it is used

Common in surveys, dry-docking, damage reports and insurance: hull inspection, hull damage, hull cleaning. Insurers speak of 'hull and machinery' (H&M) cover for the ship itself.

Example sentences

  1. Divers will inspect the hull for damage after the grounding.

  2. Marine growth on the hull is increasing our fuel consumption.

Common collocations

  • hull damage
  • hull inspection
  • double hull
  • hull and machinery insurance
  • vesselA ship or large boat. In official documents, contracts and radio calls it is the standard word for any craft that travels on water.
  • draughtThe vertical distance between the waterline and the lowest point of a ship's keel. It shows how deep the ship sits in the water and changes with cargo and ballast.
  • freeboardThe vertical distance from the waterline up to the main deck at the ship's side. Load line rules set a minimum freeboard to keep the ship safe.
  • ballastSeawater, or sometimes another heavy material, carried in special tanks to keep a ship stable, upright and at a safe draught when it has little or no cargo.

More terms: Ship Types & Ship Structure

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