Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Model Boating => Topic started by: Ghost in the shell on September 09, 2007, 04:09:56 pm
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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
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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?!!
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doesnt matter as long as its a commercial ship :)
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Here's one for you all. O0
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e-on ON the funnel, corporate bias ther terry?
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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. :D :D :D
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P&O's Woodarra. O0
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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
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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).
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I'd agree with that Bryan. It was a classic era for traditional freighters.
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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.... :D
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Martin me and you will have to start taking those tabletts as I agree also with ghost,no wwhere didI put them pills
Stavros
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Come on guys, how can you say the Savanah, it doesn't even have a funnel!!
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Sleek ane ellegant
Stavros
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Never seen it before but the Savannah looks great to me O0
be even better if it had a few missile, guns ect ;D
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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.
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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?
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The Emma Maersk consumes 385 cu m (375 tonnes) of fuel a day to produce a maximum speed of 26.7 knots.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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!
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More likely heavy oil than diesel
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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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thanks and back on the rails. :)
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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!!
Hi,again.
In the not too far distant past the RN and RFA were all converted to diesel (including the turbine ships). "Heavy" oil to the unitiated means (to me) FFO (Furnace Fuel Oil) and is of a surprisingly low viscosity...nothing like the crude you may be imagining. There must have been some reason for this and not (obviously) an economical one. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that just about every engine (including gas turbines, at a pinch) can run on diesel? (not talking about petrol cars here!), but I was always a bit curious about the changeover. Any thoughts? BY.
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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
Come on!
There was no shipping line more inaptly named than the "Grace Line". The interiors were even worse than the outside due to the US authorities not liking anything that could burn. Also, if I remember correctly, all US ships were (and possibly still are) built to be incorporated into the USN in the event of defence requirements. The US Merchant Marine is quite unique within global Mercantile shipping. It also explains why the US Merchant Fleet is so small for such a large country. I guess (no proof) that most of the US coastal traffic is carried by US registered ships...but I would state with some degree of confidence that a huge proportion of Panamanian and Liberian vessels are American owned. The reasons are obvious!. BY.
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Brian
You ae correct the RN changed to one fuel, diesel due to fact most ships were to be Gas turbine powered.
I think the Britannia was the last ship in commison to be coverted in mid 80,s
regards
Jim
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I always like the Duke of Lancaster.
She was anchored of Mostyn Dock in the late 70s (I think) as a 'fun ship' I believe she is now rotting.
Here are some pics form the bbc website.
One by Gary Woolton (whoever you are), and one of the DoL on her sea trails.
and a blog from some naughty boys who got on board recently, it has some great pics.
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=18739
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And just about in service, the Lady of Mann 2, built in 1975. Sold in 2005 to sail in Greece.
Not the best looking, but she had style.
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dunno about that tiggs, I think that lady of mann is actually quite nice looking :)
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Brian
You ae correct the RN changed to one fuel, diesel due to fact most ships were to be Gas turbine powered.
I think the Britannia was the last ship in commison to be coverted in mid 80,s
regards
Jim
Nice thoughts but not the way I read it.
"Britannia" was (I agree) a heavy oil burner...but she was only one of many. Her big problem was the antiquated sewage system (as with so many "liners" nowadays) whereby raw sewage was just pumped into the sea. A beautiful ship and a shame to see it go, but she really did belong to a different era. However, to get back on track, I think the last ships to use FFO were the ships that delivered it! Namely the "Olmeda" class of replenishment ships. By the time the "Ols" were taken out of service all the tanks were either deisel or avcat.
Sensible I suppose as we used to refuel ships of all nations (if they could pay for it!...and some would'nt). Better minds than mine will tell you why gas-turbines are not the "be all and end all" for ship propulsion, but they are horrendous fuel users and that can lead to stability problems and so they need re-fuelling more often. Bad news if there is not a floating petrol staion within range! Bu that is all another story. BY