Leaky stem gland

[Dav and Pen]

Not many modern ships still have shaft driven propellors mostly azimuth steerable ones. The navy has destroyers that cant leave Portsmouth, aircraft carrier with no aircraft and a leak,the American navy has a new class of ships that don’t work because the gears made in Germany are sub standard.

however the giant container ships and tankers built in China and Korea seem to work first time. My time was spent on steam turbine ships which broke down occasionally usually during evening meal times, one chief engineer who had to get up from dinner said to the captain B engineers wouldn’t trust them with a clockwork mouse.

 

 

[Tacet]

5 hours ago, Tacet said:

 

Don't get me started.  The proper Woolwich Ferries have two coal-fired V twin steam engines - one driving each paddle.  The John Benn was the best.

 

2 hours ago, bizzard said:

I remember them, side loading, I've been across on them many times in my dads car.

That's right - on one side, and off the other.  The ferry always came alongside facing into the flow - and therefore took a S shaped course across the river.   Until the tide turned when the vehicles had to disembark the same side.  Since packing the cars and lorries in was a real art at the best of times, turning the vehicles on the deck was entertaining.   A small space was kept vacant for turning the first car, which was carefully selected both by type and the perceived capabilities of its driver.  The crew would act as banksmen, and were very skilled at "driving" all the various vehicles by the circling and waving of arms until the deck was clear.

And the coal lorry came aboard too - travelling back-and-forth whilst the coal man tipped the sacks down a chute.

As a youngster, my Dad was put on Woolwich side by his mum and aunty-someone was to meet him on North Woolwich side - but aunty wasn't there!  Having reflected on the issue - he began to appreciate the side he was now on, looked very similar to side A - and perhaps he had spent rather too long being mesmerised by the engine.  In the 1980s I bought him the photo above.

 

[bizzard]

1 hour ago, Tacet said:

 

That's right - on one side, and off the other.  The ferry always came alongside facing into the flow - and therefore took a S shaped course across the river.   Until the tide turned when the vehicles had to disembark the same side.  Since packing the cars and lorries in was a real art at the best of times, turning the vehicles on the deck was entertaining.   A small space was kept vacant for turning the first car, which was carefully selected both by type and the perceived capabilities of its driver.  The crew would act as banksmen, and were very skilled at "driving" all the various vehicles by the circling and waving of arms until the deck was clear.

And the coal lorry came aboard too - travelling back-and-forth whilst the coal man tipped the sacks down a chute.

As a youngster, my Dad was put on Woolwich side by his mum and aunty-someone was to meet him on North Woolwich side - but aunty wasn't there!  Having reflected on the issue - he began to appreciate the side he was now on, looked very similar to side A - and perhaps he had spent rather too long being mesmerised by the engine.  In the 1980s I bought him the photo above.

 

I also remember a sort of resident ice cream van being parked up on it going backwards and forwards flogging ice cream to passengers in the summer, as there was on a later diesel ferry not so long ago.

[bizzard]

1 hour ago, Dav and Pen said:

Not many modern ships still have shaft driven propellors mostly azimuth steerable ones. The navy has destroyers that cant leave Portsmouth, aircraft carrier with no aircraft and a leak,the American navy has a new class of ships that don’t work because the gears made in Germany are sub standard.

however the giant container ships and tankers built in China and Korea seem to work first time. My time was spent on steam turbine ships which broke down occasionally usually during evening meal times, one chief engineer who had to get up from dinner said to the captain B engineers wouldn’t trust them with a clockwork mouse.

 

 

The Indian gas turban engines were elephantine.

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, Dav and Pen said:

however the giant container ships and tankers built in China and Korea seem to work first time.

You're not comparing like with like. If a bleedin' great diesel donk driving a huge, relatively slow propeller worked for a warship too, that's what they'd have. If a merchant ship needed the acceleration and manoeuvrability a warship has to have, their hull shape would be completely different and they wouldn't use such a propulsion plant either. Don't get me wrong, I'm no fan of current UK warship 'electric ship' propulsion systems, which borrow much from cruise liners, not least because I think the high voltage route has no place in a fighting vessel which the enemy is trying to fill with salt water. Nevertheless, you're comparing the maritime equivalents of a Formula 1 car and a truck.

Incidentally, the Rolls-Royce WR21 gas turbine for the Type 45 design was 'selected' for the navy for political reasons and no-one else in the world bought it (last time I looked) - think what impact that might have in terms of reliability, spares and support. 

Edited December 21, 2017 by Sea Dog
Removed a rogue S