Hull (ship)
A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. It is a central concept in water vessels. The hull is essentially what keeps the water from entering the boat and acts as the walls and floor of the vessel.
In hulls constructed from materials that are denser than water, such as steel, the hull traps a volume of air that lowers the overall density of the boat providing buoyancy so that the boat floats. Hulls constructed of materials that are less dense than water, such as wood, may float even when full of water.
The very first hull is thought to have consisted of a hollowed out tree bole and was a Stone Age invention--in effect the first canoe. Hull construction then proceeded to keeled hulls, including ballast and on to modern double steel hulls with waterproof sections.
Hull construction is usually performed in a dry dock or on dry land. In the very latest sailing ships, hulls are often made of layers of foam and plastic, forming composite hulls, with a minimum of weight. Variations on the single hull can be found with outriggers, and craft with more than one hull, called multihulls.
See also:
Referenced By
Archimedes' Principle | Buoyancy | Canoe | Floating | Galleon | Maritime transport | Sea Transport | Ship transport | Trimaran | Water transport
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