A merchant ship is a commercial vessel:
"A vessel engaged in mercantile trade except river craft, estuarial craft, or craft which operate solely within harbor limits."
If you want to get into basics, there are vessels which serve commerce; transporting goods, trade, et cetera. There are warships. There are fishermen. There are survey ships, cable-laying ships, all manner of vessels. But the term "merchantman" refers, generally, to ships engaged in carrying cargo for trade or sale. Many today are 'container ships' carrying their cargoes in containers below and on the upper deck. Then there are your bulk ore carriers, fuel tankers and the like. These last three categories probably make up the majority of the larger ships plying the oceans today.
But probably the most numerous types would be the fishing boats. Though not generally referred to a merchant ships, they are, in many instances run by business and strictly speaking, could also be classified as merchants.
by jagandelight6 years ago
What cruise line ship would you recommend for going to the Island?
by Jack Lee8 months ago
In recent times, a few accidents have occurred with US naval vessels...You have to wonder what is going on here?Don't they have radar and GPS and satellites and warning systems?Why are these accidents occurring when we...
Copyright © 2018 HubPages Inc. and respective owners.
Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners.
HubPages® is a registered Service Mark of HubPages, Inc.
HubPages and Hubbers (authors) may earn revenue on this page based on affiliate relationships and advertisements with partners including Amazon, Google, and others.
terms of use privacy policy (0.38 sec)