Topic: best looking merchant ship (Read 7317 times)

Ghost in the shell · « **on:** September 09, 2007, 04:09:56 pm »

in the oldern days when liners were THE way to travel across the ocean, in fact the only way if you were a paying passenger, the liners of the time developed into style icons, culminating in the QE2, though as the market has moved on, most of those ships have been pentioned off, replaced by floating blocks of flats.

so as far as merchant ships go, which one is the best looking? I personally like the NS Savannah

Bunkerbarge · « **Reply #1 on:** September 09, 2007, 04:28:18 pm »

If we are talking merchant ships of all time, including passenger ships I don't think anything comes near the QE2, but if we are talking purely cargo vessels I think they reached thier peak before the advent of containerisation so many vessels of the early seventies all had a bit of style and some lovely lines to them.

Most cargo vessels of this time seemed to display a peak in design that was lost forever when containers took over and efficiency and cost of the design became the driving factor. We lost the cruiser stern and cargo handling equipment and more and more hull plates were designed to be flat rather than the far more expensive curved variety.

Here are a couple of examples of what I would consider good looking ships, but as for the best of all time, isn't that the one that is taking you home?!!

Ghost in the shell · « **Reply #2 on:** September 09, 2007, 04:30:03 pm »

doesnt matter as long as its a commercial ship :)

Faraday's Cage · « **Reply #3 on:** September 09, 2007, 05:25:05 pm »

Here's one for you all.

Ghost in the shell · « **Reply #4 on:** September 09, 2007, 05:43:05 pm »

e-on ON the funnel, corporate bias ther terry?

Faraday's Cage · « **Reply #5 on:** September 09, 2007, 06:17:34 pm »

Quote

e-on ON the funnel, corporate bias ther terry?

Damn, I and thought that the last brain washing session hadnt had any effect on me.

DickyD · « **Reply #6 on:** September 09, 2007, 06:32:24 pm »

P&O's Woodarra.

swordfish fairey · « **Reply #7 on:** September 09, 2007, 08:40:05 pm »

To methese two have personal connections, Orion took me out to Australia in 1950, and the Australis brought me home in 1967. Great shame about the Australis, no great ship should end up like she did. :'( ..Smudge

Bryan Young · « **Reply #8 on:** September 10, 2007, 05:56:31 pm »

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...every era produces outstanding looking ships (with the present era severely remiss!).
Personally I think that the "better" companies produced the best looking ships ever in the post WW2 period. Apart from the ocassional abberation (Savannah etc) the Americans have never really produced anything but cheap, functional and usually rather ugly commercial ships. Post WW2 I would think that the N.European yards produced the prettiest (if you want to call a ship pretty).
The Dutch were rather good at it as were the new yards in Germany and France (the French were often a bit quirky, though). But the "award" must go to the UK builders for the years between 1947 and 1964. Leaving out passenger liners, I would suggest that "Blue Funnel", Blue Star", "Ben Line", and "Union Castle" produced the handsomest ships ever. (in general and over a longish period, rather than a "one-off" effort).

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #9 on:** September 10, 2007, 06:45:38 pm »

I'd agree with that Bryan. It was a classic era for traditional freighters.

Martin (Admin) · « **Reply #10 on:** September 10, 2007, 07:01:06 pm »

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm going to agree with Ghostie - NS Savannah ... I'm going to have a little lie down somewhere....

Stavros · « **Reply #11 on:** September 10, 2007, 07:08:53 pm »

Martin me and you will have to start taking those tabletts as I agree also with ghost,no wwhere didI put them pills

Stavros

Bunkerbarge · « **Reply #12 on:** September 10, 2007, 07:13:38 pm »

Come on guys, how can you say the Savanah, it doesn't even have a funnel!!

Stavros · « **Reply #13 on:** September 10, 2007, 07:30:23 pm »

Sleek ane ellegant

Stavros

madrob · « **Reply #14 on:** September 10, 2007, 10:50:24 pm »

Never seen it before but the Savannah looks great to me

be even better if it had a few missile, guns ect

Bunkerbarge · « **Reply #15 on:** September 10, 2007, 11:39:06 pm »

I actually had a look around her in the early eighties when she was part of a museum in Charleston, SC. Very interesting but unfortunately not much of the engine room was left to see. You could go into a control room and look out at the space where it had been but a shame not to be able to see any of the plant. She is now up at BAE shipyards in Newport News where it is hoped after further decommissioning and restoration work she will be put on permanent public display somewhere.

It is actually quite poignant to think that we are now going through all sorts of restrictive legislation to control smoke emissions from ships, which is all going to end up costing a fortune, but we still don't want to revisit the idea of using nuclear fuels for merchant ships.

Ghost in the shell · « **Reply #16 on:** September 11, 2007, 01:07:41 am »

bunker, having sailed at new brighton, I have had the chance to see a couple of ships start up, one car ferry fired its engine up, and it seemed like the Flying Scotsman put out less smoke hauling 14 coaches out of kings cross! the rear of the ship vanished in a cloud of smoke.

nuclear merchant ships are the way to go. savannah used only i think 40kg of uranium during her first year or so i think, how many tons of fuel oil will the Emma Maersk burn in one trip across the pacific?

Bunkerbarge · « **Reply #17 on:** September 11, 2007, 07:36:47 am »

The Emma Maersk consumes 385 cu m (375 tonnes) of fuel a day to produce a maximum speed of 26.7 knots.

meechingman · « **Reply #18 on:** September 11, 2007, 11:56:18 am »

I'm gonna go with some of the Blue Star ships - before someone got out a ruler and started to make them all square-shaped (and that was still pre-box boat). Here's a pic from Newhaven in the 70's, showing two together. One's Brasilia Star and I can't remember the other one.
Andy

meechingman · « **Reply #19 on:** September 11, 2007, 12:02:28 pm »

And how about some of the Grace Line or Moore McCormack ships of the 50's. No photos here, but a look on SN should find some.
Andy

Colin Bishop · « **Reply #20 on:** September 11, 2007, 12:03:35 pm »

Yes, I remember seeing them at Newhaven too. Roy Chapman entered a miniature at the ME Exhibition - not a very good picture but shows the design from above.

DickyD · « **Reply #21 on:** September 11, 2007, 12:30:58 pm »

Quote from: Colin Bishop on September 11, 2007, 12:03:35 pm

Yes, I remember seeing them at Newhaven too. Roy Chapman entered a miniature at the ME Exhibition - not a very good picture but shows the design from above.

Ghost in the shell · « **Reply #22 on:** September 11, 2007, 04:29:34 pm »

Quote from: Bunkerbarge on September 11, 2007, 07:36:47 am

The Emma Maersk consumes 385 cu m (375 tonnes) of fuel a day to produce a maximum speed of 26.7 knots.

thats a lot of diesel oil!

BarryM · « **Reply #23 on:** September 11, 2007, 06:19:41 pm »

More likely heavy oil than diesel

Bunkerbarge · « **Reply #24 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:17:26 pm »

Curently in the US Diesel Fuel is about $600.00 per MT and heavy fuel is $350.00 per MT.

I can assure you it won't be diesel they'll be burning!!

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Author Topic: best looking merchant ship (Read 7317 times)

Bunkerbarge

swordfish fairey

Stavros

Bunkerbarge

Stavros

madrob

Bunkerbarge

Bunkerbarge

Bunkerbarge