The nonlinear dynamics of ship motions: a field overview and some recent developments

This opening article of the issue is intended to provide a review of the fi eld of nonlinear ship dynamics and to demonstrate the importance of the sub ject in the context of naval architecture. A list of relevant research topi cs that have received attention in recent years is included in the first se ction of the paper. This sets the scene for a brief discussion about the co ntent and contribution of the articles that make up the Theme Issue. In ord er to facilitate understanding by non-specialists, we include an outline of the general concepts of nonlinear dynamics. Furthermore, we provide a deta iled review of the evolution of ship research of the considered type since the 1970s, including a rather lengthy bibliography. We discuss the latest i deas about ship capsize and we include a special section summarizing the re cent advances with regard to the mechanisms of ship capsize in astern seas. We close the article by offering some ideas about future directions for re search.