Ship

Ship

Feeder ship Iris Bolten at Container Terminal Altenwerder, port of Hamburg, Germany
General characteristics
Tonnage	Greater than 500 DWT
Propulsion	steam turbine (fossil fuel, nuclear), diesel, gas turbine, sterling, steam (reciprocating)
Sail plan	For sailing ships – two or more masts,[citation needed] variety of sail plans

A ship is a large vessel that travels the world's oceans and other navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, based on size, shape, load capacity and purpose. Ships have supported exploration, trade, warfare, migration, colonization, and science. Ship transport is responsible for the largest portion of world commerce.

The word ship has meant, depending on the era and the context, either just a large vessel or specifically a ship-rigged sailing ship with three or more masts, each of which is square-rigged.

The earliest historical evidence of boats is found in Egypt during the 4th millennium BCE.^[1] In 2024, ships had a global cargo capacity of 2.4 billion tons, with the three largest classes being ships carrying dry bulk (43%), oil tankers (28%) and container ships (14%).^[2]