Park ship

A "park ship" is a term, primarily used historically, referring to a ship that is permanently, or semi-permanently, moored in a harbor or waterway and repurposed for a stationary function. These ships were often outdated or surplus vessels no longer considered suitable for active duty or commercial transport.

Typical uses for park ships included:

• Accommodation: Providing housing for sailors, dockworkers, or other personnel when land-based accommodations were scarce or unavailable. This was especially common in busy port cities.
• Training facilities: Serving as stationary platforms for training naval personnel in various skills, such as gunnery, navigation, or engineering.
• Warehouses: Storing goods or equipment when land-based storage facilities were limited.
• Repair shops: Providing a floating platform for ship repair activities.
• Museums: Although less common historically, some park ships were converted into museum ships to preserve maritime history.

The term "park ship" differentiates these vessels from active ships engaged in transit or operational duties. Their primary characteristic is their stationary nature and adaptation to a land-based function, despite retaining their ship form. The practice of using park ships has declined with the development of more readily available and cost-effective land-based infrastructure.