You recognize details about ships by sight. For a given target ship, you know the following.
- Where it was built.
- How damaged it is.
- What it was built for (warship, cargo ship, and so on).
- How old it is (roughly).
- How fast it can go (roughly).
- Any noteworthy features.
You may also make a historian check to learn more about the ship, its crew, its captain, or other features the GM allows.