A ship's character and its crew

Should a ship's machine spirit be understood as one whole or as a collection of spirits belonging to its machinery?

The ship is treated as one whole, with a parallel to the character that engineering and crew give real warships.

A ship's machine spirit is treated as one whole. That fictional idea parallels the character crews perceive in real warships. A ship is a product of its engineering and its people, while also being their home and a weapon. Recommissioning offers a concrete example: returning crew members sometimes touch the structure when the engines first start, feeling the vibration through the hull. These gestures express attachment that the sailors themselves need not consciously notice.