The wide application of steam machines from the last third of the 19^th century, and then turbines and internal combustion engines considerably increased vessel speeds and increased their freight-carrying abilities.

Advances in nuclear engineering in the 6^th decade of the 20^th century resulted in the creation and development of a new type of propulsion: the nuclear engine.

The continual growth of the volume of transportation and exploitation and harvesting of Ocean resources have required that ship builders create greater freight-carrying capacity and higher speed vessels. Large shipyards, laid out and outfitted with state-of-the-art engineering techniques and equipment, now make it possible to construct various types of vessels with displacements of one million tons.

Shipbuilding has a great future. The role of the marine fleet will steadily increase. Marine shipping is one from the most reliable and inexpensive means of freight transportation between continents. This outstanding place will take a vessels on underwater wings and cushions of air, using transport submarines and “flying ships” (ground-effect machines). The main direction in the of development of shipbuilding will be an increase of speed and freight-carrying abilities of vessels, reliability of machinery and a broad application of automation.

Oars and sails - the most ancient tools used by Man to propel vessels. The oar is a bladed mover, converting the muscular force of Man to thrust.

The oldest oar yet found. It is believed to date to about 7000 BC

Rock carvings and artefacts found in archaeological excavations (images of vessels on vases, stones with engraved designs, bas-reliefs and ancient texts) tell us of the applications of oars and also, sails by ancient seafarers. The most simple and ancient kind of oar is a wooden blade. On some boats, two oars were used for rowing from the stern, while on others, there were two short oars, bound on both sides of the stern, served as a rudder, while being propelled by a centre oar.

In order to increase speed, the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans began to build vessels with several rows of oars. These vessels were named according to quantity of rows: bireme (two rows) and trireme (three rows). A five-row vessel - pentereme - is also known to have existed. These oared vessels were capable of developing speeds of up to 5-6 knots, but had poor manoeuvrability. Their oars reached a length of 14-16 m, and 7-9 oarsmen were required for each oar. The internal part of the handle was filled with lead for balance.

After the Greek triremes came galleys. These military rowing vessels actually existed up until the 19^th century. On galleys, the oars were placed in one row. Their speed reached 7-8 knots. Auxiliary sails were applied for added speed. The work of oarsmen on galleys was so taxing to the human body, that to be exiled on them was considered to be the most severe form of punishment. Galleys had high manoeuvrability and good seaworthiness and made up the greater parts of the Naval fleets of Europe.

Modern oars differ only a little from those of ancient times.
 
 

The sail appeared 5-6 thousand years ago in Egypt and Mesopotamia, and later (and independently), in China, East Asia, Oceania, South America, Scandinavian and Mediterranean countries.

The materials used in the manufacture of sails were scraped skins of animals, canvas, matting, wooden slats, etc. Sails were applied as auxiliary sources of propulsion on rowing vessels.

At first it was a flat, direct sail, with the help of which it was possible to sail mainly before the wind. Later, oblique sails were applied, giving greater capability to sail by winds blowing in lateral or crossing directions.

 Until the end the 19^th century there were three types of sail rigging used, depending on the type of sail being used: direct, oblique and mixed. The vessel with a direct rigging runs with all masts bearing trapezoidal sails (brig, frigate); with oblique rigging, it bears quadrangular and triangular sails (schooner, brigantine, bark). If mixed, it bears both types of sails.

Each sail has a name, depending on its arrangement on a particular vessel. A sailing vessel is operated by simultaneously using sails and a rudder.

Under full sail vessels were still able to sail before a weak wind; when the wind strengthened, the quantity of sails was reduced: the upper sails were lowered and the lower sails were reefed, that is, shortened to diminish the surface area of the sails.

Special training and leadership was required in order to hoist and clean sails with an area of thousands of square meters as were found on sailing vessels.

The "swan song" of the age of sail came with the age of the "clipper-ships". These were remarkably efficient sailing ships on which captains could clearly exhibit their arts of seamanship and ship-handling skills, achieving speeds of 18-20 knots and more. Clippers on the move were so-named because it appeared they actually cut off or "clipped" the crests of the waves as they crossed them. They differed from their predecessors in that they had great stability, bore their sets of sails magnificently as they came upon wave after wave, took very little water on their upper decks (even in rough seas), and moved very cleanly and easily, even during times of weak or almost - calm winds. Over a number of decades, the Clippers transported freight and passengers (especially in commerce between the Far East and Western Europe / North America, and were included in the structure of several naval fleets. The highest qualification a seafarer could attain was that of "Captain of a Clipper-ship".