The Ships

The British Merchant fleet consists of a large number of ships operated by individual shipping companies to service the needs of industry and commerce all over the world, and to support exploration and production of offshore resources.

The Merchant Navy (as it is known) operates worldwide and includes:

The world’s largest and most modern ferries

Ro/Ro (Roll-on/Roll-off) ships are built to carry wheeled goods (eg cars, lorries etc) and most sizes of merchandise that can be placed on wheels. Many Ro/Ro vessels operate as ferries with the vehicles driven up stern or bow ramps and exiting from the opposite end of the ship to avoid wasting time reversing or turning. 

Some of the most prestigious cruise companies

The cruise sector of the shipping industry continues to grow, as the popularity of cruising holidays increases with the worldwide tourist trade. A large service-orientated crew is needed to look after the interests of passengers, who require quality catering, entertainment, air conditioning, and all the other facilities expected from a five-star ‘floating’ hotel.

Containerships carrying a wide variety of cargo

The container concept has revolutionised sea trade. The container ship’s superstructure, bridge and main engines are often placed towards the stern, leaving a large unobstructed deck space for cargo hatchways or containers. Nearly all goods can be transported in containers, which are built in standard sizes – usually of 20 and 40 ft lengths. Containers are packed ashore – at factories or inland depots, carried by road or rail to a port, shipped, and only opened when they reach their destination.

Advanced support vessels for the offshore exploration industry

The exploration and production of oil and gas in seas around the world are supported by thousands of ships of technically innovative designs, for the purposes of towing oil rigs and barges, supplying rigs and platforms with equipment and stores, providing evacuation and fire fighting support, constructing and maintaining offshore structures, and laying pipelines to bring the oil and gas ashore.

High-quality oil, gas and chemical tankers of all sizes

Specialised tankers are designed to carry oil products, gas or chemicals. The largest tankers carry crude oil. Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) and Ultra Large Crude Carriers (ULCCs) are used for carrying oil on long haul routes from the Persian Gulf to Europe, America and the Far East. These tankers are so large they can only discharge at custom-built terminals, while smaller tankers are needed to enter a greater variety of ports.

Modern bulk carriers carrying ores, grain and coal

These ships carry bulk commodities such as grain, minerals and fertilisers. They range in size from small coastal traders to ships with a cargo capacity of over 150,000 tons.

Naval support ships

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary is a civilian manned organisation which exists solely to support and supply the Royal Navy in every area of its operations throughout the world. Fuel, munitions and all other logistical requirements of a fighting navy are transported by the RFA to the Royal Navy’s ships.

Marine mining vessels

Marine aggregate dredgers, more accurately described as marine mining vessels, operate out at sea in open waters, and are employed to find, lift and deliver millions of tons of valuable sand and gravel each year for the construction industry, to both British and Continental ports. These ships are extremely sophisticated technically, and are equipped with electronic charts enabling them to work within the most precisely defined limits. They are part of a growing, modern industry providing vital material resources for society, in an environmentally friendly way, compared with land based extraction.

Cable layers

Cable ships lay and maintain cable systems across the world's oceans, around coastlines, and to islands and offshore installations. When buried safely beneath the sea bed the fibre optic communication cables form part of the vital infrastructure of our global telecommunications network.

Other types of ships include Heavy Lift ships – designed to carry heavy cargo pieces; research and survey ships; refrigerated ships; salvage ships; deep sea tugs and pollution control vessels.

You can see a variety of these ships by clicking on the Chamber of Shipping’s and Marine Society’s websites