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Sea vehicles
| Various passenger ships | Let’s learn about luxury cruise ships | Various cargo ships |
| Let’s learn about large tankers | Entering and leaving port | Ports | Shipbuilding process |
| Safety of ships | Ocean has roads |
Ocean has roads
Roads across the sea (sea routes)
Can ships travel anywhere on the sea?
Even though ocean is very big, ships are not allowed to travel anywhere they want. In narrow straits and around the entrance to harbors, sea routes are decided. Near the shore, water can be shallow. If it doesn't have enough depth for a big ship, it can run aground. Ships entering port must follow the sea route and they can travel only during the designated time.
 
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Nautical chart (Map of sea)
Nautical chart (Map of sea)
  
There are designated route for ships, too.
Ocean has roads top
Traffic rules of the sea
Route must be kept to the right on the sea.
At night, two ships can keep from crashing into each other by heading in the direction of the red light.
  
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Ocean has roads top
Giving way to larger ships
Ship’s speed differs depending on the size of the ship and type. Big ships need several kilometers until they can stop after throwing an engine into reverse to brake. Therefore, on the sea it is considered better for the safety that smaller ships which can turn quickly give way to larger ships. It is not because larger ones have better status or better rank.
  
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A big ship and a small ship are passing each other.
A big ship and a small ship are passing each other.
  
Too many ships are going in this area.
Too many ships are going in this area.
Ocean has roads top
Aids to navigation
There are various kinds of aids to navigation in order to show ships their locations.
Lighthouse is one of them. It is easy for captains to identify the lighthouse even from a distance, because each of them has different way of lightening. When fog blocks the visibility, some lighthouses can notify ships by sound. Each lighthouse has different sound.
Electric-beacon Lighthouse can obtain the information about the location of ships by wireless applications. Some applications can calculate the location receiving the signal from satellites.
Inubozaki lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture
Inubozaki lighthouse in Chiba Prefecture
 
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Ogamishima lighthouse in Nagasaki Prefecture
Ogamishima lighthouse in Nagasaki Prefecture
  
Izumo Hinomisaki lighthouse in Shimane Prefecture
Izumo Hinomisaki lighthouse in Shimane Prefecture
Ocean has roads top
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