Hull

The principal watertight structural body of a vessel that provides buoyancy and supports its loads.

The hull includes its bottom and sides and may incorporate decks, bulkheads, framing, tanks and internal structure according to the vessel’s design. It can be built from timber, steel, aluminium, fibre-reinforced composites, ferrocement or combinations of materials, and may have one or several separate bodies.

Hull form governs displacement, resistance, stability, motion and carrying capacity. Watertight integrity depends on the shell together with seams, penetrations, valves, hatches and damage control, so describing the hull as watertight states its intended function rather than guaranteeing its condition.