Types of Ships(4)

Types of Ships(4)

c)special troop ships

Ferry ©Maik Ebel

Ferries - designed to carry wagons, vehicles and passengers by serving as a bridge between two ports, located at the opposite ends of rivers, bays, canals, etc. The average speed is about 20 knots. Ferries usually have two control panels - one at the bow and one at the stern. There are also huge gates called hatchways to provide fast loading and unloading. Ferries carrying wagon assemblies are equipped with rails which fit into railroads on shore. Saloons, bars, restaurants, passenger seats are all in the superstructure. This type of ships is divided into train ferries, combined train and car ferries and combined passenger and car ferries. The latter type of ferry is also used as a foreign-going vessel for tourism, just like cruise ships. As a matter of fact, both look much the same from the outside but ferries have car decks in addition. Large car-and-passenger ferries are able to carry about 1,500 people and 350 automobiles.Ferries are an important factor for trade development of some countries - for example, ferries of Denmark transport 40% of the country's shipments and those of Sweden - 30%. Besides, ferries of today are used as suitable places for conducting conferences and symposiums aboard.