Bow
The bow includes the hull structure at and around the vessel’s forward end, where the port and starboard sides converge or are joined by the stem. Its form varies with intended speed, displacement, seakeeping, cargo or accommodation needs and construction method.
Some bows are fine and wave-piercing, others full or bluff, and some ships have a submerged bulbous bow designed for particular operating conditions. Anchoring and mooring equipment is often fitted forward, but the term identifies location rather than a guaranteed shape, hydrodynamic effect or equipment layout.
