New dimensions in world shipbuilding

New classes of bulk carriers and general cargo vessels are becoming more specialized and larger. The trend towards containerizing cargo has spurred construction of the large cellular containership, the roll-on/roll-off vessel, and the barge carrying ship (LASH). Bulk vessels, especially tankers, have undergone tremendous increases in size until few of the newer ones can pass through the Suez Canal. Crews have not increased primarily because of greater use of shipboard automation devices. Few ports have sufficient water depths to accommodate supertankers, necessitating more off-loading at sea and construction of new deep water terminals. Japanese yards dominate world supership construction, with Scandinavian shipyards most important in Europe. Substantial supership construction is taking place in southern Europe and is an indication of the recent economic growth of Italy, Spain and Yugoslavia. Supership construction in Great Britain has declined relative to Scandinavian and Japanese production and that in the United States is of little significance worldwide.