ABSTRACT
A study for the US Transportation Research Board used a widely accepted definition for short sea shipping in North America, which was defined by the Maritime Economics Panel of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers: Freight service operations carrying either containerized or trailerized cargoes (or empties) via the coastal waters and river system and in particular those services where there is a true 'intermodal choice' to be made by the shipper between moving units by water and using one or more land-based alternatives. There are different types of ferries, and the differences between them are discussed below under three broad types, pure freight services, pure passenger services and mixed or hybrid options; more information on vessel types can be found in Buzzone. This chapter summarises the vessel types in terms of general characteristics and usual deployment, but it becomes clear that there is some overlap in the abilities of the various vessel types to serve these needs.
