in
Poole A ship's bow should be designed to enable the hull to pass efficiently through the water. Bow shapes vary according to the speed of the boat, the seas or waterways being navigated, and the vessel's function. Where sea conditions are likely to promote
pitching, it is useful if the bow provides
reserve buoyancy; a flared bow (a raked stem with flared topsides) is ideal to reduce the amount of water shipped over the bow. Ideally, the bow's shape should both reduce
water resistance and block water from regularly washing over the top of it. Large commercial barges on inland waterways rarely meet big waves and may have remarkably little
freeboard at the bow, whereas fast military vessels operating offshore must be able to cope with heavy seas. On slower ships like tankers and barges, a fuller bow shape is used to maximise the volume of the ship for a given length. The bow may be reinforced to serve as an ice-breaker. The forward part of the bow is called the "stem" or "forestem". Traditionally, the stem was a timber (or metal) post into which side planks (or plates) were joined. Some boats such as the
Dutch barge "aak" or the
clinker-built Viking longships have no straight stem, having instead a curved prow. == Types ==