Is it just me ?

[Tony Wilding]

Is it just my opinion that Ship Design has gone peculiar, latest rig supply vessles dont look like ships now, trawlers look more like private yachts, cruise liners blocks of apartments. Singapore-Swire-Pacific-Offshore-Gets-New-PSV-Pacific-Hawk.jpgHighly-Efficient-50-m-Factory-Trawler.jpgcant imagine the next generation.

[j.sabourn]

Tony Ref. What you refer to as a rig supply vessel is probably a larger more powerful vessel that you or me ever served on. When I left in 1991 anything under 12000 B.H.P the oil companys didnt want to know, believe this went up to about 16000 Horse power a few years later as reckoned they needed this power re towing etc. The vessels I was on were about 6000 tops and we struggled with them and still did the job. The Norwegians always used to have the best vessels in the North Sea, which usually finished up under British ownership when they updated their own fleet. Most offshore vessels now have 4 main engines, 2 on each shaft, and going full out burn over 20 tons a day. For economic running 2 engines are declutched to save on running costs. In Australia I worked mostly with these ex vessels so called discards from the North Sea, a lot of them lie at the Eastern Anchorage off singapore (Supply boat graveyard) Technically some of this new tonnage is very sophisicated, bow thrusters, Stern thrusters, azimuth propellors, some have D.P. All things we had to do without years ago. Some even have a heli deck for crew changes etc. When we had to drag heavy anchor chain across and up the deck this has been simplified by a lot of machinery to assist in the job. I do not decry this as this is what I call progress, a lot of knowledge has been brought into this side of shipping by the oil companys, and must laud them on their contribution to science as such, however saying that I still decry them for the price of petrol, or maybe it should be the Government for the high taxes on such.
The fishing vessel you mention must be Foreign as believe I am told that the British Fishing Industry is almost kaput thanks to rules and regulations emitting from the E.U. Best Regards John Sabourn.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Is it just my opinion that Ship Design has gone peculiar, latest rig supply vessles dont look like ships now, trawlers look more like private yachts, cruise liners blocks of apartments. Singapore-Swire-Pacific-Offshore-Gets-New-PSV-Pacific-Hawk.jpgHighly-Efficient-50-m-Factory-Trawler.jpgcant imagine the next generation.

Tony,

Try looking at the latest generation of Container Feeder vessels. The accommodation seems to be 'perched' precariously on the stern to utilise container space above the engine room.

Bill

[Tony Wilding]

HI BILL, yes i have noticed them feel sorry for the crew when they roll, must be a nightmare on the bridge with a beam sea. was bad enough on a normal ship at main deck level, dread to think how it is on one of those, must be a crew safety hazard having to work in bad weather that high, but today only cargo counts, not the crew.,amazes me how containers stay in place, take a big green one over the side must put a huge pressure on them, have seen a few photos of collapsed stacks of containers, but have allways been right aft, thought that strange, all aft of the accommodation.