The first thing we have to establish, before entering fully into the establishment of the meaning of the term ship, is its etymological origin. In this case we can say that it is a word that derives from Latin, exactly from “boat” which was used as a synonym for “boat”. That word that, in turn, came from the Greek “baris”, which was used to mean “canoe”.
A ship is a vehicle capable of floating on water and moving on it. The concept refers to the concave structure that usually has large dimensions and is used as a means of transport.
At a general level, a ship can be a small boat for a passenger that moves with oars or a huge cruise ship with capacity for thousands of people and with swimming pools, restaurants, casinos and nightclubs. That is why the notion can be used to refer to different kinds of floating structures.
It can be said that a ship is a floating body that has some means of propulsion, has load capacity, has stability and resistance and can be steered. In ancient times, ships moved thanks to the force of the wind that hit their sails. Then they incorporated mechanical propulsion with different types of engines.
The ships, the corvettes, the ships, the cruise ships, the galleons, the frigates, the yachts and boats are some of the existing ships. Each one offers different possibilities according to its size, its form of propulsion and its general characteristics.
Although sailing by boat is an activity that always carries certain risks, these boats currently take advantage of technology to be safer and more reliable. The satellite communication systems allow mariners to know exactly the location of the boat and get numerous useful geographic data. They also make it possible to issue alerts and request help very quickly.
One of the most famous ships in history was the RMS Titanic, an ocean liner that sank on its maiden voyage in 1912, as it tried to reach New York after leaving Southampton. The accident caused more than 1,500 deaths.
However, history is full of ships that, for different reasons, have become key in various episodes of it. Thus, in addition to the Titanic, there are the following:
-The caravels La Pinta, La Niña and La Santa María which were the ones used by Christopher Columbus to undertake his most important journey, the one that would lead him to undertake the discovery of America.
-The Victory, a British ship that participated in the famous Battle of Trafalgar and in front of which was the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson.
-The Flying Dutchman. This other ship came from Amsterdam, which became known for the first time in the 18th century through travel notebooks. He was popularly known as “The Flying Dutchman” and spawned a long list of legends. What’s more, it has even inspired many authors and filmmakers to shape certain ships that appeared in their novels and movies.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the existence of a Spanish series called “El Barco”. It aired between 2011 and 2013 and tells how the crew of a ship, Estrella Polar, will live an incredible adventure when they discover that the Earth as they know it has disappeared.
