The Ship That Will Change Travel Forever - Machinery and Technology

Ships are some of the oldest technology still in regular use today, and they have helped us navigate a world that is mostly covered in water for longer than we can remember.

Hydrofoil ship
You might wonder why we need them in the first place, right? Let me answer that for you. As you already know that whenever an object moves through a fluid, it experiences a drag force in opposite direction resisting the motion. So when a ship or any marine vessel moves, it experiences a lot of drag force. That’s because water is 50x thicker/more viscous than air. Along with that, rough waters and turbulences also reduce the efficiency of ships. The shape of the airfoil is such that when moved through a medium, the air flows faster above the surface than underneath it creating a low-pressure zone on top. The pressure difference thus generates lift. The hydrofoil works in a similar fashion. When the watercraft gains speed, the hydrofoil generates lift elevating most of its hull out of water. Since most of the watercraft is now in the air, the hull doesn’t generate drag along the way. Well, to be precise, it does produce but by the air which is significantly lower than what the water would’ve produced.

Ramform Titan
Ramform Titan is a marine seismic acquisition vessel built by the MHI shipyard in Nagasaki in 2013. Its width at the stern is 70 m (230 ft), “the widest ship in the world at the waterline”. It is operated by the Norwegian company Petroleum Geo-Services (PGS) and is used for 3D seismic data acquisition. It was called “the world’s ugliest ship”. PGS built four such Titan-class vessels: The second ship was called Ramform Atlas, the third called Ramform Hyperion, and the fourth Ramform Tethys.

Snowdrop ship
The current position of SNOWDROP is at North East Atlantic Ocean reported 2 min ago by AIS. The vessel is en route to the port of Liverpool, Uɴɪᴛᴇᴅ Kɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ (UK), and expected to arrive there on Feb 8, 19:00. The vessel SNOWDROP (IMO: 8633724, MMSI 235024612) is an Inland Passenger built-in 1960 (63 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Uɴɪᴛᴇᴅ Kɪɴɢᴅᴏᴍ (UK). SNOWDROP’s current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and ᴍᴀɴagement details are derived from the VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of SNOWDROP data.

Dockwise Vanguard
DOCKWISE VANGUARD is a semi-submersible vessel for heavy transport and offshore dry-docking built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Ulsan for the Dutch shipping company Dockwise. The vessel features a bow-less design developed by Dockwise and Delta marine. It is provided with a free deck space of 275 x 70m, which extends the entire length of the vessel. The design allows the flow of water along the entire deck but prevents the entry of water into the enclosures of the vessel. A bulwark is also incorporated into the design to ensure the safety of the crew. The crew accommodation, including the lifeboats section, is on the starboard side of the vessel. The ship is equipped with buoyancy casings which can be moved to various positions to accommodate different kinds of cargo. Machinery exhausts are located in the accommodation deckhouse.

Aranui 5 cruise ship
The Aranui V is a working cargo freighter that also operates as a cruise ship, taking passengers to the most remote island group in French Polynesia—the Marquesas. The ship departs every three weeks from Papeete and transports everything from food and liquor to ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄɪɴᴇ and fuel to the small, inhaBɪᴛᴇd islands of Ua Pou, Nuku Hiva, Hiva Oa, Fatu Hiva, Tahuata and Ua Huka, as well as Fakarava and Rangiroa in the Tuamotu Atolls.

The Aranui V features 86 spacious cabins, including ten large suites with balconies. Guests of the ship are fully immersed in Polynesian culture—both onshore and on board the vessel. Each cruise itinerary offers a series of lectures on Marquesan art, culture and history from quality guest speakers. Other amenities include two bars with ocean views; a large dining room; a swimming pool and fitness centre; and an activities station for fishing, diving and snorkelling.