Are small ships a thing of the past?

Discussion in 'All Things Boats & Boating' started by El_Guero, Oct 2, 2013.

  1. El_Guero

    El_Guero Previous Member

  2. latestarter
    Joined: Jul 2010
    Posts: 402
    Likes: 51, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 233
    Location: N.W. England

    latestarter Senior Member

    By coincidence I was watching a programme on the Quest channel about the building of this ship last night.
    It was built in prefabricated sections as usual but half way through they flooded the dry dock, floated it out to let 2 smaller completed ships sail.
    I had not seen before how they made the double curvature plates for the bows.
    A man sits on a chair on a single curvature plate with a heating torch in one hand and a hose in the other, the alternate heating and cooling warps the steel.
     
  3. daiquiri
    Joined: May 2004
    Posts: 5,371
    Likes: 258, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 3380
    Location: Italy (Garda Lake) and Croatia (Istria)

    daiquiri Engineering and Design

  4. jehardiman
    Joined: Aug 2004
    Posts: 3,762
    Likes: 1,152, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2040
    Location: Port Orchard, Washington, USA

    jehardiman Senior Member

    Of course the idea is to eliminate smaller competitors, just like large fish eat small fish. Ship size always depends on the market, route, and shoreside transport. Ships will always grow to the maximum size permitted by technology for a under-fed market. For a market that can be satisified by a vessel smaller than maximum, the ship will grow to the most economical size. The concept that you want the maximum size ship is old...since the early 1600's every naval architect has known that.

    You need to take more ship design theory courses.
     
  5. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Very often also takes several men driving presses several hundred tons of power, 3D templates to shape the piece and some measuring instruments and, of course, great knowledge of the job.
    In general, attempting not to heat the plates.
     
  6. El_Guero

    El_Guero Previous Member

    Amazing coincidence ....
     
  7. El_Guero

    El_Guero Previous Member

    I do. Don't we all? But what does design theory have to do with history of naval design theory? Shouldn't the class be titled 'history of naval architecture' instead of design theory?

    :D
     
  8. jehardiman
    Joined: Aug 2004
    Posts: 3,762
    Likes: 1,152, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2040
    Location: Port Orchard, Washington, USA

    jehardiman Senior Member

    :rolleyes: If you don't know the "why" of designing a ship you definitely won't get the "how" correct.

    Leonardo da Vinci
     
  9. TANSL
    Joined: Sep 2011
    Posts: 7,369
    Likes: 699, Points: 123, Legacy Rep: 300
    Location: Spain

    TANSL Senior Member

    Interesting stuff, had magnetic compasses in the age of Leonardo?. What navigational instruments used?.
    I know this has nothing to do with the thread but also the majority of posts in it.
     
  10. hoytedow
    Joined: Sep 2009
    Posts: 5,857
    Likes: 400, Points: 93, Legacy Rep: 2489
    Location: Control Group

    hoytedow Carbon Based Life Form

  11. jehardiman
    Joined: Aug 2004
    Posts: 3,762
    Likes: 1,152, Points: 113, Legacy Rep: 2040
    Location: Port Orchard, Washington, USA

    jehardiman Senior Member

    I'm pretty sure I was the last NA to specify a furnace plate at MINSY. I was fun to see the red hot plate dropped over the bucks and beat into shape. Then a couple of days with a grinder to get rid of the hammer marks. Here is the SSN 637 fairwater at the Keyport Underwater museum. The sail cap is made of a HY-80 furnaced plate, end caps of the fairwater planes also.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. michael pierzga
    Joined: Dec 2008
    Posts: 4,862
    Likes: 116, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 1180
    Location: spain

    michael pierzga Senior Member

    Ship size is about economics. Does the ship building industry get economics correct ?

    They built fast ships and now practice Slow steaming.

    Those big ships need big ports and loopsided trade.

    Chinese manufactured goods to the US for instance.

    How long will this economics work ?

    Most ships I see are moderate in size and service moderate size ports.

    Will the jumbos be profitable ?

    Mighty handy if the suez canal closes due to conflict.
     
  13. CDBarry
    Joined: Nov 2002
    Posts: 824
    Likes: 57, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 354
    Location: Maryland

    CDBarry Senior Member

    Most double curved steel plates are curved by rolling in one direction and "line heating" in the other, or by line heating in both directions (the process noted by Latestarter). There are a couple of articles on line heating on the web, most notably the definitive one by Lou Chirillo, that give extensive detailled instructions. It is a big topic in SNAME's "Journal of Ship Production".
     
  14. El_Guero

    El_Guero Previous Member

    Ah ... Leonardo ....

    Dreamed up tanks, helicopters, and all sorts of monstrosities he could not get the 'how' correct for ....

    :)

    Makes me wonder about his why sometimes.
     

  15. CDBarry
    Joined: Nov 2002
    Posts: 824
    Likes: 57, Points: 28, Legacy Rep: 354
    Location: Maryland

    CDBarry Senior Member

    Jehardiman;

    You were at MINSY too? Never worked there, but I grew up in Vallejo, which is about half the reason I'm in this business.
     
Loading...
Forum posts represent the experience, opinion, and view of individual users. Boat Design Net does not necessarily endorse nor share the view of each individual post.
When making potentially dangerous or financial decisions, always employ and consult appropriate professionals. Your circumstances or experience may be different.