Water Transportation History
Water Transportation Propulsion History
• Human (oars, poles) - - 7,000-10,000 BC
• Wind (sails) - - 3,000 BC
• Steamboat invented - - 1787 AD
• First diesel-powered ship - - 1912 AD
• Hovercraft invented - - 1956 AD
• First nuclear-powered ship launched - - 1958 AD
Two Major Types of Water Transportation
• Deepwater – Passenger: cruise ships, ocean liners (19 million to be
served globally in 2011) – Freight: bulk carriers, container ships, tankers, reefer
ships and roll-on/roll-off ships (8 billion tons shipped globally in 2007)
• Inland/Coastal Waterways – Passenger: ferries (59 million served in U.S. in 2009) – Freight: dry bulk cargo, liquid cargo, and flat deck
barges (857 million tons shipped domestically in 2009)
Cargo Densities of Global Deepwater Shipping Routes
Image courtesy of U.S. Maritime Administration
Panama Canal Lock Expansion Project
• Approved by national referendum in October 2006 by 80% of Panamanians
• Scheduled completion date in 2014
• Estimated cost of $5.2 billion
• Project is on schedule and under budget
• Will double capacity of the canal
• Will allow much larger ships to traverse canal
• Will alter global shipping patterns
Inland/Coastal Waterways
• 12,000 miles of navigable waterways
• 240 lock sites • Move commerce to and from 38
states
Image courtesy of National Waterways Foundation
Image courtesy of U.S. Maritime Administration
Inland Waterways System Components
• Navigation channel – dredging required at some locations
• Locks and dams – navigation pools (USACE)
• Ports and terminals for loading/unloading – publicly and privately owned
• Fleeting/mooring sites
• Navigation aids – channel and obstruction buoys (US Coast Guard)
• River information systems – automatic vessel identification, lock operations management, vessel-to-land communications
Seamen’s Church Institute Mariner Simulator Training in Paducah, KY